Come explore portrait painting

Each term I offer a six-session painting course, run on Thursday evenings, fortnightly from 7.15-9.15pm in Lingfield. Starting in January, come and join us for a term in painting the portrait. Working in either oils or acrylics, we’ll look at master paintings, skin tones, proportions and more.

Painting portraits is one of my favourite things! I regularly take commissions and am currently in the midst of the ‘100 head challenge’ - where I’m working my way up to 100 portraits to stretch and challenge my skills and style. During Covid, I participated in the Portraits for NHS Heroes movement, where NHS workers could pair with an artist to have their portrait painted. I was over the moon that one of my final pieces was published in a book of the same name, by Bloomsbury.

If you’d like to grow your skills in portrait painting, why not consider coming along?

The class is held FORTNIGHTLY on Thursday evenings at Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre (Allison Room), from 7.15-9.15pm, on January 16, 30, Feb 13, 27, March 13, 27.

Each class is £22 for the 2-hours, payable in advance for the 6 weeks (£132).

Week 1: Drawing the head - looking at basic proportions and placement of features.

Week 2: Skin tones - we’ll look at colour mixing and the effects of lighting on the skin.

Week 3: Features - looking at famous paintings, we’ll explore how the masters have constructed noses, eyes and mouths, and learn to replicate them ourselves by transposing.

Week 4: Features - following on from week 3, we’ll use that knowledge to paint features from different photographs.

Week 5: From a photo you’ll bring in, you’ll begin your portrait, gridding it up and constructing it on the surface.

Week 6: Working further on the portrait to completion.

In addition to the taught classes, I will send out some PDF guides for further reading and to show examples.

Materials are supplied for the exercises, but as time goes on and you know what you like using, I encourage students to bring their own materials, then they can finish at home.

Tea & coffee provided, and free parking.

To enquire or sign up, please send me an email at mail@sherigee.com.