Federation of Canadian Artists – Zoom Workshop: John Singer Sargent’s Carmela Bertagna

Tuesdays (6 sessions),  

October 24th – November 28th

6.00 PM – 8.00 PM (PST)

Online Via Zoom

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Workshop Overview (4 Sessions):

Paintings that are as fresh as hot biscuits are oft painted with an economy of succinct, expressive brush strokes rendered with a sympathetic correspondence to the underlying form and structure of the head. Michael Britton’s six session Zoom workshop begins by introducing you to the practice of spotting color values; a tactile practice of rendering three-dimensional form with colour rather than the common illustrative narration.

You’ll be studying Sargent’s understood methodology of portrait painting vis-a-vis copying his engaging portrait of Carmella Bertagna (1879) life-sized.

The first session is focused on the Ebauche: the initial blocking in and colour spotting. The successive sessions are focused on the various passages of the Pentimento to develop form and to set up the final flourishes of bravura brushstrokes.

About the Instructor – Michael Britton

Michael Britton is a New York City trained artist (New York Academy of Art) who has taught several thousand artists (some of whom have gone on to full-time art careers as painters and teachers) in his several decades long career. He was the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Academy of Art, Canada for six years and has also taught drawing for Walt Disney Studios, amongst numerous other appointments throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He is also the author of several art-training videos including Mastering Portrait Drawing. He teaches internationally including London, Paris, Singapore, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Manila.⁠

Student Testimonials:

• “I absolutely enjoyed Michael’s class. The instructor enlightened me and motivated me for my future painting possibilities! I can’t thank Mr. Michael Britton enough!!!” ⁠

• “I’ve been receiving your newsletters for a couple of years now and always learn something, but I still felt I needed to start right at the beginning again, being so out of practice…it is exactly what I’d hoped it would be: good solid explanation and demonstration of the skills and techniques, with progressive exercises to build them. I’m so pleased!”

• “I’ve learnt more from your online workshops than I have from my previous face to face courses combined (…). Your teaching is comprehensive, yet clear and engaging.”