Techniques w/ Vitaliy Shtanko - Painting Gold

An installment in the Technique related content featured on The FAA Collective Patreon

Dear Patrons,

Thank you for your support! This week on the The FAA Collective Patreon we would like to present you with a video featuring Vitaliy Shtanko, Principal Instructor at The Florence Academy of Art, explaining his method of how to achieve the effect of gold in painting. Beginning with explaining how he is inspired by “Orientalism” he moves on to talk about how finding balance in the composition of a work is essential. Vitaliy’s main goal in his work is to create a harmony among all elements that compose it (colors, values, shapes, etc.). 

Gold elements may not only enrich the composition of a work, but help it achieve a certain level of variety. Another technical use of gold elements is that with the contrast they have with human skin, when they are painted on a figurative work they can be used to guide a viewer’s eye to a desired focal point in a painting. Gold jewelry and elements have many uses for painters and often have symbolic meaning in compositions. Through exploring several of Vitaliy’s works, we are shown specific examples of how he uses these elements that have a long standing tradition in specific genres of painting to enhance his contemporary work. We hope you thoroughly enjoy this video filmed in his studio here in Florence, Italy!

In addition to this video, in The Process w/ Vitaliy Shtanko - Underpainting series has more information on painting gold elements on Vitaliy’s painting Isreali girl. 

A detail of the finished portrait Isreali girl can be viewed on Vitaliy Shtanko’s instagram gallery: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7WZJMRoqLB/. 

Oil on canvas 50x70cm 2019

Links to the videos in the series:

The Process w/ Vitaliy Shtanko - Underpainting Series

 Pt.1: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-w-pt-1-32216401

We are guided through the initial stages including “blocking in,” applying basic values, creating a composition, and how to differentiate bigger shapes. 

Pt. 2: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-w-pt-2-33173279

Vitaliy Shtanko reinforces the drawing of the painting by mapping in compressed values of shadow and light, and explains how he models structural planes using limited/compressed mid-tones along with how he focuses on edge quality to increase the illusion of depth. We were also shown the beginning of how how he uses highlights to block in gold details.

Pt. 3: https://www.patreon.com/posts/process-w-pt-3-35668476

We are guided through the final stages of the underpainting process for a portrait in oil from life! Focusing on the torso, silhouette, and background in the painting, we are also shown how to block in golden coins on the dress of the figure. 

Vitaliy Shtanko was born in 1979 in the Ukraine. He studied at Drogobych Art School from 1990-1994, then attended Lvov Academy where he studied classical drawing and painting until 1999. In 2000, Vitaliy moved to Florence with his family where he continued to study classical painting techniques with Daniel Graves at The Florence Academy of Art. After graduating from the Painting Program in 2010, Vitaliy was offered a position of Principal Instructor in the drawing and painting programs.

Since 2001, Vitaliy has participated in numerous group exhibitions and solo shows in Italy and abroad. The main subject of his artwork is portraiture, however, he also enjoys still life and genre painting.

“To better characterize my nature as an artist, I like to quote the great Ilya Repin: Keep abreast of the new century, constantly move forward and only use the greatest and finest creations of art as examples, and, by following them, participate in art with your own strenths, adding to the overall gret chorus your own voice, and to improve the latter, you should work selflessly, work and study!.”

See more of Vitaliy’s work:

FAA Alumni Gallery: https://www.florenceacademyofart.com/alumni-gallery/vitaliy-shtanko/

Instagram: @vitaliy_shtanko_art  www.instagram.com/vitaliy_shtanko_art