A week in the life...at ARA, Boston

Thursdays


The Long Pose continues.

Cindy talks to Sean about his painting.

Garrett critiques Frank.





Tools of the trade.

At ARA, Boston we use graphite.

Carbon Pencil.

And before moving to paint, we use charcoal.

Sharpened charcoal, badger fan brush, plumb line, tortillion, mirror, black mirror, piece of sponge, opera glasses.

Tiago's cartoon in graphite.

The drawing rendered in carbon pencil.

Cartoon in graphite.

Drawing in charcoal.

A week in the life...at ARA, Boston

Wednesdays

The longest day of our week. We offer Bargue/Cast and Anatomy classes from 9:30-12:30 and 1:30-4:30.

Debra works on her Bargue while Instructor Stephen Kivimaki gives a critique to Ginny.

Anatomy Instructor Sean Krajnik reviews Kevin's out of class assignment.





Bargue students spill into the model room.

Frank finishes up his final Bargue drawing.






Next term Frank will be moving up to the third floor to work Sight Size from the cast.

With Julie and Shelia...

... and Elise.






The afterwork crowd arrives at 6:00 and stays until 9:00pm.

Larry drives each Wednesday evening from Connecticut to work on his Bargue.

Stephen does a transfer demo on the light table.

Goodnight!

A week in the life...at ARA, Boston

Tuesdays


Life drawing and painting day at ARA - yay! For ten weeks, every Tuesday and Thursday, we work from our long pose model in the morning, 9:30-12:00, and again in the afternoon, 1:00 to 3:30.

Painting students work alongside drawing students.

Sean paints away.

Tiago draws with very sharp carbon pencil.





Some students are with us full time in the model room. Others are on a part time schedule.

Siri does some sponging.

Lunch!

Instructor Garrett Vitanza demos for Tiago.

And again for Cris.

End of the day. To be continued on Thursday.

A week in the life...at ARA, Boston

Mondays



Bargue and Perspective Class take over the second floor.




Our Director, Cindy MacMillan, gives a critique.





Instructor Stephen Kivimaki with a Perspective lesson.






Tiago Finato works on a Perspective assignment in the morning...






...and his Bargue drawing in the afternoon.






Meanwhile... On the third floor...







Julie Beck works the charcoal.






Sean Krajnik paints a grisaille.






I work in a limited palette.






Our day ends at 4:30.






But not for Sean, who works on value studies in the office...






...and takes another look at his cast.

A week in the life... at ARA, Boston

Sundays

This term we moved out Figure Construct Drawing class to Sundays and today was our last session.


This eight week course centers on figure block-ins. Using our comparative measuring system, students concentrate on perfecting the larger proportions and capturing the gesture. The emphasis is on process (and not product!).



Due to popular demand, next term's class will return to Saturdays. We'll be meeting from 9:00am-12:00pm, April 14 - June 9 (no class May 26).

Thanks to everyone for a great winter term!

Still Life Painting

There is a rarely found cult book on composition called The Painter's Secret Geometry by Charles Bouleau. This book is written to give a history to pictorial composition in paintings. This is called geometrical construction.  In the text Bouleau gets quite complicated in his analysis of some of the paintings - verging on the point of being incomprehensible.  At his best he talks more consisely about the golden ratio, rabatment, musical proportions (ratios of consonance) and aesthetic lines.Various artists I know have told me they think this book is a bit of a joke.  I found it interesting to read and I recommend you take a look at it if you can find it.

One of the compositional ideas discussed in the book is illustrated in a painting by Sanchez Cotan, Still-Life.  As you can see below the fruits and vegetables are placed on the arc of a circle which governs the composition.

Composition in still life painting is one of the subjects that will be covered in our summer still life painting workshop at the Academy of Realist Art, Boston.  Details are below.

Still Life Painting

August 20 – 31 10 days 10 am - 5 pm  Cost $1150

Instructor Brian MacNeil

Students will compose, set up and complete a still life painting. Learning topics will include still life composition, paint handling, lighting, and oil painting techniques and materials. Brian will share his experiences on still life painting and how to overcome common difficulties that may occur during the process.

Paint like Peter Paul Reubens

In The Studio of Peter Paul Rubens

July 9 – 20 10:00 – 5:00 (10 days – Cost $1150)

Instructor - Garrett Vitanza

This workshop offers insight into the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, his life and working methodology. Working from high resolution copies of some of Rubens’ paintings students will learn how to approach making a traditional oil painting. Students will be coached from the beginning drawing stage through to finished paint passages and work towards emulating the lush paint application of Rubens. For more information go to www.academyofrealistartboston.com