The Male Torso, Venetian Style

This studio course focuses on the classical male torso as a way of developing a deeper understanding of the nuances of muscular anatomy. We will do a master copy of the male torso following the step-by-step process of indirect, Venetian Style painting: Drawing, Value, and Color, to achieve the depth and atmosphere characteristic of traditional oil painting in the following steps:

Week 1) Imprimitura Underpainting, This is basically the sketching and drawing stage of painting to develop the overall outlines and structure of the figure applying raw umber for dark ares and wiping out color in the light areas, all while the paint is still wet.

Week 2) Grisaille, This is the Value stage. Working exclusively with Black and White we map the overall system of dark and light values with attention to the direction of the light and the various types of shadows: deep shadows, cast shadows, core shadows, and tonal drop off areas.

Week 3) Color, In the color stage the full impact of the Venetian technique is realized, glazing dark over light and scumbling light over dark to achieve the element of temperature, warmth and coolness, that gives atmosphere to your painting.

Week 4) Final Touches, This stage is a continuation of the color stage adding more glazing and stumbling as needed to give that rich sense of depth and color with some alla prima brush strokes in the highest highlights. At this point we make any color corrections and add some of the background to give a spacial context. I will a discuss the use of bitumen and varnish when the painting is completely dry.

There will be a discussion and demo at the beginning of each class.

Please come to class the first day with an 18 x 24” primed canvas, or canvas panel.