ABOUT THIS COURSE

"There is nothing in all the world more beautiful or significant of the laws of the universe than the nude human body." - Robert Henri

Painting the nude has been a staple exercise in learning the language of oil painting for 100's of years. This workshop will break down the process of describing the form and effect of light on the figure into simple step-by-step principles. We will paint from the model in one pose for the duration of the course, taking shorter breaks allowing for more painting time. Additionally, this course instruction will include use of materials, simple colour theory, mixing and handling of oil paint and basic anatomy. 

Nicholas Robinson is an NCAD & Florence Academy of Art graduate.  

Materials List

The basic materials list is:

• a canvas primed with jesso. Please make sure you prime your canvas in advance! Even store bought pre-primed canvases will need to be removed from packaging and another application or two of jesso. Any questions please get in touch. 

(Suggested size for figure painting 60x40cm approx.)

• Brushes – recommended below.

• Palette

• Palette knife

• Black/ raw umber /red /ochre /white oils

• A preferred medium - (I would use linseed oil)

** please note, no solvent allowed in studio – sansodor ok but not necessary. 

The detailed materials list is:

• brown baking paper (for storing oil paint)

• Bar of ordinary household soap (for cleaning brushes). Nick will teach students how to clean brushes with veg oil that he will provide. No solvents needed. 

• small palette cup & empty jam jar.

Oil-paints.

Michael Harding/ Old Holland recommended

1. Raw Umber

2. Titanium White

3. Yellow ochre 

4. Cadmium red (cad hue not an alternative)

5. Ivory black

Brushes:

A range of about 10+ flat and filbert brushes in different sizes. From Evans art shop I suggest:

• Winton Flats 1 to 4

• Winton Filberts 1 to 8

• Winton Short Flat Brights 2 to 8
• Richard Oliver Flat Hogs 0 to 4

• Richard Oliver Hog Filberts 1 to 6 Also the Mr. Price Royal & Langnickel brushes are fine.

Get 2 packets of those and you’re away in a hack.

• small hand mirror - not essential

Meet nicholas

Florence Academy of Art prize winner and graduate.

Nicholas finished his post-graduate studies at Ireland’s National College of Art & Design (NCAD) in 2009, having previously graduated from the Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork. Thoroughly disillusioned by art education in Ireland, Nicholas searched elsewhere and was introduced to the American ateliers in Florence, in which students study exclusively from life, by the Irish painter Gearoid Hayes.

Subsequently Nicholas quit his teaching career and attended the Florence Academy of Art, Sweden under the tutelage of the Swedish painter Joakim Ericsson. Nicholas received a pair of drawing awards during his time at the school in Sweden and returned to Ireland in 2013. He is now exhibiting nationally, and works and teaches out of in his studio in Wicklow.

nicholasbenedictrobinson.com