November in the South Studio

This past month we followed Patrick Byrnes as he created a figure drawing in the south studio.  Although the month ended early for the Thanksgiving break, Patrick was still able to produce this beautiful piece.  After the pose was completed Patrick shared some of his thoughts on the progression of his drawing throughout the month.

Week One

"Consistent with previous drawings, the first few days in November were marked by a nearly constant state of frenzy as I tried to establish Maria's basic proportions and the gesture of her pose.  The advice from instructor Scott Waddell to imagine my drawing shifting or rotating on the page was especially helpful in troubleshooting poorly constructed areas.  My goal is typically to have a fairly refined block-in after the fourth day, then proceed to the much slower process of modeling form."

Week Two

"With 'A.B.T.' (Always!  Be!  Turning!...nod to Glengarry Glen Ross) as an occasional mantra, I moved carefully across the figure.  Frequently I would revert to a more optical approach and find myself trying to copy light/dark contrasts.  The reminder to think of volumes rather than values helped me return to a more conceptual frame of mind, as did the advice from Josh LaRock to continue finessing those first few degrees out of a form shadow, i.e. the area in which the most gradation occurs."

Final Drawing

"I continued to move across and down the figure, stopping at one point with the aid of Ten Minoff to address a drawing issue in the right arm.  Another illuminating (Literally!  Zing!) critique from Jacob Collins helped me find more light in the model's face by considering the relative transparency of flesh around the nostril.  It has become increasingly clear that these kinds of investigations in to the physical properties of light and surfaces completely underpin a deeper understanding of form."

"Although I wish I could have rendered more of the drawing, I feel that most of the volumes are generally round and that I have captured something of Maria's insouciant grace.  I learned a great deal on this drawing and I'm looking forward to improving on the next one!"

Gregory Mortenson workshop in Utah

GCA alum Gregory Mortenson will be teaching two workshops in January at the St. George Art Center. Here are the details:

Where:  St. George Community Art Center 86 South Main Street St. George, UT 84770

When:   January 17-21st And/or January 23-27th

Cost:  $475 per week

Contact:  email   greg@gregorymortenson.com
                phone  435 232 1481

Follow this link and use the following call numbers for sign up:
                                                                      
Portrait drawing # 61059
Portrait oil painting #61060
                                           
Class description:   In these courses, the methods taught at the Water Street Atelier and Grand Central Academy of art will be explored.  Students will be exposed to the entire process of drawing and painting a portrait from a single pose lasting ten days. The classes will include a full demonstration of techniques and concepts. The first week will consist of drawing on paper to establish accurate shapes, proportions, likeness and structure in a linear mode. When complete the drawing will be transferred to oil primed linen for painting, beginning with a monochrome wipeout to establish the overall light effect. The remainder of the class will progress carefully and rationally, applying paint incrementally through an understanding of the effects of light on form and creating this illusion of volume using values. This procedure will include lengthy discussions on the physical events that cause particular hue, value and chroma properties. Beginning to advanced artists are welcome.

Greg also teaches a portrait drawing and painting class at the GCA in New York City every saturday. Follow this link for more information

GCA Students Win ARC Scholarships!

A big congratulations this holiday season to Katie Whipple, Carla Crawford and Adrienne Stanger -- who have all won ARC Scholarships! ARC announced today that Katie and Adrienne have both been awarded first place prizes of $4,000, and Carla has won a 2nd place prize of $2,400. Scroll down to see Katie and Adrienne's exquisite figure drawings, and Carla's elegant figure painting!

Note: Adrienne Stanger, who has enrolled in our summer workshops for several years, has been accepted rolling admission into our full-time, 4-year program. She joins us in the studios on January 3!

"John" by Katie Whipple, Graphite on Paper, 22x12"

"Jessica" by Carla Crawford, Oil on Linen, 25x17"

"Jackie" by Adrienne Stanger, Graphite & Chalk on Toned Paper, 24x18"

Hudson River Fellowship News!

Mount Adams

We are pleased to announce that the 2012 Hudson River Fellowship will take place in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire! Based out of the village of Jackson, the Fellows will study and paint the landscapes that drew over 400 painters in the 19th Century including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, George Inness, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey, Albert Beirstadt, and the New Hampshire native credited with founding the White Mountain School, Benjamin Champney. To view historical paintings, click here!

SCROLL down to view paintings of this region!

Mount Washington by George Inness

Echo Lake by Jasper Cropsey

Mount Washington by Benjamin Champney

Crawford Notch by Thomas Cole

Mount Chocorua by Sanford Gifford

Mount Washington by Albert Bierstadt

Artists Sketching in the White Mountains by Winslow Homer, 1868

Mount Chocorua from Black Cap by Erik Koeppel, Sr. Fellow!

new video footage of the GCA & BAA

A view into the cast hall and sculpture studio, where Beaux-Arts Atelier students work alongside those of the Grand Central Academy of Art, the ICAA's fine arts division. Instructors Angela Cunningham and Mason Sullivan guide students in the sister arts of drawing and sculpture as they work from the ICAA's historic plaster cast collection.

Student Work November 2011

by Victoria Herrera

by Victoria Herrera

by Anthony Baus

by Brendan Johnston

by Brendan Johnston

by Challen Berg

by Devin Cecil-Wishing

by Katie Whipple

by Sally Cochrane

by Sally Cochrane

by Sam Hung

by Sam Hung

by Katie Whipple

by Emilie Lee

Jacob Collins Quick Portraits

Each Tuesday afternoon Jacob takes a break from teaching to come join us in the south studio for a portrait session.  We have a different model each week so we only have four hours to complete our drawing or painting.  As a new feature of the blog we'll be posting Jacobs drawing each week for you all to see.  Here's one of the most recent ones he completed.

Tony Curanaj in Miami PULSE art fair

Tony Curanaj
Nouveau Red, 2011
Oil on canvas
18 x 36 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Curanaj is represented by the Joshua Liner Gallery at this year's PULSE Miami contemporary art fair, Dec 1-4 2011.  For all the information check out the gallery website.  Tony Curanaj studied at the Water Street Atelier and he teaches in the core program at the Grand Central Academy of Art. 

Sarah Lamb at Spanierman Gallery

Fall Bounty, by Sarah Lamb, Oil on linen, 20 x 24 inches

Don't miss Sarah Lamb's solo show this month at Spanierman Gallery!  The show runs from Nov 10 - Dec 10.  Sarah Lamb studied at the Water Street Atelier before it merged with the Grand Central Academy of Art.