Description
This 3-day workshop will provide instruction on creating realistic paintings based on photographs. Students will learn various strategies for creating photo-based paintings that balance realism with personal expression. Students will provide their own source images or use some from Nicole’s collection. This course will be geared towards portraiture, but landscape, still life, or other source images are welcome. The course will provide a solid foundation for beginners or build on an experienced artist’s knowledge. It will benefit anyone who wants to explore the unique qualities that result from painting from a photo.
About the Instructor
Nicole Williford is a representational painter living in Portland, OR trained in traditional portrait painting, her work spans from tight realism to abstract color fields. For Williford, art making is a practice of meditation as well as a method of processing the overwhelming stimulation present in day to day life. Her work revolves around personal narratives, nostalgia and identity.
Learn More
nicolewilliford.com
Materials List
You will need to bring:
Set of Acrylic Paints:
A basic set of acrylic paints is needed for this course. Acrylic is recommended due to the quick-drying layering process we’ll be using. If you have a set of colors you love, feel free to bring that. Nicole will bring some basic colors and a few fun ones to try out. If you’re starting from scratch, the following colors are recommended: Alizarin Crimson/Quinacridone, Napthol Red/Cadmium Hue, Hansa Yellow/Primary Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, and Titanium White. Some brands Nicole likes are Golden, Utrecht, and Liquitex. The main difference between cheaper and more expensive paints is the intensity of the pigment and the texture of the paint. Nicole typically leans toward buying a few small tubes of higher-quality paints rather than larger tubes of more affordable ones, as cheaper paints can sometimes be harder to mix well, leading to muddy colors.
Set of Brushes:
Any brushes you like are great to bring. Nicole enjoys having a mix of old, rough brushes and new, sharp ones. A variety of shapes is ideal—some bright, round, filbert, etc. She personally uses fairly inexpensive, synthetic brushes. Since we will be working at a relatively small scale, a mix of 5-7 smaller synthetic brushes is best, with the largest being around 1”. 1-2 bristle brushes are fine, but look for smooth synthetic ones, as these will help with getting good detail. Princeton has some great sets.
Palette:
Whatever your typical painting palette looks like works for Nicole. She likes disposable palettes, trays, or Sta-Wet palettes. Some people love using paper plates or Tupperware—whatever you prefer!
Photos:
Please email Nicole your photos a few days in advance. She has a personal preference for images of people, but she can easily support you if you want to paint landscapes, still lifes, or architectural images. If you bring photos of people, Nicole recommends choosing images that are more candid and not too posed. Painting precious people, like our children or parents, can be extra challenging, so if you’re a beginner, she suggests picking a few photos that excite you but aren’t so precious that you’ll be stressed about messing them up.
Provided by instructors:
Palette
Paper
Some unique paint (neon, special colors)
Paper (painting surface, three sheets per person)