The Russian-American Academy of Art
“Let us return to the values and ethics in art. Let us learn to draw and paint like the Masters did – from life. Let us seek to acquire the skills that are not taught in contemporary art schools to continue the traditional school's legacy and make our descendents proud of us like we are proud of the Masters and the Traditional school, the strongest school ever existed.”
~ Igor Babailov, M.F.A.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Russian-American Academy of Art is dedicated to the principles and values in Fine Art, as taught by the Masters of Realism from Renaissance to the academic traditions of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The in-depth study of the human form, particularly in portraiture, is an essential and fundamental pre-requisite for a sound art education and professional career in fine arts.
The intense and deeply profound nature of this instruction will enable the artist to quickly and effectively achieve a higher level of their artistic and professional skil.
HIGHER ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
The Russian-American Academy of Art offers workshops of classical distinction, therefore they are suitable for both, art students and professional artists. The "forgotten secrets" of the Old Masters' drawing and painting skills are taught by Igor V. Babailov, whose fine art education (1974 -1990) belongs to the acclaimed Russian - European academic school of art. He has the Master of Fine Arts Degree ( M.F.A. - the equivalent to Ph.D in other fields) and he is a third generation direct descendant student of such masters in the history of Art as Repin and Serov.
Honored with the title “Living Master” by the Art Renewal Center (ARC) Igor V. Babailov, portrait and figurative artist, experienced teacher, and spokesperson for the traditional school of classical realism, is a recipient of national and international awards and honors, and is a Master graduate of the world acclaimed Surikov Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow, representing the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts (est.1757).
Mr. Babailov has a strong belief in the eternal values offered by the artists of the Renaissance, which are love and respect for God's creation, appreciation of life's harmony and beauty without alterations, a knowledge of anatomy, perspective, composition, painting and drawing methods, and a MUST of the drawing skill, based on that knowledge.
Over the past 25 years, Mr. Babailov established his reputation as a traditional master of portraiture and has painted numerous portraits of social, business and political elite. His recent commissioned portraits include those of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, U.S. President George W. Bush, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Nobel Prize Peace Laureate Nelson Mandela, to name a few (please see "About the Artist").
Painting multi-figured murals is traditionally recognized as the highest achievement of the artistic expertise. Besides being a portraitist, Mr. Babailov's uniqueness as the artist is also evident in his large-scale mural size works such as the historical painting of the Columbus Voyage to the Americas and another work currently underway entitled: "Who Has to Suffer..and Why? a multi-figured composition dedicated to the innocent victims of today's wars .
In 1996 he organized the First official delegation visit of American artists to Russia in conjunction with the Russian Parliament (Duma) and the Union of Artists. Member of the National Arts Club, he has taught at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, the Cincinnati Art Club, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists and other art schools and art societies nationally and internationally. Mr. Babailov is a speaker of distinction on “The Art of Power and the Power of Art”, with the exclusive Harry Walker Speakers bureau in New York City.
CURRICULUM OF STUDIES
I will teach you to free yourself from the contemporary slavery of cameras and photography, so you can work comfortably from life, which is the key to the growth and mastery of the higher artistic skill.
~ Igor Babailov, M.F.A.
The level of instruction is designed for art professionals and art students. The academy offers several 3 and 5 day workshops during the academic year. The studies are based on working with live models. Highly individualized attention is given to the students, therefore the workshop sizes are kept to approx. 15 students.
Many contemporary schools offer portrait and life drawing classes and the students enter these stages without having acquired a knowledge of anatomy, so they have been taught to draw the “mask” without knowing what’s underneath. At the academy, anatomy lessons are ever present and woven into the instruction so that the student incorporates this knowledge into their artistic skill.
The focus of studies is The Portrait, which is the most complex and challenging form in realistic art, and it is the essential for strong artistic skill. According to I. Repin, “If you can draw a portrait, you would be able to draw anything you want.”
Another characteristic feature of the workshops is a concentration on developing and improving the skill of drawing, which is essential in the painting as well. That incorporates the knowledge of impeccable composition, perfect proportions, and the right perspective with the proper foreshortenings. And of course, the indispensable chiaroscuro.
Mr. Babailov shares his knowledge and experience of working in the tradition of the Old Masters with the limited number of colors (7-9) on his palette, yet producing vibrant and colorful paintings. This Master method of painting makes his palette very unique amongst contemporary painters.
THE THREE-DAY WORKSHOPS
The 3-day workshop will cover the following topics, dedicating each day to the study of:
- “Solid Drawing as a Fundamental for Strong Painting”
- “Pastel - from Leonardo da Vinci to the Impressionists and beyond”
- “Oil Painting – the Medium of The Masters”.
AGENDA
Day 1
Theme: Solid Drawing as a Fundamental for Strong Painting
9am-12noon:
Completed Portrait Demo by Mr. Babailov: Drawing the character through the anatomic structure and the tonal Values.
Completed Portrait Demo by Mr. Babailov: Drawing the character through the anatomic structure and the tonal Values.12noon - 1pm: Lunch
1pm -4pm: Students work with the life model inspired by what they learned in the morning demo session. Q & A
Students work with the life model inspired by what they learned in the morning demo session. Q & ADay 2
Theme: Pastel - from Leonardo da Vinci to the Impressionists.
9am -12noon: Completed Portrait Demo by Mr. Babailov: Working with pastel medium, as a transition between drawing and painting.
12noon -1pm: Lunch Break
1pm -4pm: Students work with the models inspired by what they learned in the morning demo session. Q & A
Day 3
Theme: Oil Painting – The Medium of the Masters
9am -12noon: Completed Portrait Demo by Mr. Babailov: Painting is Drawing with the brush.
12noon - 1pm: Lunch Break
1pm - 4pm: Students work with models inspired by what they learned in the morning demo session. Q & A
NOTA BENE: Please inquire about our 5-day Workshops for those who would like to have the additional time of two full days to work with the life model in Mr. Babailov's mentring and sharing his knowledge.
FEES AND REGISTRATION (please see "Schedule of Workshops")
ART SUPPLY LIST (Please click to see the Art Supply List)
Master of Ascending Realism
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All images on this website are the intellectual property of Igor V. Babailov and may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's written permission
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