About
this course
General Description
Intended to provide a rich and fulfilling stay in Florence, as well as daily fine art activity to substantially enhance your skill level, this four-week course will introduce students to the classical methods of training in the visual arts, enriching their visual vocabulary and providing a methodology that can be applied to other art disciplines.
In Florence, students discover the richness and beauty of Italian painting fused with academic draftsmanship, and endeavor to discover how the masters created works of such universal significance.
Instruction is by individual critique and frequent class demonstrations.
Beginning – Intermediate – Advanced levels welcome.
Maximum enrollment 14 students.
During the mornings, students immerse themselves in the study and practice of drawing; in the afternoons, they practice painting.
A brief introduction to copying from old master drawings to understand measurement, proportion and shadow shape, students progress to drawing from the plaster cast, and painting the still life, portrait and the figure. They will practice using charcoal, pencil and oil. The program is very similar to the one offered to full time students at The Florence Academy of Art.
Working from life is a unique and fulfilling experience, one that is fundamental to the training at the Florence Academy and central to a long-standing tradition. Working from a live model, students will learn how to approach the human figure, observing proportion, body type and gesture and important anatomical points. With pencil there will be a linear approach focusing on outline and shadow line to explain the form. With charcoal and oil paint, focus will be on mass and overall sense of light and atmosphere through comparison of light and shadow shapes.
Students will be encouraged to sketch the main monuments and piazzas, or drawing in museums like the Bargello Sculpture Museum, or the Museo del Duomo.
I. Copy of 19th Bargue drawings & Old Master copies in pencil and charcoal
Students begin by copying 19th Century drawings produced by Charles Bargue by request of Jean-Léon Gérôme. Originally discovered in the archives of the Victoria and Albert museum by Florence Academy founder, Daniel Graves, and brought to use in the drawing program in Florence, the simplified forms of the Bargue drawings enable students to understand our process, focusing on outline, proportion, value and line quality. At this stage, students learn the sight-size method of measurement to view the subject correctly and reproduce it accurately. This method will be later applied to cast, portrait and figure exercises as students acquire the ability to translate three-dimensional form into two dimensions.
II. Cast Drawing, Portraiture and Still Life in charcoal and oil
The practice of drawing from classical statuary helped great painters of the past learn their craft. By copying plaster casts and painting portraits, students continue to develop observation and drawing skills whilst learning to work from nature. Ultimately, this practice allows them to confront one of the greatest challenges: the human figure. Emphasis is placed on describing form through the relationship of light and shadow, controlling values and rendering edges. In still life projects, strong emphasis is placed on design and composition.
III. Figure Drawing & Painting from Life
The figure is the center of the Academy’s curriculum and will be at the core of our 6-week program. Students will be introduced to the human form through weekly pencil studies from life. Through these exercises they will learn how to observe and record nature, using simple line and shadow shapes. They will then progress to a two week study in charcoal and oil that will develop awareness of anatomy and focus on light and shadow to explain form. Models will pose for three hours per session, allowing time for students to make careful observations and produce an accurate drawing or painting.
Additional Info
WORKSHOP CREDITS: 8 per session
Please note: The Florence Academy of Art expresses workshop coursework in credits to the equivalent of 1 credit for 20 hours of completed study. Academic grades are not awarded and there are no exams. Please see each course for total hours of study. Any final acceptance or recognition of hours of study or credits for workshop (external activity) is at the discretion of the Home University or institution in question and in accordance with each institution’s transfer policy.
Medium & Materials
Pencil
Charcoal
Oil paint
Students receive a list of materials required for the workshop in their acceptance email. Unless indicated, materials are not included in the tuition fee and may be purchased in advance and at a discounted rate directly from the Florentine art supply store, Zecchi. Students will find their supplies waiting for them in their studio upon arrival in Florence.
What’s Included
- Welcome Party in the gardens of the Budini Gattai Palace in Florence on the first Thursday of the month, to meet fellow students and faculty
- Summer Exhibition to view the latest work by FAA faculty
- Two guided visits by the academy’s resident Art Historian to principal museums and churches, activities and entrance fees
- Extended access to the studios and school facilities after class until 9 pm
- Discounted art supplies
- List of housing recommendations
Art History
Renaissance artists placed man at the center of the universe. Today, their master works inspire contemporary painters and sculptors for their ability to transcend time, and enter the realm of our experience. Students will look to answer how Renaissance artists found and translated the human figure, from static to contrapposto to spiralling forms in space. They will step in close to observe their fondly worked surfaces, to understand how sculptors used texture and polish to create the painter’s equivalent of chromatics.
To understand how the Renaissance took root and flourished, students will walk through Florence, and visit its main sites. What was Florence like in the 1400’s? Who were its main political, religious and artistic figures? How were power, wealth and faith expressed through buildings and artwork? By visiting Florence’s principal museums and churches art will tell the story of powerful families like the Medici, religious orders like the Franciscans, and the merchant guilds.
Faculty
Laura Wenmaekers is a French and Portuguese painter born in 1996. Living in different european countries, therefore exposed to so much history and wonderful cultures, she was drawn to art from a young age. Laura has studied art in the UK and in Paris in different schools and assisted a realist portrait artist for a year before joining the FAA in 2017. Upon graduating in 2020, she was awarded the fourth-year prize as a graduate in residence and started teaching in the full time program. She is now a principal instructor in the intermediate program at The Florence Academy of Art.
See more of Laura’s work at @laurawen_art
Saara Knapp is a Finnish-American artist based in Florence, Italy and the Hudson Valley of New York, USA. After completing a B.S. in Biological Anthropology and Evolutionary Studies from Binghamton University in 2016, she now uses her scientific and analytical background to help her navigate, transcribe, and translate the world around her with her artistic works. She graduated from The Florence Academy of Art’s full-time painting program in December of 2021, and now works out of her Florence-based studio while collaborating and writing for The Florence Academy of Art and The FAA Collective.
See more of Saara’s work here: www.saaraknapp.com and at @saarakart
Lukas Freudenberg is a German painter who was born and raised in Munich, Germany. From a young age he was interested in art but it was not until he was 15 years old that he decided to dedicate his life to studying and pursuing classical realism. It was at this age that his grandmother, who studied art history, noticed his interest and took him on a week long visit to Florence to introduce him to the realm of classical art. After this trip, Lukas felt a strong attraction towards the city of Florence and classical realism. Four years later, after finishing high school in Germany, Lukas wasted no time and began his journey at The Florence Academy of Art, graduating from the three year Certificate program in Drawing and Painting.
See more of Lukas’ work at: @lukasfreudenberg.art
The specific instructor for the course is allocated according to the session and class available once the applicant’s place has been confirmed.
Location
ADDRESS: Via Fratelli Bandiera 7r (red), Florence, Italy
This course will be conducted in our studio located on Via Fratelli Bandiera, 7r, (“r” indicates a red number – our building is towards the end of the street, next to the building at number 35).
* If the workshop or session is fully booked you may apply to be placed on our waitlist. Should we have a cancellation or a place becomes available, we will contact you.
