Inspired By Degas: Paint An Impressionist Nude Figure In Oil

Learn from the painting of a master artist and create your own nude figure painting with the help of a model

What you'll learn

Understand why Degas' figures are so inspiring

Analyze how Degas used color and composition, so you can use those strategies in your art

Learn what gives a figure weight

Sketch a natural-looking figure

Create your own painting inspired by Degas

Requirements

Recommended for intermediate to advanced students or experienced painting hobbyists.

Description

In this course, we examine the work of one of the greatest artists of the impressionist period, and paint a nude figure in oils inspired by his work. We're going to be inspired by Edgar Degas.Degas is most famous for painting ballerinas - and he did some fantastic ballet paintings that we'll look at in class - but he also painted other figures, including nudes. And that's what we're going to do.We will focus on the natural way Degas painted figures, particularly nudes. We'll consider some of the common mistakes artists (and inexperienced art models) tend to make in nude art, and we'll practice sketching and painting natural-looking figures. We'll analyze the naturalness of various poses, and practice painting a figure that looks like she has real weight and exists within her environment.This class is perfect for intermediate to advanced artists who would like to begin or expand their ability in painting figures. But we won't be working with excessively expensive equipment, so even a beginner can follow along if they want.We'll also be working with a nude model who will not only give us live poses in motion, but also still images, and we can choose any of these as a reference. (So yes, I should mention here, there is some nudity in this course.)You will have the option to paint along with me as I complete my final painting, or use the information you learn to create your own, unique composition, inspired by one of the greatest figure artists of history.I hope you'll join me!

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Let's talk about Degas' composition and use of color

Lecture 3 Lesson 3, Sketching Exercise

Lecture 4 Lesson 4, Learning How to Pose a Figure

Section 2: Final Projects

Lecture 5 Final Project Video 1, Choosing a Reference and Sketching

Lecture 6 Final Project Painting Video 2, Beginning the Painting

Lecture 7 Final Project Painting Video 3, Completing the Painting

Lecture 8 Final Thoughts

Hobby-level artists looking to up their human-figure-painting skills