This summer I’ll be teaching two workshops at the School of Visual Arts in New York City: a five-day portrait drawing workshop and an eleven-day portrait painting workshop.
The purpose of both workshops is to transform your ability to make art. Just imagine, for just one moment, that every time you picked up a brush or a piece of charcoal you could download Anthony Van Dyke's brain.
Great art is the function of sound strategic thinking. There is a profound underlying mindset that has served as the foundation for the creation of the greatest realist art in history. My goal is to provide you with the opportunity to tap into that mindset. Intrinsic talent is not sufficient enough if you want to excel. But worry not, you will get more than your fair share of technical information as well.
...one of the greatest teachers ever. Marvin Mattelson changes the lives of anyone paying attention. I know I wouldn't be half the painter I am without his guidance. -Dorian Vallejo
In both workshops, you’ll learn how to see what’s actually in front of you and how to create the illusion of a three-dimensional reality.
The painting workshop adds the dimension of color and there you will learn how to analyze color and how to easily identify and mix any color you see. Also, you’ll learn to create life-like flesh-tones as well as how to use color to unify your subject matter. All aspects of my curriculum are fully demonstrated alongside my running commentary. The above portrait of Sarah was my demo from last year's workshop. At all other times, I’ll be circulating amongst my students while critiquing and giving feedback.
I’ve heard it said that if you take a workshop you should be happy if you can walk away with a trick or two under your belt. If you’ve been privy to this way of thinking, my advice is to run – don’t walk – as fast as you can from the source of this misinformation. If it’s a teacher, shame on them. Nothing can be further from the truth.
The intent of my workshops is to transform the way you approach making your art. The important question is, are you willing to give up the rules and regulations you’ve come to believe are at the root of whatever successes you’ve experienced to date? Rules obfuscate the truth.
Whether you’re a portrait artist or not, these workshops will make a huge difference in the way you look at, think about and make art. Hope to see you there. Until next time…
Drawing lies at the heart of all representational art and unity is the key component. The purpose of this workshop is to develop your ability to approach drawing in a contextual way, where each small part serves the greater whole. We will start with exercises designed to sharpen your ability to see objectively. Working with live models, you will learn how to identify the specific proportions and structure unique to each individual.
By weeks end, you will understand what it takes to achieve a full-fledged tonal portrayal of your subject, bathed in light and surrounded by air. Draftsmanship is an easily learned skill. The techniques and approaches you will learn can be readily adapted to any type of subject matter and style. All aspects of this method will be presented logically and coherently. Every step will be fully demonstrated and explained. NOTE: A complete supply list will be sent to you prior to the start of the workshop.
There's more to painting a great portrait than capturing a likeness; it's about creating the illusion of life. Portraiture should reveal the character of the sitter and exude a lifelike essence. Whether you are just starting out or very experienced, whether you choose to paint from live models or work from photo references, what you can learn in this course has the potential to transform your art.
Taught by an award-winning portrait artist, you will learn how to analyze, interpret and vastly improve your ability to capture a convincing and telling representation of your sitter. Based on the idea that logic, not frivolous rules and superficial techniques are at the core of the greatest portraits ever created, a mindful approach that is both broad in scope, yet simple to comprehend will be taught. Working from live models, you will discover a simple and straightforward way to draw accurately and easily replicate any color you see, particularly the subtle translucent tones of the human complexion.
You will also learn to model form and simulate the effects of luminosity, depth, and atmospheric space. All the information covered in this course will be fully demonstrated and explained by the instructor. NOTE: A Sunday afternoon field trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art is included. Please bring a notebook and pen to the first session. A complete supply list will be sent to you prior to the start of the workshop.
Marvin Mattelson is now conducting his classes and workshops online exclusively, in 1080p Full HD, through his Fine Art Portrait Academy. For further information, or to register for an upcoming offering, please follow this link to his teaching page.
