Portrait Drawing with Charcoal

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Learn how to capture a likeness using the beautiful, painterly medium of charcoal on toned paper. This class teaches traditional academic concepts, but in an encouraging open environment conducive to learning. Students will learn Realist techniques that were taught in the academies and ateliers in 19th Century Europe. French ateliers and academies started their students off with charcoal drawing before painting, and we will take the same approach. This approach begins with a few lines forming a simple abstraction and eventually evolves to a highly realistic drawing. This method is a step in a natural progression towards realist portrait painting in oils. Suitable for intermediate to advanced students (1 day of 5 hours or 2-day workshop).