All our new students start with an introductory drawing course where they draw from the famous drawing course (cours de dessin) made by the famous 19th Century French Artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, his Atelier, and the printmaker Charles Bargue (commonly referred to as “The Bargues”) In total 5 drawings are made, one from the first 4 plates of the course and then a final medium or larger sized drawing. A series of direct, systematic lectures and lessons accompany the first 4 drawings which are then put into greater cohesion, understanding and practice in the final larger drawing.

Drawing from plaster casts of antique statues is the second stage of learning drawing in a traditional art atelier. Plaster casts are used because of the lighting that can be used on them to demonstrate light, shadow, reflected light, mid-tones & gradation of light across an object in general in a very clear and easy to understand manner. Concepts begun in Cours de Dessin are continued and applied to drawing from three dimensional sources. Studies progress from using casts which are small and simple to using ones which are large and complex. By increasing the difficulty in each excercise students greatly improve their skills. Strategies and techniques become more confident while their drawings become both finer and more elegant.

Drawing from Still Life has always been a very important discipline in the education and training of artists as well as being its own independent art form. Similar to cast drawing, still life has the great advantage that it does not move or change making it easier to understand the principles of proportion and rendering in light and shade. Unlike working with plaster casts, where the goal was only the representation of a white statue still life is concerned with representation of different materials and surfaces from soft to hard, transparent to opaque and texture and details of great variation. Where cast drawing was primarily concerned with the representation of a single object still life is about composition with a variety of objects and design on the whole. Moreover, throughout history still life was a narrative expression of the artist and less so the depiction of merely pleasing objects.

There are several ways that we can study landscape in drawing, both inside the atelier and outside. Drawing outdoors “en plein air” to use the commonly associated French term to this method of painting is a fabulous experience. So much can be gleaned about lighting and most importantly what is essential when working outside where nature and the world are constantly in flux and changing. This can be done in pencil, charcoal, pen etc. but also in monochrome wet media like brushed ink and water. It is interesting that that brushed ink is often considered drawing, and not painting! When scheduling permits field trips can be made to local parks and locations, but for a more in depth understanding on how to work outdoors more concentrated workshops are needed to get out of the studio, which is the focus of Atelier life. Partially because of this, but also both supplemental and instrumental, it is essential to also study landscape in the studio. The traditional, and preferred practice, is to work from historical prints (lithographs, engravings, etchings etc.) or from the drawings of master artists which are typically, but not limited to, historical “Old Masters”

In this course 3 drawings of a proportionally constructed skeleton are drawn from front (anterior) back (posterior) and side (lateral) aspects. These three drawings are then photocopied, and the deep muscles are painted over the skeleton in gouache. This second set is then photocopied again and then the superficial muscles are painted over the deep ones. Together this set of 9 drawings are labeled with all the relevant proportions, names and actions of the bones and names, origins, insertions and actions of the muscles.

The drawings themselves are based first on proportional measurements, then observation of a medical grade life size cast of a real skeleton, with reference to both traditional and contemporary artistic anatomical and medical anatomical treatises and finally with reference to master drawings as well. Extensive lectures are conducted concurrently on all the bones and muscles covered as they relate to artistic practices

This course is Similar to drawing the plaster casts of statues, but here anatomical casts are used and more stress is placed on geometric and anatomical concepts rather than just observational paradigms. Explicit reference to anatomy as it relates to artistic practices of portraiture and figuration are advanced.

Another very traditional anatomical exercise was to take old master drawings and turn them into écorché drawings, finding and exploring the muscles and the bones which are normally only hinted at in the finished works. In the same manner drawings of live models are made but with the anatomy of the muscles presented clearly on the surface. Imagination / memory and reference to anatomical texts are made use of extensively while doing either of these types of drawings.

This course takes advantage of both in class instruction with reference and work being done from anatomical reference and the drawings of the old masters as well as the open life / drawing classes where the knowledge advanced in class is put into practice with a live model. This way a balanced approach is sought working from a variety of sources.

Knowlege and skills that were started in Cours de Dessin and advanced in Cast drawing are taken to their conclusion by working from live models. This course takes advantage of the open life drawing classes but also involves in class instruction that takes many forms from concepts and strategies on how to draw the live model but also with reference to anatomy and old master drawings. Student drawings done in the open classes with live models are vigorously examined and critiqued with the instructor during regular class times.

When possible, field trips are made to local museums and drawings are made from the artworks on display there. Along with drawing, these classes includes discussions on art history and composition & design. Students choose what to draw and the length of their drawing. Consideration is taken for shorter to longer drawing, compositional sketches, cropped details and entire rendering.

Students learn linear Perspective through a series of drawings that start with one point perspective and then move onto two and three point. Aspects of perspective such as: vanishing point, multiple vanishing points, horizon line, ground line, station Point, picture plane, measuring points, drawing circles, and drawing irregular objects are explained and demonstrated. Sudents apply the use of perspective to develop their own compositions moving through a series of exercises culminating in a final work.

In these classes students learn how to make compositions using memory and imagination. Sometimes this process will include the use of reference material from varied sources (eg. Art History, Anatomy, and sometimes Photographs) but the material is used only to suppliment and guide the students imagination and are not used as direct models to copy like they would be in other classes. Special attention is given to developing individual interest and composition & design.

This course takes knowledge learned from Cast Drawing and applies it to painting in oil. Students make grisaille paintings from casts of famous antique statues. Black and white paintings are made that express tone and form. Working with warm and cool colours are introduced.

This course takes knowlege learned in Cast Painting and extends it to working in full colour. Students work first with a limited palette of several colours and afterwards with a broad palette of numerous colours.

Plein Air is a French painting term which means, “painting in the open” and is used to describe painting outdoors, especially for landscape painting. This course is done in the form of field trips to local parks and other locations. Painting outside adds many new aspects to consider as students learn to confront the problems of working in nature under changing conditions (light, wind, temperature, ambient noise, etc…). Projects will progress from less to more complicated in order to consider elements like: clouds, water, reflections, buildings and people.

Live clothed models are used for students to produce life-life portraits (works primarily concered with the face and head of an individual sitter). The course progresses through a series of excercies of varying length. Aspects of consideration include rub-outs, grissaile (black & white) limited palette, warm & cool colours, earth tones, prismatic colours, cartoons, indirect & direct techniques, anatomy & proportions of the head & face etc…

Live nude models are used to create life-like paintings of the human body. This course takes into consideration a lot of material that is introduced in previous courses, especially cast painting, still life painting & anatomical drawing. A series of long poses are used to develop students understanding and application of painting from life.

In this course students follow the old method of learning sculpture as it was taught in the traditional ateliers of Europe and America. Students begin by learning how to make accurate copies of plaster casts of famous sculptures. These studies begin with smaller, simpler casts and progress in complexity. In this way students’ skills develop as confidence is built around using time honoured strategies and techniques of making sculpture that have been used since the days of ancient Greece.

At the Atelier Mould Making is not treated as an individual course. It is instead treated within the other sculpture courses. After students have finished making their sculpture in clay, they then make a plaster waste mould (one time use) and finally cast it in plaster. This is the most standard and traditional method of working in sculpture. As projects increase in difficulty their moulds will also increase in complexity and will become more elaborate. Mould making is an imprecise art, and though wonderful results can be obtained, complications sometimes can arise due to the nature of the material and then certain improvisations and repairs become necessary.

An ecorche is a traditional excercise for all art students. Even though it is a three dimensional model of the bones and muscles, it was something that both painters and sculptors would do. Students first make the bones and then attach muscles using oil-based clay over top of an aluminum armature. In doing this the actions and proportions of the human body become understood. Both medical and art reference materials are used in this course.

This course uses live models for the purpose of making portrait busts (a sculpture of an individual from the collar up) Special consideration is given to the proportion and anatomy of the head and face as well as the treatment of hair.

Live nude models are used to create life-like paintings of the human body. This course takes into consideration a lot of material that is introduced in previous courses, especially cast sculpture, ecorche along with the much of the drawing courses. A series of long poses are used to develop students understanding and application of sculpting from life.

In this course students learn how to make nude sculptures of their own design using memory and imagination. Sometimes this process includes the use of reference material from varied sources (eg. Art History, Anatomy, Photographs) but the material is used only to supplement and guide the students imagination and are not used as direct models to copy like they would be in other courses. Special attention is given to developing individual interest, composition & design and single & multi-figural work.