Alana Knuff
Core Concepts of Portrait Painting
March 14, 15, 16 2019
Thursday - Saturday
10 AM — 4 PM
$400 (+$20 model fee)
Beginner to Advanced levels.
Have you ever wondered how artists paint such realistic portraits? Of course, it takes years of practice and a whole lot of patience. That said, you need to begin with some basics. In this three-day workshop you will learn the core concepts that provide the foundation for painting portraits. This is an introduction to painting portraits and both beginners and those more advanced will benefit. Some basic proportions are discussed along with drawing and understanding the planes of the head. You will learn how to measure to get a good likeness. Since there are an infinite number of portrait palettes, you will explore two different ones. In the end you will have a completed portrait of our live model and take away some new tools to use when painting portraits.
March 14, 15, 16 2019
Thursday - Saturday
10 AM — 4 PM
$400 (+$20 model fee)
Beginner to Advanced levels.
Have you ever wondered how artists paint such realistic portraits? Of course, it takes years of practice and a whole lot of patience. That said, you need to begin with some basics. In this three-day workshop you will learn the core concepts that provide the foundation for painting portraits. This is an introduction to painting portraits and both beginners and those more advanced will benefit. Some basic proportions are discussed along with drawing and understanding the planes of the head. You will learn how to measure to get a good likeness. Since there are an infinite number of portrait palettes, you will explore two different ones. In the end you will have a completed portrait of our live model and take away some new tools to use when painting portraits.
Artist Bio
As young as five, Alana drew. With a desire to win a bicycle, she entered a national art contest at age nine. She won second prize with her colored pencil rendering, losing the bicycle to the first-place oil. The sponsor, Kellogg, was impressed by her talent.
Both the analytical and the artistic shape her life. Her mother, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, and her father, an engineer from Case Western Reserve, influenced her studies. She excelled in life drawing and then graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1966. Following a career outside the field of art, as Capital Project Manager, Alana directed the design and construction of buildings for Harvard University and the University of Texas. Time away from work and family was often spent creating pastel portraits or pen and ink renderings. In 2007, Alana joined a group of artists plein air painting in Ravello, Italy. The experience reawakened her desire to paint. She retired in 2008 to focus full time on art. In 2011 Alana completed a portrait workshop at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, under the instruction of Maureen Hyde. In 2013, Scottsdale Artist’s School awarded her a scholarship with which she took a portrait workshop under Romel de la Torre. Later that year she completed another portrait workshop under the instruction of Michael Shane Neal.
Art is now a daily passion and second career. A sense of urgency has accelerated her art development. In a short period, she has received numerous awards, completed commissions, exhibited in galleries, hung a solo show and recently exhibited in museums. Her artwork is often auctioned at charitable events. Her paintings reside with clients in Italy, Canada and throughout the United States. Alana demonstrates painting, tutors private lessons and teaches portrait workshops. She is known for her portraits and maritime paintings.
Primarily self-taught, Alana’s artwork displays remarkable draftsmanship with a composition intentionally leading the viewer. She develops harmony with a limited palette creating a wide range of values and hue intensities. She calls her style romantic realism. Her medium is oil.
Both the analytical and the artistic shape her life. Her mother, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, and her father, an engineer from Case Western Reserve, influenced her studies. She excelled in life drawing and then graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1966. Following a career outside the field of art, as Capital Project Manager, Alana directed the design and construction of buildings for Harvard University and the University of Texas. Time away from work and family was often spent creating pastel portraits or pen and ink renderings. In 2007, Alana joined a group of artists plein air painting in Ravello, Italy. The experience reawakened her desire to paint. She retired in 2008 to focus full time on art. In 2011 Alana completed a portrait workshop at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, under the instruction of Maureen Hyde. In 2013, Scottsdale Artist’s School awarded her a scholarship with which she took a portrait workshop under Romel de la Torre. Later that year she completed another portrait workshop under the instruction of Michael Shane Neal.
Art is now a daily passion and second career. A sense of urgency has accelerated her art development. In a short period, she has received numerous awards, completed commissions, exhibited in galleries, hung a solo show and recently exhibited in museums. Her artwork is often auctioned at charitable events. Her paintings reside with clients in Italy, Canada and throughout the United States. Alana demonstrates painting, tutors private lessons and teaches portrait workshops. She is known for her portraits and maritime paintings.
Primarily self-taught, Alana’s artwork displays remarkable draftsmanship with a composition intentionally leading the viewer. She develops harmony with a limited palette creating a wide range of values and hue intensities. She calls her style romantic realism. Her medium is oil.