Dates Available:
18 - 19 September 2025 (Thur - Fri)
2 day course: 10am- 4pm
A 2-day portrait painting workshop working from a live portrait model, under the guidance of Peter.
During the 2 days, Peter will demonstrate and guide you through his structured and easy-to-follow painting method, as well as sharing his knowledge and experience of working directly from life. This course has been designed for you to immerse yourself in the genre of portraiture, giving you an uninterrupted chance to develop your skills under expert guidance.
Working in oils, you will spend the 2 days working from 1 model (1 model per 4 painters), allowing you the time to develop your painting and address the areas you find most challenging and wish to improve upon.
This course is suitable for artists who already have some experience of portrait painting, either from photographs or from life. This course is not suitable for the complete beginner.
Itinerary
Day 1: You will be introduced to your model who will pose for you for the 2-days and together you will decide how you would like them to pose and which backdrop to place behind them. After watching a demonstration by Peter, you will start the painting, with emphasis on establishing a strong starting likeness and mixing accurate skin colours,
Day 2: You will continue working on your painting, with focus on developing the models facial features and making sure you do not overwork your portrait.
During the course, you will cover:
Facial structures and features
Understanding colour temperature, tone and how we can use this to “build” a portrait
Traditional and more contemporary approaches to portraiture
How to light, pose and photograph a model
Plenty of time will be given to informal group and individual critiques, designed to help deepen your knowledge and understanding of technique and the history of the genre.
What to bring:
Your preferred painting ground such as canvas/canvas board, approx 50×40cm or bigger.
Paint brushes suitable for oil painting along with your paint palette.
Studio sundries such as palette knife, kitchen paper, apron, sketch book for notes and any of your other preferred studio essentials.
Lunch
What is provided:
Peter will have a range of oil colours by Michael Harding available to use throughout the course, if you would like to use or try them.
Studio easels, low odour solvent for oil painting, tables, chairs and other spare studio sundries.
Teas, coffee and biscuits.
Location:
This course will take place at the light and spacious Hogshaw Farm studio in North Buckinghamshire, MK18 3LA.
The studio is situated on the first floor of the barn which has a lift for accessibility. There is a basic café on site (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) so we recommend that participants bring their own lunch.
Please read our terms and conditions before booking.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask about this workshop, please don’t hesitate to ask.
“This course was exactly what I wanted: an insight into the way a portrait artist approaches a project, with helpful tips and tricks to take home; an opportunity to work in a different style from usual, with the freedom to make mistakes or make magic! I will be keeping an eye on dates for other courses and portrait nights, because I definitely want to come back. As someone who would like to make a business of portraiture, this was certainly a valuable investment. I would do it again and again!”
“Peter's teaching is always fresh and exciting. He seems able to empathise with and encourage those of us who struggle- and praise (but not too much) when confidence is needed. I particularly like the way he paints alongside us - demonstrating and developing his pictures with us. The classes are fun and Peter motivating. What more could a budding artist need?”
Dates Available:
18 - 19 September 2025 (Thur - Fri)
2 day course: 10am- 4pm
A 2-day portrait painting workshop working from a live portrait model, under the guidance of Peter.
During the 2 days, Peter will demonstrate and guide you through his structured and easy-to-follow painting method, as well as sharing his knowledge and experience of working directly from life. This course has been designed for you to immerse yourself in the genre of portraiture, giving you an uninterrupted chance to develop your skills under expert guidance.
Working in oils, you will spend the 2 days working from 1 model (1 model per 4 painters), allowing you the time to develop your painting and address the areas you find most challenging and wish to improve upon.
This course is suitable for artists who already have some experience of portrait painting, either from photographs or from life. This course is not suitable for the complete beginner.
Itinerary
Day 1: You will be introduced to your model who will pose for you for the 2-days and together you will decide how you would like them to pose and which backdrop to place behind them. After watching a demonstration by Peter, you will start the painting, with emphasis on establishing a strong starting likeness and mixing accurate skin colours,
Day 2: You will continue working on your painting, with focus on developing the models facial features and making sure you do not overwork your portrait.
During the course, you will cover:
Facial structures and features
Understanding colour temperature, tone and how we can use this to “build” a portrait
Traditional and more contemporary approaches to portraiture
How to light, pose and photograph a model
Plenty of time will be given to informal group and individual critiques, designed to help deepen your knowledge and understanding of technique and the history of the genre.
What to bring:
Your preferred painting ground such as canvas/canvas board, approx 50×40cm or bigger.
Paint brushes suitable for oil painting along with your paint palette.
Studio sundries such as palette knife, kitchen paper, apron, sketch book for notes and any of your other preferred studio essentials.
Lunch
What is provided:
Peter will have a range of oil colours by Michael Harding available to use throughout the course, if you would like to use or try them.
Studio easels, low odour solvent for oil painting, tables, chairs and other spare studio sundries.
Teas, coffee and biscuits.
Location:
This course will take place at the light and spacious Hogshaw Farm studio in North Buckinghamshire, MK18 3LA.
The studio is situated on the first floor of the barn which has a lift for accessibility. There is a basic café on site (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) so we recommend that participants bring their own lunch.
Please read our terms and conditions before booking.
If you have any questions you’d like to ask about this workshop, please don’t hesitate to ask.
“This course was exactly what I wanted: an insight into the way a portrait artist approaches a project, with helpful tips and tricks to take home; an opportunity to work in a different style from usual, with the freedom to make mistakes or make magic! I will be keeping an eye on dates for other courses and portrait nights, because I definitely want to come back. As someone who would like to make a business of portraiture, this was certainly a valuable investment. I would do it again and again!”
“Peter's teaching is always fresh and exciting. He seems able to empathise with and encourage those of us who struggle- and praise (but not too much) when confidence is needed. I particularly like the way he paints alongside us - demonstrating and developing his pictures with us. The classes are fun and Peter motivating. What more could a budding artist need?”
Please read the full terms and conditions before making your booking.
