Portraiture is one of the major areas of art history. Depicting a face is not merely a matter of reproducing proportions or features: it involves understanding a structure, an expression, a presence, and the way light reveals or transforms a face.
In Venice, this question takes on a special significance. From the Venetian Renaissance to modern painting, artists have made light, color, and the interplay between shadow and form essential elements of their artistic language. The face thus becomes a space where observation, light, and emotion converge.
Over the course of three days, participants will work from a model, exploring the fundamentals of portraiture and the various ways to render a face through drawing and painting. The focus will be on the construction of the face, proportions, and volumes, as well as on the study of light: its direction, intensity, contrasts, and influence on the perception of forms.
Through progressive exercises, short and long poses, demonstrations, and guided individual work, each participant will be encouraged to develop a sensitive and personal approach to portraiture. The goal is to understand how a few essential elements—a shadow, a light, a line, a color—can be enough to bring a face to life.
As part of Campus MaNa Venezia, this course offers an encounter between the fundamentals of fine arts and Venice’s artistic heritage, where light truly becomes a creative medium.
Skills Acquired Upon Completion of the Course
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Observe and analyze the proportions and structure of the face.
- Construct a portrait using simple anatomical landmarks.
- Understand the volumes of the face and their relationships.
- Identify the effects of a light source on forms.
- Render shadows, highlights, and midtones.
- Work on the model’s expression and presence.
- Experiment with different qualities of line, texture, and color.
- Develop a personal approach to portraiture.
- Understand the role of light in the Venetian painting tradition.
- Create a polished portrait from life.
The course alternates between observing the model, demonstrations, technical exercises, and independent work. The focus is as much on the construction of the face as it is on how light reveals form and creates atmosphere.
Day 1: Sketching the Face
Morning
- Welcome and overview of the course.
- Introduction to the history of portraiture in the fine arts.
- Portraiture in the Venetian artistic tradition.
- Observing the model: proportions, axes, and reference points of the face.
- General structure of the skull and volumes.
- Placement of the main features: eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
- Sketching exercises and quick portraits.
Afternoon
- In-depth study of facial structure.
- Study of the volumes and planes of the face.
- Relationships between the different parts and proportions.
- Work on the gaze and expression.
- Short poses followed by a long pose.
- First guided personal project.
Day 2: The Face and Light
Morning
- Understanding light and its direction.
- Study of lit areas, shadows, and midtones.
- The influence of light on the perception of volume.
- Observing different qualities of light.
- Exercises focusing on contrast and values.
- Studying the same face under different lighting conditions.
Afternoon
- Light as an expressive element.
- Exploring the relationships between light, shadow, and color.
- Creating atmosphere.
- Study of texture and transitions.
- Demonstration by the instructor.
- Creating a portrait from a live model.
- Individual guidance and corrections.
Day 3: From Observation to Interpretation
Morning
- Review and further development of the portrait.
- Corrections to proportions and composition.
- Focus on essential details without losing sight of the overall structure.
- Exploring the model’s expression and personality.
- Further exploration of light and contrasts.
- Developing a personal style.
Afternoon
- Finalizing the portraits.
- Work on the final lighting and shadow accents.
- Overall balance of the image.
- Integrating the face, light, and background.
- Presentation of the finished works.
- Group analysis and discussion.
- Summary of the training.
