Color and Composition: Painting the Figure with David Baird

This class teaches students to develop an oil painting from life, with an emphasis on pictorial composition and color harmony.  

Beginning with preliminary drawings and studies, various strategies for planning compositions will be discussed, as well as using compositional and pictorial influences to develop an idea. Studies will be executed with quick, broad placement of color spots to analyze the color harmony and tonal structure of the work.  Once a general compositional structure has been established, larger scale paintings may be attempted.  As paintings progress, various strategies for measuring and correcting proportions will be introduced, as students work in layers to develop their paintings.

Sessions will consist of instructor demonstrations and individualized one-on-one critiques of student work. Additional class topics will include edge and value hierarchies, considering movement and gesture throughout pictorial space, and various technical processes involved in multi-layered oil painting. 

Supplies

Here is a link to the instructor's supply list: PDF of supply list.

Artist Bio

David Baird is an oil painter and draftsman specializing in contemporary figurative painting. He has taught classes in Australia, Europe, and the United States, and has been a visiting faculty member at Studio Escalier in Paris since 2016. 

Baird has traveled and studied widely, attending the Ryder Studio (Santa Fe, NM), the Art Students League (NYC), Studio Escalier (Paris), and the Jerusalem Studio School in Israel, where he was awarded the Avigdor Arikha Masterclass Scholarship in 2019 to continue his studies in Italy. 

Baird currently lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Instagram  @david__baird__
Website davidtbaird.com
Gallery Tregony Gallery 

Please review our terms and conditions prior to enrollment.