Expressive Oil Portraiture: Explore the Alla Prima Technique
A course by A.J. Alper , Painter
Discover how to paint captivating portraits that capture immediacy and emotion with every brush stroke
Discover how to paint captivating portraits that capture immediacy and emotion with every brush stroke
Oil paint is a versatile and vibrant medium that allows you to create expressive artwork, which captures the essence of your subject. In this course, learn how to paint striking oil portraits alongside renowned painter AJ Alper. He specializes in oil painting and is passionate about the language it conveys when depicting people, faces, and emotions.
Embark on an oil painting journey as AJ guides you step-by-step through the artistic process. Learn how to set up your palette through color mixing and explore composition and brush stroke techniques to achieve captivating results.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 19 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (358)
- 10,504 students
- 15 lessons (2h 6m)
- 19 additional resources (12 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create an oil portrait from a reference photograph by exploring different painting techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is great for anyone who wants to learn oil painting techniques or wants to expand their portraiture abilities.
Requirements and materials
Basic experience in drawing portraits is recommended. No previous experience in oil painting is necessary.
To take this course, you need oil paint (student or artist grade is recommended), paint brushes, an easel, a canvas or panel, and a couple of solvents or mediums. A computer or tablet with Photoshop (or similar software) is recommended if you want to adjust the color range of your photo reference.
Reviews
A course by A.J. Alper
AJ Alper is an American painter specialized in oil painting. Though painting has always been his passion, his career first led him to become a graphic designer and web developer. He eventually decided to follow his creative instinct and dedicated himself to the world of oil painting.
Through his social media, he has created an online community committed to encouraging and educating his followers about the art of oil painting and portraiture. With over a hundred thousand followers, he started the 100-Day Portrait Challenge to encourage his community to express their creativity. His work can be found on the walls of Marriott hotels, Mitsubishi corporations, Philip Morris buildings as well as in various solo exhibitions throughout the US.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Tools, Materials and Setup
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Tools and Materials
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Setup and Studio
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Reference and Image Selection
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Preparing the Image in Photoshop
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U3
Ready Set Go
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Drawing with Paint
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Color Mixing and Viscosity
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Mixing Flesh Tones
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Blocking in Color
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Creating Dimension 1
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Creating Dimension 2
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Fixes and Fine Tuning
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U4
Final Stages
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Drying and Varnishing
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Storing and Shipping
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FP
Final project
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Expressive Oil Portraiture: Explore the Alla Prima Technique
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Adobe Photoshop
valeria_b
è interessante osservare come l'insegnante dipinge ma molti passaggi che lui da per scontati non sono spiegati. nella rifinitura del quadro, alla fine del corso, l'insegnate fa una serie di correzioni e scelte molto personali per le quali non è possibile apprendere nulla di esplicito. non penso sia un corso per principianti, credo sia adatto a chi già ha buona dimestichezza con la pittura ad olio e l'utilizzo dei colori
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johnc
An excellent, well informed presentation. I really like his relaxed style and the way he approaches his art I feel both informed and validated.
ingles_atualizado
I loved this course! Thanks!
2b4peterwatson
PlusBeing active with oil paints, this course is simple to follow and inspiring it has encouraged me to try, and try again at my portraits. I am encouraged by his simple display of brush work, colour mixing and demonstration of logical tips. Valuable to those beginning and curious.
antonio_diaz_arroyo
Como curso para realizar un retrato expresivo, está bien, pero mi expectativa al tomarlo era por la técnica alla prima, con que se anuncia. El profesor efectivamente usa esta técnica al realizar su proyecto, pero apenas se refiere a ella al inicio, por lo que, durante el desarrollo del curso, solo se pueden inferir los tips y características de esta técnica. Pero es un "curso de pintura alla prima", y no basta con inferir. El profesor debiese ser explícito en las diferencias y particularidades.
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