Curriculum

Introduction

The training at Atelier Stockholm is designed to give students the skills necessary to create convincing, realistic works of art that meet the highest standards of excellence and craftsmanship — standards that are best illustrated within the works of the Old Masters. Accordingly, students of Atelier Stockholm are taught using methods that have produced many of history’s greatest masters.

The training and curriculum is created from the best and most effective traditional methods and techniques used in 19th-century European academies and private ateliers, the Russian academy, the apprentice system of the renaissance and our faculty’s own extensive experience both as students (such as their studies with Odd Nerdrum) and as instructors (Atelier Stockholm does not use the sight-size method). The result is a rigorous and demanding system, which offers the greatest flexibility to meet the specific needs of each student so that they progress at their own best pace.

The curriculum is designed as a systematic progression, which breaks down the complex and intimidating challenge of learning to draw and paint realistically from life into practical stages. Each stage requires that the student acquire and demonstrate specific skills before advancing to the next more challenging stage. Students progress in a logical, step-by-step fashion leading ultimately to free and confident painting in oil. The speed at which a student advances through the curriculum is directly related to how much time and effort they invest.

The school is open from 8AM to 8PM Monday through Friday, and 9AM to 5PM on Saturday.
Students work on their individual projects (ie: cast drawings, still life paintings, etc.) each and every workday, but there are also special activities and programs throughout the week.
An instructor reviews a beginning student’s work twice every day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon. More advanced students are reviewed less frequently, perhaps every other day. The flexibility of the program allows for more reviews if needed, or less, if the student is proceeding well. The instructors are constantly observing and analyzing every student’s progress and adapting their instruction to best assist each student.

Students also learn a wide variety of practical skills including hand grinding their own oil paint; preparing wood panels and copper as supports for painting; stretching and preparing raw linen canvas as a support; mixing mediums, grounds and varnishes, and a great deal more.

If you would like to know what some current and former students have to say about this education, you can read their comments on the Testimonials page.