9383 - Expressive Portraiture

Course Description

Artwork by Juliette V. 

Some of the most successful portraits have little to do with realism. Instead, artists may capture the essence of their subject by focusing more on mood and personality. They accomplish this with composition, color, lighting and expressive mark making. Use grayscale, color and saturation to achieve different effects. Create depth using values, edges, negative space and lighting. Achieve likeness by using shape and value to depict light and dimension. This course encourages making artistic decisions, offering a refreshing, non-anatomical approach to portraiture.

Learner Outcomes

• Understand portraiture with an emphasis on stylization and mood.
• Create interesting compositions and backgrounds that add meaning. 
• Experiment with technical and expressive methods of representing people.
• Use shape, value and edges to enhance light and dimension.