Academic Nude Figure Painting
Looking at a figure and understanding its form are two different things. In this five-day intensive, you will engage with one of the most enduring disciplines in art: painting the nude from a live model. Working with oil paints and a strictly limited palette, the workshop focuses entirely on the essentials of academic figure painting – translating complex human anatomy into clear relationships of light, shadow, and color.
What to Expect
The workshop follows the logic of academic painting: methodical, cumulative, grounded in observation. Each day builds on the previous one, taking you from the first structural block-in through to the final rendering of form and detail. You will not just paint – you will learn to see.
Day 1 – Foundations and First Marks
Introduction to the academic approach to figure painting: an overview of materials, oil painting technique, and the process that will guide the entire workshop. The day closes with an imprimatura and a first block-in of the figure.
Day 2 – Color, Value, and the First Layer
Theory: how to mix paint and establish a value scale. The first layer of paint goes onto the canvas. A structured value study gives you a clear framework for everything that follows.
Day 3 – Anatomy, Proportion, Color
A focused look at anatomy and proportions; the block-in is refined. A color study deepens your understanding of how hue and value interact across the figure.
Day 4 – Light, Shadow, and Relationships
Block-in of values across the entire figure. You will establish the fall of light, adjust color and value relationships, and begin to bring the painting into coherence.
Day 5 – Form, Focus, and Finishing
The final day addresses smaller planes and forms, the development of a focal point, and the specific challenges of hands and feet. The workshop closes with practical guidance: how to package, transport, clean, and maintain an oil painting.
What You'll Take Home
A completed oil painting from a live model – worked through from the initial block-in to the final structural details. And beyond the canvas:- A reliable method: the academic approach as a repeatable framework for future work.
- Value and color: a solid grasp of how light, shadow, and hue build form.
- Practical knowledge: how to care for, transport, and continue working with oil paint independently.
