"In his figurative work, GUSTAVO RAMOS (b. 1993 Brazil) not only delivers technically superb paintings, but also captures the human spirit. Expressions, body language and postures are both impeccably depicted and incredibly vibrant. This is why Ramos is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after portraiture artists and his oil paintings have been exhibited at world-class venues, including the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Sotheby's in New York City."  —Scottsdale Artists School, 2022 Catalog

November 5th, 6th & 7th, 2025 (Wed to Fri)

3 Day oil painting workshop

What you will learn

Description

What is it that gives a masterful oil painting its jewel-like quality, mysterious luster and lasting freshness? The extensive properties of oil paint have enabled the creation of iconic portraits that prove difficult to decipher. In this 3-day workshop, Ramos will walk students through his award-winning portrait method from the ground up.

Working from the live model, the artist will demonstrate his unique way of dissecting visual information into a rich and dynamic likeness. Students will have hands-on experience with Ramos' sensitive color palette and particular brush-handling to lay thick impastos and translucent shadows. One-on-one instruction will be given to internalize the principles of light, structure, shape design, tonal abstraction and broken color. Lively class discussions and rigorous focused time on the easel will equip the beginner or advanced student with a newfound arsenal to create luminous professional portraits in a way that only oil painting at its highest level can achieve.

What you'll learn

Optimizing the qualities of opaque and translucent paint to enhance the illusion of space. How to apply rich impastos while maintaining delicacy of color and form. Interpreting the "broken color" of the flesh with a logical yet intuitive approach.

• A mentality of building layers even when painting Alla Prima.

• Dependable methods of checking proportions and capturing an accurate likeness.

• In-depth critiques to help each artist meet individual goals.

• Indirect painting methods such as glazing and scumbling, and when to use either.

• Maintaining dynamic flesh tones while using muted colors.

• A hierarchy of importance among visual elements to avoid mistakes.

• Dependable methods of mixing accurate skin tones.

• A mindful way of blending.

• The brush handling required to paint seamless transitions.

• Steps to take before starting a new layer over dry paint.

• How to adjust and maximize the medium as the painting progresses.

• Exactly which brushes and pigments the artist finds most dependable.

• A system of mixing on the palette that abstractly mirrors the painting. How to make drastic changes to facial features even late into the painting.

• Making adjustments to large forms without needing to repaint entire areas. In-depth discussions covering a variety of topics
  

About the artist

Featured in Southwest Art Magazine's "Artist to Watch: The Editor's Choice for Up-and-Coming Talent"

         As a young boy growing up in Brazil, Gustavo Ramos loved to draw, but a fine-art career wasn’t even a notion in his mind. Then, when he was 15, Ramos moved with his family to the United States. The change was startling for the teenager, who didn’t know any English when he arrived at his new high school in Arizona. “I had to depend a lot on observing body language when trying to communicate” Ramos recalls now, a decade later.

           It proved to be a seminal time for the budding artist, whose careful observations of people’s expressions, gesticulations, and postures motivated him to depict the figure in pencil. “It gave me an edge in depicting those subtle bodily gestures that help tell a story,” he says. Determined to paint like the old masters, Ramos exclusively worked from life during his training. Now, when using reference photographs he has taken of his models, says Ramos, “I can conceptualize form. I’m able to look at the flat surface of a painting and picture space inside that surface.”

           At 26, the Phoenix-area artist is already snapping up top accolades for his sensitive, contemporary portrayals of the figure in oil. In works like INFINITY—a painting starring his wife that touches on the mystery of life after death and the concept of eternity—he has been exploring storytelling techniques that convey more than just someone’s likeness. For guidance, he often studies Rembrandt van Rijn’s evocative portraits. “Rembrandt created the sense of a real person who had real experiences,” says Ramos. “That’s something I try to do with my work.” —Kim Agricola

Southwest Art, March/April 2020 issue

EDUCATION

Southern Virginia University | BA 2017

Florence Academy of Art | Summer 2018

AWARDS

• Boynes Emerging Artist Award - Finalist, 2021

• "People and Figures" International Artist Magazine - Finalist, 2021

• Year of Rembrandt International Contest, Royal Talens - Winner, 2019

• Artist's Magazine Annual Competition - Top 10 Finalist, 2019

• Artistic Excellence, Southwest Art Magazine - Runner-Up, 2019

• Art Renewal Center Salon - Staff Award, 2019

• ARC Featured Artist Award - Springville Museum of Art, 2019

• Portrait Society of America International Competition - Select 50, 2019

• James C. Christensen Scholarship, 2018

• The John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Foundation Fine Art Award, 2018

• Manifest Gallery, International Drawing Annual - Finalist, 2017

• The Florence Academy of Art Summer Scholarship, 2017

• The John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Foundation Fine Art Award, 2017

• Southern Virginia University Annual Art Show – Best of Show, 2017

• The John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Foundation Fine Art Award, 2016

• 1st Place – Greater Arizona Winston Visual Art Competition, 2016

• Meridyth M. Kidd Memorial Arts Scholarship, 2016

• SVU's "The Review" Literary Journal - First Place Artwork Award, 2016

PRESS

• "The Lunar Codex" - Revista Veja, 2024

• “The Paintings of Gustavo Ramos” Feature Article - Southwest Art, 2023

• Society of Classical Poets, Journal XI featuring "Portrait of a Girl", 2023

• “Gustavo Ramos: The Evolution of a Master Artist” - AATONAU, 2023

• Think Big by Painting Small with Gustavo Ramos - Artists Network Illuminate Event, 2022

• Gustavo Ramos: Layers of Refinement - Art's Cool Podcast, 2022

• "Illuminated Form: The Paintings of Gustavo Ramos" Artists Magazine May/June Feature Article, 2022

• Society of Classical Poets, Journal X featuring "Mother and Child", 2022

• “4 Stages of Bringing A Portrait to Life: An Oil Painting Demo” - Artists Network, 2022

• Society of Classical Poets, featuring "Longing" Journal IX page 14, 2021

• Boynes Emerging Artist Award - Interview Article, 2021

• International Artist Magazine issue #138 "People and Figures", 2021

• Arcadia Contemporary Promo, "Woman in Red" featured in 1st page of American Art Collector, Feb., 2021

• "Artists Making Their Mark: Three to Watch" Fine Art Connoisseur - September/October, 2020

• Blank Magazine NYC - December 2020 issue, 2020

• "Artist to Watch: The Editor's Choice for Up-and-Coming Talent" Southwest Art - March/April, 2020

• The Best of Drawing, Front Cover - Winter 2020 Issue

• Royal Talens 2020 Calendrier des Papiers, 2020

• Southwest Art Magazine – 21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch –September, 2018

• The Artist’s Magazine – Shades of Gray Competition – May, 2018

• International Drawing Annual INDA12 - Manifest, 2018

• Poets and Artists Magazine – Figurative Realism – 100th Issue, 2018

• The Circle Foundation – Quarterly Art Review – Spring Issue, 2018

• ARTIT Magazine – Issue #3 Front Cover, 2018

• FSTOP Feature Article - "Gustavo Ramos - Drawing Human Narratives", 2016

• Southern Virginia University - "Student to Exhibit Artwork at Lexington's Nelson Gallery", 2016

• Southern Virginia University - "Gustavo Ramos Awarded 2017 Stacey Scholarship", 2016

• SVU's "The Review" Literary Journal - Front Cover, 2016

EXHIBITIONS

• Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week 2025

• FOUND:RE Contemporary - "RE:MASTERED", 2025

• FOUND:RE Contemporary - "RED", 2025

• Paul Scott Gallery - "2024 Selections", 2024

• Nucleus Portland - "Salut! 9", 2024

• Paul Scott Gallery - 144 Exhibition, 2024

• Arcadia Contemporary - 5 and Under Exhibition, NYC 2023

• Arizona State University Gammage - Featured Artist Exhibition, 2022

• "Home Again" Art Show, Utah 2022

• FOUND:RE Contemporary - Artlink 21st Juried Exhibition, 2021

• Arcadia Contemporary - SoHo Grand Opening, NYC 2021

• FOUND:RE Contemporary - "Portraits and Icons", 2020

• Springville Museum of Art - ARC Featured Artist, 2020

• Rijksmuseum - Royal Talens Year of Rembrandt, 2020

• Sotheby’s NYC - ARC Salon, 2020

• Collins Galleries - "Small Works", 2019

• MEAM European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona ES - ARC Salon, 2019

• Springville Museum of Art, Springville UT - Spring Salon, 2019

• Southern Virginia University, Buena Vista VA - Senior Art Show, 2017

• Nelson Gallery, Lexington VA - "Portraits", 2017

Location: Noho Art School, New York, USA

Program: Art Classes & Lectures

Art Mentor: Gustavo Ramos

Price $795

Limited to 12 participants