Description:

In this workshop artists will create three portrait sketches from three different live models using the technique of trois crayons: red, black, and white dry media on paper. Dating to the Renaissance and continuing in popularity today, trois crayons has been exploited to masterful effect by artists such as Parmigianino, Rubens, Boucher, Watteau, and more recently Anthony Ryder and Robert Liberace. Typically, black is used for the construction lines, shadows, and cold tones, red for the warm tones, and white for the highlights. Instruction will include a comprehensive demonstration from start to finish, as well as in-depth personal critiques with a particular focus on cultivating an organized, rational process. Two distinct steps will be emphasized throughout: building an accurate linear block-in, then interpreting values, hues, and chromas to effectively to create a sense of sculptural form and a strong aesthetic point of view. Cranial anatomy, color theory, materials, line quality, resolution/abbreviation, edges, and the physics of light will also be discussed throughout the course.