Beginning with monochromatic grisaille, students capture the gesture of the head and study proportions through landmarks, planes and basic facial anatomy. In the second stage, skin tones are added and values studied as students learn to build volume and create the illusion of light on form.

Color study exercises help students understand temperature, see color as relative, and how it’s affected by the light source. Planes, values and color are integrated in the third stage where the middle stages of building a painting are studied. Edges, paint handling and modeling form will be discussed.

Short studies culminate in a two-day portrait utilizing the information learned. Students learn a cohesive painting process that can be used for all types of painting, and exercises valuable for further individual study. Daily instructor demonstrations accompany each exercise. Individual instruction at the easel is appropriate to the student’s level of skill.

Painting Demonstration Natalie Italiano conducts a three-hour painting demonstration on 6 -9 p.m, Tuesday, July 11, at the Sheldon Museum. The demo is free to the workshop participants and the general public.

Studio Incamminati graduate and Teaching Fellow Natalie Italiano has won numerous awards including a 2009 Portrait Society of America Certificate of Excellence and had work accepted into The Oil Painters of America 2011 Eastern Regional Exhibition. In 2014, she was one of only three artists to receive Signature Status recognition from the Portrait Society of America honoring her dedication to the educational mission and high aesthetic standards of the Portrait Society of America. Her “Portraits of Promise” project features 100 alla prima portraits of American teenagers. Natalie, who studied under Nelson Shanks, holds a teaching certificate from Moore College of Art and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.