Introduction
Painting the Self-Portrait from Life is a five-day intensive workshop for any artist ready to tackle one of the essential tasks in the oeuvre of an oil painter: a self-portrait made from looking in a mirror.
The entire workshop will be held inside the PADASOR studio.
- Recommended Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Total Learning Hours: 20 – 4 hours a day over 5 days
Setting Expectations
“The objective of the course is to learn many of the technical elements that go into making any portrait, not only a self portrait. We will be learning primarily a process which can be applied to anything that you choose to paint and through this process we will discuss many techniques and tricks that have been used for centuries in great portrait painting. We will be exploring at first how to reduce and simplify the information that you see into more simplified concepts and then learn how to build on top of this for a more finished portrait.
The reason I believe that the self portrait is perhaps the most interesting form of portraiture is because it provides a documentation of yourself as the artist in that moment. You are responsible for not only every decision made onto the canvas, but for every emotion you want to convey as the model in the painting.”
—Nick Chaundy
About Nick Chaundy
Nicholas first studied art at Central St Martins where he received his Foundation Diploma in Fine Arts and then moved to Falmouth, Cornwall to study Fine Arts at Falmouth University. Here, having received no prior formal training Nicholas used the three-year programme to fully immerse himself in the world of fine art, reading about, practicing and discovering the techniques of traditional painting and drawing that had been used for hundreds of years.
After graduating, Nicholas moved to Bristol where he began his work as a portrait painter. He later moved to Florence to continue his studies at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art. Here he went on to further his understanding of nineteenth century techniques in portraiture, figurative and still life work. Whilst studying at the Florence Academy Nicholas received a scholarship and completed the three-year programme in just over two years.
Nicholas then moved back to the Uk, where, for two years he ran his own art school in Bristol and resumed his career as an oil painter. Following a job offer from the Florence Academy of Art he has returned to Florence and has been a teacher at the Florence Academy for 4 years.
Schedule
| Monday – June 19 | Tuesday – June 20 | Wednesday – June 21 | Thursday – June 22 | Friday – June 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00- 19:00 Painting in the PADASOR Studio | 15:00 – 19:00 Painting in the PADASOR Studio | 15:00 – 19:00 Painting in the PADASOR Studio | 15:00 – 19:00 Painting in the PADASOR Studio | 15:00 – 19:00 Painting in the PADASOR Studio 20:30 – 22:00 |
Materials
Paints
- White (preferable lead but titanium is fine)
- Yellow Ochre
- Vermillion
- Transparent Red Oxide
- Raw Umber
- Ivory Black
Medium
Linseed oil, fast drying medium (depending on drying times, in summer we might not need this, its mainly for just raw umber stage)
Other
- Decent sized palette nothing smaller the 30 x 40
- Stretched linen (preferably oil primed) canvas 30x 40 cm
- Brushes, all hog hair rounds or filberts varying sizes, from small to medium sizes
Important Note on Materials
The PADASOR studio is located in the lower level of an art shop called La Bottega dell’Artista; participants in our workshop may purchase materials there with a discount of 20%.
In addition, we offer all participants the opportunity to buy paints from us for a total cost of €30, though we do not offer expensive paints like Lead White or Vermillion, but instead substitute those colors with Michael Harding’s Warm White and Cadmium Red.
Food & Accommodations
Each participant is responsible for his or her own food and accommodations. If you are coming from outside of Rome, we recommend you stay in the Trastevere area relatively close to the PADASOR studio at Via Cardinale Merry del Val 19b.
Accommodation Tips
AirBnB is great resource, else, there is a nice hotel right next to the studio:
Food Tips
Delicious restaurants and pizza places are very close to the studio. Some of our favorites:
- Supplì
- Popi Popi
- Peppo al Cosimato
- Fata Morgana (Gelato!)
Cost
- €700
- A non-refundable Deposit of €300.
Early Bird Discount: Sign up by May 3rd and save €50.
Use coupon code: SAVE50 - The remaining €400 is due in cash at the start of the first lesson.
- Materials not included.
Terms & Conditions
- A minimum number of 4 students is needed to run the workshop.
- The maximum number of students is 10.
- The workshop will be confirmed by May 15th, 2023.
Update, May 14th, 2023: the workshop is confirmed. - The Deposit is non-refundable, unless the workshop is canceled on May 15th, 2023. If that happens, the Deposit will be reimbursed in full. If you are traveling from outside of Europe, please wait until the workshop is confirmed prior to making your travel arrangements.
Questions before registering? Please contact us.
