Portraiture Painting - Nottingham Trent University
Description
Bring your portraits to life on this dynamic three-day oil painting course. You’ll learn how to capture the likeness, personality, and essence of your subject using the expressive alla prima “wet into wet” painting technique. Beginning with charcoal sketches from life or self-portraits, you’ll sharpen your observational skills, develop your composition, learn how to mix colours that convey depth and vibrancy, and create realistic and dynamic skin tones, ensuring your portrait captures both likeness and personality. Whether you choose to work with a live sitter, observe yourself through a mirror or work from a photograph, this course will help you create portraits that are rich with character and energy. Capture the character and spirit of people in this inspiring portraiture course, where you'll learn to create vibrant portraits in oils, guided by an experienced professional artist. During this course, you will: ● strengthen your observational skills by working in charcoal to understand proportion and gesture ● explore techniques to arrange a compelling composition that highlights your subject’s unique personality ● learn how to take and use reference photographs effectively for continuity in your painting process ● understand how to select and paint a background that enhances your subject ● master the alla prima method to create vibrant, lifelike portraits directly on canvas ● develop your ability to mix colours for realistic and dynamic skin tones, paying attention to warm and cool colour contrasts ● gain confidence in creating expressive brushstrokes and fine details that bring your portrait to life. By the end of the course, you’ll have completed a finished portrait in oils on canvas, rich in character and skillfully executed. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable techniques that will enhance your artistic practice and prepare you for future projects. Tutor profile: Sarah Watson is a practicing artist, painter and teacher who exhibits in shows across the UK and is represented by Gallery6 in Newark, Nottinghamshire. She featured on the Sky Arts television show Landscape Artist of the Year in 2016 and was accepted for membership of the exclusive Lincolnshire Artists’ Society in 2019. Sarah has a First Class Honours degree in Combined Arts from De Montfort University where she specialised in abstract painting. Sarah paints mostly English landscapes ideally en plein air, or from photographs she has taken on landscape trips. She travels to any landscape that inspires her expressive outlook, from the mountainscapes in Snowdonia to the Lake District to Iceland. Level: Open to all Entry requirement: To make the most of this course, some familiarity with basic painting techniques would be beneficial. If you’re completely new to oil painting, we’d recommend completing the Oil Painting course at NTU or a similar introductory course elsewhere before attending. You must be over the age of 18 in order to attend this course.
What's included in the price?
This is a practical course and the subject is underpinned by theory and demonstrations. This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University City Campus. Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course. Your course fees include everything you need to dive right into painting—premium oil paints, quality canvases, brushes, and more, so you can focus on creating with professional equipment. You may also wish to bring with you: • Any paints, brushes, canvas, and artists’ equipment you already have. • Cotton rags. • Glass jars. • Old credit card / flat plastic object for scraping. • Sharp spikey tool(s) like a small skewer from the kitchen, hair grip, nails, old scissors. On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance.
Duration
3 days
Cancellation policy
Medium - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 4 weeks before the course starts
Maker
Suitable for
- Adults
- Seniors
- Wheelchair users
- Hearing impaired
- Vision impaired
- Limited mobility
- Intermediate level
- Accommodation offered
- Public transport
- UK Holiday
- Residential
- Suitable for beginners
FAQs
For our week-long summer school courses, we offer single rooms in shared apartments in Nottingham Trent University’s city campus accommodation, which is ideal if you're looking to be based in Nottingham's lively city centre and want an economical place to stay.
Bookings are taken on a seven-night basis, from Saturday to Saturday.
The rooms are single occupancy, with a private bathroom.
You will be sent a link to book your accommodation once you have made your course booking through Craft Courses.
We offer accommodation during the summer only. We are unable to offer university accommodation during term time (for evening and weekend courses) but you'll find plenty of places to stay nearby, as we're located in the city centre.
