Portrait Painting - Autumn 2024

This Autumn I will be presenting a complete course in learning how to draw and paint portraits.
This can be quite a dautning subject for newer artists – However I have found that, once they get going, students often really enjoy this term and also find portraits a great way to develop their overall painting and drawing skills.

Following popular demand I will also include 2 session to have a sitter so that we can practice the unique skills of painting portraits directly from life.  Both of these sessions will come in the second half of the term and will include an addtional cost of £5 to contribute to the Model fees. Details are still to be confirmed and may lead to variations in the programme depending on location and availability of sitters.

Please note – This term the half term break will be for 2 weeks between the 21st of October and the 1st of November.

Lesson Plan

Week 1: Charcoal Drawing using the Dividers
Week 2: Capture Likeness with the 5 main shapes of the face
Week 3: Draw the face from Different angles using constuction 
Week 4: Learn how to shade the face using the planes of the head.
Week 5: Monochrome Portriats in Oils

Half Term Break 

Week 6: Complete Oil Painting Demo (paint along)
Week 7: Paint From Life – 1st Sitter

Week 8: Gridding Demo – for more accurate portraits

Week 9: 3 Painting Techniques for Increased Realism

Week 10: Paint From Life – 2nd Sitter

Week 11:Colour Mixing for Portraits

Week 12:Master Copy – Johnathan Yeo

  

Materials List

The Start of this term will focus on drawing for this I would suggest the following materials:

  • A3 or A2 cartridge paper
  • Willow or Vine Charcoal
  • Compressed Charcoal
  • Charcoal or Pastel Pencils
  • Blending Stumps – something like this 
  • Puttty Rubbers.

    I will also be using these proportional dividers.  Here is a great set that includes some other useful bits – but feel free to shop around:

    Proportional Dividers

For Painting I would refer you to my Materials List

However I would include if you dont have them already: 
Yellow Ochre, Alizirin Crimson and Cerulean Blue

Reference Images

I have put together some reference images and will print some off for class.  However If you can find your own images please being them along! Also you can share images to this google album.  

Portrait Refrence 

Pinterest

Follow my other classes on Instagram

Last term I started Instagram pages for each of my classes.  See what my other students are up to here!
Ipswich Art Class

Felixstowe Art Class
Woodbridge Art Class
Needham Market Art Class