Taking inspiration from the likes of Lucian Freud look at your own face in a completely different way. Understand the anatomy, tone and composition of the face, expressed in gouache and oils.

This three day course will be an opportunity to examine approaches to portraiture examining and using the visual language of a variety of artists as your starting point including Lucian Freud.

You will be working from direct observation with yourself as the model.  On the first day learn to read the face through drawing, studying anatomy, tone and composition. Move on to paint with gouache to practice mixing skin tones ten finally moving on to oils to explore the essence of portraiture.

Teaching will be through demonstrations and one to one time with each student. The tutor Gary Long will work on his own piece during the sessions so students can observe the process of development. 

What will I learn?

1. Understand the visual language of portraiture.
2. Learn to build a likeness through studying the architecture and anatomy of the face.
3. Gain insight into the successful composition of a portrait as an artwork.
4. Gain a critical understanding of the work of influential portrait artists and their techniques.
5. An opportunity to watch a successful portrait artist at work and witness the structure of a figurative painting first hand.

Who would this course suit?

Have you ever wanted to do a portrait but don’t know where to start or are you frustrated that your portraits just never look convincing?

You might be struggling to get a likeness or perhaps your paintings just don’t look anatomically correct but you don’t know why?

Learn reliable ways to tackle these challenges and build your confidence. Get the tools you need to progress so you can paint the portrait that you want to.

What to Bring

Timings and Breaks