The Bargue drawing courses are based upon the 19th Century French Academic drawing course by Charles Bargue. French academies used these methods with a focus on shapes, form, line, and values. Students begin with graphite pencil on paper. This is sight·size learning is for the beginner to the advanced student to see more accurately and to practice this technique. The curriculum starts with simple projects and moves progressively onto harder, more complex work. Emphasis is on accuracy and training the eye not to be dependent on grids or tracing. This makes it possible to pursue drawing actively and freely in other areas like portraiture and landscape sketching.

Students then move onto cast drawing (after the 4th Bargue) using the charcoal medium to draw a choice of dimensional casts. The basics of the “block in” will emphasize on accuracy of shape, proportion, and gesture. The modeling stage, in which the forms of the subject are conceived and rendered in an entirely 3-dimensional way is next. We will discuss the fundamentals of light and how it reacts with form and how to depict these events on a 2-dimensional surface. The goal is to complete the cast drawing with a strongly developed sense of depth and realism. These ongoing classes allow students to progress at their own pace in a supportive environment. The classes are also offered in a 6 week session. Please contact the Academy for interest in this.  Membership applies to all classes and workshops.

Working from a photo reference of your making, learn to draw the image to perfection using the sight-size method.  Concepts covered will be anatomy of the head/face, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, how to start a drawing, creating and developing your construct, achieving a likeness, creating form, and finishing techniques.  This is a great class for those who would like to draw more realistically. Any level welcome.

Learn to paint realistically with the oil paint medium. We will look at different techniques from the Renaissance to the 19th Century, including the Flemish technique and the technique of Bouguereau. Working in sight-size and from life, we will examine the process beginning with the preliminary composition on paper in graphite then the transfer to canvas. Discover or review the underpainting by first blocking in the background and working on big shapes. Students will learn how to mix accurate values and colors and how to create a realistic sense of dimensional form. Everyone will work at their own pace, allowing both beginners and experienced painters to join. This class is appropriate for teens through adults.

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This course will introduce the novice painter while still challenging the more experienced, to a step by step approach of establishing realist fur and feathers.

Students will explore color theory, compositional structure and the use of various types of mediums to “thin out” the oil paint used for establishing layers of hair to create a realistic feel to wildlife painting.