Discover the Art of Figure Drawing at OKO Academy in Prague

Are you an aspiring artist or an art enthusiast looking to refine your skills in figure drawing? Prague, the city of a hundred spires, is not just known for its breathtaking architecture and rich history but also for its vibrant art scene. Among the numerous opportunities it offers, figure drawing classes at OKO Academy are great for both beginners and seasoned artists aiming to delve deeper into the art of capturing the human form.

Why Choose Figure Drawing Classes at OKO Academy?

OKO Academy, nestled in the heart of Prague, is a tiny art studio with big ideas. Here's why you should consider enrolling in their figure drawing classes:

Here you will learn from highly experienced and passionate artists who are not just teachers but active contributors to the art community. Their individual approach ensures that each student, regardless of their skill level, receives personalized guidance and support.

Dynamic Curriculum: The curriculum at OKO Academy is designed to cater to a wide range of artistic pursuits, focusing on the fundamental techniques of figure drawing. From understanding anatomy and proportions to mastering shading and composition, the classes cover all aspects necessary to enhance your drawing skills.

Inspiring Environment:Prague's historical ambiance combined with OKO Academy's welcoming and creatively stimulating environment makes it the perfect place to get inspired. Surrounded by fellow artists and iconic art pieces, you'll find yourself immersed in a world where creativity knows no bounds.

Flexible Scheduling: Whether you're a local resident or a visitor in Prague, OKO Academy offers flexible class schedules to fit your lifestyle. Choose from weekend workshops, evening classes, or intensive courses to match your availability and learning pace.

Networking Opportunities: Joining figure drawing classes at OKO Academy opens up numerous opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, share ideas, and even collaborate on projects. It's a chance to be part of Prague's thriving art community.

Making the Most Out of Your Figure Drawing Classes

To truly benefit from your figure drawing classes at OKO Academy, come prepared to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. Embrace the diverse models and subjects presented in class as each offers a unique challenge and learning opportunity. Additionally, take advantage of the feedback from instructors and peers, as constructive criticism is invaluable for artistic growth.

Join the Artistic Legacy of Prague

By enrolling in figure drawing classes at OKO Academy, you're not just learning how to draw; you're becoming part of Prague's rich artistic tradition. This city has nurtured countless artists over the centuries, and now you have the chance to walk in their footsteps, guided by the expertise and passion of OKO Academy's instructors.

Ready to Unleash Your Creative Potential?

Whether you're taking your first steps in the world of art or looking to refine your skills further, OKO Academy in Prague offers a nurturing and enriching environment to explore the nuances of figure drawing. Visit their website today to learn more about the courses available and how you can start your artistic journey in one of Europe's most inspirational cities.

Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your artistry amidst the historical charm and creative spirit of Prague. Enroll in figure drawing classes at OKO Academy and let your artistic journey begin!

NFTs and the future of painting and contemporary art

Oh no not again!

Ok. A few disclaimers. I am an NFT artist. AMA! I have constructed an NFT pipeline using hundreds of paintings as source material which have been cut into thousands of pieces and are recomposed based on the users history who is buying the image. This results in (I kid you not) billions of possible unique combinations. These combinations are created generatively and needless to say, the website and minting process is an absolute spaceship of sorts (meaning it's super complex) . All of the paintings which are being used are my own. These would generally be considered traditional paintings, as in, they don't start off digitally. Part of my work involves situating oil painting in a digital landscape since the late 90s. The paintings themselves are about the intersection of technology and biology. How our bodies, and minds are largely shaped by this thing we're all on now. You know, the internet. I've studied, and created internet art for over 25 years now, and have worked with some of the earliest practitioners in this space. Probably some which you may have heard of. I've attended some of the most renowned schools in the world (SAIC, Glasgow School of Art) and I've spoken with consultants who work for major art institutions (Christies, Artnet, etc.) and my gallery is extremely interested in being brought in. Many other galleries are as well. This is a business waiting to happen for anyone who has the skills to pull it off.

So, now that we've got that out of the way. Lets talk about Lebron selling a dunk video for a couple hundred grand. Basically, as I see it, usually this type of obscure technology is harnessed by artists first. And this case is no different. There have been a few places selling NFTs for years now. One of the most famous projects, cryptopunks, was started over two years ago. Lebron and Taco Bell have got in the game for different reasons, however what's connecting them is the fact that digital collectibles have become more commonplace. As I said in my last post, if you want a good breakdown of why people care about non tangible art, ask an average 8 year old about their favorite digital pet. Of course those in film, performance, and conceptual art are also not strangers to art that doesn't just hang on a wall, but exists in a different space. With that being said, the market still likes tangible items, which is why artists have devised different methods for offering a tangible piece (a book, a print, lightbox, etc.) alongside the NFT. However, this represents a bit of a problem, because the person who buys the piece doesn't necessarily have to resell the original item along with it. There are a LOT of kinks to be worked out. The whole medium is still a baby.

So, Why are people buying these? When I told my friend I was working on an NFT project he said "Have you thought about making an NFT which isn't garbage?" which is funny, but also true to some extent. A lot of them look like shit. But then again, so does the front page of /r/art ( here's the top post from this year with nearly 100,000 upvotes ), and some of the most upvoted images on Instagram. Whether we like it or not, the general public doesn't have the same views on art as art nerds may have. When's the last time you saw a major artist make a post, and then say "Show me what you're up to!" or a collector saying "Reply in the comments with your paintings! I've got $100,000 to spend today!" Simply doesn't happen.

Adressing some of the concerns about "scams", there are people doing weird things with money. One thing about crypto is that all of these transactions are public in a sense, so it's not the best medium to launder money, however surely it is happening, just as it happens with the highbrow art market, and concrete sales, casinos, etc. If you want a good medium for illicit activity, then cash works quite well, however we wouldn't imagine getting rid of cash because drug dealers use it (well, maybe some have) . (Techbro hat on) Another factor is that it doesn't seem that crypto is going anywhere, as it continues to just rise in value, but has also now been absorbed by the major banks of the world who also see the benefits.I don't know enough about banking to know whether or not crypto is a safer way of transferring millions of dollars as compared to how the banks have done this in the past, however the fact that it is a public ledger would lead me to believe that the banks actually do see some benefit and are no longer scared of it.

One really amazing thing I've witnessed within the scene, is how eager a lot of people are to trade these as well. The secondary market is absolutely buzzing at the moment, and i've never seen anything online which has been similar to how the public is interacting with, and buying art. And all doing so without the need for galleries, or large auction houses. I think in part, some of the skepticism we see, is due to the fact that NFTs kind of make them irrelevant.

Look. I don't know what the future of the market is. Perhaps it does fizzle out in the current iteration, however I think this method of purchasing nontangible art is going to stick around. This is a good thing for people working in these mediums. I'm kind of amazed that a lot of my peers from art school are extremely skeptical, and even disparaging NFTs. I get that you don't want your work to be synonymous with a celebrity sex tape, or a sexy elf queen, but the technology itself is actually really robust and amazing. The idea of digital collectibles is actually quite old, and I can remember the original pearl clutching over the so called "gold mining" efforts done some 20 years ago in World of Warcraft. Ebay actually banned the sale of digital items in the early 2000s, but obviously that didn't stop people from buying them, and now purchasing digital swords and pets is pretty much standard in literally thousands upon thousands of games. There's no going back now.

Artists Creating Alternate Histories

Throughout the ages artists have looked to their own mythical versions of history in order to create their work. By doing so, they can also show us clues about how our own culture shapes our perception of the world, and the myths that keep it afloat. Alternate History, is most commonly known in speculative fiction, which is a genre of fiction where one or more historical events occur differently. Imagine if the Allies hadn’t won WWII? Imagine if we never invented soap. Imagine if the the earth was destroyed by people and then a race of apes became super intelligent and then took the humans place. Wait…That’s Planet of the Apes!

Sci FI is a good starting point for a lot of speculative fiction. Margaret Atwood said that Speculative Fiction was “Sci Fi without the aliens” which I think is pretty apt. So, who are some other visual artists who have created works of art that also deal with alternate histories?

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Trenton Doyle Hancock creates paintings that exist in the fantastical universe which he has created. His main character is called “Torpedo Boy” , and based upon himself. He also creates recurring creatures and personalities within his paintings. “Mounds” being one of them. In an interview with NPR Hancock stated that "Mounds are these half-human and half-plant creatures. They're kind of these dopey big mound heaps that can't really move or do anything."

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Kerry James Marshall, who is considered one of the most influential living painters today created a comic book called Mastyr which featured black super heroes who previously were not often seen in comics. The self taught artist successfully bridged genres with this absolute classic.

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"Black people occupy a space, even mundane spaces, in the most fascinating ways. Style is such an integral part of what black people do that just walking is not a simple thing. You've got to walk with style. You've got to talk with a certain rhythm; you've got to do things with some flair. And so in the paintings I try to enact that same tendency toward the theatrical that seems to be so integral a part of the black cultural body." Kerry James Marshall

Some of these genres may intersect with a genre called “Afro Futurism” which is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of African diaspora culture with technology. Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture and science fiction, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.

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Drexciya and Ramelzee both blended the boundaries of music, primarily hip hop, theater, world building and their own artistic visions.

Matthew Barney’s Creamaster cycle is one of the most well known alternate universe’s created by a contemporary artist. This is a series of five feature-length films, together with related sculptures, photographs, drawings, and artist's books, created by American visual artist and filmmaker. I remember seeing one of his sculptures in a show, it was like a lump of synthetic flesh. Without knowing the films, the other objects are difficult to interpret.

This sort of speculation isn’t anything new however, but goes back centuries. The earliest example of alternate (or counterfactual) history is found in Livy's Ab Urbe Condita Libri. Livy contemplated an alternative 4th century BC in which Alexander the Great had survived to attack Europe as he had planned; asking, "What would have been the results for Rome if she had been engaged in a war with Alexander?".

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In addition to literally, sculpture, and painting serving as a platform for artists to examine alternate histories. Video Games have also become a popular place for “alternative futures” and pasts both to take place. Crimson Skies is one example of an alternate history spawning multiple interpretations in multiple genres. The stories and games in Crimson Skies take place in an alternate 1930s United States, where the nation crumbled into many hostile states following the effects of the Great Depression, the Great War, and Prohibition. With the road and railway system destroyed, commerce took to the skies, which led to the emergence of air pirate gangs who plunder the aerial commerce..

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers) is a series of first-person shooter survival horror video games developed by Ukrainian video game developer GSC Game World for Microsoft Windows. The games are set in the area surrounding the Chernobyl disaster site, colloquially known as the Zone, in an alternative reality where a second explosion occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant twenty years after the first and causes strange changes in the area around it.

These are just a few examples of artists who have played with World Building and created their own mythologies and cosmologies. This can serve as a powerful vehicle for artists to commandeer as they search for their own voice and what they want to say. Instead of starting completely from scratch, just know that it’s ok to play with all of the mythologies and stories in our lives, and create whatever world it is that we want to create.

ASSIGNMENT:

Create a series of 6 paintings based on your own world building, and mythology.

For this project you’ll need to first find a pre existing mythology. Let’s say you want to play with Norse Mythology and alter it with a futuristic setting. In this case, the first thing you’re going to need to do is familiarize yourself with that mythology. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just make it all up on your own. This is an assignment on BUILDING on a mythological framework , and speculating on a different trajectory of history. So, find out what mythology you want to build upon, and read a book on it. Not a website. A book. You know, that thing with pages, that takes more than 15 minutes on a wikipedia page? The word you’re going to look for is “cosmology” which refers to the universe in which a myth takes place.

After you have chosen your mythology. You’re going to start with character design. Create three different (or more) characters that exist within your universe. Make portraits of these people in an interior setting which tells us about the universe in which they inhabit.

In addition to the three portraits. Create 1 painting depicting a tool that exists in this universe. This is kind of like a still life, except with objects of your own creation. You can use photoshop (or Gimp, which is free to download) to mash up different gadgets to create your own. And then make a painting from it! Alternatively, you can also collage different images together (cut up old magazines, newspapers, etc.) . If you really want to go for it, make a trip to a second hand shop and look for children’s toys. Cut them up and reassemble, and then paint them.

The final two paintings you make will be multi figural compositions, with your gadgets, and the still lifes present. Boom, there you’ve got it! Your own universe which you have created!

Boars in Art

We’ve got a new “oldest cave painting” ! It was discovered in Indonesia. The painting was painted life size, and it’s believed to date back to around 45,000 years ago. This painting, is now evidence which precedes what was considered to be the oldest human settlement in the region.

You ever wonder why these early human civilizations didn’t paint squirrels? Humans always like to paint the craziest animals which they have encounters with. I actually had my own encounter with a wild boar, after walking home from the train after a night of drinking with friends. I lived down a nature trail that had no lighting at night, and it was probably close to one in the morning. Off in the distance I saw what I thought was a little dog. Thinking it was lost, I walked up to it, and I was actually a bit excited to have a new pet friend. Well, as I got closer I realized it wasn’t a little dog, but a baby pig, and mommy was chilling in the tall grass right near it. The thing came at me with a viciousness and I ran and jumped on top of a tram platform vestibule thingy. I scanned the area around me as I sat perched on top of this thing in the night and saw nothing. After a few minutes I plopped down and continued home. Apprehensive of any movement or sounds around me. Boars are scary. Really. They’re a weird prehistoric monster of sorts. They don’t seem like they should still be on the planet. Their movements are odd, and their bodies seem crude.

I imagine that for the people of the Leang Tedongnge cave, which was located in a valley surrounded by steep limestone cliffs. An encounter with a wild boar would also be a memorable one. Of course, these animals were also hunted, and provided sustanance, so there was also probably a reverence for the beast as well. The area where the cave was located could only be accessed in the dry season, due to constant flooding the rest of the year. According to the Buqis community which lives nearby (about an hour from any road) the are had never been explored by any Westerners until now.

The painting itself is around 50 x 20 inches, and it was made by crushing up red ochre pigment that were most likely mixed with spit. If you look closely you can even see a few warts on him, and horns as well. Which is characteristic of the animal.

So lets think about boars for a second, and what it is about them that makes us want to paint them. Getting out of your comfort zone can always be good as an artist, and a simple way to do this is through weekly prompts where you can focus on something different every week. So make some wild boar paintings. learn about the wild pigs in your community. Where do they live? What do they do now? What are your experiences with them? Perhaps in doing so, you could learn something more about painting, but also about what it means to be human as well.

Best Paintings of Dogs

Anyone who has taken my class is aware there are a few “banned” subjects. One of them is pet portraits, and the other is ski photos. One is because I’ve never seen anyone actually make a good dog painting in my class, and the other is personal bias against skiing in general. But upon my own retrospection, I’ve come to the realization that banning these things is silly. There’s great skiing paintings, and there’s also great dog paintings. I just needed to expose my students and the world to the good dog paintings. It’s my fault that there isn’t a greater acknowledgement of the best dog paintings that have been created and what we can learn from them. So, as we all break down the barriers which hold us back in 2020, I’m confronting my fears, and compiling a top ten list of the best dog paintings ever made. Here they are, in no particular order (except Picasso is the best of course)

Matisse

Matisse

Velazquez

Velazquez

Van Mieris

Van Mieris

Paul Klee

Paul Klee

Picasso

Picasso

Titian

Titian

Bougereau

Bougereau

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