Lansing, Michigan

A school for painters.

Clint Atelier is the teaching studio of Clinton Smith: classical oil painting taught in person, and a small workshop of software instruments made for the easel.

Study here Commission the work

Four doors

One studio, four ways in.

Study

Two-day classical portrait workshops and free demo nights in the Lansing area. Small rooms, real easels, Fall 2026 onward.

See the workshops→

The Method

Drawing before paint, value before color, a limited palette, and the living model. The old training, taught plainly.

Read the method→

III

The Tools

Software built by a painter, for painters. Color analysis, mixing recipes, and study aids that respect how oil actually behaves.

Open the toolbox→

Collaborate

Classical painting knowledge translated into product demonstrations, materials education, studio films, and professional feedback.

Build a program→

The teacher's hand

Work from the studio.

A school is only as good as the work behind it. These are paintings by Clinton Smith, made entirely by hand in oil.

Oil portrait of a young woman before a wooded landscape — Figure in landscape, oil

Dramatic black-and-white oil portrait of a woman in raking light — Portrait, oil, 2014

Oil portrait of a man standing before a car at dusk — Commissioned portrait, oil

Monochrome oil portrait of a smiling young child — Portrait study, oil

Expressive oil portrait with gestural brushwork — Figure, oil

Alla prima oil head study in cool tones — Head study, alla prima

Commissioned portraits are handled through the studio at clintsmithart.com.

Next on the calendar

Fall 2026: a two-day classical portrait workshop.

Eight to twelve painters, all levels, drawing through limited-palette oil. A free 90-minute demo night comes first, so you can meet the teacher before committing to a seat.

Reserve interest

Seat: $275
Room: 8 to 12
Demo night: Free
Level: All

Free and local

Greater Lansing Art & Conversation

Look at paintings, exchange ideas and get acquainted in a small, free gathering for adults. People who make art and people who simply enjoy it are welcome. Date and venue are being arranged.

Join the list

The teacher's proof

The atelier teaches. The salon sells the work.

Clinton Smith's commissioned paintings, including "Precipice I," a 48 by 96 inch oil at Highfields Inc funded by the Granger Foundation, live at the studio's commission site.

Visit clintsmithart.com

Studio Notes

Letters from the easel.

Occasional writing on process, workshop dates first, and new tools when they are ready. No noise.