Classical Drawing Atelier A Complete Course In Traditional Studio Practice

"Art should strive to convey the beauty of its subjects."

Realist painter Sarah Margaret Gibson uses the delicate nature of oil paint to recreate vivid interpretations of the natural world. She affirms that classical painting is not outdated, but rather as relevant and captivating now as it has ever been. Through her work, she depicts the intimate, quiet moments of birds that appear as if they're about to fly off the portrait.

In this course, Sarah takes you through the fundamentals of drawing and oil painting through naturalistic bird portraiture. She explores the alla prima technique, or wet-on-wet painting, and teaches you the sight-size method. Discover her unique tenebris-style that gravitates between observation and aesthetic composition. Learn how to paint from nature and watch your bird come to life on canvas.

Begin by getting to know Sarah. Hear about her creative journey to becoming a classical realist artist and teacher, as well as some of her creative influences and sources of inspiration.

Sarah first takes you through the basics: see how to set up a shadow box and your work space. Get an overview of the materials and hear Sarah's recommendations before learning about the history and theory of the sight-size technique. Next, cover the fundamentals of drawing like proportions, light, shadow, value, modeling, and rendering. Sarah then guides you through color mixing and selecting a color palette.

Delve into the oil painting process by exploring Sarah's method when creating an animal portrait with the alla prima technique. She begins by teaching monochromatic underpainting to establish the drawing. Then she shows you how to organize your palette and premix the colors according to value for the painting, known as value triangulation. Move on to painting the background before adding the finishing touches.

Discover how to maintain the intensity of the colors in your painting and how to preserve it using varnish. Sarah shares her tips and tricks when photographing and sharing her work online. Wrap up the course by hearing final thoughts and advice to keep in mind as you embark upon your own artistic journey.

Create a bird portrait with oil painting utilizing sight-size and alla prima technique.

This course is for anyone who would like to explore new creative techniques when working with oil paint. Both beginner and experienced painters are welcomed.

Previous experience with oil paint is beneficial, but not a requirement.

To take this course, you need sketching paper, graphite pencils, sharpening block, eraser, paper stomp, plumb line (to be explained), canvas or linen panel, an easel, wooden palette, palette knives, oil paints, brushes, mineral spirit, linseed oil, turpentine, and paper towels.