Portraits in Oil: Light, Shadow & Form

Note - This is a 9-week course beginning on Monday 4th of May and ending Monday 29th of June.

Central to the course is careful observation of planes of light, shadow and form, using plaster casts as a structured way to train the eye and strengthen technical understanding.

The course begins with an Asaro human head cast, specifically designed to develop an understanding of form through simplified flat planes of light and shadow. Students will closely observe how light falls across the cast, analysing distinct planes and shadow shapes before translating these observations into paint. Starting with a drawn outline, students will, over four weeks, apply shadows and planes of light using big form modelling, progressing through a first and second painting stage.

The second study, a plaster cast of the Venus de Milo, builds on these skills and introduces more advanced blending techniques and colour application to further turn form and create a lifelike three-dimensional head. Students will continue observing subtle transitions between planes, refining their ability to interpret light, shadow and volume. This exercise follows the same structured process as the first and will take approximately four to six weeks to complete.

By the end of the course, students will:

• Develop an understanding of how to capture and adjust the proportions and dimensions of the head using brush and paint
• Confidently observe and interpret planes of light, shadow, and form from plaster casts
• Create an initial painting using big form modelling to establish light and shadow and construct a strong three-dimensional form
• Apply secondary painting techniques to refine light and shadow, enhancing realism and depth
• Learn how to apply colour for both light and shadow, skills that can be transferred to their own portrait work
• Gain confidence in paint application, develop experience working with oil painting mediums, and understand how to construct a realistic three-dimensional form

Paints

• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Titanium White
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Yellow Ochre Light
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Cadmium Red
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Cadmium Yellow
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Burnt Umber
• Old Holland Red Umber
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Raw Umber
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Ivory Black
• Winsor and Newton (or equivalent quality) Olive Green

Brushes

• 3 to 4 soft filbert brushes, sizes 1 to 3
• 1 to 2 soft filbert brushes, sizes 4 to 5

Other materials

• 2 pieces of loose or stretched canvas, 30 x 30 cm
• Rags and or paper towel
• Palette and palette knife
• Turpentine (low or no-odour turps preferred)
• Linseed oil
• 2 small jars, one for mixing medium and one for turpentine, medium jar to stand brushes in

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

North Sydney Community Centre, 220 Miller Street, North Sydney, Australia

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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