Workshops offer instruction in classical drawing and painting to students of all skill levels. Students learn the principals of drawing and painting and then build upon those concepts to create finished works ready for their portfolios.
What you can expect from ZAFA lessons.
Well organized and structured lesson plans that start with the fundamentals and then build upon those to tackle more and more challenging subject matter.
Live demos. The teacher does all projects alongside students as a running demo to explain techniques and demonstrate each step of the drawing or painting process.
One on one instruction. Whether in private lessons or group workshops, the classes are structured in such a way to allow for lots of one on one instruction and individualized critiques. This allows students of all skill levels to work side by side without anyone feeling they are being left behind or held back by the group.
Students are taught applicable tools and techniques to demystify the art process. These are practical tools in the artist toolbox, that once learned, are guaranteed to improve one’s ability to draw or paint what they see.
Upcoming Workshops
Master copy oil painting workshop : John Singer Sargent
July 5th to August 3rd
Saturdays and Sundays from 4-7PM
In this workshop, students will learn from one of the greatest portrait artists of all time, John Singer Sargent. We will study his work, his teachings and his technique as we create a master copy painting of one of his portraits from the 1900s. As we work though the stages of this painting, this project will also allow us to discuss oil painting and portraiture more broadly.
Construction drawing and artistic anatomy
August 9th to September 7th
Saturdays and Sundays 9AM - 12
Construction drawing is the best method for drawing figures from imagination. This method is used by comic book artist, animators, concept artists, illustrators, and anyone who needs to create a figure without a reference. The strengths of this method are that, once mastered, an artist can draw a figure in any position, from any angle, performing any action from their imagination. Artistic anatomy and construction drawing dovetail together in this workshop as we build up a three-dimensional understanding of the human form and the muscles of the body.
Introduction to classical figure drawing
August 16th to September 14th
Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5PM
The figure is one of the most challenging, and also one of the most fun subjects regularly included within an artist’s training. Join us as we discuss the fundamentals of figure drawing while working from master copies, photo reference and live models. This introductory course is designed to give students a strong foundation upon which to build future figure drawing and painting projects. It all starts with drawing.
INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL DRAWING
September 20th to October 19th
Saturdays and Sundays 9AM -12
This fundamentals workshop will cover a wide range of topics related to the classical approach to drawing. This class will provide, among other things, a structured method for achieving proportional accuracy and understanding values, two of the most important aspects of any representational artwork. This is a great workshop for both beginners and experienced artists.
Introduction to portrait drawing and painting
September 20th to October 19th
Saturdays and Sundays from 4-7PM
In this workshop, students will work with both charcoal and oil paint as we discuss the underlying elements needed to create a portrait drawing or painting. We will work from photo references as well as live models. Students will learn techniques for taking accurate measurements and proportions, a systematic approach to constructing a portrait, how to effectively organize values, how to identify and utilize anatomical landmarks when constructing a head, how to mix accurate flesh tones, and much more over the course of the class.
Introduction the classical oil painting
November 1st to November 30th
Saturdays and Sundays from 9AM-12
This expansive workshop will cover a wide range of topics related to the classical approach to oil painting. This class will provide, among other things, a structured method for achieving proportional drawing accuracy, understanding values, an introduction to painting mediums and materials, how to prepare a canvas, color mixing, how to utilize a painters palette effectively, still life composition, mixing flesh tones, landscape painting, and an introduction to portrait and figure painting. This is a great workshop for both beginners and experienced artists.
Get information about upcoming workshops, events, and ZAFA news