Figure Painting from Life Course

Finishing a painting is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world -- and this New York City painting class is designed to get you all the way there!If you've ever started a canvas only to stare at it wondering what comes next, this four-week figure painting course with Aidan Barker-Hill is exactly what you've been looking for. Whether you're exploring creative activities for the first time or you've dabbled in life drawing and want to finally learn how to paint a full figure from start to finish, this class meets you where you are. No previous painting experience is required -- just a curiosity for the craft and a willingness to show up. (And honestly, it makes for one of the more unexpected and memorable date ideas in the city, too.)Each week builds on the last, walking you through a clear, step-by-step process -- from precise line drawing and canvas transfer to color mixing, portrait work, and finishing the full figure using a technique called "window shading, " trusted by 19th-century masters. Aidan holds an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and brings both serious technique and genuine warmth to his teaching. By week four, you won't just understand how to paint -- you'll have actually done it!Schedule:

• Week 1: Drawing & Transferring
• Week 2: Color Mixing & Portrait Painting
• Week 3: Rendering the Torso & Arms
• Week 4: Finishing the Lower Body

About the Instructor: Aidan Barker-HillAidan Barker-Hill is a figurative oil painter from Reno, Nevada. He earned his BFA from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2012 and his MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2018. His work takes great influence from the academic painters of the 19th century, repurposing their techniques to make pictures about masculinity, relationships, and how the two interact. He’s received the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant and the Leipzig International Art Program residency. He lives and works in Brooklyn and has exhibited with Monti8 in Rome and Arcadia Contemporary in New York City.

• A unique, one-of-a-kind paper artwork you take home!
• Hands-on experience with handmade horsehair and rosewood brushes and fine needle tools
• The meditative focus of manipulating floating pigments into organic patterns
• A sense of wonder from an unrepeatable, instant transfer process

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