David Kassan workshop 2014 Jun
I was honoured to be chosen for the David Kassan 5 days workshop in Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin 2014.
David Jon Kassan is one of the greatest figure painters of the contemporary art world.
The aim of the workshop was learning Kassan’s method of approaching a portrait painting. David demoed in the mornings, students worked in the afternoons. David shared generously his knowledge of painting, also moved through the classroom, attending to each student individually.
according to each student’s concentration, skills, interests and speed. The students do a number of preliminary drawing exercises with the goal of finishing a self-portrait at the end of the second day.
He refined his drawing with General black and white charcoal pencils. This brand is an American brand, superb artistic high grade quality.
Once completed, the drawing was photocopied and pan pastel iron oxide is rubbed on the back of the copy. This is placed upon a die-bond plastic board that has been prepared with Golden Acrylic N6 grey and traced out.
David uses Vasari colours which he believes are the best.
He paints with size 2 Kolinsky Sable round brushes series 6227Z. He builds up his painting with a series of small lines. His mediums: Liquin oleopasto medium, stand oil and M Graham’s walnut alkyd oil. Binoculars are used at all stages of drawing an painting in order to refine shapes and forms.
I usually work from large general block-ins then I move to the specific details. Here you had to jump into the details right away and work from the center out. The workshop was the best adventure of my life. I highly recommend it to everyone.