Portraiture with Mathew Lynn / Term Class

Suitable for all levels

Choose your own adventure using your desired medium and approach in this portraiture class with award winning artist Mathew Lynn. Across nine weeks learn the traditional aspects of realism to achieve a technical likeness as well as how to evoke those intangible qualities that create a sense of someone’s being.

You may choose to move through realism more quickly and spend time experimenting with contemporary portraits. Mathew will help students learn to look at and ‘see’ subjects in less representational ways and combine elements of observation and abstraction into a new kind of harmony.

Students will start by working through drawing studies and move on to translating this work into painting. Mathew believes it is important to explore these two processes, and what is distinctive about them.

This course will cover:

Traditional aspects of realism, including:

• The importance of initial drawing and sketches for identifying proportions and essential familiarity.
• Transferring that information onto canvas.
• Understanding and knowing when to use a white or coloured ground.
• Drawing immediately with paint for freshness and energy.
• Blocking in and ‘drawing’ with planes.
• Understanding the use of large brushes to quickly achieve form (and to also handle some fine details with dexterity and brevity).
• Moving quickly and efficiently through this process so you can concentrate on the person, not just the technique.
• Knowing when and where to use finer brushes.
• Learning about the variety of dynamics, effects and marks you need for different areas to convey flesh and realism.
• Understanding blending and efficient ways of manipulating your surfaces.
• Understanding the core colours that can render most flesh tones, and how to use them.
• Understanding the importance of body colour (using opaque pigments) to create physical presence.
• Understanding the use of transparent pigments for a range of glazing techniques and adjustments.
• Understanding body language, and how to translate these cues.
• Understanding and reminding yourself constantly to tune into the intangible quality of your chosen subject, and that all these technical elements are only there to serve their likeness and essence.

Contemporary portraiture including:

• Learning how to look at and ‘see’ your subject in less representational ways.
• Learning how to make a new hierarchy of information and stimulus emphasising feeling.
• Understanding how to combine elements of observation and abstraction into a new kind of harmony.
• Learning how to work through studies and experiments (sometimes quite rapidly) to get closer to your vision.
• Learning to experiment with and expand your sense of colour, mark making and process.
• Learning how to let your painting and the pure qualities of paint be your guide.

Materials List

Please use the following link to view the updated Materials List on Mathew's website:

Materials

Resources

Terms and conditions

Please choose carefully as fees are non-refundable. Refunds of course fees will only be given if the course is cancelled or a place is not available in the course. Payment of course fees implies that you have read and agree to the WAC Terms & Conditions which are available online.