Contemporary Oil Portraiture
A course by Torsten Wolber , Painter
Explore contemporary oil painting, unleash your creativity, and draw expressive portraits with an innovative technique
Explore contemporary oil painting, unleash your creativity, and draw expressive portraits with an innovative technique
Artistic vision is shaped by learned perspectives and filters that we're often not even aware of. For painter Torsten Wolber, this realization became the key to carving out his personal portraiture technique. He approaches his art with confidence, without waiting around for a concrete result. His oil paintings can be found in private collections and galleries, as well as in publications such as Der Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
In this course, he teaches you a new method for painting shape-oriented portraits using a photograph as a reference. With Torsten as your guide, discover how to express yourself freely and confidently, without losing sight of the bigger picture. Go beyond your limits and express your authentic style to open doors in the artistic world!
What will you learn in this online course?
23 lessons & 14 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (515)
- 13,457 students
- 23 lessons (4h 52m)
- 14 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: German, Turkish
- German · Spanish · English · Portuguese · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Paint a free-form, vivid oil portrait based on a reference photo.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone with some previous experience who would like to learn to paint with confidence and expression.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of drawing and painting would be helpful, but not necessary.
As for materials, you need oil paint, acrylic paint, linseed oil, solvent, brushes of different sizes, a spatula, primer (gesso), an easel, and two 30x40 cm canvases.
Reviews
A course by Torsten Wolber
The fascination for expressive, defined, and atmospheric pictures has been with painter Torsten Wolber since he was a child. When he worked in the world of illustration, he created covers and images for video game companies, advertising agencies, and newspapers, particularly online ones. For a long time, he set aside his desire to make a living from painting, but because of an unprecedented event, he decided to devote himself to plein air painting, his true artistic passion. It was only a few years later that he felt ready to work exclusively in this sector.
From the time he was studying graphic design, he was inspired by classic painters such as John Singer, Sargent, Sorolla, Anders Zorn, and Richard Schmid. He currently draws inspiration from the painting process itself and likes to let himself be carried away by oil painting. His style is characterized by being free, defined, and emotional, but also by its sense of reflection and the calm it transmits. His work includes mainly landscapes, social themes, and portraits that can be found in galleries and private collections in countries such as Germany, the United States, Japan, Australia, and England.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About me
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Influences
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U2
Preparation: materials, color scheme and grayscale
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Materials
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Making your own canvas
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Get to know the color scheme
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See and paint the grayscale 1
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See and paint the grayscale 2
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U3
The painting process
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Choosing the Template
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Get started painting
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Grid and foil
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Block in negative
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Blocking in all surfaces 1
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Blocking in all surfaces 2
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U4
Postproduction
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Destroy to add new momentum
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The elaboration of the picture 1
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The elaboration of the picture 2
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The elaboration of the picture 3
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The elaboration of the picture 4
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Control of proportions and tonal values 1
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Control of proportions and tonal values 2
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Control of proportions and tonal values 3
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Control of proportions and tonal values 4
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Control of proportions and tonal values 5
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FP
Final project
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Contemporary Oil Portraiture
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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.
deambarok
Es excelente!! me encanta como explica, lo sigo en sus redes y es de mucha inspiración, lo recomiendo!
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nietoperek72
Świetny kurs! Wartościowy i wyjątkowy z uwagi na fakt, ile autor przekazuje nam wiedzy. Podczas własnej pracy na bieżąco tłumaczy swoje działania, pokazuje na co warto zwrócić uwagę. Przede wszystkim zaś zachęca nas do swobody, ekspresji, odważnych eksperymentów podczas tworzenia, które pozwolą nam wyjść poza strefę komfortu, doświadczyć wolności twórczej. Kurs świetnie poprowadzony, z humorem, serdecznością, wsparciem jak u dobrego nauczyciela. Polecam go wszystkim. Iza
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ildikovacs7
I am very satisfied with this course. Torsten explanes everything very clear and detailed. I have learned a lot although it may not be seen on the paintings. All the information was useful and what I looked for. I have to practice more. Thank You very much! Ildi
dennysse.l.f.c
me encanto la clase!
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josepimontse2
Muy buen curso y muy didáctico.
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