Building Form with Reductive Drawing
A 3-day Workshop with Savannah Tate Cuff
December 19 - 21, 2025 (Friday evening through Sunday)
Friday, 6pm - 10pm, (Workshop)
Saturday, 10am - 5pm (Workshop)
Sunday, 10pm - 5pm (Workshop)
(1 hour lunch break each workshop day)
Final Registration Deadline: November 28
{ REGISTER HERE }
Tuition
Early Registration
$398 / Student Rate: $360 (with valid student ID)
Early Registration Deadline: October 10
Regular Registration:
$498 / Student Rate: $423 (with valid student ID)
* Discount student rates offered only with valid academic student i.d. We will contact you to obtain verification in advance of the workshop.
Description
This three-day portrait workshop introduces artists to the reductive method—a process that starts with a toned ground and builds form by erasing and pulling out light, rather than only adding dark marks. This approach emphasizes clarity of value and structure, helping artists see the portrait as an interplay of light and shadow rather than just lines.
The workshop begins Friday evening with a class demonstration, followed by two sustained portrait poses over Saturday and Sunday. Participants will work step by step, starting with a flat block-in and gradually modeling form under a single light source. Along the way, instruction will cover anatomy, proportions, and composition, with live demos and individualized critiques to reinforce learning.
Key Topics include:
• Reductive vs. additive drawing methods
• Structure of the head and accurate proportion
• Modeling form with light and shadow
• Designing effective compositions
Class Size
Minimum:8
Maximum: 12
Materials List
[ download/print PDF of Materials List HERE ]
Level of Study: OPEN
Open to all levels, this workshop is an opportunity to sharpen your observational skills, deepen your understanding of value, and explore how reductive drawing can bring portraits to life with nuance and depth.
AREA ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THOSE TRAVELING TO ATTEND
For those traveling to Cincinnati to attend this visiting artist workshop, there are many exciting or practical options for accommodations. For a special stay within a mile of Manifest's new facility, we would recommend checking with The Clifton House Bed & Breakfast* (https://thecliftonhouse.com), or The Gaslight Bed & Breakfast (https://www.gaslightbb.com). Alternatively, the 21c Museum Hotel is in the heart of downtown just four miles from our location (link). Many other common hotels are within a few miles of our location as well. Those who are new to Cincinnati may want to arrive a day early and take in the Cincinnati Art Museum and Taft Museum of Art.
*We have confirmed that the Clifton House will honor a special discounted rate for Manifest workshop participants when rooms are available.
LOCATION: Unless otherwise specified, all courses are hosted at Manifest's new facility at 'M1' in Clifton at 3464 Central Parkway (see map and directions below). Manifest's new facility provides multiple studio classrooms, private lesson space, a darkroom, a film processing room, and a multi-purpose lecture and class meeting space as well as on-site parking, grounds, and exterior spaces in which to relax, discuss, and make art. The studios are outfitted with professional equipment, furniture, and study aids.
Map to Manifest's M1 Studios | Studio Calendar | Darkroom Calendar
Manifest's new home on Central Parkway is a historic 1932 structure ideally suited to the various programs of the Manifest Drawing Center (and future Manifest Gallery). Even now, mostly unchanged from 93 years ago, it serves as a playful collaborator in our educational mission. Students and guests are inspired by both the content of our programs, and the spaces in which they occur.
Learn more about Manifest here! |
Works by Savannah Tate Cuff
About the instructor
Savannah Tate Cuff (b. 1993) is a Cincinnati native who trained in classical painting and drawing at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy (2014) and later completed the four-year program at the Grand Central Atelier in New York City (2018). Specializing in figure painting and portraiture, she has taught at Grand Central Atelier’s part-time program and led workshops internationally at institutions including Manifest Drawing Center (Cincinnati, OH), Glasgow Academy of Fine Art (Scotland), Snow College (Utah), and AARP (Portugal).
In 2020, Savannah was awarded the Alma Shapiro Rome Prize, which allowed her to study classical sculpture and create Old Master copies in Rome’s museums. Today, she works primarily on private portrait commissions while also painting friends and family, continuing her dedication to the tradition of realist painting.
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