for more information or to register contact Art Lab
email - click here telephone - 902-254-2972

instructor  - william (bill) rogers 

course cost - $300 

class size - 10 

experience level - Novice to Experienced 

course description

If you have ever wanted to enter the world of portrait painting this is your opportunity to work with one of the most gifted portrait artists practicing in Canada today. Bill's approach to portraiture is an emotional response to the model and the story he sees within, thus the rendered image is not a slavish adherence to minute detail but likeness realized from his attention to composition, light, value and brushwork. His approach to each of these elements is singularly "Bill". With him you will learn the procedure and process and begin your development as a portraitist by going down the right road from the start. Bill is insightful with a vast base of knowledge and skill in this art form. You will work with live models.

course details

After the principles are discussed from the projector images, we move to the live model to put them to practice. It will be evident that a photograph is never really good enough to see everything, but can be used after much practice with the live model. Lighting the model will be of utmost importance, and will be considered at every pose.

Starting off with the gesture/thrust of the figure, proportions with and without foreshortening are practiced. I will talk a lot on composition/design because this is maybe the most important element in a work of art. Good placement of the figure on the rectangle/canvas/paper is the most crucial beginning step. A good start is essential, as bad starts almost always result in failure. I will get into specifics about anatomy and proportions as well, so that your paintings look convincing.

Positive and negative shapes are part of the considerations, as well as focal point(s), value (darkness or lightness of a colour), colour itself, form (three-dimensional shape of an object or model), lighting (and thus lights and shadows), and lost and found edges to aid in directing the viewer’s eye around the work and to a focal point. All these considerations are necessary in telling the ‘story’, albeit a visual story.

For this workshop we will use the photos provided via the digital projector on day 1 and the live models on day 2 and day 3. Use of your own photos is for after the workshop, as you’ll be taught what is a good working photo and how to use it.

supplies to bring

A list of suggested course supplies will be sent two weeks prior to the course or upon request. Please contact Bill if you have any questions regarding supplies.

about the instructor

CSPWC TWSA SCA
William (Bill) Rogers is a Canadian artist living and working in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
He always painted in oil and watercolour and currently sells his work through galleries in Canada, Bermuda, and the USA. In Antigonish he has also organized the open life/figure drawing sessions weekly at the University; these have been going steadily for 18 years. Bill’s figure works have been the recipients of awards in Watercolor Society shows in the USA and Canada.

Bill is an Elected Member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) of which he is currently the Past President. He recently was awarded signature status with the American Watercolor Society (AWS), and is also a signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA) and the Societé Canadienne de l’Aquarelle (SCA).

In May 2014, Bill served as the Royal Tour Artist for the 2014 Royal Tour of Canada by HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. It was the experience of a lifetime. A number of those works were acquired by HRH Prince Charles for his personal collection.

contact the artist

Website: williamrogersart.com

Email: billrogers@eastlink.ca 

Cancellation Policy
If for any reason the participant wishes to cancel prior to two weeks before the commencement of the course, the full fee minus a 10% service fee will be refunded. Please note that there will be no refunds if the participant cancels within two weeks of the commencement of the course.