Atelier Montreal

2011 Highlights

2012-01-26T11:41:00.010-05:00

2011 was a great year in the atelier. Here is our latest project- our sweet little girl, born in September. We can't wait until she's ready to learn to draw!

We have enjoyed some wonderful full-time and part-time students in the studio over the past year, and are very proud of their many accomplishments. Here is a sample of some of their work:

Students working on old master copies:
Hard at work in the Life Drawing room:

Two students' versions of the same still-life:
A detail of work nearly complete:

Near the end of the first painting in grisaille:

Two studies in grisaille by another student:

A copy of an old master landscape painting, complete!

A beautiful ink drawing from the Historical Techniques of Drawing class:
Wishing everyone a fulfilling and creative year ahead in 2012!

Workshop with Max Ginsburg: May 2011

2011-02-23T10:36:00.008-05:00

We are very pleased to announce an alla prima portrait painting workshop with Max Ginsburg on May 13, 14 & 15, 2011. Please see our website or contact us for registration information.

Here are a few portrait sketches Max has done to give a sense of his approach for this workshop:

Max plans to focus on shorter poses of between 1 and 6 hours each with the model. This will encourage students to focus on the broad masses and color relationships that characterize the sitter, rather than getting caught rendering details too soon.

Max has had a long and distinguished career as an illustrator in New York City. His recent artwork has a strong humanitarian component, often portraying interactions between people in the urban environment of New York. Max has also devoted a series of paintings to protesting the Iraq war and examining patriotism in this context.

Max is currently preparing for a retrospective exhibition at the Butler Institute this September. He is a courageous artist who uses his talents to express important statements about our society. It is a privilege to have him return to our studio.

A look into the Atelier

2011-01-09T11:05:00.014-05:00

2011 has begun as a busy and productive year at the Atelier. Here's a look at some highlights from our students.

Student finishing a drawing of David's eye:

Cast drawing in progress by one of our full-time students:

Grisaille painting class
A few more drawing classes:

We are looking forward to see what the rest of the year will bring!

Workshop with Dorian Vallejo at Atelier de Bresoles

2010-10-21T17:05:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, we were very pleased to welcome master portrait artist Dorian Vallejo for a 3-day portrait painting workshop in our studio. Here are three quick demonstrations, each done in approximately 20 minutes.
In each demonstration, he has placed the general qualities of the sitter in a very loose manner, shaping the forms with masses of colour rather than linear outlines.

Dorian also showed the group some of his finished portraits, which have beautiful colour and a real sense of life. Each is a personal, artistic response to a different person and time.

Here are some more examples of Dorian's work done in faster sittings of approximately an hour, or a couple of hours each:

Many thanks to everyone who attended this workshop, and to Dorian for working so hard for each person. We hope to do this again next year!

Academie Drawings: Alexis Bafcop and Paul Chameron

2010-10-21T15:30:00.009-04:00

written by Allana Benham
We are very pleased to share this group of original 19th century academies. These are marvelous examples of the diversity of academic approaches to drawing the figure through the mid-19th century.

The first three drawings are by French artist Alexis Bafcop (1804-1895). Each of these drawings is finished to a different degree, likely using charcoal, black chalk, and in some cases, white chalk. In the above example, circa the late 1830's or early 1840's, he has chosen a warm-toned paper, blocked in the figure, and refined the forms in the upper body. The lower legs and feet remain loose, giving a good indication of his starting process for the drawing as a whole. Bafcop used a sharp point to refine the line quality in the upper body and begin the tonal development of the shadows, and he has begun to add white chalk to develop the light mass.

In this second example, we see a bit more development than in the first, although Bafcop has retained the looseness of the feet here as well. It appears that the head and upper torso are essentially finished, while he has left himself the opportunity to change his mind about the exact placement of the feet. This drawing is on an off-white paper and done entirely in charcoal or black chalk, without the addition of any white. The deep tone in the background is very effective to isolate the whites of the paper within the figure, and his halftones are developed with the utmost sensitivity.

In the final example, we see a fully finished drawing, dated 1846. This drawing was done on a blue paper, reminiscent of Prud'hon a generation before. With the passage of time, the paper has become a more muted greyish blue. The surface of this drawing is carefully worked, likely with some kind of stump first and then a reapplication of tone using hatch marks. In places, the light and dark chalks are blended together; in others, one or the other is predominant.
detail:
Every part of the background and the figure is treated to give a clear impression of a solid, muscular body moving through an atmospheric space. Once again, the forms of the figure are represented in perfect focus, yet with a certain looseness about them. This drawing shows Bafcop's virtuosity and profound understanding of the human body, representing the pinnacle of his achievement in this genre.

Finally, we see another remarkable approach by Paul Chameron (1865-1918) in a drawing made while he was a student of Gerome, likely in the 1880's:

This drawing bears the stamp of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts for a concours d'emulation, a contest among the students for the best rendering from a live model. Chameron placed 6th, indicated by the large '6' in red on the left of the page, which may even be in Gerome's hand. This drawing was considered of high quality by Gerome, and we can appreciate Chameron's deft balance of precise linear drawing and soft, atmospheric tone. The varied tones in the background serve to give relief to the body and imply the space surrounding it.

verso of the drawing:detail:
These drawings have much to teach us about approaches to drawing the figure in the mid-19th century. We often think of academies as somewhat stiff or monolithic in approach, but for both of these artists, we can see that this is not the case. Both Chameron and Bafcop have chosen to emphasize the linear quality of their drawings in some places and de-emphasize it in others. But, each artist retains an open quality that breathes life into these figures. Each of these drawings is made according to the principles and taste of their times, and each is done in a unique way, representing the skill of these artists.

Workshop with Dorian Vallejo - October 15, 16 & 17, 2010

2010-08-30T15:25:00.007-04:00

We are looking forward to a portrait painting workshop with professional portrait artist Dorian Vallejo. Dorian plans to work from the live model with an alla prima approach, using a full palette of colour. He will demonstrate his painting technique and help each student as they work from the live model.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from an artist who combines a fluid style of painting with acute accuracy in his observation of form, colour, and emotion. His portraits communicate deeply with the viewer.

We only have a couple of places remaining in the workshop; if you are interested, please contact us by email. Thanks!

New Courses at Atelier de Bresoles: fall 2010

2010-08-26T12:44:00.008-04:00

We are pleased to announce several new classes beginning in September 2010.
Please contact us if you are interested in joining either class.

Portrait Painting in Oil: Saturdays, starting Sept. 11

This course will focus on multiple approaches to painting the portrait from life. We will begin by making an accurate sketch of the model with oil paint, then mixing a variety of different palettes of colour to represent the values and skin tones observed from the model. This class is open to anyone who has completed Cast Drawing; Cast Painting in grisaille is also highly recommended.

Life Drawing: Sundays, starting August 29

We will begin a new session of the Life Drawing class on Sunday August 29, and plan to continue it through the fall.

Master Copies by Atelier de Bresoles Instructors

2010-04-20T13:10:00.008-04:00

Making a copy of a painting that you admire is a wonderful way to learn about another artist, and to develop skills and individuality as a painter. The following paintings were made by Atelier instructors Eric Mannella, or Allana Benham.

Eric Mannella, after Caravaggio's 'Torment of Christ' of 1602 / 1604.

Above, Eric Mannella's copy of Alma-Tadema's painting, 'Ask me no more.' from 1906.

Allana Benham, after a portrait of an unidentified woman by William Owen Harling in 1874.

Above, Allana Benham's copy of Van Dyck's Portrait of Cornelius van der Geest, 1620.

and below, Allana Benham's copy of Antoine Guillemet's (1841-1918) Le Moulin

Much can be learned about mixing colour, paint application, compositional choices, and the personal art-making process in making a copy of a painting that moves you.

Plein-air paintings from California

2010-04-10T16:22:00.003-04:00

Here are two plein air oil paintings done yesterday by Atelier instructors Eric Mannella and Allana Benham. We found a beautiful view on Lake Hennessey, just outside the Napa Valley. These were done in about 3 hours.

We will begin plein air landscape painting classes at the Atelier this spring, weather permitting, through the fall. Please contact us if you are interested!

Upcoming Workshop Schedule

2010-04-07T14:21:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to announce an exciting schedule of Atelier de Bresoles workshops with our world-class roster of visiting artists. Dates to be announced soon.

Steven Assael August 2010

Dorian Vallejo fall 2010

Carl Dobsky to be announced

Max Ginsburg fall 2011

Stay tuned for more information and a few additional instructors and dates.

Drawing by P. Chameron, student of Gerome

2010-01-20T23:13:00.010-05:00

I recently found this cast drawing of a young flute player from the mid-1880's by Paul Chameron (1865-1918). This drawing was likely done while Chameron was a student in Gerome's private atelier. However, it is possible this drawing was executed while Chameron studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Gerome's tutelage. It is in charcoal on off-white paper, 18x24 inches, with only the white of the paper used to represent the most intense illumination.

Chameron's approach is typical of late-19th century French academic drawing. He finished the face and most of the figure to a very high degree; the tonal gradations are very sensitive, giving the drawing a strong optical effect. At the same time, the shadows are relatively uniform in tone, and the deep background gives a brilliant quality to the light effect.

In contrast to the degree of finish in the face, the feet and lower legs are less developed. Here we see Chameron's preliminary approach, with masses of tones in the light and loose shapes to indicate the structure of the ankle, the arch of the foot, etc.

Chameron tried for the Prix de Rome in 1886. After his study in Paris, he returned to his hometown of St. Maur and began teaching drawing and painting there. His daughter Andree also became a painter.

I was inspired to make the drawing below following Chameron's example:

I used Fabriano Roma paper with vine and compressed charcoal. I utilized the tone of the paper to represent the highest lights in the figure, and carefully applied the tone to represent a range of half-tones in the light, while keeping the shadows more uniform in tone, following Chameron's, and hence Gerome's method. It took me approximately 9 hours to finish the drawing to this degree.

The sculpture is an ecorche figure by Eugene Caudron (1818-1865), called l'Ecorche combattant, from 1845. Caudron conceived of this figure as an instructive model for sculptors and it became very influential as an example of a dynamic composition within the figure. It has been reproduced in many academic drawings, paintings, and instructional lithographs of the 19th century.

Female Écorché Head

2010-01-03T16:35:00.016-05:00

written by Allana Benham

Here is a new écorché sculpture I am currently working on. This is a female head with a neutral expression. I have chosen to develop the bone structure of the skull, cervical spine, and first two ribs to emphasize the forms and proportions of the skull, the facial features, and the neck. This sculpture is 12 inches tall, modeled in plasteline on a metal armature.

The sculpture progresses in finish; the photos above are from an early stage of development of the skeletal structure. Upon this bone structure, I added the deep layers of facial musculature, followed by superficial facial muscles on the right side only.

Finally, I developed the superficial musculature on the left side of the neck, leaving the intermediate layer exposed on the right.

Écorché: A figure in the deluge

2009-07-11T16:52:00.016-04:00

written by Allana Benham
An écorché is a sculpture or drawing which depicts the flayed human figure for the purposes of anatomical study.

I am just a couple short weeks away from completing my most recent écorché sculpture of a floating male figure. The legs and torso are essentially complete; I am now adding the musculature of the arm, and I will work more on the skull. More images will follow as I finish this piece.

I began this sculpture while teaching my Ecorché sculpture class. First, we constructed our armatures and sculpted a skeleton in proportion. Then we added each muscle individually, arranged in groups, to represent the gesture of a pose. When complete, this écorché will contain more than 200 individual muscles. I will post images of our completed sculptures in the coming weeks.

For advanced students of anatomy, making an écorché sculpture offers the best way of appreciating the structure, volumes, and mechanisms of the body. By completing this work, the student is better prepared to continue learning from various sources, texts, and 2-dimensional images. This augments one's perception when drawing, painting, or sculpting the human body from life, and gives the artist the means to draw the human body accurately from imagination.

Below is a work-in-progress photo of one of my student's sculptures. She has achieved a very precise resolution of the muscular forms of her figure. We plan to make a larger-scale écorché of the head once this figure is complete.

Cast Painting Demonstrations

2009-04-13T15:37:00.017-04:00

Eric Mannella and Allana Benham present their approach to Cast Painting using casts from Michelangelo's sculpture of David. This method is covered in detail in our Grisaille Painting course, the first course in oil painting at the Atelier. For the Atelier de Bresoles course description, click here.

Allana Benham's work-in-progress example of David's Eye:

Eric Mannella's work-in-progress example of David's Nose:

Both of these paintings were mid-way to completion after the third stage, seen above. To finish them, both artists refined edges, temperature shifts, transitions, and contrast to increase the illusion of depth of form.

An additional finished example is posted below: David's ear, painted by Eric Mannella.

Artistic Lineage: Deane G. Keller

2008-09-01T15:49:00.048-04:00

In an effort to understand the lineage of our own artistic experiences, and those we pass along to our students, we have been researching relationships from our teachers to their teachers over many generations. Here is a tree which traces our lineage through one of our teachers, Deane G. Keller, to the founding of the French Academy in 1648.

Eric Mannella (b. 1974)
and Allana Benham (b. 1975) studied with

Deane G. Keller (1940-2005)

Deane G. Keller studied with Deane Keller Sr. (1901-1992)

... Deane G. Keller also studied with Nera Simi (1890-1987), and anatomy with David Rubins at the John Herron Art Institute from 1966 to 1968.

Deane Keller Sr. and Robert Beverly Hale (1901-1985) studied with George Bridgman (1864-1943)

Bridgman was a student of Gérôme (1824-1904) and Boulanger (1824-1888) in Paris

Gérôme was a student of Delaroche (1797-1856)

Delaroche and Bernard-Romain Julien (1802-1871) were students of Gros (1771-1835)

Gros was a pupil of David (1748-1825)

David studied with Vien (1716-1809)

Vien studied with François Boucher (1703-1770)

Boucher was a student of François LeMoyne (1688-1737)

LeMoyne was a pupil of Louis Galloche (1670-1761)

Galloche studied with Louis Boullogne II (1657-1733)

Louis Boullogne II studied with his father, Louis Boullogne the Elder (also known as Bon Boulloge, 1606 or 1609-1674). He participated in the decoration of the Louvre and Versailles, and was one of 14 founders of the French Academy in 1648. All of his 4 childern; 2 girls and 2 boys, were acclaimed painters.