Work Quickly, and with precision.This is the most efficient way to develop your observation and intuition in painting.

Gaining the ability to work quickly, and with precision, is key in your development as a painter. The most efficient way to develop your observation and intuition simultaneously is to practice painting with short poses. The time restraint forces you to forego detail, see the big picture, and focus on gesture and large masses, the elements which ultimately hold the power and personality within a portrait. In this class, we will work through a systematic and disciplined technique that is uniquely designed to achieve this aim. We will do a combination of 30 minute, 60 minute and 3hr portraits. I will provide frequent demos, breaking down the process of painting into clear and consecutive steps, as well as critique and instruction each night. Since simplicity is one of our goals, we will be using a limited palette — a limited palette of only 5 colors; Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Red and Blue-Black (W&N). The benefit of using this palette is that it helps us to focus more on drawing and value, while, at the same time, it refines our understanding of color relationships. Practicing this way over the course of the workshop will help to sharpen your observation, and take your skill to a new level.