Online portrait course in oils
covering Five techniques

Sessions once a week. 18.30 - 20.30 on Zoom. Demonstrations + 10 hrs of video to keep. 5 completed paintings.

Cost: £200

Please contact me for future dates>>

“The Portrait Course cannot be recommended highly enough. You will learn techniques and skills that will stay with you for the rest of your life.”

I have been painting portraits for 35 years and learnt more in the first weeks of the course than in the whole of that time. I wished I had worked with Mike many years ago.

“Mike’s course is amazing. His videos are thorough and the support he offers his students is generous. I’m so glad I signed up.”

course details

I demonstrate on video, explain techniques and guide students to complete their painting for each week. Then we have a questions, answers and advice session.

The following day everyone receives a full video complete with explanations for that week’s work.

Each painting is completed over 2 or 3 stages during the course.

We also produce a series of specific pictures covering: glazing, eyes, hair, jewellery / glasses and cloth / clothing. All of these techniques will be used in the main paintings at some point.

A private facebook page that only students can access is available for sharing work and asking questions. I will be on there every evening to help.

Students can book a one-to-one Zoom call with me if they want to talk privately, and I’m available by email and telephone.

At the end of the course students will have 10hrs of video to use going forward.

All reference material is supplied for students to download along with a list of materials needed.

Each picture is painted in three stages. These short videos are extracts from the some of these.

what you will learn

1. The Wipe-off technique for strong shadows and contrasting highlights

2. Alla Prima and black skin

3. Using a Grisaille for softer tones

4. Painting hair, eyes and highlights, glasses, teeth and clothing

5. Impasto techniques for realism with texture

6. Painting hands

7. Mixing flesh tones

8. All you need to know about glazing, mediums and oil paints

9. Working in layers

10. Drawing (freehand or using a unique grid system), and preparing your canvas

11. Composition, taking photographs, stretching a canvas, varnishing and more…