Are you ready to take your paintings to a higher level? If so, this is the class that will elevate your work beyond the quality you've previously experienced. This knowledge isn't found anywhere else, and you'll immediately see a difference in you work.
You aren’t alone. Most artists reach a certain level, but don’t know where to go next. You try experimenting, hoping to stumble across real answers, but you aren’t satisfied.
No problem. Our optional Foundations Day kit will allow you to develop the necessary skills before the workshop even begins. Kits include paint, airbrush paper, compressor and online video.
Perhaps 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.
Imagine being able to create paintings with even more realistic skin texture and colors than you've ever painted before. Imagine knowing shortcuts to move your work forward faster, without sacrificing any quality.
You could spend years (or more likely, decades) trying to break through to the next level. Now it’s possible for you to raise your artistic level in a fraction of the time that it would take if you tried it on your own.
Learn all about Skin texture, wrinkles, beard stubble, Iris texture, Transparent vs Opaques, and how to take your portrait skills to the next level!
We aren’t just limited to teaching you all about airbrush. We include a variety of other freehand tricks to help you make your present and future artwork the best possible.
Here we will take what you learned in previous classes and add to it. This is the most important foundation of any painting, yet it is the most often overlooked.
Since opaque and transparent paint behaves so differently, we need to know how and when to apply each to our painting, because each possesses unique characteristics which need to be considered first.
Learn Dru's 3-color palette for any skin tone, the 2-color rule for eyelashes, and how to arrive at a natural lip color.
Transparent flesh tones expand your capabilities Here we will show you how utilize them with skin textures for maximum realism.
So far we've worked inside the color wheel, but what colors lie outside the wheel? Learn about the benefits and limitations of working outside the color wheel
You learned about simultaneous contrast in the previous classes, but where does it hide in our paintings and reference photos? You will learn how to detect when your eye is being fooled by it.
Most people wouldn’t believe that a blade can be used to make subtle adjustments or correct major errors. We will show you the best way to apply the blade to subtly lighten an area.
You can't trust your computer monitor for color, and as a result printed reference photos often have color casts that go unnoticed by everyone. Dru will show you how to combat the problem.
There is more to using a hand shield than just holding if over your painting and spraying. Here we will show you many advanced shield techniques.
We will take an in-depth look at the iris and how to best render it. You will learn several different techniques to create the complex texture.
When you try to erase a mistake, you often create new problems, namely hard edges where you don't want them. In this advanced class, we will show you how to overcome this problem.
It never hurts to have knowledge of other methods. Here we will introduce you to alternative techniques that allow you to make great skin textures.
Take what you already know about erasing and add to it. We will show you how to get even more out of your eraser.
Here you will learn advanced methods with the blade for even greater realism
Some hair colors are more difficult to render than others, and require a different foundational color. We will show them all to you, as well as some extra tips for greater realism.
Paper masks are often overlooked, but can be powerful allies when it comes to creating a photorealistic painting.
Some complex transitions are a bit tricky to navigate. We will show you how to manage them.
Skin is a complex, translucent, and textured surface. We will show you several ways to quickly achieve photorealistic skin.
You learned about BCR in the first workshop. Now learn how to use a reverse technique. We will explain what it is and how to use it.
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.
It's 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.
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!
1. You could give up on your dreams and continue doing what you are doing, but let's be frank. You would not have continued reading up to this point if you wanted that. You are here because you believe that you deserve to be a better artist than what you are now. You aren’t the kind of person who’s going to settle for mediocrity.
2. You could try practicing on your own hoping to figure it out someday. Its very difficult and time-consuming without all the shortcuts that we could show you, but its an excellent choice if you have all the time in the world.
3. Enroll in this course and enjoy the benefits of step by step guided instruction. You get what you need without wasting years or possibly a lifetime of guessing. If you don’t have time to travel to our workshops, try our Classroom in a box series and learn from home.
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 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.
Getting here
The school address is 4935 Buckhead Road, Blair, SC, 29015, which is 90 minutes from the Charlotte airport. Students are responsible for their own transportation from the airport, and we recommend Uber or Lyft. We will provide a free shuttle to the airport on the last day of class (Sunday) but be sure to schedule your flight after 5 pm to allow travel time to the airport.
Plan on arriving the evening before classes. Try to arrive at the school between 5 pm and 7 pm if possible, at the Charlotte, NC airport.
Food and Lodging
Private rooms with baths are available as an add-on for students who wish to reside at the school during classes. You will want to arrive the evening before the classes and depart on the last day of class.
Breakfast is at 8:30 am, Lunch is at 1:00 pm, and Dinner is served at 7:30 pm. If you have special dietary requirements, you must notify us when you enroll to ensure we can prepare properly for your attendance.