Indirect Painting: The Portrait

This class has been designed to remove some of the mystery of the almost magical techniques of the European Masters. Painting from the model on zoom, students will learn how to develop a grisaille (a monochromatic under-painting), and then add semi-opaque layers of color and transparent glazes to realize an almost inner glow when painting flesh.

Demonstrations by John Wellington will include advanced blending techniques, glazing, rendering forms in light and shadow, applications of warm and cool layers of color to give depth to flesh, and how to balance both perceptive and conceptual skills in depicting the features of the face. Although not an “artist’s materials,” class there will be a thorough review of brushes, paints, media, linens, wood, aluminum, and copper prepared panels. 

There will be one six-week poses with the live model through Zoom. A good internet connection is important for this class.

Materials List:

PAINT COLORS (brands are suggested):

The following is a basic list of oil colors. I paint primarily with Vasari, Rublev Colours, and Gamblin Colors. Colors in bold are for limited palettes.

• Titanium or Lead White (Rublev Colours - http://www.naturalpigments.com) or other high quality white. 
• Ivory Black (Rublev Colours or Vasari http://vasaricolors.com)Yellow Ochre Pale or Light 
• Raw Sienna
• Cadmium Yellow Medium, Naples Orange (Vasari)
• Cadmium Red Light (Gamblin Artist’s Colors http://www.gamblincolors.com)
• Viridian
• Burnt Umber, Red Umber, or Transparent Brown Oxide
• Burnt Sienna or Transparent Red Oxide
• Terra Rosa or Red Ochre
• Ultramarine Blue
• Alizarin Crimson

BRUSHES:

Below are brushes that we use. Isabey brushes are very expensive and may be substituted with synthetic replacements to cut down on cost. All brushes are “round” as opposed to flats and filberts, as the latter were not used in traditional painting until the latter part of the 19th Century.

• Creative Mark Fine Tip Liners Great inexpensive brush for detail and hatching work. Cheap enough to buy various sizes. https://www.jerrysartarama.com/creative-mark-fine-tip-liners

• Raphael Kevrin Series 867 Round Brush Mongoose-hair brushes for blending and larger applications of paint (suggested sizes 8, 12). http://www.jerrysartarama.com/raphael-kevrin-plus-mongoose-brushes

• Isabey Kolinsky 6227Z - this water color brush is great for general application of paint in the Old Master styles of Vermeer and Ingres. (sizes 2, 4, 6)

• Rhapsody Creative Mark Round Kolinsky Sable (sizes 0, 2, 4) - another good brush for general and detailed applications of oils.

MEDIUMS: Gamblin’s Galkyd Lite, Galkyd Slow Dry and Neo Megilp thinned with mineral spirits are all good mediums for class work. http://www.gamblincolors.com/mediums/index.html

SUPPORTS: Paintings may be done on portrait linen, wood panel, aluminum, copper, or prepared watercolor paper. “Cotton-duck” and poor quality canvas boards produce the worst surface to paint on and should be avoided in this class.

OTHER MATERIALS:

• Mineral Spirits - please note that turpentine is NOT allowed in class.
• Wood Palette - I use the beautifully crafted New Wave Highland (held in right hand as I paint with my left hand) http://www.jerrysartarama.com/new-wave-highland-wood-palette
• Palette Knife
• Paper towels
• Two separate metal cups – one for medium and one for mineral spirits.
• Mahl Stick – if you are comfortable using it or would like to learn how.
• Jack’s Linseed Studio Soap - this saves brushes!