Santa Reparata International School of Art Florence, Italy

Portrait Painting
Credit hours: 3--Contact hours: 90
Course # 22-2226 SR
Dept: Art and Design

Course Description: This course will focus on the validity of portraiture within contemporary painting as well as referencing the vast history of portraiture in all mediums. Readings from critics and artists on portraiture will be provided for discussion throughout the course. Students paint the figure from direct observation and discuss formal issues such as composition, handling of materials and color and reinforce issues of form, proportion and gesture. In addition to discussion and lectures, critiques are offered on both an individual and group basis. Students paint in oil and should have a basic understanding of oil painting as a prerequisite to the course.

What better place than Italy to study the art of portraiture? After all it was in this part of the world that classical artists exalted the individual in portraiture. In Florence specifically, the cradle of the renaissance, advances in representation found glorious, illusionistic form using chiaroscuro and the luminous colors of flesh in the rich oil paintings produced by the skillful hands of artists like Michelangelo, Titian, and Carravagio. Today’s dynamic revival of interest in portraiture finds contemporary artists seeking information on the traditions and techniques of these masters as well as approaching this perpetually treasured genre with new approaches, ideas, and techniques. In this course, you will view, firsthand, the bounteous stores of inspiring portraiture in the museums of Florence. In the studio, you will learn both traditional and contemporary approaches to representing the human individual. Discussions and critiques will provide an encouraging forum where you may consider the ways you can define your own vision and aesthetic in your work.

Studio projects will range from drawings and oil sketches done directly from live models to resolved paintings using a variety of techniques to hone your observational skills. Emphasis will be placed on finding proportions and mixing the colors necessary to create a likeness. Demos of materials and methods will be held regularly. Insights gained from gallery/museum visits, demos and lectures will assist you as you create portraits that reflect your understanding of technical, formal and conceptual issues related to contemporary portraiture.

The course is designed for students who have experience with drawing and oil painting and assumes a basic understanding of both. Exceptions must be approved by Ms. McCloskey.

Roxi McCloskey "Karen" oil on panel 36" X 30"

Instructor

Roxi McCloskey received her MFA in painting from the University of Texas - San Antonio. She also has a BFA in Painting and Drawing with a minor in Art History, and extensive experience and training in graphic design, illustration, digital imaging, photography, and set design. She has special interests in portrait painting and in encaustic painting. She is a Senior Lecturer at UT-San Antonio, where she has taught for 12 years. Additionally, she has taught at Trinity University and The Southwest School of Art & Craft. Her work has been exhibited internationally and her commissioned works are included in many important collections, including the Texas State Capitol..

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Roxi McCloskey "August" oil on canvas 36" X 30"