Painting by instructor Adrienne Kralick
Copying a master is a powerful tool to improve your own painting skills. The paintings of the admired portraitist John Singer Sargent have much to teach today’s artists about composition, value, and color. Through viewing Sargent works in the collection of the American Art Museum, lectures, demonstrations, and studio painting sessions, students learn to create an elegant portrait as they put Sargent's methods and techniques into practice.
An introductory studio lecture and demonstration covers Sargent's philosophy, color palette, and materials, as well as an overview of his personal and professional life. No discussion of Sargent would be complete without the story behind the scandalous portrait Madame X and the uproar that threatened to end his promising career in Paris.
Next, an instructor-led museum tour and talk offers an opportunity to closely view Sargent’s works and gain a better understanding of his painting methods and application. Special attention is paid to the importance of simplification, value, halftones, and edges.
The remaining sessions take place in the studio, where participants create their own Sargent-inspired portraits that reflect his sense of depth, life, and three-dimensional form. Basic painting and drawing experience is required.
Download the supply list for this class
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit
Instructor: Adrienne Kralick
8 sessions; 3 hours each (no class Feb. 19)
