INTRODUCTION:

PAINTING A HEAD

INTENSIVE COURSE
 Who is this course for?

Those who wish to deepen their understanding of the

process of portrait making, figurative painting and its
history, with a tonal approach to representing a likeness.
 Working from life

We will be working directly from casts, objects and painting

from a live model (dressed)
Printed images (2D) will be used only as a reference
 Anatomy

We will examine the underlying structure of the head by

studying the human skull, working directly from observation,
learning to recognise and feel the recessions and protrusions,
and subsequently develop a simplified schematic
representation of it.
By observing a sculptural (3D) representation of a head, we will
divide the face and head to its relative proportions and learn to
tackle these in a systemic and logical manner, working to scale,
from different perspectives and points of view.
 Lighting
(& Chiaroscuro)

start with the right lighting !

examine recommended lighting for creating a dramatic and
compelling portrait. Light temperature, 3-point lighting,
direct lighting.
Rembrandt / Clowes self-portrait, 1639 Caravaggio / The Calling of St Matthew, 1599
 History

The class will briefly look at examples from art history and
discuss various methods of representation in portraiture:
Al-Fayum paintings, Renaissance, Baroque, realism,
academic 19th century realism, impressionism, post
impressionism and 20th century photo-realism.
Method
 painting alla prima (pushing paint around)
reduced colour palette + keeping a consistent colour palette
Tone: Preparing support with a mid-tone ground, painting
gradually towards darkest tones and higlights
blurring the lines between areas of tone and value
John Singer Sargent / oil sketch / detail, self portrait
Materials
 oil paint: raw umber, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, blue ultramarine,
cadmium red, cadmium yellow, titanium white. Ivory Black optional
artist's turpentine (not mineral turpentine)
Brushes - recommended: 2x [no.2 & no.6 FLAT Prime Art Golden ]
Support : recommended sizes: 30x40cm
Tutor will supply prepared boards at R30 per 30x40 boards.
Students must indicate if they intend to buy their own.
wooden / plastic palette, graphite/ pencil 2B, eraser, willow
charcoal, putty rubber, min. 100 gsm paper
Please enquire as to what basics will be supplied by the venue
Jonathan Silverman (Tutor)
Figurative work / portraits
Jonathan Silverman received his BFA from the Academy of
Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, in 2006, and completed The
Drawing Year (PgDip) at The Royal Drawing School in 2011.

He received the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant

both in 2009 and in 2010, and in 2012 was artist
in residence at the Sanskriti Foundation in New Delhi, while
also teaching at IIFA in Modinagar, India. In recent years he
has taught in the Royal Drawing School's Public
Programme.

He has exhibited internationally (Italy, UK, Israel, Portugal,

India and South Africa), and has work in various private
collections as well as the Royal Collection.

Since 2015, Silverman has been living and working between

South Africa and the UK.
For more info go to www.jonathansilverman.info
 www.jonathansilverman.info
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