My Dream Week Painting a Master Copy
Imagine having the opportunity to paint a Master Copy of painting by an accomplished painter. What does this mean? You visit a museum, see a painting that moves you and learn that you have 4 full days to attempt to recreate that painting. I had this opportunity last week in Philadelphia. My school has an […]
Break is over
Welcome to the world of painting from live objects and models. The phrase “break’s over” has several meanings in this context. First, the traditional spring break for Studio Incamminati has just ended. So you could say, “Break’s over.” If you were taking a class here saying “Break’s over” has another meaning. What other meaning? When […]
Less rigor more heat
More Heat Greetings from art school (aka rigor central) where we have been working without any heat in our studio. In fact, we haven’t had heat for over 6 weeks. Who cares? You can always put on another layer, right? Sure, except for our fabulous and amazing nude models. Take the model (Pixie) for this […]
The Dark Side of Art School & Seasonal Art?
So, lots of people casually say how nice it is for me to be in art school. But, they never ask me how I handle the dark side of art school. First, let’s talk about the public perception (not the dark side) of art school. More than one person has said it must be ‘so […]
Keeping a sketchbook
Keeping a sketchbook handy is a great way to build drawing skills. I carry a Moleskin sketchbook and pencils in my purse. That means if I have to wait in line, anywhere, I can sketch to my heart’s content. Here are some tips and thoughts about sketching: you do not have to share your sketches […]
Vanderpoel Museum: visitor tips and treats
Days before a road trip to Chicago, I learned about the Vanderpoel museum. Who the heck is Vanderpoel? John H. Vanderpoel’s book entitled, “The Human Figure,” is the mainstay for most ateliers and art schools in the world today. His book, originally written over 100 years ago, offers text, simplified descriptions of drawing and conveying […]
Mentorship and Portrait Milestones
There is a lot of excitement in the air here at Studio Incamminati. Why? My classmates and I finished our mentorship paintings and a 2-day portrait painting, too. Here’s a brief description of each. Mentorship I described the start of the mentorship in an earlier post here. But here’s a quick summary of this experience: […]
Thinking about light on form
This week several teachers said we need to think about light on form when we are painting. Sounds easy enough – right? After all, seeing and showing light on form is the goal of almost any painting. Here is a list of steps I have learned to best show light in a painting: introduce one […]
Stretching canvas and myself
Stretching canvas is definitely one of the tasks I have on my ‘to do’ list. But, I am not very intuitive or adept with tools. In fact, I wrote about one of my power tool adventures last summer. And, you know what? Like most problems, there are solutions. Fortunately, one of my fabulous teachers, Lea Colie […]
Model’s posing
Four days out of five, we Studio Incamminati students hear, “Model’s posing!” This is a call to action for me and my classmates to be ready to paint from life. In other words, we are painting a nude, living breathing human being, all day every day. Why? Because, throughout history, painting a nude model from […]