To those who say they can’t draw a stick figure, there’s a solution. Actually, there are many solutions, and one way to learn to draw, paint or sculpt realistically is through a classical atelier. The historical atelier’s system of learning has been around since the middle ages and is based upon the idea that students follow one classically trained master to learn how to realistically represent the world. Modern ateliers vary their approach, but students still master skills such as comparative measurement, the value system, and working through a learning process of drawing and painting castes before moving on to their own work. Once a painter has mastered the skill to represent objects reali
In this article, we continue our informative recap of survey respondents for the “Best Workshops” taken by portrait and figurative artists. Several artists wrote about their appreciation of and the value in a long workshop. 12-day Workshop Demo by Instructor Marvin Mattelson Sangeeta Patel and Cindy Brewster claimed that a multi-week Marvin Mattelson workshop was just the intensity and focused instruction they needed. Sangeeta, who took a long-format Mattelson workshop at the School of Visual Arts in New York, appreciated his “time spent mixing paint and understanding how to shift value or intensity of various colors in a flesh-toned palette.” Cindy signed up twice for Mattelson’s 12-day wor
