Contemporary Realism in Oils Part 2: The Portrait

[New Masters Academy]

In this course, professional contemporary realist gallery painter Hollis Dunlap teaches you his approach to painting both the portrait and figure in oils. Hollis has refined his painting approach, first learned at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, over decades of painting and teaching.

You will work along with Hollis through each of the stages of painting, from a basic block-in of the big masses, to the final rendered picture.

Hollis begins by introducing the materials he uses and why he uses them, then demonstrates his painting process with two main projects: a one-day portrait painting and a four-day figure painting. Along the way, you will learn foundational painting topics such as understanding the form, the importance of value, and the selection and use of color.

In this second lesson, Hollis shares his process of painting a portrait from life. You will be guided trough the development and understanding of line, form, value, temperature and color. Special attention is given to composition and visual texture as important components of the resulting picture.

[Anthony François]

Hi,

I just finished to watch the first set of video. I have a question regarding medium. In the first part there is a mention that the teacher use walnut oil as medium for his painting. However there is no mention of using medium in the portrait part of the course. There is only a few shot of the entire table with the materiel (meaning when you can see paint, solvant, medium, brush etc.) and at the end of the video series the walnut oil pot is open. So I was wondering in what part of the processes it started to be used? Thanks

[Daniel Daigle]

Hi Anthony, I reached out to our education coordinators and they believe this was cut out for time. They go on to say this “I would assume he is slowly adding it into his painting mixture as he gets further along in the painting process. Following the Fat over lean method. the beginning stages use more solvent  (lean) and as the painting progresses you start to add in more medium (fat) to your mixtures where needed.”

[Author]

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