I am going to be teaching another “Secret Techniques of the Old Masters” class this Spring at the Artist’s of Yardley, http://www.artistsofyardley.org. I always get such wonderful results from my students when I teach this class. Over the course of six weeks, I will cover specific steps within a pedagogical system, which will help to unveil the secret methods employed by the Old Masters. What made the works of the Old Masters so stunning is not a mystery; it is simply understanding the specific steps within their system. Students begin by selecting the work of an artist whom they admire, and then create a solid proportional drawing which will be transferred to their paint support. The student may choose to do a direct copy, or create their own work using the same technique of their chosen Master. In this class each student works at their own pace, taking as much time as they need for each step. once their drawing has been transferred to their support, they follow a strategic method of layering their paint, usually beginning with very limited color, and gradually increasing their palette with each additional layer.
Below is a Bouguereau copy that I did as a demo for a previous class. I left each layer in an unfinished state to show each specific step. I hope that anyone reading this who is interested in learning these methods will consider signing up for this class. To do so, please visit http://www.artistsofyardley.org and click on the adult classes link. If you can’t make it to this class, be sure to check my website, http://www.riverafinearts.com for future offerings.
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