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Developing a Composition for Painting: Thumbnails and Blocking in with Steve Huston

Developing a Composition for Painting: Thumbnails and Blocking in
Creative Strategies to Improve Your Compositions Unlock the potentials of your reference images while developing a composition

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Instructor
Steve Huston
Subjects
Art Theory
Topics
Composition, Design, Human Figure, Landscape
Mediums
Oil Paints, Pencil
Duration
2h 13m 32s

In this lesson, instructor Steve Huston will demonstrate his approach to building a composition. He will show you the process of creating thumbnails and finding the most compelling configuration of elements within a picture frame. Then, you will learn about painting setup, brushes, and color theory. Steve will lecture on artists that inspire him and influence his painting practice.

This lesson belongs to the course Creative Composition. In this 6-week course, Steve Huston will teach you the main visual components frequently used in fine art. You will discover how line, shape, and color help strengthen the storytelling of your work. Steve will show you examples from the Old Masters as he presents each significant concept. In doing so, he will talk about how these components are applied in other art fields. Since this course was filmed during a live workshop, you will also be tuning in to his Q&A sessions and critiques of students’ works. Moreover, you will watch Steve develop a composition for a painting from start to finish. After completing this course, you will gain a deep understanding of art philosophy and composition; what you need for creating successful artworks.

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

You do not need to purchase specific materials to take this course.
We have included a materials list as recommendation only. If you cannot find a specific material in your area, use the closest equivalent available to you. Doing so will allow you to have the best possible learning outcome from this course. For help with finding alternative materials, including how to take this course with digital tools, please join our community Discord.

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