Wildlife Workshop


Birds of Prey + Live Demonstration

In this workshop, Dru will share the techniques he
uses to create photorealistic birds of prey. Dru will
demonstrate the rendering of feathers, eyes, beaks,
and talons, and will also explain how to merge the
bird into the background scene to avoid a “cut-out”
appearance. In addition,to feathers, Dru will cover
scales, and fur.

Falconeer Chad Harrelson will be flying one or more
live birds of prey during the workshop, so bring your
camera.

Composition, lighting, and textures, will also be
discussed as well as specialized techniques and
their proper use. Students will learn to quickly
match colors with extreme accuracy and precision
through Dru Blair's Color Buffer Theory.

All materials and reference will be supplied in our
new facility, which features color-corrected lighting
and a state-of-the-art air filtration system. There
will also be an optional Foundations class on the
Wednesday before each workshop for those
wanting to brush up on their airbrush control.

Class is limited to 14 and will be filled on a first-
come, first-served basis. To reserve your seat
today, browse to the class schedule and select
the workshop date that most fits your schedule.







































































Some of the topics covered:

• Mastering color
• Understanding Dru's color buffer theory
• Transparent vs opaque techniques
• Achieving proportions
• How to survive catastrophic painting errors
• Understanding white and the impact it has on your images
• Dealing with a color shift
• How to match a color dead-on every time
• How to market and price your work
• The 10 rules of Photorealism
• Where to find clients and how to make the big bucks
• The right tools for the best results
• How to really understand light
• The two most important requirements for photo-realistic paintings
• 21 point photorealism checklist
• How to automatically discern problem areas in your own paintings that might otherwise have gone unnoticed
• How to develop observation techniques that allow you to expand your visual discrimination
• How to make fur look real
• Rendering feathers with accuracy
• How to paint photorealistic scales
• The single most important thing to remember when negotiating a price for your work
• Buffered contrast reduction (BCR) how and when to use it
• Split paper/frisket techniques
• Shield-reveal techniques
• Shield-conceal techniques
• Bounce method
• Eraser techniques
• The proper use of frisket
• How to use liquid frisket effectively
• Frisket overlap method
• Single color multiplier and when to use it
• Step method transitions
• Skeet method for creating skin texture
• Creating textures with chemicals
• How to get furry animals to blend into the scene and avoiding that cut-out look