Christopher E. Groves

modernizing the classical still life

Oct 7, 2024 - Dec 16, 2024

Every other Monday

9 - 11am

Location: Virtual/Zoom

Tuition: $695

(50% deposit required to register)

Modernizing the Traditional Still Life is a reinterpretation of artists elements and principles typically used in classical art technique and theory. We will introduce methods from a variety of previous artist movements in order to modernize our current "classical" ideas and still life painting application process. Understanding specific common philosophy or goals within movements such as Impressionism, Tonalism, and Abstraction; in-combination with Traditional-Realism, will allow the painter to explore and translate their art into a more personal and contemporary manner initially based off academic ideas. 

Renovating and Updating light and shadow, and composition design. Various techniques of drawing along with preliminary sketches, value, and color studies, and fundamentals of color mixing in order to prepare for the final painting will also be reviewed. Updating the Classical approach of monochromatic underpainting, direct observation and brush and tool application of color, followed by glazing techniques, will also be discussed and shown. 

Class will consist of lectures, slide analysis, and individual critiques, while the student paints his or her own still life. 

Students should obtain their own still-life reference photos, beginning on the second zoom session. 

We will discuss still life reference possibilities in the first zoom session.