Liberace the Portrait Painter - a workshop review.
 

I think this is where I should post this.

My editorial thus far:

Liberace the portrait painter masterfully plays the notes like those of Sorolla, creating fresh color with glowing form and function.

Rob's workshop is not necessarily for the portrait artist who is complacent with an earthy palette but when one is ready or seeking a lively color, with fresh exuberance. His comparably limited palette stretches the imagination and challenges the artist to trust the skills that accompany great figurative art.

With his first demo, it is plainly apparent that Rob draws with the old master style of a William Whitaker indicating an axis and running with it. He quickly maps in the dark shadows popping a figure right off the page with a few broad strokes. There are no measuring tools, just incredible talent, skill and knowledge of anatomy not always found in an artist so young. Rob easily rolls the technical names of facial features of his tongue like one so richly versed in medical illustration like Peggy Baumgartner.

It is amazing to watch him create the structure of the head and catch perfect likeness with an audience of over 80 people hanging on his every word and stroke.





I will pick up more on the workshop days on my site and post the link when it is finished.



Here are a series of images from the 3.5 days spent with Rob in Bradenton, FL over the spring holiday.

The first is from his public demo. Shown looking at the sketch in progress during a break is forum member Holly Snyder. We thought a fella with a beard busy with his camera could have been Mike McCarty so I took a number of pictures of a stranger... fortunately I got to know him later. Unfortunately it wasn't Mike.

Next is Rob explaining his palette during the actual workshop. To his left is the grisaille he had demonstrated the day before.

We started our first morning with a series of three twenty-minute charcoals - this is one of mine.

In the afternoon we worked on our grisailles. We had not quite a full afternoon to complete these. Being the incredibly tall person that I am, I of course, ended up in the back of the studio - thus my detail wasn't really what I would have wanted.


I have also posted a detail of the canvas too. We used a value 5 grey to tone our supports then burnt umber, sienna, white and a touch of ultramarine blue for these sketches.

On day three, Rob did a small 8 x 12

After changing easel positions, most of the class dumped out on Ray, our Italian model with the extremely hard beard and jaw line to move over to a young lady that came in on the second day, so I could get closer. Total time actually spent on this sketch would have been a bit under a day. Please note a number of areas are far from done nor hardly touched. The forehead, neck, clothing, ear and background just to point out some areas.

Rob's palette is the total opposite of what I am used to working with. Very few "earth" colors, he is so into color, so this added with a ruddy, olive skin Italian model really made it a challenge.

Shown is my color sketch with the detail. I have also included a snap shot of our model Ray.


Questions or comments are really appreciated since I am considering hosting Rob for a workshop in the coming year.

I'm really glad I got to attend Rob's drawing demonstration, which I would not have known about had Beth not posted the information earlier on the forum. I can't believe I didn't bring my camera though, there were so many people taking photos of Rob and his drawing. Hopefully you'll post a completed drawing on your workshop page Beth (or better yet, replace that first photo with a close-up of his fine drawing)?

It was such a pleasure to watch him create the portrait on paper, over a period of around an hour and half, with two long breaks in between. He's very entertaining and generous with his knowledge, and after the demo I wished I had signed up for his workshop!

Holly

Beth,
Thanks for posting these images and describing the workshop. I am always fascinated with workshop pics. it is fun to see what the instructor's progressions are and to see yours. I like what you did, too!

Beth,

I can't believe you missed me. Mustache, hat, no beard.

Dang! I told you it was him Holly... she kept saying you were the model with the loin cloth on....

;)

I'll post the finished later.

The change of pallettes must be pretty cool, giving you the option to see what works best for you. I am sooooo jealous. Sigh.

I wish a big shot painter would give workshops from 12-3am....




in my house....









for free. :(

Jimmie you need to take a vacation or wait until your daughter is as old as mine :( Not a help is it!


Well I just felt the example of the Italian model was not doing justice for Rob's palette. Thus for two reasons; one, so I don't forget what I learned while going back to my commissions and two, to hopefully give you a better idea of color, I did a sketch of the other model from a reference photo.

I missed a lot of the little color details this way, but still loved this model so I will take this to completion. I hope you can see something better. Sorry if there is glare.

This is about 2.5 hours on linen, 16 x 20.

I'll also attach the photo for Holly.

:)

Thanks Beth for posting the drawing.

Jimmie have you tried videos from the library? Whenever I'm lucky enough to receive a new one it's soo exciting!

Holly

Sorry to get off topic, but years ago I remember seeing an art instruction video rental service. They had hundreds of titles/artists and they came in the mail - then you returned them.

The Art Instruction Video Rental is called:

Video Learning Library www.art-video.com

Beth, thanks for posting this. I'm very jealous that you and Holly got to go to this and I didn't! I also like your progression your painting here.

It would be dishonest of me not to tell you how challenging Rob's palette is after using earth tones for so long. But I am determined to give it a go.

So the painting I started above has metamorphosed into what I am calling "The Wild Fruit Woman". Since Rob had natural and artificial light on this model - he did this on purpose - I thought I would have fun doing two things, one, giving his skin colors a go, but also using the "colorist" palette to the fullest with nothing other than fruit! I have also had fun giving a wax medium a try in the actual fruit painting.

Here is an update, as I say - give it a giggle, for I can't tell you how much fun this has been to paint.

I am not sure of the number of you that got to take in one of Rob's workshop demo's at the PSOA, but he is awesome... and lucky me - I am traveling to Ireland with him this September!

And for us Mac users:

Beth,
You are lucky that you are going to Ireland with him! I took the sketching workshop at the PSOA conference and I was in awe of his ability. He made doing the sketch seem so effortless. Also, as he gave some instruction and then made comments to different individuals I was so impressed with how he could explain things so clearly, and be so kind yet honest with his critiques. I do hope to do a workshop with him some day, and I got on his mail list with that end in mind. I look forward to hearing your report when you get back from Ireland!

Mary