ReMastered Course –
This course has been updated with downloadable assignments, optimized video lesson flow, new reference images, plus standardized rubrics and materials lists for a more effective learning experience.

In this lesson, Juliette Aristides introduces the foundational concepts of working in the atelier method, beginning with a still-life composition. You will learn how to make a preparatory charcoal sketch, value studies in oils, and an initial drawing for a larger still-life painting. Juliette will guide you in creating flow through the composition with lines, blocking in major shapes, and establishing value relationships with the help of value scales. This lesson will lay the groundwork for the rest of the course, helping you develop a strong understanding of value and composition. 

This lesson belongs to the course Oil Painting Atelier. In this 4-week course, join painter, author, and art educator, Juliette Aristides as she guides you through her approach to realist drawing and oil painting. Juliette will lead you through the essential techniques of still-life and figure painting, including preliminary charcoal drawings, value scales, and composition studies, through to full-color paintings in oil. You will begin with a still-life scene, before advancing to a figure painting from a model. Juliette will teach you the importance of drawing, the interplay of light and shadow, color temperature, and edge quality to achieve a sense of realism in your paintings. This course is ideal for artists seeking to deepen their understanding of classical atelier methods to create beautiful paintings.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.