Realism In Figurative Painting
Browse by Session
Browse by Subject
Specific Courses
Useful Information
Realism In Figurative Painting
Bettina Reiber
What does it mean to paint the human figure in a realist way? In a series of projects we explore different answers pursued in contemporary art. You develop your paintings from sketches, photographs or found images, experimenting with a range of image manipulation techniques which artists now use in translating these sources into figurative work. Occasionally, we will have a live model to which you can respond either using observational painting skills such as tone, perspective and texture, or in ways veering towards abstract pictures. The course will introduce you to a range of relevant image-making strategies. This will be helped by presentations and group discussions on a range of positions on 'realism', from Courbet's 'Realist Manifesto' to the most recent thoughts on the 'tableau'. Within each context we will identify and discuss relevant artists, for instance, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cecily Brown, Marlene Dumas, Judith Eisler, Lucian Freud and Luc Tuymans. You will have a choice of working with acrylics or oils and in mixed media. Some previous experience in painting or drawing is helpful, but not essential.
Bettina Reiber is a practising artist and curator. She lectures and publishes on aesthetics and contemporary critical debates within painting, drawing and art in general. She holds a BA Fine Art (painting) from Central Saint Martins and an MA in Aesthetics and Art Theory.
Alternative Dates and Times
Many of our courses are repeated throughout the year. If the above dates is not suitable for you,
or there are no dates showing for this session, then please choose an alternative session.
Please bring the following to the first session:
- If you have painted before, bring your own paints, this could be oils, acrylics, gouache etc.
- If you are new to painting buy the following colours in either oil or acrylic paint: cadmium yellow, lemon yellow, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, viridian green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw umber, white.
- Brushes
- Two jam jars
- Kitchen towel
- Palette
- Palette knife
- As painting supports, bring whatever you would like to use, or if you are unsure, bring canvas board or primed stretched canvas, hardboard or MDF; bring three supports or more, one of them at least size A2 (594 x 420 mm).
- Sketchbook, any size or make
- Pencils
- Rubber
- Sharpener
- Charcoal
- Scissors.
- Notebook
- Biro
- Camera or camera phone
If you have any photographs, sketches, found images etc. you might wish to use as a starting point for a realist painting using the human figure bring those to add to the material provided by the tutor.
Optional: Bring images of five paintings by artists who have used the human figure in what you consider a realist way; try to find some images that have been painted during the last fifteen years. Bring colour copies of the images (roughly A4 size or bigger) and, if possible, information on the materials and processes used.