Painting portraits in oils workshop NorthamptonSense of doubt
I will be running another Introduction to Portrait Painting Workshop in Oils at Northampton’s Museum and Art Gallery on 19th February 2022. My workshop is an ideal introduction to portrait painting for newcomers and more experienced painters alike. A portrait in oils will be produced, with attention to facial proportions and tone to create a realistic image. Working from a reference photograph and a step by step process, I will guide you through painting a portrait. The workshop is perfect for both beginners and painters with some experience. Price £65 per person.
The museum is a great venue to hold the workshop and have a central focus for Northampton art again. After opening on 10th July 2021 following a major redevelopment which began in 2017. It’s now up and running with a selling gallery and permanent collections on show. To find out more about the museum click on this link. https://www.northamptonmuseums.com/site/index.php
Where do you start with your memories of George Best a football icon? The first time I saw him play he scored 6 goals against Northampton! The greatest player I ever saw play in the flesh and worthy of an oil painting portrait. I’ve painted a few well known icons https://www.cordellgarfield.com/gallery/portraits/ and Bestie remains one of the most enjoyable.
On the 7th of February 1970 I stood on the duckboards of the cricket pitch side on Northampton Town’s old County Ground. It was the 5th Round of the FA Cup and Manchester United were playing my home town side Northampton. Because it was Manchester United, and because it was football icon George Best playing, it was televised, and the game was a sell-0ut. I even saw myself in my duffle coat on the football highlights programme ‘Star Soccer’ the next day! The pitch was a mud-bath, a heavy gluepot, which was typical for that time of the year. Bestie glided over the pitch, scored with two headers, with his sixth goal rounded off by walking the ball round the hapless Northampton’s goalkeeper Kim Book. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=northampton+town+v+manchester+united+1970&docid=608047901096478366&mid=726C3B13A2AE706270ED726C3B13A2AE706270ED&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
That day his skill, balance and speed was the thing that stayed with me. When I watched him on telly it was obvious to me he was the world’s best footballer of the time. Unlike many of today’s modern footballers he didn’t play on bowling greens. He played at a time when defenders took the man first in challenges with the ball being an afterthought. There was no protection for the more skilful players that there is in today’s game.
Fast forward to September 1971 and my first visit to Old Trafford Manchester United’s ground, to watch them play West Ham United, graced by English football royalty at the time. Best, Law, Charlton (the Holy Trinity at Man Utd) and Moore, Hurst, Brooking and even Harry Redknapp for West Ham! Bestie scored a hat-trick, full of guile, skill and athleticism.
Nine goals in two games! Immediately I joined the George Best fan club (run by somebody from a terraced house in Huddersfield I think!). To quote the Fast Show’s Ron Manager “Small boys in the park? Jumpers for goalposts”, I was one of them, clumsily recreating the Best magic on muddy parks. It was phenomenal, pure celebrity, ‘E for B and Georgie Best’ (for those that remember the advertising), the restaurants, the boutiques and model girlfriends. We all got caught up in his career, there had been nothing like it in English football.
From his debut for Manchester United in 1963 to his last game in 1974 his star burned bright for that short window. Admittedly, towards the end, in a declining side, his performances tailed off, he wasn’t the talisman of earlier years. With hindsight we know some of the reasons behind it now. Alcoholism which for many was seen as the ‘Celtic Flaw’ played a big part in his downfall. But for those glory years at his peak, before the decline, he transformed football for you and me.
I recently hosted another portrait painting in oils workshop at the Yardley Arts Centre. This was another enjoyable experience in difficult times with the Covid pandemic. Social distancing was maintained throughout, and with some hard working and enthusiastic students some great portraits were produced.
The Cordell Garfield Portrait Painting Workshop
As with my other portrait workshops https://www.cordellgarfield.com/workshops/ the portrait painting in oils workshop set out to really help beginners and the more experienced. Above all portrait painting and its anatomy are difficult to master and I tried to simplify the process. We approached the portrait painting through understanding the landmarks of the face. This could be the position of the eyes, distances between the eyes, nose and mouth and so on. We also worked on the use of tone and value in a monochrome palette to produce portraits from a photograph. I gave a series of demonstrations to guide students through the process. Here are some examples of the work produced:
Yardley Arts portrait painting workshop
Salvador Dali portrait
Portrait at Yardley Arts
Yardley Arts
I also want to give a big shout out to Yardley Arts. Yardley Arts is a not-for-profit arts organisation that is really placing a focus on the arts in Northamptonshire. The spacious and light-filled centre is based at Yardley Hastings. Its range of courses covers drawing, painting, sculpture, jewellery and photography. There is even an animation workshop! Moreover, there is something for everybody with previous experience not necessary on many workshops. It’s not been easy in the current climate, but the centre has continued to keep running within the new pandemic guidelines.
I will be running another workshop at the centre again in 2021, but I would recommend checking out other courses. The courses are all run by experienced artists who will help improve your skills whatever your ability. Have a look at their web site https://www.yardleyarts.org/about
New studio space for artist Cordell Garfield! As an artist it’s great to be in my new studio space with the move of the NN Contemporary Art site http://www.nncontemporaryart.org/spaces/. The new central museum next door, opens on 20th June 2020, and my new artistic space is ideally located for me.
Above all the larger new space displays my artwork in a way I haven’t been able to before. This link shows a selection of my portraits, some of which I can now show in the flesh! https://www.cordellgarfield.com/gallery/portraits/
I intend to use this new studio space not only creatively, but also for the Open Studios in September. Keep your eye on developments as I will be selling some of my work in the Open Studios. As always there will be a range of portraits, but also some of my landscapes as well.
I recently hosted another portrait painting in oils workshop at the Yardley Arts Centre. This was another enjoyable experience with some enthusiastic and willing students and some great results.
In the same vein as my other portrait workshops https://www.cordellgarfield.com/workshops/ the portrait painting in oils workshop set out to really help beginners. Above all portrait painting and its anatomy are difficult to master and I tried to simplify the process. We approached the portrait painting through understanding the landmarks of the face. This could be the position of the eyes, distances between the eyes, nose and mouth and so on. We also worked on some colour theory and using a limited colour palette to produce a variety of flesh tones. Here are some examples of the work produced:
I also want to give a big shout out to Yardley Arts. Yardley Arts is a not-for-profit arts organisation that is really placing a focus on the arts in Northamptonshire. The spacious and light-filled centre is based at Yardley Hastings. Its range of courses covers drawing, painting, sculpture, jewellery and photography. There is even an animation workshop! Moreover, there is something for everybody with previous experience not necessary on many workshops.
I will be running another workshop at the centre in the future, but I would recommend checking out other courses. The courses are all run by experienced artists who will help improve your skills whatever your ability. Have a look at their web site https://www.yardleyarts.org/about
Just a quick update on a very successful portrait drawing workshop at Alfred East Gallery https://www.kettering.gov.uk/artworkshops . This was a group of varying abilities who produced some great work. What was particularly satisfying was to see everybody’s work develop. Moreover, to see students with very little drawing experience really get to grips with developing a portrait was very rewarding.
In the same vein as my other portrait workshops https://www.cordellgarfield.com/workshops/ the portrait drawing workshop set out to really help beginners. Above all portrait drawing and its anatomy are difficult to master and I tried to simplify the process. We approached the drawing through understanding the landmarks of the face. This could be the position of the eyes, distances between the eyes, nose and mouth and so on.
I wanted to give a big shout out to the Alfred East Gallery following the workshop. The Alfred East Gallery hosts a range of art based workshops over the year with something for everyone, and I would recommend keeping an eye on what’s available. I will be looking to run another workshop at Alfred East Gallery in the future, but I would recommend checking out other courses.
I recently hosted and run an introduction to portrait painting in oils workshop at the Yardley Arts Centre. This was an enjoyable experience with some enthusiastic and willing students and some great results.
Portrait painting workshop Yardley Arts
My own portrait painting in oils workshop was successful but I wanted to give a big shout out to Yardley Arts. Yardley Arts is a not-for-profit arts organisation that is really placing a focus on the arts in Northamptonshire. The spacious and light-filled centre is based at Yardley Hastings. Its range of courses covers drawing, painting, sculpture, jewellery and photography. There is even an animation workshop! Moreover, there is something for everybody with previous experience not necessary on many workshops.
I will be lucky to be running another workshop at the centre in the future, but I would recommend checking out other courses. The courses are all run by experienced artists who will help improve your skills whatever your ability. Have a look at their web site https://www.yardleyarts.org/about
Charcoal drawing of a cast at London Fine Art Studios.
Even the most skilled artists are always learning, and continue to develop their art. I thought it might be interesting to share my experiences, particularly for those who already draw and paint or those who maybe want to start drawing.
With improving my drawing and painting in mind, I went looking for ways to do this with some focused tuition. Obviously constant practice is essential, but sometimes you want more advice and guidance. My answer was to go to an Atelier workshop.
What is an Atelier? Sounds highbrow and slightly daunting? Not really, an Atelier is a workshop and process where an artist acts as a tutor teaching by example and demonstration to a number of students. The idea behind this is that groups of artists learn a process together, and learn how to use this process utilising their own individual styles. Everybody is different and has a different way of working, but there is a straightforward process on how to learn to see and draw.
Still confused? Well what I’m learning at the London Fine Art Studios (http://londonfineartstudios.com/)is the importance of working from life, not photographs. Although I already knew this and practised it, I’ve learnt about classical techniques such as encajar and sight-size (http://www.painters-online.co.uk/techniques-and-tips/view,encajar-and-sightsize-learn-classical-drawing-techniques_5232.htm). Tutors emphasise the quality of line to construct images, the importance of values with darks and lights, and the treatment of form, edges and the use of colour. All of these processes are critical in creating a realistic drawing and transferring that drawing into a painting if required.
Now, for some of you, the above techniques might sound and seem totally alien but you probably use some of them already, and if you want to really develop your drawing I would seriously recommend just finding out more. Ateliers are centuries old, used by the Renaissance painters, Rubens, Van Dyke, Singer Sargent etc, and their methods are tried and tested. They also dispel the myth of the solitary artist struggling away and demonstrate a more inclusive way of learning to draw and paint.
