Simplifying the Figure
This one-day workshop is designed for beginners and intermediate artists who want to develop a more confident and expressive approach to drawing and painting the figure.
Working from a selection of provided reference photographs, we will explore how to simplify the figure by looking beyond detail and focusing on shape, proportion, light, colour and economical mark-making. The day will combine drawing and painting exercises with opportunities to experiment and develop a personal response to the reference material.
Morning — Drawing and Observation
We will begin with a series of warm-up exercises and quick, timed sketches to loosen up and encourage a more instinctive approach to drawing. Exercises will include:
Looking for abstract shapes within the figure
Exploring proportion and the relationship between shapes
Reducing the figure to its essential forms
Learning to economise with marks and avoid unnecessary detail
The emphasis will be on seeing and responding rather than trying to produce a highly detailed drawing.
Afternoon — Light, Colour and Print
In the afternoon, we will move from drawing into painting, exploring how the figure can be constructed through simplified areas of dark and light, colour and shape. We will consider how much information is needed to make the figure convincing while still retaining a sense of freedom and expression.
Then we'll take some of the day's drawings a step further by reproducing or developing them as monoprints, exploring how the simplified figure translates into a different medium.
Participants are welcome to work in their medium of choice, i.e Acrylics/oils/watercolour/pastels
please bring your own paints and brushes. The class demos will be in charcoal and acrylic paint, charcoal and paper will be provided
THE VENUE The workshop will take place in the Long Barn at Meon Springs, an inspiring setting in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, offering a calm and supportive environment for learning and creativity.
WHO IS IT FOR? The workshop is suitable for both beginners and those with some previous experience, with exercises designed to encourage experimentation, observation and a more economical approach to representing the figure.
WORKSHOP INFORMATION The workshop runs from 10:00am – 4:00pm Please bring your own lunch.
YOUR TUTOR
Livvy Stainer is a Hampshire-based portrait artist & tutor specializing in children and adult portraiture. With 30 years of professional experience in drawing and painting she trained at Heatherleys School of Art in London, obtaining a Higher Diploma in Portraiture & Figurative Art. With a background in design and illustration she relocated to Hampshire 20 years ago, and dedicated herself to painting and teaching.