WHAT TO STUDY
• Edges — in any portrait, find where they’re razor-sharp (almost always near the eyes) and where they melt into the background.
• Economy — count the strokes in a hand or a cuff. There are fewer than you think, and none are timid.
• Value grouping — squint until the painting becomes four or five big shapes. That’s the design doing the work.
Things to look out for in this vid:
WHERE WE TEACH THIS
Edges and economy are at the heart of our Portraiture and Figure Drawing courses.
JOHN SINGER SARGENT (1856–1925)
Edges and economy. Sargent could describe a satin sleeve in a single loaded stroke — and he knew exactly which edges to sharpen and which to let dissolve. That control is what makes his portraits feel alive.
TRY THIS
Copy one hand or sleeve from a Sargent portrait in a single sitting. No blending — one stroke per decision, then leave it alone.
VIDEOS
Four favorites on Sargent’s technique — watch below.