Drawing in the Tradition of the Titans of the High Renaissance
If you’re located in the San Antonio, TX area and always wanted to attend one of Michael Mentler’s classes, this is your opportunity! Join this 3-day Mentler Méthode Figure Drawing Master Lab at the Coppini Academy of Fine Arts.
Master Lab Information
Instructor: Michael Mentler
Date: Friday-Sunday, February 20th-22nd, 2026
Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm
Location: The Coppini Academy of Fine Arts
Academy Address: 115 Melrose Place San Antonio, TX 78212
Phone: (210) 530-8445
E-mail: outreach@thecoppini.org
Cost: $535 for members; $585 for non-members.
Purchase Options:
The mandatory drawing skill-sets apprentices mastered in the Bottegas’ (workshops) of the high Renaissance were charcoal, sanguine and black chalk, and pen and ink.
The Maestro will give an in-depth discussion of these mediums and the substrates used by the great Masters of the Renaissance Bottegas’.
By far, the most beautiful of the three mediums is Sanguine Red Chalk. Leonardo seems to have been the first to embrace red chalk for studies in the years he worked on the Last Supper. Michelangelo produced beautiful Sanguine chalk drawings in preparation for the Sistine Ceiling. Raphael, Del Sarto, Pontormo, Parmigianino, and the vast majority of Renaissance and Baroque Masters used this Blood Red Iron Oxide Chalk. It continued to be the most popular drawing medium in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
There will be a tour-de-force visual presentation and demonstration of the history of these Mediums and its foremost practitioners.
The Maestro will illuminate Leonardo, divulge Dürer, and demystify Michelangelo.
Michael will also cover ecorche construction of the human form and using the proprietary CSI proportion system and the best Aspective views.
Master Lab Curriculum
Attendees will learn the most efficient Méthode of learning to draw the human form. The same Méthode the great Masters of the Italian Renaissance followed in their workshops as apprentices.
Core Principles of the Mentler Method:
- The 3Ps of the Proscenium: placement, proportion, and perspective.
- Mass Conception: The Conception or Form as simplified Geometric Masses
- Planes and Values: How to create believable Foreshortening and control the light source.
- Function and Form: Identifying the Function or major muscle groups.
- Bony Landmarks: How to utilize the 26 skeletal landmarks to create accurate drawings.
By marrying theoretical insights with hands-on practice, the Maestro cultivates an environment where artists can truly refine their skills and bring their visions to life, much like Leonardo da Vinci did in his era.
Schedule
We will start at 9 am. This Mentler Méthode Master Class will follow a general schedule of pontifications and demonstrations in the mornings, and then drawing from live models and master studies in the afternoons. There will be a lunch break in between morning demo and afternoon practice. At the end of the day, there will be a summary from 3:30pm to 4:00pm.
What to bring
All drawing materials and equipment will be provided for in-studio use. Please bring a notebook and a writing instrument to take notes during the demonstrations.
Attendee Discount
Attendees will receive discounts on Michael’s DVD, Blu-ray, Books, and Drawings.
About Instructor
Michael Mentler
Artist and TSOFA Studio Owner
As a master painter, sculptor, draughtsman, designer, photographer, and author Michael Mentler’s creative journey has covered a polymathic array of artistic endeavors.
Born in the small mid-western town of Jacksonville, Illinois Michael’s visual sensibilities were observed and nurtured at an early age. Later, he was mentored by Howard Sidman, which led to his first solo show at the age of fourteen. Michael continued his formal education at Layton School of Art in Milwaukee and Washington University in Saint Louis, where he became a protégé of Barry Schactman and Werner Drewes.
Along with winning over a hundred awards, including ‘Best of Show’ and ‘Gold Medals’ from some of the most distinguished juried venues, Michael’s works are included in many private collections, including the Pulitzer, the Mead Library, and the Dallas Museum of Art.
He is Founder and Director of The Society of Figurative Arts, where he mentors select Apprentices. His work has appeared in publications such as; American Artist, American Artist Drawing, American Artist Workshop, Graphis, Communication Arts, and numerous others. He is also featured in Juliette Aristides books on drawing. The Book of Bones, which he authored, is in art school libraries throughout the world.
“Michael’s sketchbooks are masterpieces, he is a modern-day Leonardo.”
– Richard Schmid –
“Richard’s Right.”
– Dan McCaw –
“Michael’s intense study of the teachings and works of Bridgman and Robert Beverly Hale make him a natural progression of that linage with the added twist of his own dynamic personal style.”
– David Kassan –
“Michael wields a pen like a Renaissance Virtuoso.”
– Sherrie McGraw –
“Michael Mentler’s wildly magical line reaches into the shadows of history, generating astonishing insights for our own century.”
– Dan Thompson –
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