Lecturer: Melanie Brown
Mon 28 Sep – Mon 9 Nov (excluding 5 Oct public holiday)
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Level – Intermediate
Age – 16+
This is an adult class and is not suitable for students under 16 years of age. Students under 18, must obtain parental or guardian consent and submit a completed consent form before the class commences.
This portrait painting course celebrates women painters from the Renaissance through to early 20th century modernity. From the dramatic chiaroscuro of Baroque portraits, towards the softer diffused intimacy of Rococo then leading up to the bold expressive innovations and unconventional palettes of early 20th century European and Australian women artists. Participants will gain insights into the legacy of women whose careers challenged societal norms and traditional ideals, were barred or limited from academies, only able to study draped models or whose work was interpreted through gender stereotypes rather than equal artistic merit! With themes of identity, power and representation this course combines historical awareness, technical mastery and cultural perspectives
Students will then choose a work from one of the artists discussed and then construct their own painting, learning and applying techniques from underpainting, colour theory, skin tone subtilties, brush handling and glazing concepts. The course involves practical demonstrations, as well as individual instructions. Suitable for those that want to broaden their skill set, refresh fundamentals and celebrate ground-breaking women artists
Materials required:
Oil paints:
- Titanium White
- Ivory Black*
- Burnt Sienna*
- Burnt Umber*
- Raw Umber
- Cadmium Red Light
- Alizarin Crimson
- Lemon Yellow
- Yellow Ochre
- Ultramarine Blue
- Pthalo Blue
Acrylic paint:
- Burnt Sienna or raw umber*
- and any additional selection of acrylics for coloured grounds if choosing a modernists painting
Brushes:
- Synthetic filbert no. 1*, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5* &6*
- Assortment of flat brushes (for modernist portrait option)
- 2″ flat cheap brush for applying a ground
Medium:
- Langridge Underpainting Mediums or no 1 medium* (or Langridge Painting medium no.2 medium or Linseed oil for sensitivities)
- Lecturer may suggest impasto medium for selected modernist paintings
- A product for cleaning brushes, such as Chroma Incredible Brush Cleaner*.
Surfaces:
- 1 20”x24” stretched canvas*
- A3 disposable palette*
- Palette knife*
- 1 stick willow charcoal*
- Paper towels*
- Glad Wrap (or equivalent cling film)
- 2 small glass jars with lids*
- Soft t-shirt or cotton rags*
*Asterisk indicates the materials that will be required for the first class.
Melanie Brown completed a Bachelor of Visual Art (Honours) in 2008 at Adelaide Central School of Art, having been awarded several scholarships and the Alumni Award. She has won awards including the Clifton’s Art Prize in 2008, the Loreto Star Portrait Prize in 2013, the 2024 Finalist in the Kennedy Art Prize and the People’s Choice Award for the Kennedy Art Prize in 2015. Melanie has an extensive exhibition history in addition to lecturing at Adelaide Central School of Art. Melanie has received corporate and private commissions for her paintings both locally and overseas.
melbrown.com.au
Images: Studies by students Annie and Ciro, from Technique of the Old Masters Term 3 2025.
