In this course, we examine the work of one of the greatest artists of the impressionist period, and paint a nude figure in oils inspired by his work. We're going to be inspired by Edgar Degas.

Degas is most famous for painting ballerinas - and he did some fantastic ballet paintings that we'll look at in class - but he also painted other figures, including nudes. And that's what we're going to do.

We will focus on the natural way Degas painted figures, particularly nudes. We'll consider some of the common mistakes artists (and inexperienced art models) tend to make in nude art, and we'll practice sketching and painting natural-looking figures. We'll analyze the naturalness of various poses, and practice painting a figure that looks like she has real weight and exists within her environment.

This class is perfect for intermediate to advanced artists who would like to begin or expand their ability in painting figures. But we won't be working with excessively expensive equipment, so even a beginner can follow along if they want.

We'll also be working with a nude model who will not only give us live poses in motion, but also still images, and we can choose any of these as a reference. (So yes, I should mention here, there is some nudity in this course.)

You will have the option to paint along with me as I complete my final painting, or use the information you learn to create your own, unique composition, inspired by one of the greatest figure artists of history.