Sight Size From Life: One Day Crash Course Summer '26
In-Person Workshop | Available
Sight Size From Life: One Day Crash Course
Feel intimidated by working from life? Struggling to set up your studio when working from life? This class is ideal for people who have never worked from life before and are interested in trying it for the first time (note to current ARA Bargue students - GREAT class to prepare you for what is to come). Additionally, this class is good for people who have worked from life before, but are interested in learning how to set up their personal work space with more control and knowledge.
In this one day crash course, we will work with plaster casts to cover the fundamentals of working sight size from life and go through all you need to know about setting up your reference well and starting your block in. We will also go through general studio set up practices for doing controlled work from life, such as light considerations in the studio.
Students will leave the class with hands-on experience working sight size from life, as well as with a checklist of tips for working from life in your personal studio, including lighting recommendations and physical set-up considerations.
Topics covered include:
Explanation of sight size drawing and the benefits of it
How to approach sight size drawing from life
Controlling light in the studio
What to consider when you’re setting up for the first time
What you need to consider every time you’re working
Common pitfalls
Starting your drawing block in
Jessica Nelson
Jessica Nelson was born and raised in Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison and graduated with a degree in Psychology in 2012. Following university she worked towards a career in academia but left her PhD program in 2018 to pursue a career in art. She is currently a student and assistant teacher at the Academy of Realist Art, Boston.
In addition to painting, Jessica is an avid gardener and conservationist, which informs her artistic practice. She is currently developing a body of work where she hopes to expand how viewers perceive the more-than-human world. She has received various honors, such as finalist in the 2024 ARC Salon and award recipient at the American Artists Professional League 96th Grand Exhibition.