Acrylic Painting: Exploring the Figure

Delve into the expressive possibilities of figure painting in this beginner to intermediate course with Stephanie Eather. Begin the term with drawing to build an understanding of the figure’s anatomy, structure and proportion.

Through guided exercises, learn how to measure the body and construct a composition. Building on these drawing skills, students will move into painting the figure with acrylics. Beginning with greyscale studies to understand tone and light, students will then move into colour and mixing skin tones. Demonstrations and exercises will introduce a range of approaches, from close observation to more expressive and intuitive ways of working.

Stephanie will guide students to take inspiration from artists such as Euan Uglow and Henri Matisse, and consider the different ways artists throughout history have approached the figure.

Explore the balance between observation and abstraction, and how choices in form, colour and composition can shape a painting. Students are encouraged to experiment with these approaches as they begin to develop their own visual language.

Designed for complete beginners through to intermediate students, this course balances technical development with creative exploration. By the end of the term, you will have developed a strong foundation in figure drawing and painting, with greater confidence in interpreting the human form.

Course Schedule:
The following is an indicative course schedule only. The content and pace of the sessions may vary in response to the students in the program.

Week 1: Introduction to figure drawing, anatomy, proportion and measuring the body.

Week 2: Develop figure drawing skills with a focus on structure, composition, tone and light.

Week 3: Introduce colour and learn to mix a range of skin tones.

Week 4: Introduction to figure painting with acrylics through greyscale studies of tone and form.

Week 5: Develop observational painting skills with a focus on colour, form and composition.

Week 6: Explore observation and abstraction through the work of artists such as Euan Uglow and Henri Matisse.

Week 7: Experiment with more expressive approaches to painting the figure.

Week 8: Create a figure painting that brings together your technical skills and individual approach.


* Short courses and weekend workshops are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students between 15 - 17 years of age.

* Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact us at short.courses@nas.edu.au 

* What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below. 

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

The lecturer will discuss the materials with you. Student quality paints are fine, rather than more expensive professional artists’ quality paints.

For the first class please bring:

• Acrylic paints, brushes, jars, baking paper, rags
• A3 paper and thick craft brown paper
• Stanley knife, pencil and masking tape

General Materials

• Visual Arts diary for notes & sketches: A4 or A5
• 2B pencil, eraser, sharpener
• Stanley knife
• Masking tape and bull dog clips
• Old hairdryer if you have one
• Old rags and/or paper towels
• 1 x apron/protective clothing
• Large plastic water containers (yogurt tubs work well)
• Roll of baking paper
• Palette knife
• 500mL gesso (or white house paint) and a house paint brush for applying gesso to canvas/brown paper
• 250ml bottle of Matisse drying retarder medium (for acrylic paint)

Paints and Brushes
Please note: All paint colours and brushes are ideal but feel free to choose cheaper alternatives.

Brushes

Brushes can be either synthetic or natural bristle, even if you are painting in oils. A range of brushes varying in size from small to large. Bring what you have. If buying brushes, recommended are:

Three or more paint brushes. Ideally you may have a combination of soft and hard bristles - in small, medium and large sizes (between approximately 50mm(max), 20mm, 10mm to 5mm wide.)

• Flat brushes
• Filbert brushes
• Round brushes

Supports

• A selection of your preferred surface - paper/canvases/canvas boards
• 1 x A3 drawing sketch/cartridge pad (30 sheets)
• 1 x A3 or A2 oil sketch pad or acrylic or watercolour pad 300GSM (minimum 20 sheets)
• Students can purchase A1 sheets of thick craft (brown) paper at Parkers Art Supplies on campus

Paints (oil or acrylic)
All colors are suggested only and are not all essential for this course. The list includes warm and cool colours, however, you are welcome to begin with what you already have in your collection. Students are welcome to work in oil or acrylic.

• Titanium White
• Burnt Umber
• Ultramarine Blue (warm blue)
• Cobalt Blue
• Cadmium or a Mid Red (warm red)
• Alizarin Crimson (cool red)
• Magenta
• Cadmium Yellow or Lemon Yellow (cool yellow)
• Cadmium Yellow or Cadmium Yellow Deep (warm yellow)
• Indigo (cool blue)
• Raw Umber
• Burnt Sienna
• 1 x Ivory Black
• If using oil paints please bring 1-2 wide necked glass jars WITH LIDS AND GAMSOL SOLVENT.
  

Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Stephanie Eather is a visual artist, living and working between Naarm (Melbourne), Gadigal land (Sydney) and rural Eastern Australia. Her painting practice explores the intersection of memory, materiality, and textile sustainability, informed by both traditional and contemporary drawing sensibilities. Stephanie completed a Master of Fine Art (Drawing) in 2023 at National Art School in Darlinghurst. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Art History from the University of Melbourne in 2013, and a Bachelor of Fine Art (Drawing) obtained from RMIT in 2009.

Eather’s artwork has been showcased in group and solo exhibitions across Australia and has been selected for prizes including the Gosford Art Prize and the Dobell Drawing Prize #21 and #22. In 2022, Eather was awarded the Bonner and Tonkin Drawing Award and won runner-up for the Vincent Prize in 2024. She is currently represented by Nanda\Hobbs in Chippendale, NSW. She teaches drawing and painting at National Art School, Sydney and at The Art Room in Melbourne.

https://nandahobbs.com/artist/stephanie-eather