Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio

Skill level: intermediate/advanced Crystal will take you through her process of taking and choosing reference video and photos (with special considerations for working with children), composition-building using procreate on the ipad, mining masterworks for problem-solving, and painting the child portrait. This class will focus on solving problems before they happen, and emotional storytelling through composition choices. This workshop is designed to simplify painting, and help give you the tools to advance your own style, process and craftsmanship. Students will focus…

Skill level: intermediate/advanced ​The workshop will explain how to create a useful photo reference, covering topics such as ideal lighting, camera settings, Photoshop, and printing. Students will learn to create color relationships that portray the space and volume, creating the illusion. Emphasis is then placed on paint application and ways of activating the surface. ​By focusing on deliberate brush stroke and maintaining accurate color relationships rather than blending or rendering, the application of paint describes the form and space, rather…

Skill level: intermediate/advanced ​This advanced workshop will explore “Alla Prima” portrait painting and the frequently asked questions that can best help artists to navigate what they are seeing. What questions can artists ask themselves to better see the colors, values, edges, and proportions of the model? ​ How can these questions contribute to a sensitive relationship between seeing, attention, and the quality of the experience with the model? Along with a demo, there will be a great deal of one-on-one instruction…

Skill level: intermediate/advanced In this 3 day workshop students will be working in the field and watching daily demonstrations in order to develop their skills in landscape painting. Students will develop a strong understanding of how light behaves and the way light describes form in a landscape. This understanding will be crucial in making a painting appear 3-dimensional. Students will also learn how to apply the fundamentals of painting, such as drawing,values, color, and edges to painting en plein air.…

Skill level: all levels​​ In this four day workshop students will learn the key elements that go into creating one of Timothy Rees’s dynamic colorful figure paintings. Topics include research, concept, dress design, and the process of execution.  When painting the figure in the custom designed dress, students will combine classical realistic techniques with modern day bravura and abstraction to produce a fresh work of creative realism.     Syllabus:     Day One.  Research, Design, and Dress Creation, Color…

This drawing workshop teaches students to create a wider range of chromatic effects within the tradition of realistic portraiture and figure drawing. Beginning with lecture/demos, students learn to how to use chromatic, hand-toned paper in their work from life. The art of Hatchmark and the use of a controlled palette in drawing are thoroughly explored. Lessons also include planar head comprehension as well as fundamental conventions of human anatomy. Skills gained in this course will prove vital for more professional…

August 8 - 11 Tuition fee: $795 plus model fee Skill level: intermediate/advanced ​ Comprehensive, in-depth study of the principles of composition, value, pattern, tone,staging, mood and color palette. Emphasis is placed on the creative process from stagingmodel to finished art. Assignment is developing from model and situation sources. ObjectivesThis workshop is designed to build on basic skills previously learned at the figurepainting. Students will learn how to compose subjects and to use number of quicksketches. Discussion and practical demonstration will…

August 21 - 24 $850 (plus model fee) Skill level: intermediate to advanced ​​ ​ In this 4-day workshop, Zhaoming will teach a traditional “painterly” technique of oil painting.  It will be applied to figure painting in an “alla prima” approach.  Emphasis will be placed on composition, color and understanding light on form.  It will include the process of producing appropriate values and edges to create mood and atmosphere. Students will be led into figure painting practice by observing Zhaoming’s…

Date: August 27 - 30 Tuition: $750 - $100 off if also attending Heather Burton - (go to her page here) Skill level: all levels ​​​ This 4-day workshop is for all levels. The first day will be in the studio for an in- troductory slide show and demo. Then we’ll plan to spend the next couple of days painting outdoors (weather permitting). Here, artists will learn to quickly gather the necessary visual information needed to complete a painting in the…

August 31 - September 1 Tuition fee: $320 - $100 off if also attending Dave Santillanes Skill level: all levels ​ Painting the Horse and other Animals ​ This two day workshop is for all levels and will cover a wide range of topics, including basic anatomy, sketching and painting techniques, color observation, working with photo references as well as the method I use of a brief underpainting, adding color, and capturing the essence of the animal without losing the…

September 11 - 15 $875 Skill level: all levels ​​ ​This workshop will teach the technique of egg tempera painting as it was practiced in 14th and 15th Century Italy and was documented by Cennino Cennini in his book, Il Libro dell'Arte.  Since we will have participants who have never painted a stroke in the tempera medium as well as some who are masters of this medium, I will attempt to teach the course simultaneously at many different levels. ​…

September 19 - 21 $525 Skill level: all levels ​ ​ ​Mike Hernandez will cover the important fundamentals of composition, color relationships, lighting, atmospheric perspective, simplification and shape design through the use of gouache, acrylic or oils. This is a great workshop for any artist that would like to learn how to capture a sense of natural and or stylized lighting/color into their work. ​ Mike will start off the 3-day workshop with a lecture Friday morning and demos in…

September 27 - 29 Tuition: $500 Skill level: all levels Flowers are incredibly rewarding and beautiful subjects – but also very challenging! This workshop will illuminate some crucial concepts that will make flower painting a little less intimidating – and also introduce you to some exciting tools and techniques that will bring new drama and texture to your oil paintings. Catherine Bobkoski brings her extensive academic and figurative experience to the practice of representing flowers. In this workshop, we will…