Intermediate Oil Painting with Nataliya Zozulya (Monday Afternoons)
Autumn Term Programme
Course Dates Autumn Term
21, 28 September
5, 12, 19 October
(Half Term 26 October)
2, 9, 16, 23, 30 November
7, 14 December
This intermediate course is designed for students who already have basic drawing and painting experience and would like to deepen their understanding of composition, tonal harmony, colour relationships, and classical painting techniques. Throughout the term, students will work from still life arrangements, interiors, landscapes, and photographic references while exploring historical and contemporary approaches to oil painting.
The course combines direct observation, structured underpainting methods, glazing, palette-knife techniques, and alla prima painting. Each session introduces a specific technical focus alongside references to influential artists whose work can inspire further study.
Lesson 1 - Still Life: Dark Objects Against a Light Background
25 × 30 cm canvas panel or canvas
Henri Fantin-Latour"Johannes Vermeer ,"William Nicholson"
· Tonal simplification
· Working on composition in preliminary sketches
· Balancing composition using light and shadow
Lesson 2 - Domestic Still Life with Drapes and Patterns
30 × 40 cm canvas panel or canvas
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Diego Velásquez
· Creating volume through value relationships
· Learning how to paint patterns and fabric folds
Lesson 3 - Domestic Still Life (Second Session)
· Using glazing to deepen colour
· Scumbling techniques for softened transitions
· Creating atmosphere through edge control
Lesson 4 - Waterscape from Reference
25 × 30 cm canvas panel or canvas
Claude Monet, Joaquín Sorolla, Winslow Homer
· Drawing boats, shores, and reflections
· Understanding movement and changing outdoor light
Lesson 5 - Still Life: Light Objects Against a Dark Background
25 × 30 cm canvas panel or canvas
Caravaggio, Francisco de Zurbarán, Rachel Ruysch
· Working on imprimatura
· Harmonising subtle opaque tints
· Creating unity through light
Lesson 6 - Winter Landscape from Reference
30 × 40 cm canvas panel or canvas
Isaac Levitan, Igor Grabar
· Palette knife painting techniques
· Wet-into-wet application of paint
· Working with a limited colour palette
Lesson 7 - Still Life with Flowers
25 × 30 cm canvas panel or canvas
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Richard Schmid, Berthe Morisot
· Alla prima painting approach
· Colour-blocking methods
· Direct painting with minimal underdrawing
Lesson 8 - Still Life with Antique Cast Head
Canvas panel or canvas 30×40
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Piet Mondrian, Gerald Norden
· Concentrating on composition and proportion
· Developing accurate underdrawing
· Introduction to grisaille technique
Lesson 9 - Antique Cast Head (Second Session)
· Refining details and transitions
· Uniting forms into tonal masses
· Creating depth and atmosphere
Lesson 10 - Still Life Under Bright Light
25 × 30 cm or larger canvas panel or canvas
Titian, Caravaggio
· Working with a Renaissance limited palette
· Learning when to use soft and sharp edges
· Understanding strong directional light
Lesson 11 - Interior Painting
30 × 40 cm canvas panel or canvas
Vilhelm Hammershøi, Edward Hopper, Pierre Bonnar
· Perspective in interiors
· Tonal depth and atmosphere
· Simplifying architectural forms
Lesson 12
Student project: painting each other or Christmas subjects
The tutor reserves the right to change the program in case of weather conditions, etc.
