Likeness and Beyond:
The Underlying Logic of Great Painting.
DRAWING DEMO
LAYERED PAINTING DEMO
Layered painting demo
ALLA PRIMA PAINTING DEMO
These live class demonstrations offer a glimpse into the practical working methods at the core of Likeness and Beyond: The Underlying Logic of Portrait Painting. More than a portrait course, it is a course in picture making through the lens of portraiture. Together, these demonstrations reflect three of the interconnected modes of instruction - drawing, indirect (aka layered painting), and alla prima (aka, direct painting) - but the course goes well beyond these alone. It is the most comprehensive class I have taught, integrating all the essential easpects of portrait painting into a more complete whole, from process and materials to visual structure, color, and pictorial decision-making.
Although the course is taught through portraiture, the principles it addresses are not limited to portrait painting alone. The underlying logic of picture-making is universal and can be applied to any subject matter. If you can paint a life-like and convincing portrait, you can paint anything.
PORTRAIT BY MARY BETH LUMLEY
one-on-one instruction
For students seeking more individualized guidance, private mentoring offers focused one-to-one instruction tailored to your current level, goals, and working process. These sessions are designed to help clarify problems, strengthen decision-making, and move your work forward with greater confidence, direction, and purpose.
Marvin's Teaching Approach
To paint well, one must learn to think well. As Michelangelo wisely stated, a man paints with his brain, not with his hand.
My teaching is rooted in the conviction that portrait painting is not merely a collection of techniques, but an organized way of seeing, understanding, and making decisions. Technique matters, but technique without understanding can only take an artist so far. A strong portrait depends upon the intelligent integration of many elements: drawing, structure, proportion, color, light, composition, materials, and process. My aim is to help students grasp the underlying logic that connects these elements, so that their work becomes not only more skillful, but more coherent, expressive, and alive.
Through real time demonstration, close analysis, and practical application, I guide students toward a fuller understanding of how a portrait is built and why each stage of the process matters. Although the course is taught through portraiture, the principles it addresses are not limited to portrait painting alone. The underlying logic of picture-making is universal, and what students learn here can be applied to any subject matter. Ultimately, my goal is to help each student become the strongest version of themselves as an artist by developing a way of working that is grounded not only in practice, but in understanding.
