Portrait Demonstration

I was invited as a visiting artist to give a demonstration to the painting group at St. Vincent de Paul Church.   They normally do landscapes, so I thought it would be useful to show them figurative painting techniques and expose them to something new.   I showed two methods of laying out the composition; gridding from a photo with pencil and loosely laying in the contour lines using watered down paint.  Not everyone starts with a linear base before painting; my drawing background definitely works its way into my painting process.  I then discussed basic proportions and color mixing as I painted a quick demo portrait for them.  Below are some photos of the ladies working on their art.  Thanks to the St. Vincent de Paul Painters for inviting me out to their class!