Wax workshops in Mexico

I have been teaching encaustic workshops in San Miguel de Allende for 13 years. It is a wonderful experience for me to share all the encaustic techniques that I know and use, and In the past couple of years I have included oil and cold wax classes.

The last 8 paintings of mine that have sold were oil and cold wax. I still love painting and teaching encaustic, but since I don't always use the same technique in my paintings, why not offer both encaustic and cold wax workshops here in magical San Miguel de Allende, Mexico?

Of course I have the online encaustic classes where I share 12 different advanced techniques.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/4167?cjevent=196fa766da2911e8806800410a1c0e10

His first experience painting in encaustic

cold wax workshop

encaustic workshop, first experience painting in hot wax and resin

adding ink to the encaustic painting 

encaustic, ink, oil glazes, and transfers

studio with anti-fatigue mats for those hours on our feet

The online classes are just like standing next to me in the gallery. They are informal.

My Encaustic Palettes

For encaustic figurative and portrait painting, my hot palette is laid out the same as my oil painting palette; naples yellow, yellow ochre, cadmiun red light, cadmiun red medium, saguine earth deep, (from R&F paints), white, and sap green. Sometimes, I add purple. I use oil paint straight out of the tube and some powered pigments.

extra encaustic medium for mixing colors on the palette

I plug the hole in the electric griddle with Bondo so the melted medium floats on the surface rather than drains out.

For abstract painting and the encaustic workshops, I have basic color palettes that include, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, yellow ochre, turquoise (this is usually a favorite color for my students) ultramarine blue, black, yellow, alizarin crimson, alizarin orange, (one of my favorite colors) and white. Often I include orange and a red brown. I get some the colors from R&F paints. I love the gorgeous colors and saturation. I also make many of my colors by adding powdered pigments to the clear medium. Using those, you must be careful to wear gloves and a mask. I also do that before the class.

Two people share a palette

Close up of a palette with more than the basic colors. It depends on what the student wants

The can in the lower left is paraffin to clean encaustic tools

Painting Portraits in Encasutic

setting up the hot palette and preliminary drawing

I have created and posted my encaustic online class, Painting Portraits in Encaustic. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/134921  It is an hour and 27 minutes of instruction, and step by step painting of a face in hot wax, encaustic. It is not slick. It is like standing next to me in my studio and watching me work. The whole class is $75 U.S and can be watched over and over.

If you have no experience in portraiture, you can learn the simple basics of drawing a face; how to measure and lay out the features from another class. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/21068

There is a Face Book page for the participants in the class to post progress, share and ask questions. If you have ever wanted to paint faces in encaustic, here is your chance. After you have purchased your workshop, contact me so I can add you to that Face book group. ezshwan.winding@artbyezshwan.com

Here is the portrait from the class

Do You Want to Draw Faces?

From my Messenger series, Oil on board

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have spent most of the past year and this year painting figuratively. Every once in a while I think about painting abstractly again, and then am so inspired by the resurgence of strong figurative art, mostly made by young international artists who really know how to draw, paint, and create something new.

I hear many artist saying that they can not draw. Drawing is seeing; really seeing and measuring and I can introduce you to that ability.

I have online classes in drawing and painting faces. I am not teaching portraiture, that is a big difference. It doesn’t matter if you get a great likeness with these classes, I want to share with you the simple way to get a face that looks real, not just a caricature.

Learn to create faces in oil, acrylic, cold wax, pencil, charcoal, ink wash, ink pencil, chalk pastel, and oil pastel, .You do not need to be an accomplished artist. This course is designed for both beginners and professionals.

There are 10 classes, each using a different technique. You can watch them over and over whenever you want; https://vimeo.com/ondemand/21068

Here are some examples from my student. He only has one hour a week for a class with me. Of course he continues to paint after work and his children are asleep.

Here is where my studen José Luis started.

after a few week working with me

Conté crayon

Oil

 

 

José Luis worked as an abstract painter for years before. Now, he is loving painting faces.

Check out my website for more examples of my work.http://ezshwan.com

I will work online with artists and non artist everywhere.

The Art Mentoring Program is something new and intended as a long distance mentoring program, to provide one-on-one guidance to artists working in any medium no matter where they live.   My goal is to give artists honest, clear feedback on their artwork and to engage in meaningful conversation that will help them focus their art practice to develop a cohesive body of work.

Cost: $100 for 4 sessions

Some days it is a struggle, Portrait Project

The past couple of days I haven't had as much fun in the studio. I get that clutch in the solar plexus when I look at the days work and realize that the likeness is not right. I try to tell myself that it doesn't matter, but that is just not my nature. I want the faces to be strong, with powerful brush strokes, but I have been softening the under painting with this child's face and a couple of the women's faces.

I will work in the garden a bit today, now that summer came to San Miguel with a sudden blast of very warm air. My vegetables in pots are doing well, and I love going out the front door to "harvest"

Cynthia, my daughter, is coming home tonight after being in San Francisco for 2 months and her dog is coming back this morning from doggy camp after being gone for 37 days and he will need a bath.

Perhaps, after that break, maybe things will look better in the studio.

I Want To Paint Your Portrait, Send Me Your Photo

Here are some faces I made using different techniques. These classes are available online

Abstracts are wonderful and I enjoy making them, but when I see beautifully executed figurative painting, they take my breath away. I have been drawing faces and people since I was in 5th grade and have never lost the fascination with the stories that faces can tell.

I love painting and drawing faces and want new models. I am offering to draw or paint your portrait for FREE. I will interpret your face in what ever medium that I feel is appropriate. I hope to stretch my painting technique by loosening my brush strokes, adding more abstracted shapes and colors and studying faces that are new to me.

After I have created 50 to 100 faces, I will publish a book with all of the portraits included.

Send me a clear photo of yourself. No babies or pets, please. email me at ezshwan4art@gmail.com
I've posted some sample of different faces I have made over the past couple of years.

encaustic on board

encaustic on board

oil on board

encaustic on paper

oil, encaustic and trasfers

ink wash

finished painting, oil on canvas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Artist #2 process of a painting

The Artist #2, 80 cm x 100 cm, acrylic and oil on cradled board

Acrylic under painting

First layer of oil

10 examples of the upcoming face drawing class

I have finished these 10 different faces, done in 10 different mediums that will be the examples for my online class.  I will start from scratch on each of them and  show the entire process on video for each of these.

conté pencil

incised encaustic and tranfer

I will also have classes in my studio, with a wine and critique finale.

Acrylic

charcoal

oil and cold wax

ink pencil

ink wash

oil

chalk pastel

pencil