Limited Palette Figure Painting

Limited Palette Figure Painting

This 10 session course aims to teach students how to properly create a strong understanding of classical figure painting using a limited palette. Students will learn how to premix paint, form an underpainting and build values in an indirect method of oil painting. 

At the basis of this course, there are the painting methods that are established as both academic and classical. This workshop offers students an introduction to the fundamental foundations of academic painting using its main tools while also providing a basic understanding of the history of figure. Moreover, you will learn to select and prepare materials for painting, measurements and proportions, the artistic effect of chiaroscuro and improve observation skills and paint realistically.   

Our Program is divided into sessions, each session twice a week is the length of three hours, developing the same painting over 5 weeks (10 sessions). Students will also be shown examples of methods used by the old masters each lesson, and will be encouraged to research, and provide examples of portraiture they connect with. There will be a final group critique.

About the instructor Eric Drummond

After studying Art History at the University of Guelph, Eric was accepted and enrolled at The Florence Academy of Art in 2016. There he was taught to draw and paint the figure from life and compose portraits and still life, using the traditional methods and practices developed by the old masters. Trained to work from life and staying true to the sight size method, Eric is passionate about teaching these skills to his students. 

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings 6:00-9:00pm

November 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, December 1, 2, 8, and 9, 2026  

Instructor: Eric Drummond

Location: Good Studio South

$450 + materials

*Fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

*TAP Centre for Creativity reserves the right to cancel any course or workshop at any time if the minimum number of students required is not reached. In such cases, fees will be fully refunded.

—-----------------

These Materials are mandatory

Materials:

• Prepared Wooden Palette. Palettes must be prepped AT LEAST a week before with a coat of linseed oil each day, in order for the palette to be cleaned properly after each use. *Bijans

• Painters linseed oil *Bijans

• Oil paint pigments: Raw Umber, Ivory Black, Titanium White (Preferably from Michael Harding or Old Holland) *online

• Flexible Palette knife *Bijans

• Gamsol *Bijans

• Oil cups *Bijans

• 55x95 Roll of Gesso primed canvas *Bijans (or order Claesens 66 primed linen online)

• Roll of Paper towel

• 50x90cm Stretcher Bars

Brushes:  Brushes must be Oil paint standard. Hog hair brushes by Da Vinci or Tintoretto are excellent. Bijans has Da Vinci Grigio synthetic brushes that are great too

• Size 4 Filbert

• Size 5 Filbert

• Size 6 Bright

• Size 5 Bright

• Size 5 Sable

• Size 6 (Notch and Filbert)

• Size 8 (Notch and Filbert)

• Size 12 Filbert

• Size 14 Filbert