Alla Prima Portrait Painting (Online Course)
Sandra Sanchez
Note: Artists sign up and attend one section
Sundays, 6 PM – 8 PM ET – please adjust for your timezones
October 6, 13, 20, 27, (no class November 3), November 10, 17, 24 (no class December 1), December 8, 2024
OR
Wednesdays, 1 PM – 3 PM ET – please adjust for your timezones
October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20 (no class November 27), December 4, 2024
8 weeks– Tuition $495
Plus over 12 hours of recorded demos. Each week’s corresponding demo is provided a week before each live class.
*Note: first demo sent a week before the live class starts – there is homework due the first class.
Limit: 10 students per section
Take this class:
- To capture the likeness of a sitter in an efficient manner.
- To build an organized practice for painting within a limited timeframe.
- To explore the aspects of portrait painting on a week by week, painting by painting basis.
- If you have foundational experience painting.
Is this class for me?
- Recommended for artists with experience drawing the portrait and some experience with oil paint.
Online tech needs:
- The class will be conducted on the Zoom platform and is a live online experience.
- The pre-recorded demos will be shared via a private video link on YouTube. YouTube is free but will require an account to view the video.
- Sandra’s classes are recorded and made available so students can review critiques after each live session for the entirety of the class plus an additional thirty days. There are no extensions.
- This class also uses Google Classroom to distribute materials. Watch this video for more insight.
Both of these services are free but require registration. - It will be necessary for students to have access to a computer, tablet or smartphone. The recommended device is a laptop or desktop.
“Sandra is a wonderful teacher! She always has lots of useful tips and images in her lectures and the way she explains each week’s subject is broken down in such a way so that it’s very accessible to the students.” – Juliette
Course Description
This eight week course addresses key aspects of the overall portrait by studying masterworks from the past to analyze and internalize portrait painting techniques. The class will paint one master copy portrait each week by focusing on a different key component of portraiture. In each painting the class will strive to capture the likeness and qualities of character founded on solid and believable anatomical structure.
The instructor, Sandra Sanchez, will pre-record a demo each week for each aspect. These videos will be sent a week in advance of each live critique session. Sandra will provide in-depth individual critiques catered to each students’ needs and students may ask any questions about the process.
Note: There is a project due on the first day of class based on the pre-recorded demo sent out the week before class starts.
Week 1 – Fundamentals of Alla Prima Drawing
—Block in and drawing
—Key Measurements
—Alla Prima Painting Technique and time management
Week 2 – Values and Simplification
—How to simplify otherwise complex aspects of a head using the Alla Prima Technique
—How to identify basic value relationships and apply it to an Alla Prima head
—Discussion on the versatility of simplification for various painting genres
Week 3 – Structure
—Overview of important anatomical landmarks and planes of the head
—Discussion of the role of anatomy using a skull reference in creating a believable head structure
Week 4 – Expression, Gesture and Age
—Identifying basic points, muscles, and fatty tissue that affect the appearance of the portrait
—How age affects the structure of the head
—Overview on the importance of establishing gesture in a sketch
Week 5 – Flesh Tones and Color Mixing
—Exploration of underlying tones and various complexions
—Discussion of optical illusions caused by hue and chroma shifts
—Basic flesh mixtures and color accents
Week 6 – Lighting
—Identifying the role of lighting as it relates to the head
—Reviewing a variety of lighting situations and tips on how to approach them
—Discussion on how light affects shadows, colors, and transitions
Week 7 – Mood And Color Schemes
—Researching various color palettes used to achieve a particular aesthetic, mood, or effect
—How to push your sketches towards a specific desired effect
Week 8 – Creating Individual Alla Prima Works
—Final critiques
—Discussion on how to implement these lessons to create personal sketch works
—Final notes and tips based on class questions
