"Master Painting" overview

I taught a course I designed titled "Master Painting" at the Alberta College of Art and design again this year.  It is based on my work, as well as on the Art study/ research trip I took to Italy and more.
Here is an overview of the work completed in the course by my fabulous students! We cover the Flemish technique, Venetian technique and French academic and a whole lot more! It is such a dense course with demos, presentations and practical advice. In my course we build and prep our stretchers, ground our supports, do masters copies, and a whole lot more,  I cant divulge too much here but take a look at some of the 32 pics I snapped throughout the semester.

If you are interested in learning stuff like this contact me through my website: http://brianbatista.com

Master Painting final class 7

I am really sad to see this class come to completion. I hope next time its offered it is 10 weeks instead of 7. Below are just a few of the many great works my students worked on. I gave a demo on varnishing and gold guilding and added in some contemporary techniques like making and using stencils.

We went up the the 5th floor ACAD spray booth and put on a coat of Golden Archival UV protection varnish which really brought the colors back out on Anne Marie's study of a Velazquez portrait of the pope.

I demoed adding a semi-translucent burnt umber layer over top the grisaille work on the hair to show what the next step can do to really make colors and further paint application pop!

Here some colour stain has been added to the grisaille master copy and it is already starting to have that wonderful glow that so many masterpieces have.

David's portrait of his mom far exceeded the expectations I had for the class in the time given. All the students who had perfect attendance for the 7 short classes really applied the teachings and process in the course I designed, to great effect. They deserve to be very proud for setting the bar high and for creating such high quality works in my class. Amazing, well done class!

More mastery in paint

Was in costco and found this treasure for $50. I had hoped eventually I would find a source which had everything I saw while in Italy in one place, lo and behold, here it is, a massive hardcover text in a folio box, a must have for anyone who loves this era of master works, frescos and paintings!

 I huffed many a heavy text book and supply up the hill for my class. I'm too cheap to pay $11 for ACAD parking so I climb the hill wiht all my syuff panting by the time I reach the top.

This is Sues third painting ever and she is starting to see how important the role of values play in her application of acrylic colour. She is one of a few students not using oil in the class.

I am really proud of the students progress in so far. we are just over half way in our 7 week long studies and their pieces are developing wonderfully.

Blocking in the major hues on a painting whose source is a black and white photo.

Hes got his two pieces developing nicely and since he owns a printer at home he has great colour and tonal references that he has promised to give me as a teaching aid for future courses I give. So sweet.

Mixing up some peachy apricot colours in rich creamy oil. She decided to add some other elements to balance out the overall composition.

The granddaughter portraits are coming along. Now begins more fat over lean. We don't have class on remembrance Day next week, but following I will be giving may a recipe for mixes and glazes.

Final blocking in of the portrait with direct application. By nest session the artists should be well on their way to completion of their pieces and begin working in details etc with fatty paint and a thinner brush. I will be giving a glazing and gold leafing demonstration along with notes about the materials they can use as they approach finishing their paintings.

Mastery of paint . . .

After a week, at least one student finished the grisaille on her Leonardo  davinci hand study and it looks amazing.

After adding glazing layers it will no longer have an overall blue cast hue and it will spring to life due to the good values in the grisaille layer.

A freehand interpretation of a character from a Caravaggio painting.

Beginning a new composition by getting the major shapes onto the support to block in with colour.

We begin blocking in the major colours in their personal compositions using a different method (direct application) more akin to the french academic method of the 19 ce.

This bowl of cherries will scream with colour in a couple of sessions.

This piece on a dark ground is from a historical of her families farm which was right next to the ocean, cool!

Full size references, colour wheel exercise complete now onto a portrait of his mom, that he thinks she wont like.

As long as the teacher doesn't say "she looks like a dried out old pumpkin", all will be fine.