This summer from May 27 to July 3, students will be immersed for six weeks in a transformational workshop that resembles instruction from a Master painter. It may be an unlikely place to study Classical Realism, but students who are serious about their art, whether pursuing it for personal or professional gain, come to the Atelier Hawaii at Windward Community College.
The Atelier offers the only program of it’s kind in Hawaii, and one of few atelier experiences in the United States. Art students have come from across the globe and down the road to study the classical techniques of drawing and painting, right here in Hawaii.
Under the direction of art professor Snowden Hodges, participants are immersed in the practice of working from nature – drawing and painting from life. Instructor Norman Graffam and guest artist Jonathan Busse will guide students through the process to develop each student’s highest level of observational skills and techniques.
The term “atelier” (ah-tell-yay) is a French term for “artist’s studio” or “workshop”. During the 15th-19th centuries, artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo DaVinci and Peter Paul Rubens studied their craft in this hands-on working environment where they received training in the fundamentals of Classical Realism.
From ancient Greek sculptors teaching fee-paying students to sculpt in stone, to Medieval guilds during the Renaissance, it was fashion-forward France that brought the atelier method to the Western world. In 1648, students flocked to Paris to seek training in the arts and word spread about their art education across Europe.
Modern art, in its various forms of expression, has become popular, but the benefits of atelier education is seeing revitalization. Contemporary Realism taught in the atelier at WCC has its roots in the classical realist tradition. Students value the experience of being mentored in a setting where they can learn refined traditional, realist art.
“The workshop environment is a great place to study,” says atelier instructor Snowden Hodges. “There is a great sense of openness and camaraderie that pushes students to do better work – they encourage each other.”
What can a student expect to learn from the atelier?
The Atelier focuses on skills and practical knowledge. Based upon careful observation, students will draw and paint from classical cast sculptures, training the eye to perceive shapes, values and proportion as they move on to study the human figure from live models.
From plaster casts to live models
Plaster casts provide students some of the benefits of live, human models, such as the presence of shadows. Their distinct advantages are that they remain perfectly still and since they’re white, the student is able to focus on the grayscale halftones and shadows (grisaille).
In preparation for portraiture and the human figure, students will learn the Sight-Size method of drawing – drawing an object exactly as it appears to the artist on a one-to-one scale. Students will first set a vantage point where the subject and the drawing surface appear to be the same size. Then, using various measuring devices, the student will draw the subject so accurately that the drawing and the subject have exactly the same proportions and values, resulting in extremely accurate and realistic drawings.
Maroger medium
Jaques Maroger, French painter and former conservator at the Louvre, devoted much of his life to teaching and researching the oil-based media of the Old Masters. Maroger’s medium allows the student artist to paint with thick and lustrous brushstrokes for more intense lights, as well as thin and transparent glazes for shadows. Students will learn to make the Maroger medium and to prepare their own canvases and grounds.
Portrait and figure painting
Students will work from live models and progress from the underpainting to the traditional full palette incorporating the challenges of color harmony, composition, tonal values, perspective and gesture.
“Atelier students receive personal attention from the three instructors,” explains Snowden Hodges. “The emphasis is on developing technical skills and nurturing the student to his or her potential, and these skills are in demand. The tradition goes way back, the whole art of drawing. There have been diversions into experimental art over the past 50 years, but today many students want to learn how to draw and paint accurately and correctly, to paint what they see.”
The Atelier at Windward Community College has 24 spaces and is open to both credit and non-credit students. Those who are interested in pursuing a degree in art can choose the credit option to earn six (6) credits – cost of tuition is $1,050. Call Student Services at (808) 235-7413 to apply. For non-credit students, tuition is $950. Students can apply through the Office of Continuing Education by calling (808) 235-7433.
To find out more about the Summer 2008 Atelier, call Snowden Hodges at (808) 236-9148 or visit www.windward.hawaii.edu/atelierhawaii for application and enrollment information. |
