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Italian Artisan Courses in Florence, Italy

Decorative Painting program
(pittura decorativa)

Courses list | Schedule & fees | How to register | About the teachers | Accommodation

 

Learn the elements of decorative painting in the Florentine tradition with the guidance of an expert teacher and a well designed program. We help you to separate and concentrate on the following elements: light and shade decorative brush stroke, line composition colour As you strengthen each one of these aspects, it will add depth and make your work better. Once you master the individual elements, the focus will be to combine them in your work. Individual styles emerge in the rich language of decorative painting.

 Intro to Florentine Decorative Painting  Level 1
This is a playful introductory course to familiarize with Florentine artisan techniques and materials, and to produce some finished pieces to take home.
We make a painted tray and and painted panel using traditional Florentine artisan techniques for painted furniture and panels. Students learn to make gesso grounds, apply gold leaf, and to paint with casein paints. Practice with decorative brushstrokes, simple gilding, basic shading and antiquing techniques are also covered. More course details

Projects: painted tray, painted panel. (Projects may vary)
Teacher: Alison Woolley Bukhgalter

 Colour Pattern and Line work  Level 1
For those who enjoy rich Florentine colours, antiquing techniques, and the use of the decorative brushstroke, this course allows you to spend a week exploring the possibilities of traditional Florentine materials and techniques. Students work on sample panels, exploring different possibilities for color , finish and patina. Tips and techniques for the use of the decorative brush stroke in Italian style decorative painting.

Projects: Painted panels

 Intro to Form (Light and Shadow) for Decorative Painting  Level 2
If you get the shadow just in the right place even a single brushstroke can make your work glow. If your question is: 'but where should I put that brushstroke?', then this course may be a good place to start. This is a course to help beginners and intermediate painters concentrate on the issues of light and shade and the rendering of form for decorative painting. A basic understanding of these principles adds great strength to your work. We cover the shading of several common ornaments (spherical forms, curling leaves and rosettes), that appear often in decorative painting, from the renaissance, to the neo-classical.

Projects: Students draw from plaster forms then progress to painted decoration. At the end of the course you take home several project pieces intended to allow you to improve this specific aspect of your work.
Teacher: Alison Woolley Bukhgalter

 Advanced decorative painting  Level 3
Move on to combine the basic elements of decorative painting to your own work. Students at the advanced level usually know their strengths and weakness and would like to concentrate on a specific area. Students can choose which exercises to dedicate more time to. The exercises designed for this class are:
-In depth study of light and shadow
-Designing a colour palette
-History and composition of Italian ornament, including a special look at painting styles such as renaissance grottesche ornament, grisaille, baroque and rococo. More course details

Please note. Students can order special hand carved plaques or wooden objects ahead of time to work on during this course. Please contact us for a choices available.

teacher Alison Woolley Bukhgalter

Courses list

| Schedule & fees | How to register |

About the teachers

| Accommodation