Imagine the
satisfaction of successfully creating
accurate feathers, fur, and scales
resulting in amazing paintings.
Enjoy the experience of completing several projects, so that you get the maximum benefit from your time at the workshop.
You don't need to wait years to figure everything out. You can advance your skills in just a few days.
If you are tired of seeing all the amazing art posted on social media, and want to create something equal to (or better than) the best that’s out there, here's your chance to learn how Dru creates his photorealistic paintings.
This is airbrushing evolved. We offer content not taught anywhere else in the world.
Everyone starts somewhere. With solid training, you can cut years (or more likely, decades) off of the time it takes to achieve photorealistic mastery. Now it’s possible for you to gain control of your technique in a fraction of the time that it would take if you practiced on your own.
Learn all about Color Buffer Theory, perceptual awareness, elements of vision, transparents vs opaques, rules of realism, recovery exercises, and how to begin a painting.....and that's on the first day!
We aren’t just limited to teaching you all about using the airbrush. We include a variety of other media tricks to help you make your present and future artwork the best possible.
This is the most important foundation of any painting, yet it is the most overlooked. Here you will learn how to position the infant to make use of negative space.
When should you use transparent paint, and when should you use opaque paint? Each has unique characteristics which need to be considered first. You will learn all the differences, and when and why to use each.
Not all animal surfaces are created equal. We will show you the differences, and how to manage them.
In order to re-create reality, we must first be able to see and understand visual reality. We will show you how to observe reality more accurately and help you overcome all limitations.
When masks are involved, an animal will often look like it was cut out and pasted on to the painting. You will learn how to overcome this problem.
Our original theory was initially conceived in the eighties, and is now practiced in some form all over the airbrush world. This is a practical approach to color and color mixing that actually corresponds to the way paint behaves. It is simple, yet comprehensive in scope.
The color wheel is a compass. We will show you how to choose the right color wheel and how to use it correctly. It can be your best aid when mixing and matching colors.
Color can be intimidating, but fear of color will be a thing of the past after we show you how to match a color dead-on every time. You will love this process, especially if you are tired of painting in shades of grey.
Simultaneous contrast is the illusion that colors that come in contact with each other seem more different than they actually are. We will show you how to harness this problem with color discrimination and turn it into one of your most powerful assets.
Soon or later, we all make painting mistakes. If you don’t know how to repair a mistake, your painting will be compromised. We will teach you several ways to repair a mistake, so you will always choose the correct one for your painting.
There are 5 ways to maintain your proportions when transferring your photograph to the painting surface. Learn which ones are most effective.
The visual world contains a variety of edges. Some edges are soft, some are hard, and some are in between. You will learn many different useful techniques to create every type of edges.
Bohkeh is an out-of-focus background effect created by the camera. It's tricky, but possible with the airbrush.
The shield is more versatile than most artist realize. For example, the bounce method allows you to add subtle, almost imperceptible adjustments to you painting.
Almost all our courses are designed for absolute beginners, so don't worry if you've never used an airbrush before. We offer a Foundations Classroom in a Box where you can train at home. When you get to class, we will show you even more, and we don’t limit your training to just the airbrush. There are many tools that complement the airbrush, and we want you to be able to enjoy having the best of them in your arsenal.
The eraser is a versatile instrument, and when properly used, and blend or cut like a knife. We will show you different types of erasers and how you can get the most out of any eraser.
The blade can be a wonderful ally, but it will destroy your painting if you don’t use it correctly. We will show you exactly how to hold it, and how to operate it on different surfaces.
If you want your fur to look more realistic, then follow these simple rules. You will learn them all, as well as some extra tips for greater realism.
Frisket can be one of the best tools for creating crisp edges, but it can also cause problems with your painting surface. Paper has its advantages and disadvantages as a mask too. You will learn all about both types.
The trickiest part of painting is controlling edges. Adjusting edges is necessary, but can be a bit tricky. We will teach you how to change the sharpness or softness of an edge after you’ve created it.
A mask can be used in a variety of ways. For example, you could use split paper/frisket techniques , shield reveal or shield conceal methods to create a line. You will learn which masks are best for any given situation.
Some feather types are more more subtle than others. We will show you several techniques to quickly achieve realistic feathers.
Contrast, along with proportions, and edges, can make or break a painting. Controlling contrast is simple using Buffered Contrast Reduction. We will explain what it is and how to use it.
Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees, and often mistakes go unnoticed. We will show you a simple technique that allows you to quickly spot problem areas that you would have otherwise overlooked.
Its difficult to paint anything accurately until you can really see it. We will teach you how to visually dismantle an object, then reassemble it on the painting surface.
Some complex transitions are a bit tricky to navigate. We will show you how to manage them.
Negotiating a price for your work is probably the most stressful part of being an artist. We will show you negotiating methods that will help remove the stress when working with a client.
Sometimes we make horrific mistakes. The trick is knowing how to deal with them, and hide them in the finished product. We will show you how.
Its difficult to paint anything accurately until you can really see it. We will teach you how to visually dismantle an object, then reassemble it on the painting surface.
Learning about the business of art and marketing allows you, as an artist, to earn money for your creations. You will learn about pricing, galleries, copyright, prints, giclées, originals, and artist representatives.
Color corrected lighting. Central Ventilation
On-site lodging on a 120-acre campus
nestled in a National Forest
I attended Dru's workshop with the hope of learning to paint, I left with the ability to "see" and a system that allowed me to develop my own understanding of painting and colours. Your system has given me the freedom to explore my own creativity.
Dru's teachings showed me how to create great detail and gave me the ability to achieve PHOTOREALISM in my artworks. Thank you for pioneering the world of photorealism in airbrushing, I doubt I would have got here without your long nights and many experiments .
Dru's workshop influenced the way I paint and gave me some new concepts, knowledge and skills to implement into the way I worked today I recommend it!
Our school is located at 4935 Buckhead Road, Blair, SC, 29015. We provide a free shuttle to and from the airport. The shuttle departs from Charlotte airport at 6:00 pm on Tuesday evening March 26th, so plan your flights and allow for any delays. If you miss the shuttle, you are responsible for your own transportation to Blair, and we recommend Uber or Lyft. We will provide a free shuttle to the airport on the last day of class (Sunday) which will arrive at the airport at 4 pm, so be sure to schedule your outgoing flight after 5 pm to allow travel time to the airport.
Our school features on-site lodging and meals for those who wish to purchase the lodging and meals package.
Class begins at 9 am and ends at 7:30pm. Occasionally we will return to class and paint more after dinner. A 1-hour lunch break is held at 1:30 pm.
If you have questions about this class, the direct line to the school here is 803-635-8060 or write to Samantha at blairsam95@gmail.com
We are so sure that we offer the best airbrush course in the world that we are willing to offer you tuition money back if you don’t notice an immediate improvement in your art, and in the way you see the world after taking this course.
You will learn a lot of techniques about different animal surfaces in your workshop, but the most valuable lesson gained is for you to better understand and see the world differently, especially when it comes to color.
We will give you the power to create or re-create reality with stunning photorealism, and at a level no other airbrush workshop in the world offers. A photorealist painter can easily paint in any style, from abstract to impressionist, and even mimic the old masters' paintings. The choices are limitless.
As artists, we take our inspiration from the visual world around us and re-create it on board, metal, or canvas. At the Blair School, we would like to show you how to do it more successfully.