About
this course
General Description
At the Florence Academy, skill in drawing is considered fundamental to perfection in painting, sculpture or other art forms. This course is designed to strengthen the student’s visual relationship with three-dimensional form, allowing them to confront the human figure and eventually to paint or sculpt with accuracy.
Students are introduced to the academic method of figure drawing, employed by the major Realist ateliers of 19th century Paris, best exemplified by Jean Léon Gérôme and the French Academic tradition. They are taught to use the sight-size method, which trains the eye to view the subject with accuracy to reproduce it successfully. Throughout the course, students apply this method to translate the three-dimensional human figure to a two-dimensional surface.
Students work from the live model in charcoal everyday for 3 hours per day on two long poses: one using charcoal on white paper, and the other on toned paper with charcoal and white chalk. Students receive daily individual critiques to help guide them toward a fully resolved and accurate drawing.
Beginning – Intermediate – Advanced levels welcome
Maximum enrollment 14 students.
Additional Info
WORKSHOP CREDITS: 3 per session
Please note: The Florence Academy of Art expresses workshop coursework in credits to the equivalent of 1 credit for 20 hours of completed study. Academic grades are not awarded and there are no exams. Please see each course for total hours of study. Any final acceptance or recognition of hours of study or credits for workshop (external activity) is at the discretion of the Home University or institution in question and in accordance with each institution’s transfer policy.
Medium & Materials
Charcoal and white chalk
Students receive a list of materials required for the workshop in their acceptance email. Unless indicated, materials are not included in the tuition fee and may be purchased in advance and at a discounted rate directly from the Florentine art supply store, Zecchi. Students will find their supplies waiting for them in their studio upon arrival in Florence.
Estimated cost of materials: EUR 50-100
What’s Included
- 60 hours Instruction in English
- Individual critiques
- A selection of drawing paper
- Welcome Party in the gardens of the Budini Gattai Palace in Florence on the first Thursday of the workshop, to meet fellow students and faculty
- Guided museum visit to the Bargello Museum with the Academy’s resident Art Historian to view major works by Renaissance sculptors
- Summer Faculty Exhibition to view the latest work by FAA faculty
- Access to the on-campus FAA Café where students may purchase breakfast, lunch and enjoy an afternoon aperitivo
- Extended Access to the studios and school facilities after class until 9 pm
- Discounted art supplies
- List of housing recommendations
Faculty
Simone Olivia Moritz was born in Prien am Chiemssee, Germany in 1985. Her family always had a great interest in art, and her humanistic education has been of significant influence on her. She soon felt a strong desire to become a professional painter and has continuously pursued this goal. After finishing her diploma in Art and Latin she worked for two years as an assistant in a painter’s studio while doing freelance commissions. In 2006 she enrolled at The Florence Academy of Art to deepen her studies and achieve the tools needed to express herself as an artist. She has been teaching at the Academy since 2009. Her work has been shown in several group and solo shows and is in private collections throughout Europe and the United States.
See more of Simone’s work in the Alumni Gallery and at @simoneoliviamoritz
Dasha Belokrylova is a Russian painter with an English education and upbringing. At the age of 16 she decided that art was her main interest in life. Following this decision, Dasha finished a two year A-level program in London at a fine arts college. After spending one year in a contemporary arts university in Wimbledon, she realised that her desire was to learn the traditional ways of painting. In 2015 Dasha began the Drawing & Painting Program in The Florence Academy of Art. During these years in Florence, Dasha learned the method of sight-size, the anatomy of the human body, and oil painting process in full depth. After graduating the three-year program in 2018, Dasha was offered a unique opportunity to stay as an artist in residence that also provided her with teaching experience. She is now a Principal Instructor in the Intensive Drawing Program and Sculpture Drawing Program.
See more of Dasha’s work in the Alumni Gallery and at @dashabelokrylova
The Florence Academy of Art reserves the right to assign or reassign faculty as needed, based on scheduling and availability. While we strive to maintain consistency in our instructional team, specific instructors may change at any time. You will be contacted by the FAA Office should a change occur.
Location
ADDRESS: Via Aretina 293, Florence, Italy
