Classical Oil Painting for Naturalist Bird Portraiture
A course by Sarah Margaret Gibson , Classical Realist Painter
Joined March 2021
Learn the fundamentals of drawing and painting to create a realistic oil portrait using the alla prima technique
Learn the fundamentals of drawing and painting to create a realistic oil portrait using the alla prima technique
Joined March 2021
“Art should strive to convey the beauty of its subjects.”
Realist painter Sarah Margaret Gibson uses the delicate nature of oil paint to recreate vivid interpretations of the natural world. She affirms that classical painting is not outdated, but rather as relevant and captivating now as it has ever been. Through her work, she depicts the intimate, quiet moments of birds that appear as if they’re about to fly off the portrait.
In this course, Sarah takes you through the fundamentals of drawing and oil painting through naturalistic bird portraiture. She explores the alla prima technique, or wet-on-wet painting, and teaches you the sight-size method. Discover her unique tenebris-style that gravitates between observation and aesthetic composition. Learn how to paint from nature and watch your bird come to life on canvas.
What will you learn in this online course?
23 lessons & 13 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (258)
- 8,455 students
- 23 lessons (4h 49m)
- 13 additional resources (4 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
What is this course's project?
Create a bird portrait with oil painting utilizing sight-size and alla prima technique.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who would like to explore new creative techniques when working with oil paint. Both beginner and experienced painters are welcomed.
Requirements and materials
Previous experience with oil paint is beneficial, but not a requirement.
To take this course, you need sketching paper, graphite pencils, sharpening block, eraser, paper stomp, plumb line (to be explained), canvas or linen panel, an easel, wooden palette, palette knives, oil paints, brushes, mineral spirit, linseed oil, turpentine, and paper towels.
Reviews
A course by Sarah Margaret Gibson
Sarah Margaret Gibson is a classical realist painter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Artistic expression has always been present in Sarah’s life; her maternal grandmother was a curator at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and her paternal grandmother was a watercolor painter. Sarah received her formal training in drawing and painting in Florence, Italy. She studied at the Angel Academy of Art, and later the Florence Academy of Art, from which she graduated in 2013. Sarah also taught at the Florence Academy’s intermediate studio as principal instructor for three years until leaving Italy.
In 2015, Sarah Margaret moved to the west coast of Scotland, alongside her husband and fellow artist, Lee Craigmile. Together they co-founded the Glasgow Academy of Fine Art in 2019, where Sarah is the academic director. The academy is an atelier-style school, teaching traditional methods of representational drawing and painting. Her work can be found in numerous private collections throughout the U.S. and UK, as well as in permanent exhibitions in New Salem Museum of Art and New Britain Museum of American Art.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Inspiration
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U2
The Fundamentals: Materials, Sight-Size Technique, and Drawing
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Preparation of Materials 1
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Preparation of Materials 2
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The Basics of Sight-Size Technique
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The Fundamentals of Drawing: Construct 1
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The Fundamentals of Drawing: Construct 2
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The Fundamentals of Drawing: Light and Shadow Pattern
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The Fundamentals of Drawing: Values
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The Fundamentals of Drawing: Modeling and Rendering
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Colour Mixing and Palette Organisation 1
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Colour Mixing and Palette Organisation 2
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Colour Mixing and Palette Organisation 3
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U3
Oil Painting Process and Technique
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Monochromatic Underpainting 1
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Monochromatic Underpainting 2
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Triangulating Values
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Blocking in the Colours of the Bird 1
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Blocking in the Colours of the Bird 2
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Painting the Background
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Finishing Touches: Impastos, Details, and Edges 1
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Finishing Touches: Impastos, Details, and Edges 2
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U4
Varnishing and Photographing Your Painting
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Varnishing Your Finished Painting
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How to Take a Dynamic Photo for Social Media
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FP
Final project
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Classical Oil Painting for Naturalist Bird 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
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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.
forestmom77
Fantastic!
Very professional
escanypaula
Es un curso excelente, profesional y didácticamente explicado. Gran artista y profesora. El curso es de excelencia, creo que uno de los mejores cursos que he tomado de Domestika.
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bren.lromero
Es un excelente curso, va paso a paso sin dejar nada de lado y de una manera muy clara. Es muy metódica su forma de trabajo, lo que funciona excelente para quienes comienzan. Es uno de los mejores curso de domestika que he tomado.
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marianapadilla786
La instructora Sarah Margaret Gibson explica los pasos de manera muy clara y precisa. Se nota que tiene una sólida formación en arte clásico realista y una demostrada experiencia y profesionalismo. Encuentro interesante su manera de transmitir el método. Realmente estoy disfrutando el curso ya que brinda información útil sobre no sólo el método sino también los materiales recomendados. Los pasos a seguir están muy bien segmentados y organizados, y las imágenes están bien filmadas.
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karenkratzer1
Excellent instructor who knows how to teach and paint, beautifully.