Tag Archives: Clearwater Artists Studios

Alla Prima Portrait Workshop Using the Zorn Palette

3-Day Intensive Workshop with Robin Wellner

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – October 6, 7 and 8, 2017 – 9:30am – 5pm

ClearWater Artist Studios, Concord, NC

$375, plus $50* model fee per person

*model fee waived if you register by September 15th

What do all of these paintings have in common???  They were all painted with only four colors!  White, yellow ochre, cadmium red and ivory black.

 

Portraits are challenging  — but so rewarding!  Simplifying my palette to something that I know works, has given me freedom to focus on other details of my work.  Anders Zorn’s limited palette gives me a beautiful range of skin tones and I’m virtually guaranteed color harmony in my painting.

Painting Each Other

I’m offering a three day workshop on this palette and other aspects of portraiture October 6, 7 and 8th, 2017 at the ClearWater Artist Studios in Concord, NC.  We will start each morning with instruction and a demo, painting the model “alla prima” (wet-on-wet) from life.  After lunch, you will all have the opportunity to paint the model with lots of one-on-one instruction and gentle critiquing.  We will focus on color, values, specifics on facial features, painting shapes rather than lines and learning to measure for an accurate likeness. There is nothing like painting from life!  Even if you choose to paint from photos in the future, painting from life will give you valuable information that will help you in that work.

“I honestly think that this class, for me, was truly perfect. Frustrating, but honestly what I needed – to be pushed and challenged and to learn more every session.  I loved it!”
 
“You are changing my way of looking at portrait models. I am ready to jump to the next level and I feel like I could do more with you.  I want you to be a mentor and teacher.”
 

ClearWater Studios offers a beautiful space in Concord, NC for this workshop. Once you register, I will send you a list of supplies and your first assignment!  Yes, I’m giving you homework!  You’ll come to the workshop prepared and already on the road to mastering some aspects of the Zorn palette.

Advanced registration is required.  Spaces are limited to make sure you get plenty of one-on-one instruction. Supply list and additional information will be sent upon registration.  Tuition will be refunded if cancellation is done 30 days before the workshop.  If for any reason the workshop is cancelled all tuition will be refunded.

I hope you’ll join us!  Please feel free to email me with questions or for more information.

Registration below or on my “Teaching/Workshop” page.




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Painting Portraits with an Audience, and a Ticking Clock!

This is me at the Portrait Paint Off trying to complete a painting in an hour and 45 minutes.  Clearwater Artists Studios, in Concord, host an annual portrait paint off with five selected painters.  The whole event is 3 hours — with wonderful baked goods and baskets of goodies to be raffled off.  For the last two hours, we paint, with an audience of about 150 people.  They were wonderful supportive and didn’t ask too many questions.  Which is a good thing, since I tend to switch off the talking part of my brain once I start painting.  I love the opportunity to paint with other painters.  Gordon James, Barbara Ellis, Isaac Payne and Mark Stephenson were the other featured painters.  It’s such a delight to see how everyone handles the same model in a completely different and wonderful way!
This is an iPhone shot of the final painting.  I started with my Zorn palette, but introduced some other colors because of her dress.  We had another row of painters who could set up behind us, so we had a full house of painters and audience.  

Grateful to Sarah Gay and Clearwater Artists Studios for the opportunity!!  Painting with the clock ticking is a good practice I think!

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