Learn from the Old Masters
SATURDAYS July 19 - August 16
1:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.
AGES: 16+
INSTRUCTOR: Robert Smith
The Old Masters are just as relevant today as they ever were and have many lessons to share. Titans of the Western art world like Da Vinci, Durer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Vermeer were all students before they became artistic luminaries. Beginners and skilled artists alike will benefit from analyzing and applying their collective wisdom. This course will explore the timeless lessons from these virtuosos of the visual arts.
COST: $180 GVA Members / $200 Non-Members or $40 GVA Member Single Session / $46 Non-Member Single Session
Biography: Robert Smith taught visual arts for the past 31 years in middle school, high school and technical college classrooms. When not in the studio, he likes spending time with his wife and two sons. His interests beyond art include cooking, fishing, and travel. He now enjoys teaching at GVA.
MATERIALS
Sketchbook (mixed media high quality paper 9” x 12”)
Drawing pencils 4B, 6B, 8B
Charcoal pencil (1 black, 1 white)
Blending stump
Large eraser
Ruler
Black ballpoint pen
Black felt tip pen (fine point)
Colored pencil set (12 count)
Gouache watercolor set (8 colors)
Watercolor set (8colors)
Acrylic paint a small tube of titanium white, burnt umber and ultramarine blue
Multipurpose brushes (flats & rounds of various sizes)
Small canvas 8”X10”
*If you have existing art materials, please feel free to bring them along as they can be used or possibly incorporated into the sessions.
SESSION 1: | Learning from Leonardo
Da Vinci was a student of the natural world. Using Leonardo’s early work as a starting point, students will create a series of direct studies from nature using a variety of basic drawing techniques.
SESSION 2: | Draw from Durer
Albrecht Durer was a leader of the Northern Renaissance and is often referred to as the Da Vinci of the north. His mastery of media and technique is on display in his diverse and dazzling body of work admired to this day. His masterpiece, Young Hare, is the inspiration for this study of composition using basic colored pencil techniques.
SESSION 3: | Caravaggio and Creating Dynamic Portraits
Tenebrism, or dramatic contrast, is a key characteristic of Caravaggio’s body of work and the Baroque era. Contemporary illustrators, painters, and photographers continue to incorporate the mastery of Caravaggio and this approach to contrast. In this session, students create a dramatic portrait using basic acrylic techniques.
SESSION 4: | Rembrandt and Rendering the Low Country
Rembrandt often portrayed the Dutch countryside in drawings and painting with a balance of drama and detail. Applying basic gouache techniques, this session will bring a local vista to life through a dynamic visual interpretation and basic compositional tools.
SESSION 5: | Vermeer and Dynamic Storytelling
Vermeer teaches us to capture the beauty in scenes of everyday life. Using composition, light, and the elements of design, he created enduring images of iconic moments that we still ponder and appreciate today. Basic mixed media techniques will be applied to convey a sense of light and communicate a message or mood in your finished work.
