During the course you will look at:

• The anatomy of the skull (useful landmarks from an artist’s point of view) - this will allow you to control proportions when working from life, given the inevitable subtle movements and slight changes in the pose by the sitter.
• Standard proportions and planes of the head - understanding ideal proportions is a very useful tool to be able to capture a likeness, as the individual character of a particular face relates to this basic structure.
• Basic composition strategies for a portrait - you will look at how to place the portrait within the confines of the canvas format.
• Different approaches on how to start a painting in oils - depending on your level of expertise and confidence you will either draw on paper and transfer the drawing, or start directly on the canvas.
• How to organize a value range to convey a convincing light impression - colour theory and how it applies to practical paint mixing.
• The correct use of medium - we will discuss the ‘fat over lean’ principle and its benefits.
• The importance of edges to achieve the impression of form and how to manipulate a background to add a sense of depth and atmosphere.

By the end of this course, you will understand the stages involved in creating a realistic portrait painting and will have learned techniques they can apply to your own work and studies going forward.

Included

• The model(s) who will sit for the course.

What students need to bring

OIL PAINTS Some of the following pigments might be hard to come by - an alternative is suggested:

• Lead White - PW1 (recommended) or Titanium White - PW 6
• Nickel Yellow - PY 53 or Cadmium Yellow Light - PY 35
• Raw Sienna Deep - PBR 7
• Cadmium Red - PR 108 or Transparent Oxide-Red Lake - PR 1Q1 or Italian Brown-Pink Lake - PR101+PY42 (by Old Holland)
• Alizarin Crimson Lake Extra - PV 19 + PR 177 + PBR 23 or Permanent Alizarin Crimson - PR 177 (both permanent versions of Alizarin)
• Cobalt Blue - PB 28 or Ultramarine Blue PB 29
• Raw Umber - PBR 7
• Ivory Black - PBK 9 Old Holland and Windsor & Newton oil paint series should have most of the above mentioned colours, though any brand will do, as long as the paint is ‘artist’ quality and not ‘student’ quality.

BRUSHES Overall, a good selection of brushes should be used. The more brushes, the easier it is to keep colour mixes clean. A variety of sizes is essential for handling large areas of the painting as well as small details. However, a set of at least 10 ‘filberts’ and/or ‘flats’ should be enough to get started. Your tutor uses mainly hog bristle brushes, as they have quite a spring and lend themselves to impasto painting, however if you are partial to a smoother finish, then softer bristles would be better. A few very small synthetic brushes are very useful for small details as they give a sharper brush mark.

OTHER MATERIALS Stretched linen canvas or gesso panel. Your tutor recommends universal primed in a medium or fine grain approx. 35cm X 45cm (or slightly bigger).

• Wooden arm palette (if you are right handed please bring a balanced palette for your left hand and vice versa).
• If you know how to put down an imprimatura (toning the canvas) please do so with a thin wash of Raw Umber, as this will save you painting time. Alternatively, there will be a demonstration on the first day for those who are unsure.
• Two flexible steel palette knives
• Linseed oil (either refined or cold pressed)
• Odourless turpentine substitute for painting such as Winsor and Newton Sansodor. Please, no turpentine or white spirit.
• Airtight metal brush cleaner or glass jar with a lid for keeping solvent
• Dipper for medium or small glass jar
• A good supply of kitchen roll for cleaning brushes
• Wet wipes
• Disposable plastic tub for keeping excess paint overnight
• Something to carry your wet paintings home in or with on the last day - for this, your tutor recommends a canvas carrier - if you are unable to find one, another canvas of the same size as the painted one can be strapped to the front to keep the painting safe while being transported.

OPTIONAL MATERIALS The list below is to give you different options when starting a painting depending on the individual level of experience (and confidence) with oil paint and colour mixing. If you are very new to this medium, but are more familiar with drawing in pencil, your tutor would suggest to start on a piece of paper, then transfer the drawing to canvas before starting to paint. Similarly, if you’re not familiar with colour mixing, your tutor might suggest a small colour study to get the ball rolling.

• Small canvas offcuts or canvas paper for colour studies (approx. A4).
• Cartridge paper and tracing paper. Both should be big enough to cover the entire canvas (as a single sheet or multiple sheets taped together)
• Masking tape
• Pencil (anything from HB to 2B)
• Rubber
• Ball point pen
• Charcoal (soft willow charcoal will do)

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Student registration: 10.30am - 11am
Course teaching: 11am – 5.15pm 
Morning session: 11am - 1pm
Lunch break: 1pm - 2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon session: 2pm - 5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes: 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions