Wendy Barratt
Wendy is an artist and art tutor with over 35 years of experience and a focus on portraiture.
Portrait Painting in Oils with Wendy Barratt
Ref: SWE41818
About this course
Develop both your oil painting skills as well as how to express the character of the sitter and a connection to them. You will be encouraged to develop your own style of painting as well as improving your skills of observation in your drawing and experimentation in mark-making with paint.
Course Description
This portrait painting course will focus on encouraging you to think about more than just the technicalities of painting a portrait and looking at ways to express a connection between artist and sitter.
Beginning with a short introduction by your tutor, with insights into her own approaches and techniques of painting a portrait. This will be followed by painting exercises to encourage playfulness with the paint, ways to connect with the model and the rigor of keen observation in order to gain a likeness. You will be encouraged to develop your own unique way of looking, seeing and working.
Once you have made initial studies in paint, you will then use these to help inform your final portraits, which you will spend the remaining time creating.
You will be working from the same model throughout the course, and you will be provided with group tuition, demonstrations, as well as one-to-one support throughout.
Course Materials
Included
On this course the College will provide the model who will sit for the course.
What students need to bring
- A set of oil paints in the following recommended colours: Titanium white, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue and Burnt Umber
- Studio safe odourless solvent (such as Zest-it, Gamsol or Sansodor)
- Paintbrushes: a range of brushes from size 1 to 12 - a mix of hogs hair and synthetic brushes in a mix of flats, filberts and rounds
- A palette (at least A4 size - preferably bigger)
- A palette knife for mixing paint (size 11)
- Two lidded jam jars or a brush cleaning pot
- Old rags and paper kitchen towels
Sheets of oil painting paper Stretched canvases or canvas boards
Available to buy
A variety of art and craft materials are available to buy in the Gardens Gatehouse Shop.
Additional information
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).
Timetable
Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)
Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break
Teaching finishes: 5pm
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.
Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)
Teaching finishes: 3pm
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.
General Information
Tutors
Accommodation
Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.
Courses of interest
Further study options
Take the next step in your creative practice, with foundation level to Masters in Fine Art study.
Depending on your experience, start with an Online Foundation Certificate in Art and Design (one year, part-time), a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design made up of 10 short courses taken over two years (part-time) or advance your learning with our BA (Hons) Art and Contemporary Craft: Materials, Making, and Place (six years part-time). All will help you develop core skills, find direction in your practice and build an impressive portfolio in preparation for artist opportunities or higher-level study. See all degree and diploma courses.