The Dark Side of Art School & Seasonal Art?
So, lots of people casually say how nice it is for me to be in art school. But, they never ask me how I handle the dark side of art school. First, let’s talk about the public perception (not the dark side) of art school. More than one person has said it must be ‘so […]
Keeping a sketchbook
Keeping a sketchbook handy is a great way to build drawing skills. I carry a Moleskin sketchbook and pencils in my purse. That means if I have to wait in line, anywhere, I can sketch to my heart’s content. Here are some tips and thoughts about sketching: you do not have to share your sketches […]
Vanderpoel Museum: visitor tips and treats
Days before a road trip to Chicago, I learned about the Vanderpoel museum. Who the heck is Vanderpoel? John H. Vanderpoel’s book entitled, “The Human Figure,” is the mainstay for most ateliers and art schools in the world today. His book, originally written over 100 years ago, offers text, simplified descriptions of drawing and conveying […]
Mentorship and Portrait Milestones
There is a lot of excitement in the air here at Studio Incamminati. Why? My classmates and I finished our mentorship paintings and a 2-day portrait painting, too. Here’s a brief description of each. Mentorship I described the start of the mentorship in an earlier post here. But here’s a quick summary of this experience: […]
Thinking about light on form
This week several teachers said we need to think about light on form when we are painting. Sounds easy enough – right? After all, seeing and showing light on form is the goal of almost any painting. Here is a list of steps I have learned to best show light in a painting: introduce one […]
Stretching canvas and myself
Stretching canvas is definitely one of the tasks I have on my ‘to do’ list. But, I am not very intuitive or adept with tools. In fact, I wrote about one of my power tool adventures last summer. And, you know what? Like most problems, there are solutions. Fortunately, one of my fabulous teachers, Lea Colie […]
Model’s posing
Four days out of five, we Studio Incamminati students hear, “Model’s posing!” This is a call to action for me and my classmates to be ready to paint from life. In other words, we are painting a nude, living breathing human being, all day every day. Why? Because, throughout history, painting a nude model from […]
Finding fabulous teachers
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin Studio Incamminati has fabulous teachers! Why do I say that the teachers at my school are fabulous? Well let me count the ways. First of all, this school is clearly designed to help any willing person learn how […]
Learning to paint the planes of the figure
What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe,and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed? Michelangelo During the first week of school, we focussed on planes of the figure. What does that mean? Ah – it means we […]
Review and preview – art school update
Woooosh! Summer 2016 has come and gone. I am back in PA in starting my first week of my third year in art school. Here’s a quick review of what I worked on this summer and a sneak peak of the semester ahead as an aspiring artist and figure painter at Studio Incamminati. Summer Goals […]