New Adult Classes
SCROLL DOWN
Monday Open Sessions will resume in October 5, 2026
$15 per artist cash preferred
Text or call to reserve space in advance
SUPPLY LISTS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Are you looking to enhance your skills and understanding of the human form? Are you searching for a community of artists to who value learning in a creative atmosphere? Come study with us. We have a passion for learning and teaching and are very interested in helping you reach your goals for your work. Beginning, Intermediate, advanced professionals welcome.
Location: Vosler Atelier
330 Pauls Drive, Brandon, Florida 33511
813-417-5867 for more information
Enroll top right of Homepage to book online for classes
PORTRAIT DRAWING
Sydney Harris
Saturdays
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
September 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
$180
Sydney's website: sydneyharrisfineart.com
Summary:
In this four-week course, students will work from a simplified planar head cast to study the underlying construction of the skull and neck through direct observation.
The first part of the course focuses on accurate proportion and structural drawing through line and comparative measurement. Students learn to establish the gesture, placement, and overall construction of the head before any rendering is introduced.
The second part of the course introduces the major planes of the head and how light relates to structure. Working in charcoal, students learn to group values and simplify form based on planar logic rather than detail.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a clearer understanding of how to construct the head as a unified form, building a strong foundation for future portrait drawing.
Materials:
18" × 24" drawing paper (Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Pad or equivalent)
Vine charcoal (soft)
Compressed charcoal - medium (or charcoal pencil - 2B)
Kneaded eraser
Drawing board
Sandpaper block or sanding pad for sharpening charcoal
Chamois
Bio:
Sydney is a classically trained painter working primarily in oils. She studied in a traditional atelier setting in New York City, where her training emphasized drawing and painting from life, careful observation, and a realist approach rooted in historical practice.
Her work centers on creating paintings that are sensitive and enduring, grounded in the practice of gleaning truth from nature. Still working most often from life, she is interested in presence, restraint, and the subtle character that emerges through sustained observation rather than overt stylization. Her paintings aim toward a sense of timelessness, prioritizing structure, light, and disciplined mark making over trend or spectacle.
PORTRAIT PAINTING
SECRETS OF THE MASTER PALETTES
Kerry Vosler
A 4-Week Deep Dive into Color & Skin Tones in Portraiture
Oil
Wednesdays
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2026
$180. Additional models will be a shared by students
This 4-week course will explore successful palettes by great masters. From Zorn to Sargent to Sorella and Hensche. Students will learn if they prefer a limited or full spectrum palette. Very often we are so busy learning anatomy and figure that we do not take the time to really study color. All the great artists were going after something different and adapted their palettes accordingly. All colors have unique characteristics and there are pros and cons to all of them. Some copy work will be done in this course and artists will have the opportunity to work with the live model the last two days of this course. If you are wanting to strengthen your skin tones in portraiture you will enjoy this deep dive into color. Recommend for artists with some skill in drawing the portrait head. Demonstrations will be done in oil but pastel artists are welcome to attend. This course will be a great primer for anyone who wants to join me later for plein air painting.
Supplies
Easels & Taboret provided
Palette to mix paint (large)
Gamsol in can with lid
paper towels
Brushes Fan sable or mop, brushes Bristol filbert or round no. 4, 6, 8, 10 Sable 4, 6, 8, 10 (bring brushes you like to use)
12x16 or 16x20 canvas with extra coats of gesso and one or two layers of white which should be dry by class.
You may use portrait weave canvas in tablets but you need to add more gesso and white so its not too absorbent.
(*) These should be the basic colors needed.
Oil Colors
Student grade paint is not recommended because of the amount of fillers. Try Utrecht paints for less cost. small tubes.
Other brands, Michael Harding, Gamblin, Windsor Newton or whatever you have already.
*Titanium White *Cooler white than flake/lead white).
*Flake White (Zorn, Sargent) *lead (Sorolla & Zorn preferred lead white which historically is referred to as flake white.)
Zinc white (Sorolla) optional
*Ivory Black (Zorn, Sargent, Sorolla)
Yellows
*Yellow Ochre (Zorn, Sargent, Sorolla, Hensche)
*Cadmium yellow (Sargent, Sorolla, Hensche)
*Cadmium Orange (Sorolla, Hensche)
*Lemon Yellow (Hensche)
Reds
Vermilion (Zorn, Sargent, Sorolla) Today's true vermilion is expensive try Cad Red light. Use Only if you already have it.
*Cadmium Red Light (replaces genuine mercury-based vermillion to match the intense orange-red (Zorn)
*Rose Madder (Sargent, Sorolla)
*Cadmium Red (Sorolla, Hensche)
*Permanent Rose (Hensche)
*Alizarin Crimson Permanent (Sargent, Hensche)
Blues
*Ultramarine Blue. (Sargent, Sorolla, Hensche)
*Cobalt Blue (Sargent, Sorolla)
*Cerulean Blue (Hensche)
Earths.
*Burnt Sienna (Sargent, Sorolla, Hensche)
*Raw Umber (Sargent, Sorolla)
Greens
*Viridian (Sargent, Sorolla)
*Cadmium Green (Hensche)
Emerald Green (Sargent) Gamblin
Violets
Cobalt violet (Sorolla) optional
Mars Violet (Hensche) optional
