Compelling vases -the art of still life

Who Is This Workshop For?

This workshop is designed for artists who want to deepen their understanding of still life painting and strengthen their technical and visual decision-making.

It is ideal for:

• Intermediate painters looking to refine their skills

• Advanced students wanting to push their still life work further

• Artists interested in improving composition and visual storytelling

• Painters who want to better understand color relationships, edges, and glazing techniques

• Anyone interested in exploring the poetic potential of everyday objects through painting

Students should have some basic experience with drawing and painting, as this is an intensive studio-focused workshop.

What Students Will Gain

By the end of the workshop, students will have:

• A deeper understanding of still life composition

• Practical tools to design strong and engaging setups

• Knowledge of Notan and how to simplify value relationships

• A stronger approach to color harmony and temperature

• Greater control over edges and paint handling

• Experience with glazing techniques for luminosity

• A completed still life painting developed throughout the week

More importantly, students will leave with a clearer visual language and a stronger ability to translate observation into expressive painting.

Daily Structure

Day 1 — Seeing the Composition

We begin with a short lecture on the principles of compelling still life painting: composition, visual hierarchy, balance, and how artists throughout history have used vessels as powerful pictorial elements.

Students will learn how to design a successful setup and how to simplify complex visual information.

Activities include:

• Lecture on still life composition and visual structure

• Introduction to the Notan concept (light vs. dark design)

• Creating a Notan study to simplify value relationships

• Small color study to explore palette and temperature

• explaining sight size method that will use to draw the composition.

This day builds the visual foundation for the entire painting.

Day 2 — Drawing & Block-In

Students will begin the final painting.

Focus will be placed on:

• Accurate drawing and proportion

• Establishing the large shapes

• Blocking in the main color and value masses

• Understanding the geometry and structure of vessels

• Simplifying forms before developing detail

• Painting everything in browns

By the end of the day, students will have a strong structural foundation on their canvas.

Day 3 — Developing Form

On the third day we deepen the painting process.

Students will work on:

• Building form through light and shadow

• Strengthening value relationships

• Color mixing and subtle temperature shifts

• Creating volume and solidity in the vessels

• Developing the interaction between objects and background

The goal is to move from flat shapes into convincing form and atmosphere.

Day 4 — Refinement & Edges

This day focuses on refinement and painterly control.

Students will learn:

• Edge variety (soft, firm, and lost edges)

• How edges guide the viewer’s eye

• Refining color relationships

• Enhancing depth and spatial clarity

• Adjusting composition for stronger visual impact

Paintings begin to gain clarity, elegance, and presence.

Day 5 — Glazing & Final Touches

The final day is about bringing the painting to its full potential.

Topics include:

• Glazing techniques for depth and luminosity

• Enhancing color harmony

• Final edge adjustments

• Highlight placement and focal points

• Evaluating and finishing a painting with confidence

We conclude the workshop with a group discussion and feedback session.

Students leave with a completed still life painting and a deeper understanding of how to design and paint compelling still life compositions.