WHAT IS A PORTRAIT?
What is likeness? Is it just another version of a photograph? What can a painter bring to a portrait that a photographer can't do better? Stretch your painter's muscles and attempt something different. Use colour and distortion of form to say something unique about the person being painted. Use a photo as a starting point to explore personality in a new fashion. It's all about creativity and playing with ideas on canvas or paper.
Day one, a.m. - Some famous portraits are shown using slides and books. Some of the work used by the instructor is shown using the reference photos from which they were started. Various media are discussed and live versus photo reference is also discussed. The class is paired off and a portrait is attempted of the partner by each student..
Day one, p.m. - The portrait attempts continue.
Day two, a.m. and p.m. - A model is used to demonstrate proper lighting and staging for a portrait attempt from life. The students attempt a portrait using their preferred media.
Day three, a.m. and p.m. - The painting produced by the students is used as a template to produce portraits in monochromatic tones. As many portraits using this technique as possible are attempted.
Day four, a.m. and p.m. - The paintings attempted by the students are used as a template to produce portraits done in complementary colours for contrasting areas.
Day five, a.m. and p.m. - The students bring in a photo of a person that they know well. Various adjectives are used to describe this person. Various colours and shapes are associated with these adjectives and the students then attempt to blend these concepts into the painting of the person that they wish to attempt. The instructor helps with this process.