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, you will learn how to begin a figure painting in oil, through a value poster study, charcoal line drawing, and underpainting. Juliette Aristides will start the lesson with a poster study, focusing on simple values to create a compelling composition. Then, you will learn to establish the key positions and angles of the model through a linear design with accurate proportions. Finally, you’ll work on the underpainting, building up tone to model forms.

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.