Portrait Painting: 

session 2

June 21, 2027 – July 2, 2027

This two-week workshop is divided into two parts. During the first week, we’ll paint directly from the live model, focusing on drawing, value, color, and design. During the second week, we’ll create our own photographic reference, explore composition and lighting, and transform those images into a finished studio painting.

During the first week, students will build a strong foundation through a series of exercises, monochromatic studies, limited palettes, and color harmony. Working exclusively from the live model, you’ll learn to simplify what you see, strengthen your understanding of light and form, and gain confidence with oil paint. Daily demonstrations, individual instruction, and critiques will help you develop both your technical skills and your artistic eye.

In the second week, we’ll photograph the model together, creating a setting while exploring lighting, composition, storytelling, and what makes a photograph successful—and paintable. We’ll discuss how to choose the strongest reference images, the differences between working from life and from a camera, and what information photographs often lose, including subtle color temperature, edges, and depth. I’ll also demonstrate how I use Photoshop to develop compositions, combine references, and invent backgrounds before students begin a final three-day painting from their own photographs.

Natalia will explain each stage of her direct painting method, step by step. Techniques will include alla prima and transparent vs opaque color with a goal of achieving luminosity and capturing the illusion of form. We will play with sanding, paint roller and splattering paint with different materials to make interesting abstract-elements.