The course begins with three weeks of foundational preparation for oil painting, starting with an introduction to the "Sight-size" method and practicing Bargue plate drawings to develop an understanding of light and shadow. In Weeks 2 and 3, students transition to drawing live models in charcoal, focusing on accurately defining form through visual measurement and value alignment. In Weeks 4 to 8, they apply these skills to painting a live portrait, following a structured process of contouring, shading, and refining details to achieve both accuracy and expressive artistry in their work.

Week 1

The first three weeks of the course will provide essential preparation for oil painting. In

Week 1, we will discuss the history of the "Sight-size" method, the technique we will use to paint

portraits. Aligned with the atelier tradition, we will focus exclusively on a visual methodology by

practicing the drawing of Bargue plates. These plates, named after 19th-century French academic

Charles Bargue, were designed to teach a foundational principle of art: the study of light and

shadow. By copying these simplified, two-dimensional templates, students will develop the

ability to observe and interpret light and shadow in an abstract manner, a skill essential for

working from life. Each student will create their own drawings, working side-by-side with a

Bargue plate for reference.

Weeks 2 & 3

Students will use charcoal to draw models from life, a fundamental exercise in preparing

to paint the human face in oil. Through a structured process of visual measurement, students will

learn how to define form through light and shadow, accurately depicting the model's visage with

lifelike precision. This process involves simplifying the general contour, separating light from

shadow, and aligning values to match those observed in nature. These steps introduce the

essential principles for painting a portrait from life using a purely visual approach.

Weeks 4-8

By this stage, students will have developed a strong understanding of refining shapes and values

when drawing from life. During the final five weeks, students will apply these principles to paint

a portrait of a live model. The process will begin similarly to drawing in charcoal: establishing

the contour on the canvas, followed by defining the light and dark shapes, and gradually refining

the finer details. We strive to capture not only accuracy but also the subtle artistry of chiaroscuro

and the expressive qualities that bring a portrait to life.