Abstracted Portraiture

Learn how to create portraits in a more expressive, abstract way, instead of the traditional, representational style. Abstract art offers a totally different experience of freedom and self-expression, it liberates you from perfectionism which often causes artist block - and you still will be able to achieve the likeness and make your portraits interesting and unique!

Sometimes it’s necessary to let go of everything: proportions, anatomy, tone, and three-dimensionality for the sake of exploring a more playful way of painting people. This absolute freedom is not a given skill, even though it may feel easy: this freedom is developed through the self-permission to break rules and boundaries. Contemporary art welcomes innovation, and there are many forms of it; you will explore the  innovation that does not come from the brain but flows from the hand, through the process. This is the course where students produce portraits that are unlike any they’ve seen before. This is the transformational experience where you can truly surprise yourself with what’s possible in contemporary art. 

Surprisingly, this course is not for beginners; it is for mature artists who feel stuck, who seek to liberate their brush. Beginners can take this course and can very well paint abstracted portraits (maybe even better than experienced artists), however a beginner may not appreciate what they have created; contemporary art appreciation requires a trained eye. If you’re a beginner and want to see if you qualify or want to discuss attending the course, call us and we’ll provide our evaluation.

Benefits: 

• it does not require any knowledge of anatomy;
• experimentation with facial features is encouraged;
• you’ll learn from the abstract portraitists who broke the mold;
• paint your colors like you want them to be, not like they are;
• If you don’t appreciate abstract art, this course will help change your mind!
• Abstract style helps expand your artistic range and discover your true voice.  

Artists we’ll study: Leon Kossoff, Frank Auerbach, Boris Kitaj, Francis Bacon, who became famous for their unconventional approach to portraiture.