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If you are looking into taking art classes in Toronto, one of the most challenging and rewarding types of art classes you can take is portraiture. Portraiture has a rich history, and it can be performed in many ways, such as drawing, painting and photography. The creation of a portrait requires close attention to detail and some pre-existing artistic skill. As such, portraiture could be considered a more advanced class, to be taken once a student has mastered basic skills and techniques. Here are some portraiture basics to get you thinking about taking this class.
Shaping Your Portrait
When it comes to creating portraits, it is important to focus on shapes—the shape of the face itself as well as the shapes of features on the face. Students who are new to portraiture may have an easier time achieving precision in their shapes by drawing their portraits with a pencil. Sketching out an outline is also helpful for those who are painting a portrait.
The very first step in creating a portrait is drawing an oval or egg shape that can be later refined to depict the model’s true face shape. This oval shape then needs to be divided along its length for the placement of facial features. The eye line is typically halfway down the face, the nose is three-quarters down the length of the face and the bottom of the mouth is halfway between the nose and the bottom of the chin. The width of the face along the eye line, which is the widest section of the face, should be five eye spaces. The second, third and fourth eye space should all be equal widths; however, the first and fifth spaces can be adjusted according to how narrow or wide the model’s face is. This spaced eye line will help with determining the placement of all other features. All of the basics of portraiture and more advanced techniques can be learned from taking art classes in Toronto.
Portraiture is Not an Exact Science
The most important thing that portraiture students should remember is that the point of portraiture is not to create the exact likeness of the model, but to capture their spirit or emotion. A portrait can tell an entire story by simply evoking a feeling within onlookers. It helps to know or at least meet the model to give you have a sense of how you would like to depict them.
Portraiture is one of the art classes in Toronto we offer. In our portraiture class, students learn the principles of portraiture and develop professional skills in portrait creation. This class is intended for moderately experienced students, who will produce a complete portrait using photo references by the end of the course. Students taking this class may work with materials of their own choosing, including pencil, sanguine chalk, oil or acrylic paint or watercolors. The course is two hours a week, running for eight weeks.
At VR School of Art, we offer a wide range of art classes for children and adults. Our instructors are renowned artists who are dedicated to providing their students with both a structured and encouraging learning environment. Our classes are suitable for students who come from any experience level—whether you’re a beginner painter or you’re looking to refine your existing portfolio, we have a class for you. Contact us today for art classes in Toronto!