In-person course
in Suffolk Maker & location details

How to Draw a Portrait

Flatford Mill

Description

Have you ever wanted to draw or paint a portrait of a family member or favourite celebrity and not know where to start? Or perhaps your attempt at drawing a child made them look much older, or your attempt at painting a friend looked like someone else entirely! Then this beginners’ course is for you! Carole will guide you through many of the skills needed to achieve a likeness and produce a good portrait. Working from photographs, we will do several exercises studying the features, proportions, bone structure, pose, and composition, as well as colour mixing for flesh tones, hair, and backgrounds. Carole will demonstrate in watercolour and pastels to show you tricks and techniques to achieve your goal. You can work in monochrome with pencil, charcoal, or pastel pencils, or use soft pastels or watercolours. On Saturday evening after supper there will be a portrait demonstration. Tutor: Carole Massey Carole Massey is a popular and supportive tutor who has been teaching at Flatford Mill for over 20 years. She managed her own successful design partnership before returning to her first love of painting, which currently involves tutoring, demonstrations, private commissions, and exhibitions. A recent portrait commission for the Bank of England of Sir Charles Bean, deputy governor now hangs in the bank in perpetuity. She is a regular contributor to The Leisure Painter magazine, has written many teaching Art books, published by Search Press, with international sales exceeding 250,000. Her latest books are “Drawing for the Absolute Beginner” and “The Beginners’ Guide to Drawing Portraits” which will be on sale on the course. She has exhibited and demonstrated at the Mall Galleries, London, and her work is in a number of private collections in the UK and abroad. She lives in Suffolk. What to bring: You can work in monochrome, soft pastels or pastel pencils. Should you wish to restock, here are some suggestions: DRAWING - A 3B pencil - A4 or A3 medium surface cartridge paper (i.e. not too smooth) - Charcoal sticks or a black charcoal pencil, plus a white pastel if you wish to work on tinted paper - A kneadable eraser - Masking tape, if you are using loose sheets of paper on a drawing board WATERCOLOURS -Colours: Lemon yellow or Aureolin, Cadmium Yellow or Indian Yellow, Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Light Red, Vermilion or Cadmium Red, Permanent Rose or a Crimson Red, French Ultramarine, Phthalo Blue or Winsor Blue or Cerulean, Optional- Cobalt, Cobalt, Magenta. - Watercolour paper e.g. Bockingford, Arches, Saunders Waterford or Fabriano etc Semi rough or ‘Not’ 140lb (300gsm) in loose sheets or a pad approx. size 38 x 28 cm (15” x 11”) - Brushes, Nos 5, 8 and 12 round. - Masking fluid and suitable applicator (optional) PASTELS -A good range of soft pastels, (NOT oil pastels) colours to include creams, flesh colours, greys, pale purples, cool greens and blues, ochres and browns, as well as some darks. Artists’ colours e.g Unison, Sennelier, Schminke, W&N etc. are preferable to “student” ranges which lack strong pigments and are less easy to blend. - Pastel Paper: One or two colours e.g. cream, buff, warm or cool grey, or pale green, but this very much depends on personal preference; I like Canson MiTeintes “Moonstone” which is a pinkish grey. Sand textured papers are also suitable for pastels, and available in a range of tints. - A stump (or torchon), colour shaper or cotton buds for blending - Paper or newspaper to cover finished work - Fixative (optional) Latex gloves to keep your hands clean (optional) - An apron About Flatford Mill: We have four buildings that are used for visitor accommodation. Whilst most rooms are either en-suite or have a dedicated bathroom, there are some rooms in The Mill that share showers and toilets at the end of the hall. If this is unsuitable for you please make the office staff aware upon booking or as soon as possible. Please be aware that you are visiting a Field Centre that caters in the main for school parties; the accommodation is basic and dormitory style, but warm and comfortable.

What's included in the price?

- Expert tuition - Free wi-fi - Full board accommodation - Hot and cold drinks - Picnic lunch Full board accommodation and picnic lunch is available for resident bookings only. Refreshments are included for all, but non-resident bookings are advised to bring lunch with you.