Likeness & Beyond: Creative Portraiture

Wednesday, June 25th – Friday, June 27th • 9:00am – 4:00pm
Marblehead Arts Association | 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead

This three-day workshop will teach artists how portraiture has evolved from 3rd-century Byzantine icons to the contemporary realist styles prevalent today. Artists will learn to apply the principles of earlier portraiture styles to their work while being encouraged to pursue their own creative vision. Multiple portraiture methods will be formally taught, including the Alla Prima method, as well as techniques that utilize traditional cartoons and preparatory planning.

Ultimately, beginner and intermediate artists will be able to choose a method that best suits their process, while more advanced artists will learn how to deepen their current understanding of portraiture.

MAA Members: $300 | Non-members: $325

This class is limited to 10 students. Enrollment fee is non-refundable.

About the Instructor

Shawn Stolarz is an artist who has obsessed over art since the early age of 11, when he began to work nearly every day. During his creative journey, his work has explored a wide array of themes, topics, and styles. Many of his early works explored the term beautiful and what constitutes such a subjective term.

Stolarz’s focus always lies in capturing his observations of our complex world through his close attention to detail. He frequently uses art as a meditative process in which he can reflect while nurturing his work in contemplative care. Through his obsession with art, Stolarz has now painted for thousands of hours, despite currently being 18 years old. He has taught himself a variety of techniques and studied our artistic masters to the extreme.

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Supply List

35ml or 40ml Oil Paint Tubes:

Titanium white
Cadmium yellow
Cadmium red
Ultramarine blue
Alizarin crimson

Blick Studio Oil Paints and Sets

(Can be found at an affordable price through Winsor and Newton, Blick Studio, or Utrecht)

Oil paint brushes

Princeton Real Value Series 9100 Combination Brush Set

(Most types will work – but the Princeton real value packs are good options.)

(Can be of any type, but an affordable option is to use a paper palette.)

Class Objectives

Learn about various artists who have influenced the evolution of portraiture. This will include both well-known figures and others that appear to be more obscure.
Learn about the alla prima method and direct painting.
Learn the methods of traditional cartooning – referencing how artists like Michelangelo and Da Vinci famously used this procedure.
Learn how to mix oil/acrylic paints to create a range of color palettes.
Learn about the impact and significance of lighting and how lighting can be purposefully altered.
Develop an understanding of how reality can be distorted to capture the underlying essence of the subject.
Develop contemporary techniques for capturing the detail of the human form.
Explore different brush strokes to depict texture, movement and personality.
Enjoy being creative and experimenting with others in a supportive atmosphere.

Class Schedule

Day 1

Introduction to materials and basic techniques
Color theory and mixing for human form
Demonstrations of washes, layering, and wet-on-wet techniques
Practice color blocking
Discussions on the history of portraiture including references to: Byzantine Iconography, Russian iconography, Baroque portraiture, Rococo portraiture, Expressionist portraiture, Romantic portraiture, Cubist portraiture, Photorealism portraiture, Conceptual abstract portraiture, Post Modern (current era)

Some of the artists discussed will include: Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud, Paul Gauguin, Chuck Close, Fernnando Botero, Tarwuk, Taner Yilmaz, Renoir, Sargent, Egon Schiele, Kehende Wiley, Amy Sherald, Alex Katz…

Day 2

Discussing every artist’s vision for their portrait and intention.
Focused practice on capturing facial expressions
Learning about softening forms when necessary as well as varying line weight.
Learn how brushtrokes can better be used to capture form.
Exploring the impact of lighting.
Discovering how to alter light and form.
Learn how color can be manipulated.

Day 3

Continuing to develop each artist’s portrait.
Finalize the work and refine tones and overall form.
Group critique to positively discuss each artist’s successes.

Register for this Class!

MAA Members: $300
Non-members: $325

Click Here to Register for this Class

If you are unable to enroll using the links on this page, please call us at (781) 631-2608 or email info@marbleheadarts.org to reserve your spot.