ainting a self-portrait in oil can be intimidating but it’s also a rite of passage. The act of self-investigation is a time honored tradition in art history. Instructor Diana Buitrago will teach the traditional process of painting from life using a mirror. Over the course of eight weeks, Diana will guide artists through a step-by-step process using pre-recorded demos and presentations that will demystify each step as well as provide the class with lectures and images to complement the information. The painting process is broken down into weekly assignments including blocking-in the portrait, underpainting, color studies, and painting form in color. Emphasizing the techniques used by the old masters, this class will utilize a limited palette (Apelles Palette) and a layered painting approach: Block-in, Underpainting, Form Pass and Revision Pass. Students will submit images of their work each week for in-class critiques. For the sake of time and manageable goals, students will focus only on portraits of the head and neck. While some artists will finish their portraits, it is not a requirement and all are encouraged to work at their own pace according to their time and ability. The goal is to acquire new skills and to strengthen the application of techniques that will serve as a basis for the process. Assignments for each week are based on the topic of each session. For example, after watching Session 1, the assignment is to prepare your canvas, set-up your space, draw thumbnail sketches for compositions, submit images of all this process for the instructor on Google Classroom for critiques. During the live sessions, individualized critiques will be provided and opportunities for group discussion and Q&A.