Painting the figure in oils.

WITH JOE WHYTE

Pleces for the afternoon and evening classes for term three (14 July – 8 September) are now available.

Develop your skills further. Long pose figure painting.

This course is designed for artists who want to deepen their skills in representational oil painting, with a specific focus on the human figure. Students will explore classical techniques and modern approaches to capturing the gesture, proportion and most importantly, the emotion of the figure through oil paint. 

The course will take us from quick foundational drawings in pencil, through to multi-week poses using oils as we develop form, proportion, and structure, all whilst deepening our understanding of light and shadow, and their role in creating lifelike forms. 

Working from the live model, students will work from direct observation to develop both their technical abilities and their personal artistic voice. The course includes structured lessons on drawing, underpainting, and layering techniques, as well as exploration of brushwork and texture.

By the end of the course, students will work on a single four-week figure painting, showcasing their ability to capture the human form with accuracy and expressive detail.

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AFTERNOONS – SOLD OUT
Tutored 9 week term
Starting Tuesday 14 July and finishing 8 September, 2026
Tuesday afternoons 2.30 - 5.30pm

EVENINGS – SOLD OUT
Tutored 9 week term
Starting Tuesday 14 July and finishing 8 September, 2026
Tuesday evenings 6.30 - 9.30pm

A link to the materials list for the course is HERE

You can email Joe for any more specific information about the course.
Email

Joe Whyte

Joe is a Naarm/Melbourne-based Visual Artist. After graduating from Monash University with a degree in Visual Communication, he spent time studying classical drawing and painting in Argenton-Chateau, France.

Working in oils, his intricate paintings make exceptional use of light.

Joe has exhibited widely, and has been shortlisted for numerous awards both nationally and internationally. He was the winner of the 2023 National Emerging Art Prize.

Awards

2024

Hadleys Art Prize - Finalist

2023

The William Fletcher Travelling Fellowship & Rome Residency - Winner

National Emerging Art Prize - Winner

Harden Art Prize - Winner

Hadley’s Art Prize - Finalist

Kennedy Prize - Finalist

Lethbridge Landscape Prize - Finalist

Lethbridge Small-Scale Art Prize - Finalist

Maldon Landscape Prize - Finalist

2022

AME Bale Traveling Scholarship - Finalist

Lethbridge Landscape Prize - Finalist

2021

Communication Arts Award of Excellence - Winner

Rick Amor Drawing Prize - Finalist

American Illustration - Juried Selection

2020

AME Bale Drawing Prize - Winner

2018

AME Bale Traveling Scholarship - Finalist

  • DRAWING

    Week 1

    We will spend the first week focusing on on drawing:

    Drawing paper:
    Half a dozen Sheets of smooth drawing paper, roughly A2 size. Cheap Cartridge paper is fine, but try to avoid newsprint

    -Bulldog clips

    -Greylead Pencils- HB

    -Kneadable eraser

    -Pencil sharpner

    PAINTING

    -A Palette. I use plastic, but wood is also good if it is properly sealed.

    -A dipper for medium

    -Odorless solvent (gamblin, langridge etc)

    -linseed oil.

    (Please no turpentine)

    Canvases:

    I typically use loose linen taped to board.

    Pre-prepared canvas panels are also fine.

    We will be working on two smaller pieces, (I would recommend roughly 25x35cm)

    And one larger painting,

    (40x55cm roughly)

    Sizes are flexible if you have a preference for slightly smaller or larger.

    Brushes:

    I recommend soft synthetics, small to medium size.

    (I recommend ‘Renoir’ brand, a low-cost brand available from Seniors Art, Chapman & Bailey or online)

    Mostly filberts, with some flats and rounds.

    Palette knifes.

    I recommend art spectrum no.4

    Paints:

    Core palette of:

    -Titanium white

    -Yellow ochre

    -A primary red: Cadmium Red or an alternative

    -Vandyke brown (gamblin)

    Optional but very helpful:

    -A primary yellow: Cadmium yellow or an alternative

    -Alizarin crimson or quinacrodone magenta

    -Ultramarine Blue

    -Ivory Black

    I understand people may already own different paints, but I strongly recommend at a minimum the four core colours, with further colours being beneficial.

If you are at all unwell do not attend sessions at HAS. If you have tested positive, or feel you may have COVID-19, do not come to the studio until a week after you have recovered.