Expressive Portraiture- An Anatomical Approach
A 10 day small group workshop combining an expressive anatomical écorché with traditional portrait techniques.
Workshop
Teacher: Maudie Brady
Location: Studio Maudie Brady Art, Firenze Italy.
Course fee: 2.200,00 €
| Start date | End date | Spots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027-03-22 | 2027-04-02 | 4 | Pre-register |
To see available spots, please select a course date.
This 10 day portrait workshop is designed to give you the skills to enhance the psychological impact of your portraiture by helping you understand the specific anatomical structures of the face and neck that produce expression and gesture.
Taught by the current Director of Anatomy and Ecorché at Florence Academy of Art, Maudie will provide students with attentive and individualised critiques as well as performing group demonstrations that explain how to understand and create the features and planes of the face. You will be working directly from a live model in small groups - 2 students per model, maximum of 4 students per workshop.
On one side of your life-size clay portrait you will be shown traditional academic portrait techniques in order to achieve a naturalistic realism, where the focus will be on modelling the model's likeness on a solid structural foundation ie the inferred skull. On the other side we will be using anatomical references and concepts to sculpt an écorché version (ie without the skin) of the model beginning with the skull and gradually adding the muscles to create an in-depth study of the neck and facial anatomy. The resulting sculpture is the merging of anatomical concepts with the art of portraiture and will serve as an invaluable reference tool for future portrait studies.
Course is taught in English.
Materials/armature is provided during the workshop, basic sculpting tools, course manual, coffee/tea/snacks, small kitchen/lounge area available for eating lunch.
Preserving your sculpture once it’s finished is possible for an added fee, there are several options available: Silicone Mould / Plaster or Resin cast /3D Digital scan/ Firing in Terracotta. Quotes for these services can be provided upon request through my network.
Terms and conditions ← Please read!
Testimonials
Testimonials and reviews for workshops and courses
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A deeply rewarding experience.
Just finished with the 2 weeks half life size full figure workshop at her private studio. The duration of the workshop felt just right, striking a perfect balance, and the thoughtful structuring of the entire process was highly commendable. Her teaching style is both detailed and tailored to each participant, with a strong emphasis on the underlying anatomy. She has a keen sensitivity to recognise one’s shortcomings and the insight to guide each person in the right direction. Her in-depth knowledge of the subject and the commitment to share her knowledge makes her a truly amazing teacher.
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Definitely learn sculpture with Maudie!
I just finished on the 2 week full figure workshop and recommend that anyone interested in learning any figurative sculpture take courses with Maudie! She is an amazing teacher with incredible knowledge of anatomy and goes above and beyond to make the course as informative and fun as possible. You learn in small groups in her beautiful studio and you are studying in Florence, surrounded by amazing art and architecture. Whether you’ve done anything like this before or not, you will leave with tons of new techniques and ways of approaching sculpture. My brain is full of info right now and it feels great!!
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Inspiring Two Week Workshop!
Finding a teacher who is both talented and inspiring, as well as skilled at the act of teaching is incredibly difficult – and Maudie is absolutely both. She has a clever and fun way of distilling complex ideas about seeing the human anatomy that helped me understand figurative sculpture in a whole new way. After 2 incredible weeks of working on a portrait with Maudie, I feel like I walked away with a completely new set of eyeballs and a true pride in my artistic growth in such a short span of time. I am counting down the days until I can study with Maudie again!
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Amazing Tutorial
I joined sculpture workshop in fall 2025 and had intensive tutorial lessons by Maudie in the class. Her technical approach to establish a portrait structure was marvellous for me. Especially in Japan, the clay sculpture has a shallow history. It jumped at Rodinism around 100 years ago, without pursuing the traditional Greek and Roman sculpture. Maudie showed me the fantastic traditional world of portrait sculpture in the class. I really want to take her class again near future. Thank you, Maudie.
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I Fell in Love with Clay Sculpting
I walked into Maudie’s class with no experience and felt a bit nervous. Two weeks later, I had learned so much and fell in love with clay sculpting. What impressed me most was Maudie’s patience. Whether I was struggling or doubting myself, she gave me encouragement and clear guidance. She never made me feel rushed or behind. I went from not knowing how to hold sculpting tools to understanding the basics of form and technique. She explained everything step by step and showed me how to do each technique. I came in just to try it out. Now I’m signing up for another session. Thank you Maudie for sharing your talent with all of us.
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Inspiring teacher
Maudie Brady is fluent in the anatomy of the human form. She is fluent in sculpture and how to bring it to life. She converses so easily about the structures of the body and passes on her love of this to her students. I have completed her Anatomy of the Portrait course and loved it. I found it stimulating, challenging and inspiring. When I come to the clay now, I am now continually working the awareness of what bony structure is influencing the superficial form. I have a working idea of how the muscles create and express emotion. As well as being a brilliant teacher, Maudie is funny, inspiring and generous. She wants us to get it!! She teaches what she knows and shares from her very deep well of experience, skill, practice. I am grateful for the time I have spent with her as a student.
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A confident guide
I took the portrait workshop at FAA with Maudie and Thor. Maudie explains the sculpting work in a step by step process, each step is explained in a very structured, clear and confident way. The critics you get are helpful and appropriate to your needs. You might struggle in the process but you will never have the feeling to be lost thanks to these critics. If you want to take the path of realist sculpting, Maudie can be your perfect guide.
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Florence portrait anatomy workshop
Taking part in the August 2024 two week Anatomy of the portrait sculpture masterclass in Maudie Brady’s beautiful studio in Florence was undoubtedly the highlight of my summer. The course was hugely informative and beneficial for my work practice. I’d have loved a third week to keep diving deeper still with facial expressions. I left eager to learn more and sculpt more portraits asap. Maudie’s teaching is extremely clear and she is a patient and enthusiastic teacher and lovely with everyone in the class. I could not recommend this workshop highly enough.
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Maudie is truly amazing as an instructor!
I have taken two anatomy classes with Maudie and have found it immensely beneficial not only in terms of learning anatomy but also in terms of learning how to go forward with it on my own. Maudie is extremely knowledgeable but more importantly knows how to teach, her classes are fun, she finds ways to teach that make it impossible to forget what you learn with her. She is personally invested in not just teaching but teaching different people of different levels of skill. Her lessons are as useful to an advanced student as to someone starting out. Maudie has a ready smile, endless patience and tirelessly teaches way over and above what is normal. After a month with her I feel like I am a new person with special “x-ray” vision to actually see and understand anatomy and to take my sculpting to a new level. I will be forever grateful and I can still hear Maudie’s voice in my ear when I pick up an anatomy book. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to study with her and would encourage anyone who wants to do figurative work to definitely take a class with Maudie.
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Mark’s Most Excellent Adventure
I have been sculpting for quite a few years and have had three teachers during that time. I had always wanted to work on portrait sculpture and a friend from a class in Florida told me about The Florence Academy of Art. Well , I was blown away by the experience. It was a totally new approach and Maudie and Thor diagrammed out the steps in an understandable and cohesive lessons each day. There was frustration and all sorts of emotion during the process but the finished product gave me sense of great accomplishment and joy. I cant thank both Maudie and Thor enough for making this a truly memorable experience As well as meeting and working with 11 other amazing artists.
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Phenomenal
I took Maudie and Thor’s portrait workshop at the FAA. This was my first experience working with Maudie, and I had very high expectations. She went above and beyond. I have a decent understanding of the construction process and she was able to take my observations and editing to the next level very quickly. She provided helpful instruction every morning that was digestible for students of all experience levels then catered individual critiques perfectly for each individual. I loved it so much I’m already planning a return trip to learn more from the master. I’ve attended quite a few workshops and I think this has been my favorite. Incredible experience all around. Thank you so much, Maudie!
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Skill- enriching experience
Studying with Maudie has enriched my skills exponentially. Guiding me through ways of seeing light, and translating it into clay has been pivotal in elevating my work to the next threshold. Maudie teaches in a way that is the perfect balance of serious and thoughtful expertise with a playful passion that shows her love for sculpture. I highly recommend studying with Maudie.
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Anatomy workshop
I completed a month long écorché workshop with Maudie and am happy to report that it was the most amazing and intensive learning experience. I knew next to nothing about anatomy or even sculpture when I attended but she patiently guided me through the technical side of the programme and managed to convey complex ideas in a clear and comprehensive way. You will never see the human body in the same light after completing her magical mystery tour of anatomical study.
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I am truly amazed at the progress I made in this workshop.
I was truly amazed at the progress I made in just four weeks of the Ecorche workshop. Maudie played a crucial role in the preparation and organization of the course. Besides her detailed explanations and demonstrations of bones and muscles during class, she had a keen eye for identifying my problems and providing direct and effective solutions. This gave me a profound understanding and a fresh perspective on human anatomy. It also improved my sculpting skills, which I can apply to my work and ongoing learning from a painter’s perspective.
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Maudie Makes Learning Fun and Easy
I just wanted to express how amazing Maudie is as a teacher! She explains concepts so clearly and shares her knowledge generously. Her understanding of anatomy and how each muscle works is truly impressive. It’s a pleasure to learn from someone so talented and funny! As a French speaker, I was initially concerned about understanding the workshop in English, but Maudie made it so accessible. She takes the time to explain everything, ensuring that everyone can follow along. Her infectious energy creates a vibrant learning environment, and she tailors her approach to meet everyone’s needs, actively checking in with each participant to help them progress. Maudie’s positivity and attentiveness really elevate the experience. Thank you, Maudie, for such a fantastic experience, I have learned so much !
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One of the best fine art workshop
I took the 2023 Summer Écorché Sculpture workshop with Maudie, and cannot overstate how much she is one of the most extraordinary and giving teachers I’ve studied under. She is profoundly competent in her craft and, along with her wonderful assistant teacher Andrea, delivered a very well structured and thorough series of lectures and demonstrations, each followed up with in-depth personal critiques. As a result, my knowledge of anatomy of the 3-Dimensional human form has greatly deepened, even after years of study. For anyone dedicated to incorporating this craft into their life, studying under Maudie is an exceptional experience, and a genuine pleasure!
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Ecorche sculpture course
Dear Maudie, Thank you so much for the wonderful two week portrait workshop that I attended during September. I gained an enormous amount of knowledge through your group presentations and individual critiques, not only with the musculature of the face but also the sculpture techniques needed to achieve the ecorche finished work. I would also like to say that concerning the dynamics of the class it was the most relaxed and happy experience that I have ever had within any art class. All due to your hard work.
