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
INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL DRAWING
October 12th to November 10th
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.
Figure painting level 1
October 12th to November 10th
Saturdays and Sundays 4-7PM
In this workshop students will work from photo reference, master copies and live models as we discuss the challenges and fun of figure painting. Join us as we work our way through a systematic approach to maping out our figure, blocking in our painting, and adding the finishing touches. Some familiarity with figure drawing and oil painting is recommend, but not required, as all skill levels are welcome.
Introduction the classical oil painting
November 16th to December 15th
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.
Introduction to portrait drawing and painting
November 16th to December 15th
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.
Construction drawing and artistic anatomy
January 4th to February 2nd
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.
Master copy oil painting workshop : Anders Zorn
January 4th to February 2nd
Saturdays and Sundays 4-7PM
In this workshop, students will study the works and techniques of one of Sweden’s greatest oil painters, Anders Zorn. We will study his work, his famous Zorn palette, and his painting process as we create a master copy painting of one of his portraits or figurative works from the 1900s. As we work though the stages of this painting, this project will also allow us to also discuss oil painting, color mixing, landscape, figure painting and portraiture more broadly.
INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL DRAWING
February 8th to march 9th
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.
Portrait painting: level 2
February 8th to march 9th
Saturdays and Sundays from 4-7PM
In this intermediate/advanced level workshop, we will be focusing on a longer format project as we discuss portrait painting in greater depth. The class will culminate with students having the opportunity to create a 5 day classical portrait from a live model, ready for their portfolio.
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