figure painting
The Bathers, after Bouguereau | Online demo 2021
…I’m gearing up for the Autumn with some workshops in France with Studio Escalier, and figure drawing for the Fall Semester at SFCC. I’m also announcing A couple of upcoming workshops:
- Autumn Landscape Painting in (and around) Santa Fe (Nov 3 - 14 2025)
- Figure Painting (Dec 29 - Jan 9 2026)
*Registration deadline for both workshops is Wednesday October 1, 2025
Argentonnay (and studies) in the Studio | April 2024
…to wrap up this studio painting of Argentonnay in France (Home of Studio Escalier, where I’ll be teaching figure drawing and painting again this Autumn). The project was an opportunity for me to celebrate a place that I have deep reverence for, and to start producing more ambitious studio work. Speaking of which… peering out from behind the homasote is another project that I’m eager to get back to.
Beyond the studio walls, I’m eyeing the week of October 28-Nov 1 as potential dates for the next Plein Air Painting workshop (in and around Santa Fe). I’ll do my best to make that official and to get registration up on the website ASAP.
Several figure studies of Raven | Jan 2021 & Jan 2023
After the DRILLS & Alla Prima workshops in May, I’m really looking forward to getting back over to France for a couple more workshops with Studio Escalier (follow the links for more info & registration):
2024 Summer in Argenton | Three Weeks of Figure Drawing
August 8 - 31
2024 Autumn Intensive | Six Weeks of Figure Painting
September 5 - October 19
Beyond that, I’m hoping to start enrolling for another three week January Figure Painting workshop at The Ryder Studio in Santa Fe NM a bit sooner this year (Dates, tentatively Jan 6 - 24 …Registration Coming soon!)
(…and visit the 2024/25 calendar for more opportunities)
Alla prima demo of Ashley, (Studio Escalier Autumn 2023) | Figure drawing of Emily for my upcoming online course (2023)
2023 Has been a great year so far .. I just returned back to Santa Fe from a wonderful 9 weeks of Figure Drawing & Painting with Studio Escalier in Paris and Argenton Chateau. Four years have gone by since I was last there to teach - it was such a gift to finally pick up where I left off at the studio along with Jillian and our little Sylvie (who turned one while we were there!). I couldn’t have asked for a better time there… and I can’t wait to get back next Autumn, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, I’m excited about some upcoming workshops and courses in 2024.
- Figure Painting (Jan 1-19 2024) at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe (Click link for more info & registration)
- Figure Drawing (*New dates set for Jan 26-29 2024) at BACAA (Click link for details)
- Online Figure Drawing via my website (TBA)
- Spring Landscape Painting (TBA)
- DRILLS & Portrait Drawing/Sculpting with Donat King & me (TBA)
- Autumn Drawing/Painting with Studio Escalier (TBA)
Block in & Poster study by me | Self portrait by Donat King
A couple upcoming drawing, painting & … SCULPTING workshops here in Santa Fe this May:
DRILLS | May 15 - 19
In this one week class, we will be focusing solely on foundational skills that will support a better overall figure drawing and painting practice | $750
PORTRAIT DRAWING & SCULPTING | May 22 - June 2
I’m quite excited to be offering this two week class (with my dear friend, the talented sculptor Donat King), which will focus on bridging our 2D-3D gap as we sculpt and draw from the same portrait pose | $1250
($1500 when signing up for both classes)
Registration deadline is April 1 (no joke!) - Click for more info
Detail of Raven | August 2022 Figure Painting Demo
Just wrapped up the August DRILLS & Long Pose Figure Painting sessions at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe. Already, the January 2023 Figure Painting Workshop is in motion:
15 days | Monday-Friday, January 2-20 2023
$1250 *Priority Registration Price - Priority Registration Deadline November 1 2022
($1500 Registration after November 1 2022)
The Ryder Studio
1807 2nd St. #31
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Click here for course info & registration (please feel free to contact me if you have questions!)
Chromatic Underpainting Demonstration of Raven in progress | August 2022
Ashley (France, 2018) | Freddy (NYC 2020) | Florence (France, 2019)
I’m excited to be teaching two in person classes back to back at The Ryder Studio in August:
Follow the links below/visit http://www.mtobiashall.com/workshops-1 for more course info & Registration
DRILLS | August 8-12, Painting & Drawing skill building session
1 week | $500
Figure Painting | August 15 - September 2, Long Pose Figure Painting
3 weeks | $1500
DRILLS + Figure Painting Package
4 weeks | $1750
Registration Deadline on Friday, July 29
Poster Studies of Emily for The Union of Innovation and Tradition | 2021
As a lead up to my 2 week figure painting workshop, I will be teaching a one day workshop at Artisan in Santa Fe on January 6:
Study of the Global Light Effect: How we can understand the light, and begin to achieve its effect in our paintings .. In this painting workshop, we'll use perceptual and conceptual strategies to explore the global light effect. Once we have a grasp on how light works, we will apply this understanding of our observations to a painting process called the "poster study" - a portrait of the light. With practice, this method is a great tool for us to become better at mixing colors and to sharpen our overall visual awareness. The day will begin with a demonstration of the "poster study" from a live model. After the demo, students will work from the same model to create poster studies of their own while receiving instructor feedback. Sign up now at https://www.calendar.artisansantafe.com
The aforementioned 2 week Figure Painting (draw if you like!) Intensive at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe. Click here for more info & registration.
Marco poster study | Detail 2021
For the 4th consecutive year, I’ll be offering a two week Figure Painting Intensive Workshop at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, NM.
10 days | Monday-Friday, January 17-28, 2022
The Ryder Studio
1807 2nd St. #31
Santa Fe, NM 87505
$1,000 | Priority Registration deadline: Wednesday, Dec 1, 2021
Click for more information & registration
The Union of Innovation & Tradition | Framed and getting ready to ship to NYC
In May, I entered these studies for the Salmagundi Club’s Library door competition. Contestants were to come up with an allegorical theme that represented the NYC club’s history and philosophy (see my proposal below). My studies weren't chosen for the doors (congratulations to Noah Buchanan!), but they are being exhibited at the Salmagundi Club with a number of other great entries. Another diptych of mine - Florence Twice (two alla prima paintings of the same pose from different perspectives) - will also be hanging in the show.
Project Proposal
For well over a century, the Salmagundi Club’s Library has served its artistic community as a link between our creative heritage and our potential for new growth. With this in mind, I propose that the two painted panels of the Club’s library doors open and close around the allegorical themes of Innovation & Tradition.
The main figure of the two unified compositions raises and reflects in the form of Innovation. In the first panel, she emerges with vulnerability and a sense of strength from a collective pool of experience and wisdom. One foot is submerged within Tradition as Innovation reaches upward; her gaze fixed upon a new horizon. In the second panel, she self reflects upon Tradition in the context of culture’s previous peaks. Though transcendent, Innovation still maintains contact with the past.
The two panels are compositionally woven together through narrative and geometry. Each stands on its own, but the composition achieves wholeness via the synthesis of Innovation’s evolution, self reflection and her unbreakable tie to Tradition. I believe that the thematic integrity of these panels will resonate with the Salmagundi Club’s own esteemed philosophy.
Florence Twice | France 2019
Poster study & Figure Painting Demo after Eve by Solomon Joseph Solomon | 2021
I’ll be teaching an online figure painting workshop with the Teaching Studios of Art in December.
Online Workshop held over two Sundays
DECEMBER 5TH & DECEMBER 12TH
12 PM - 2 PM; 3 PM - 6PM EST
A workshop designed for artists of all levels of experience
In this online Figure Painting workshop, participants will study after specific masterworks in order to gain a better grasp of light and form as it pertains to a strategically organized painting practice. Conceptual and technical demonstrations will provide insight, and artists will receive direct feedback on their work. The goal of the workshop is to help artists cultivate a skill set that will make for a more mindful, efficient, and enjoyable painting process.
Five essential concepts will be taught:
1. Gesture and rhythm of the pose
2. Basic proportions and geometry of the figure
3. Blocking-in using anatomy and a specific understanding of light and shadow
4. Modeling form
5. Finishing and refining touches
The sessions and bonus material will be recorded and made available for viewing for up to a month after the event.
$250 - click link for more information & registration
Dante 2019 | Oil on Linen
This post is coming in a bit late for the MANIFEST | NUDE exhibition, but I did have two works hanging in the Cincinnati gallery a couple of months ago. My drawing Push & Pull was exhibited in MANIFEST’s SCHISM show in 2015. It’s been a while, but I’m honored to have had work exhibited with them once again. I’ve entered another piece into their coming show PERCEPTUAL. Fingers Crossed.
The painting of Dante (that was recently exhibited with MANIFEST) and another figure painting from my time in France in 2019 is now being shown in the New Mexico Art League’s Faculty show.
Raven 2021 & Figure Drawing 2016
Though I did run a very low key figure painting workshop at the beginning of the year, I’m happy to offer some more substantial in-person intensives during the coming months:
Drills | May 10-21 | 2 weeks | $800 | Painting & Drawing skill building session
Enrollment deadline: Monday, May 3
Figure Painting | August 2- 20 | 3 weeks* | $1200 | Long pose figure painting
Enrollment deadline: Sunday, Aug 1
*Part time (daily, 1 week & 2 week) options available when registering for the course if you are interested, but can’t commit to all three weeks
Classes will be held at the Ryder Studio here in Santa Fe, New Mexico (Monday - Friday, 9:30am-5pm)
Follow the class links above or http://www.mtobiashall.com/workshops-1 for more info. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Last Exit (study & painting) | NYC 2019
Given our current climate of lockdown and social distancing, I thought I would open up a channel for private painting & drawing lessons through online mentorship, instruction and critique. Each of us is on a different part of the creative path, so each session would be customizable to meet the desired goals of the individual artist.
This is an opportunity to get personal feedback on work in progress, or to discuss drawing/painting conceptual strategies and exercises that could strengthen your own artistic practice (i.e. light & form, movement, perspective, composition)
Prior to meeting, images to be uploaded via Dropbox
Meetings to be conducted through the Zoom video conferencing application
$75/single hour session or $325 for a set of five hourly sessions (at $65/session)
Register via my Online Mentorship page
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions regarding mentorship and scheduling. I hope to work with you!
[Florence (detail) | France 2019]
Excited to announce that I’ll be starting off the new year by teaching a figure painting workshop at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The two week class will run from January 6-17. More information about the class and registration can be found in my Workshops page. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions!
[figure study in rim light - detail 2015]
In transition from another wonderful summer spent in France with Studio Escalier to new challenges in NYC as I pursue an MFA at the New York Academy of Art. I'm truly excited to get caught up in the artistic whirlwind and to explore new ideas - I am hopeful that something truly positive will come from it.
That being said, "The goal is absolutely secondary: It is the functioning toward the goal which is important." - Hunter S. Thompson
![[Florence (detail) | France 2019]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/537562b9e4b0c4a5e91017cf/1572636006598-C1S8G5YUVG1UN1PTOMML/florenceforweb2.jpg)
![[figure study in rim light - detail 2015]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/537562b9e4b0c4a5e91017cf/1439325683551-8ZZEZUH0546THYGQ1DQW/image-asset.jpeg)