This class focuses on traditional portrait painting in oil inspired by the techniques of Velasquez, Hals, and Sargent, and other historical artists. This painting method will emphasize efficiency and accuracy in a deliberate and energetic manner. Students will learn how to work from broad to specific in an approach similar to these historical masters.

The student will learn the basic skull shape and the larger planes of the face and how to draw and mass these in directly on the canvas using thinner paint. Following this drawing stage the major facial structures are done with thicker paint. Individual features such as the eyes, nose, mouth and ears are blocked in and carefully painted toward the latter stages of the painting.