These popular one or two-week intensive programs on diverse subjects are taught by Studio Incamminati instructors and other outstanding artists personally selected by Nelson. Offered throughout the year, workshops allow artists to build upon their knowledge and skills.

Form Painting with the Figure
Stephen Early
Darren Kingsley
Jan. 21 - 25
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuition $550

Learn the principles essential to transform abstract flat shapes into fully dimensional forms and create a sense of light on the figure. Students concentrate on painting the figure with a full range of values and developing the ability to make accurate value calibrations. The focus is on structure, anatomy, proportion, light direction, edge conditions, abstract movements through the figure, composition and an understanding of form on the figure.

These concepts are executed through an application of opaque and semi-opaque paint in the light and shadow areas. This also enables the student to develop painting skills such as scumbling, feathering, and texture. Control of the paint is a priority and is essential to achieving required goals.

Guest Instructor Darren Kingsley's paintings hang in the collections of Lucasfilm Ltd., the film production company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas, and The Union League of Philadelphia as well as numerous private collections.

See Darren's work at www.darrenkingsley.com

Teaching Fellow Stephen Early was chosen as one of “12 Artists to Watch in 2012” by American Artist magazine. He earned an Exceptional Merit award in the Portrait Society of America’s 2012 international competition and was a faculty member at the society’s annual conference. He also garnered Certificate of Excellence awards in the society's 2010 and 2008 competitions. Steve was one of four studio artists chosen by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for Face to Face: The Craniofacial Program Portrait Project. His art was selected in the George Lucas book project “Star Wars: Visions.”

See Steve's work at www.stephenearly.com

Color and Form: Still Life
JaFang Lu
Jan. 21 - 25
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuition $550

This workshop focuses on creating a still life painting through understanding and practicing the correct relative value and color relationships.

Students begin with series of value, color and composition studies. Exercises are designed to enhance the basic understanding of how light, temperature and form can be achieved and expressed through accurate relative color and value relationships. Ideas on compositionalso are discussed and explored at this stage. 

Once students attain a solid understanding of the basic principles, they begin a long painting with the focus on turning the form with smaller and finer color and value notes that work within the established larger relationships.

NOTE:Students from JaFang Lu's previous day/evening painting classes or workshops, who have demonstrated proficiency in the shorter exercises, can progress into the long painting at the workshop start .  

Guest Instructor Jafang Lu received the 2012 Leeway Foundation for Art and Change Grant. She holds a Bachelors of Art from the City College of New York University.

See JaFang's work at jafanglu.blogspot.com

Drawing and Painting
Daniel Sprick
Jan. 26 - 27
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuition $299

This two-day workshop is a mixture of drawing and painting emphasizing how the two disciplines relate to each other. Day One begins with an instructor demonstration followed by students drawing from a figure model. Day Two features an instructor lecture, followed by students painting from a figure model.

See Daniel's work at www.danielsprick.com

Painting the Portrait: The Long Pose
Kerry Dunn
Santaella Studios for the Arts
Tampa FL
January 21 - 25
$525

The goal of this workshop is to develop one portrait painting from start to finish.The week builds sequentially, each day focusing on a different stage of development and its correlating principles.

Beginning with graphite, students develop a line construction drawing to create large-to-small proportional relationships, structure, and anatomy of the head.This construction drawing is transferred to canvas where students develop a grisaille underpainting to explore turning the form with a limited value range.

Color is introduced as students learn to block in and properly relate the main color notes creating the foundation of the painting. Smaller color notes can be added as they fit into a larger-to-smaller system of relating.

Finally the finish layer is developed over the underpainting by focusing on one area at a time starting with the focal point and working out. Throughout the week, students will learn how everything in a painting is built within a system of calibrated relationships, how light interacts with form, using paint ‘wet into wet’ and ‘wet over dry,' how to edit the plethora of visual information, anatomical landmarks of the head, how to manage edges, developing a focal point and overall handling of materials. Students will leave with one completed portrait painting and greater understanding of what goes into building a painting with the portrait as our subject.

Visiting Instructor Kerry Dunn was named "one of 25 Artists of Tomorrow” by  American Artist magazine. In 2010, he was awarded  First Prize in the Laumeister Fine Art Competition at the Bennington Center for the Arts and received Best in Show at the Salmagundi Club’s 2009 annual Juried Painting and Sculpture Exhibition for Non-Members. He received a 2009 Portrait Society of America Certificate of Excellence. His works have been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions and hang in numerous collections.

See Kerry's work at www.kerrydunn.com