Master Copy Painting: Anders Zorn
Copying masterworks is a time-honored way of improving one's painting skills.
By attempting to reproduce a masterful painting, we are forced to examine it not only as a beautiful work of art, but also to decipher the way in which it was created. From this exercise, we learn immense amounts about how to simplify the highly detailed world around us as the masters once did. We observe the choices they made, the techniques they employed, and the things they omitted. We get a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a master painter. Through this proses we glean ways to improve our own choices when working from nature.
In this class, the master who’s work we will be examining is Anders Zorn a world-renowned Swedish painter of the 19th century, heralded for his beautiful painting technique and his simplified “Zorn palette” consisting of 4 colors.
There are several reasons Zorn was chosen for this workshop. First, he is a direct painter, meaning that he mixes a color, puts it down and leaves it alone. This is important from a copying perspective in that we can see his brush strokes and replicate the color mixtures he used. Painters with more indirect processes, such as Rembrandt, used a combination of glazing, scumbling, opaque painting and heavy applications of various mediums to arrive at the final image. This makes deciphering and replicating their final product far more elusive. Secondly, the palette he used is extremely limited, consisting of only 4 colors. This makes it an excellent vehicle for teaching students how to control their color mixing. Thirdly, he truly is a master painter and draftsman, the sense of light and life he captures is awe-inspiring and much can be learned from studying his work, no matter one's skill level.
Students will learn his pallet, philosophy of approach, and painting technique as each student creates a copy of one of his works during the class.
We will be following the procedure that Zorn used when he painted and also discussing the fundamentals of painting more broadly.
Topics covered will include:
How to prepare a canvas,
How to mix colors efficiently and effectively using the limited Zorn palette
How to organize a palette to simplify the painting process
How to maintain your painting materials.
We will discuss painting mediums
We will discuss useful anatomical landmarks related to portraiture and the figure
We will discuss elements of landscape painting and how to incorporate a figure into an environment.
We will cover the steps involved in creating a finished portrait from block in to the finishing details
This workshop will be open to students of all skill levels. The structure of this workshop allows for a great deal of one on one instruction with each student.
There will be demos and lectures throughout the class as students work alongside the instructor.
Don’t miss this exciting chance to learn about oil painting while deciphering the secrets of one of Sweden’s greatest painters.
Details
October 17th to December 5th
8, 3 hour classes
Sundays 4 to 7PM
Discover the secrets of one of Sweden’s greatest painters by creating your own copy of a work by Anders Zorn. Celebrated for his luminous brushwork and the famous four-color “Zorn palette,” Zorn’s direct painting approach makes his work uniquely accessible for study. In this workshop, students of all levels will learn how to prepare a canvas, mix colors with confidence, and handle paint with clarity and simplicity, all while gaining insight into Zorn’s technique and artistic vision. With demos, lectures, and personalized guidance, this class offers a rare chance to sharpen your oil painting skills through the eyes of a master.
Enrollment is confirmed upon completion of payment
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