Figure Painting Course

Lesson 1 • Basic Massing and Block-In

Simplify the figure into geometric volumes before detailing. This block-in method transfers directly to underpainting in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Human Proportions and Landmarks

Measure and place key anatomical landmarks using the head-unit system. Accurate proportions prevent structural errors that paint cannot fix.

Lesson 3 • Simplified Skeletal Structure

Understand the skeleton as an armature that dictates surface form. Students learn which bones directly affect the figure's silhouette.

Lesson 1 • The Five Elements of Light

Identify highlight, light, shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow on simple forms. These elements apply identically to complex figure surfaces.

Lesson 2 • Edge Control and Soft Focus

Vary hard, soft, and lost edges to direct viewer attention and suggest depth. Edge quality is the primary tool for creating atmospheric focus in figure painting.

Lesson 3 • Light Sources and Their Effects

Compare directional, diffuse, and ambient light and their distinct shadow patterns on the figure. Light source choice drives the entire tonal structure of a painting.

Lesson 4 • Rendering Curved Surfaces

Apply gradual value transitions to spherical and cylindrical forms found throughout the figure. Smooth gradients distinguish organic flesh from hard-edged objects.

Lesson 1 • Mixing a Flesh Tone Palette

Build a limited palette capable of producing a full range of skin tones. Students practice systematic mixing rather than guessing from the tube.

Lesson 2 • Color Fundamentals Review

Establish hue, value, and saturation as the three axes of color decision-making. A shared vocabulary here prevents confusion throughout all painting sessions.

Lesson 3 • Color Harmony Strategies

Use analogous, complementary, and split-complementary schemes to create cohesive figure paintings. Harmony choices define the emotional register of the work.

Lesson 4 • Anatomy of Skin Color

Examine how melanin, hemoglobin, and subsurface scattering create skin's optical complexity. This biological grounding informs accurate color mixing decisions.

Lesson 1 • Leg and Hip Anatomy

Identify gluteal, quadriceps, hamstring, and calf groups as they affect the figure's silhouette. Hip tilt and leg anatomy are critical for convincing standing and seated poses.

Lesson 2 • Arm and Shoulder Anatomy

Understand deltoid, biceps, triceps, and forearm muscle groups as paintable forms. Arm anatomy changes dramatically with rotation and must be studied in multiple positions.

Lesson 3 • Anatomy in Motion and Foreshortening

Apply anatomical knowledge to foreshortened and dynamic poses where landmarks compress. This section bridges static anatomy study with live-model painting.

Lesson 4 • Muscles of the Torso

Map pectorals, abdominals, obliques, and back muscles onto the block-in structure. Torso muscles dominate the figure's visual mass and must be prioritized.

Lesson 1 • Glazing and Surface Finishing

Apply transparent color glazes to unify, deepen, or shift the color of dried passages. Glazing is the final tool for achieving luminous skin tones.

Lesson 2 • Alla Prima Direct Painting

Complete a figure study wet-into-wet in a single session. Alla prima demands decisive color mixing and confident brushwork under time pressure.

Lesson 3 • Layered Indirect Painting

Build luminosity through transparent and semi-transparent paint layers over a dried underpainting. Indirect methods allow precise control of colour and value.

Lesson 4 • Materials and Studio Setup

Select appropriate supports, grounds, brushes, and mediums for figure work. Proper material choices prevent technical failures that undermine otherwise strong paintings.

Lesson 1 • Constructing the Head in Paint

Transfer skull plane knowledge into a painted block-in using the Reilly or Loomis method. A structural start prevents the flat, symbol-based head common in beginners.

Lesson 2 • Painting Eyes and the Gaze

Render the eye as a sphere within a socket, not as a flat symbol. Accurate eye construction is the single greatest factor in achieving likeness.

Lesson 3 • Skin Texture and Age

Render pores, wrinkles, and age-related fat redistribution without overworking the surface. Texture must serve form, not compete with it.

Lesson 4 • Nose, Lips, and Mouth

Simplify the nose into planes and the mouth into a cylinder-based form. Avoiding symbol drawing of these features is essential for a convincing likeness.

Lesson 1 • Compositional Frameworks

Apply rule of thirds, golden ratio, and dynamic symmetry to figure placement. Compositional frameworks prevent accidental, weak arrangements.

Lesson 2 • Narrative and Mood Through Composition

Use pose, cropping, and spatial tension to communicate emotional content. Compositional choices are the primary vehicle for narrative in figure painting.

Lesson 3 • Multiple Figure Arrangements

Organise two or more figures into a coherent group with clear hierarchy and flow. Multi-figure composition requires deliberate overlap and scale variation.

Lesson 4 • Directing the Viewer's Eye

Use line, value contrast, and colour temperature to guide attention through the painting. Eye flow must lead to the focal point and return, not exit the frame.

Lesson 1 • Clothed Figure and Drapery

Paint fabric folds as form-revealing structures that describe the body beneath. Drapery must serve the figure, not distract from it.

Lesson 2 • Portfolio Review and Self-Critique

Evaluate a body of work against professional standards using structured critique methods. Self-critique ability is the skill that drives continued growth after formal training ends.

Lesson 3 • Expressive and Painterly Approaches

Loosen technical control to develop a personal expressive mark and colour language. Expressive work requires a secure technical foundation to avoid mere sloppiness.

Lesson 4 • Figure in an Environment

Integrate the figure into a painted setting with consistent light and atmospheric perspective. Environmental context elevates a figure study into a narrative painting.