Portrait Painting Workshop 29 July – 1 August 2023

Portrait Painting: 4 day intensive course, 10-1pm & 2-5pm, Sat – Tues.

24 hours of instruction | 2 canvases included | video recording of demonstrations to take home 

Over four days participants will undertake a portrait painting from life and a ‘master-copy’ after Rembrandt.  Participants will learn the fundamentals of underpainting, the importance of an imprimatura base, the partial merging of subject and ground, and the organisation of space according to masses of shadow and light. Through the second stage of each piece, participants will learn about colour selection and mixing, application and blending, how to create sharp and soft edges, the use of impasto and ‘broken strokes’. All sessions will be aided by individual assistance/critique, and instructor demonstrations, which will be video recorded and sent on to participants after the workshop.

Note: the aim is to create, in the time-frame, a ‘study’ of any degree of finish, which enables the learning of processes described. Whilst participants do not need prior oil painting experience, experience in drawing is essential.

Break-down of the course by day:

Day 1: Morning session: Materials introduction and commencement of live portrait underpainting.
Afternoon session: Subject introduction and commencement of mastercopy underpainting.
Day 2: Developing the live portrait over the underpainting.
Day 3: Morning session: continuing and refining the live portrait.
Afternoon session: developing the mastercopy over the underpainting.
Day 4: Continuing to develop the mastercopy.

Materials

Two canvases and reference material will be supplied. Participants will need to bring: oil paints, brushes, turpentine, linseed oil, two lidded jars, j-cloths (or cotton rags). Colours: raw umber, raw sienna, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, cadmium red (or vermillion), naples yellow, white, black. Recommended beginner brands: Winton, Evans. Higher quality brands: Windsor and Newton, Michael Harding, Old Holland. Please avoid unbranded ‘starter packs’ from supermarkets!