April 2026 Art Demo – Bruce Hancock
Bruce Hancock
Self Portrait
April 2026 Art Demo – Bruce Hancock
“Painting the Head”
Presented by
Bruce Hancock
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 6 pm at
The Gallery at 48 Natoma
Our April guest artist is Bruce Hancock, a much-awarded Northern California oil painter. Bruce will demonstrate how he paints the human head in oil using photographic references. He has found that paintings don’t just happen, they are built. His approach has evolved into the concept of “layers.” He starts with a block-in sketch followed by two or three successive layers, each refining and building on the previous.
Using this method, Bruce will show how shadows and other darks are placed on the block-in and used to refine the shape of the head as well as the placement of facial features. Another layer adds values, with their important role in developing the illusion of three-dimensional form. Finally, during the last few minutes of the painting, Bruce will share some tips and techniques for adding that illusive but critical sense of life.
This demo will also be a wonderful prelude to the Workshop Bruce will be conducting for FAA in June – ” The Sixty-Minute Head Study in Oil.“ Through these two offerings, artists who may be reluctant to tackle portraiture – as well as those who’ve already braved it but want to learn more – will surely gain valuable new skills for navigating this challenging genre.
About the Artist
Bruce Hancock is a Northern California painter inspired by the history, places, and people of California and the Great American West.
His early self-studies began in childhood with some of the popular art education books of the times – among them, the books of Walter T. Foster, Charles Reid, John Howard Sanden, John Pike, and Richard Schmidt.
After a hiatus of many years, in his 60’s he resumed his studies with many gifted artists and art instructors, including Howard Rees, Dan Edmonson, Quang Huang, Fongwei Liu, Kathleen Dunphy, Michael Siegel Craig Nelson, Chris Legaspi, Terry Miura, and Steve Huston.
Learn more about the Bruce’s workshop, visit The Sixty-Minute Head Study in Oil
And about, visit BruceHancockArt.com
Join us on Thursday, April 9th, for Bruce Hancock’s artist demonstration.
Please contact Lori Anderson, President, Folsom Arts Association, for questions about our monthly artist demonstrations.