Enjoy a recap of Day 1 of the 5th Annual Realism Live, an unforgettable event for artists of all levels of painting in a realistic style. Realism Live is a virtual art conference taking place through November 15, 2024, so join us now or catch the replays at RealismLive.com. We are honored to have so many people from 14 countries and 48 states in the USA with us this year.
On Wednesday, our featured artists were Michelle Dunaway (who was also our guest host for the Cocktail Hour!), Matt Ryder, Michael Mentler, Ben Bauer, Lyn Diefenbach, and Vincent Xeus. Remember to check out the Realism Live faculty art auction now through Saturday.
Highlights from Day 1 of Realism Live 2024
In a one-hour painting demonstration using a photo reference she took while on an inspiring visit to Kenya, Michelle Dunaway showed us how to use a photo reference to create a lifelike alla prima portrait.
In another alla prima lesson, Matt Ryder shared his approach to painting roses on a linen panel, with a loose and impressionistic brushwork and a focus on color temperature and patterns.
“Copying doesn’t hurt, but it’s not really what the books are about,” said Michel Mentler when describing the lessons available in master drawings. He shared his insights on the works of George Brant Bridgman (1864-1943) while giving his own figure drawing demonstration.
Ben Bauer’s deep roots in the landscape of forests and high plains in the upper Midwest are the source of his commitment to “recording a natural history” in his paintings. In his oil demo, he painted a nocturne landscape featuring a distant barn, based on a study he created on location.
Lyn Diefenbach explained how to paint reflected surfaces using a simple collection of objects for a pastel still life. She included a gridded reference image to make the drawing process less complex. “I start with the initial drawing completed — done very lightly with a gray pastel pencil,” she says. “It is very important that the drawing is done lightly enough that the surface of the paper is not scored.”
“As fellow artists or aspiring ones, you know that every brushstroke is a step toward discovering something new,” said Vincent Xeus, who shared his process exploring different techniques, colors, and approaches for a realistic portrait painting.
Thank you to all of our faculty and to our sponsors, including Blick Art Materials, Sennelier, Fabriano, Raphaël, and Williamsburg Artist Oil Colors; and to everyone who is joining us again this year or for the first time. Realism Live is taking place through Friday, November 15, and replays are available so visit RealismLive.com now to access all of these sessions and more!
“Don’t tell yourself you can’t do something you see,” Eric said. “You can do this. Don’t tell yourself you don’t have talent. Just dive in and play, have fun.”
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