Painting the Portrait: Light and Colour

This two day workshop on painting the portrait in oils acrylic or gouache focuses on understanding the behaviour of colour and light.

Over the weekend we will cover how colour and light ideas apply to portrait painting looking at the effects of light on the skin variations in skin tone and how to manage our tonal ranges as well as practical skills such as mixing colour for portraiture and learning to better see tone and colour.

This workshop is open to those working in oils acrylics or gouache.

The workshop runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday 15th - Sunday 16th July with a 1 hour lunch break from 1-2pm. There will also be extra teabreaks in the day.

Beginners and improvers both welcome. This workshop will be taught by painter and illustrator Lancelot Richardson.

Day 1

The first day of the workshop will cover the effects of light on skin tones how light and shadow can convey the structure of the head and how to simply areas of skin tones when we block in our portraits with shorter exercises in the morning and a longer pose to work from in the afternoon.

Day 2

On the second day we will be working on a single all-day portrait painting where we can apply the ideas from the first day to a longer effort. We will take this as a chance to work on something more developed and to get into more depth about the behaviour of light and colour in the portrait.

We will be working from live portrait models throughout the workshop and tutor Lancelot Richardson will be on hand to provide assistance and feedback.. The class size is capped at 10 people.

The workshop runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday 15th - Sunday 16th July with a 1 hour lunch break from 1-2pm. There will also be extra teabreaks in the day.

You may arrive at 9:45am onwards. When you arrive please head for the large blue door next to the Managers Office on the New England Street side of the building. Please ring the number on the door to be let in.

Required Materials

If you have some experience painting please treat the following list as a guidline. If you prefer to work in acrylics or gouache please select a similar palette of colours.

You will need to bring the following materials:

• Colours : Titanium white Cadmium yellow light OR lemon yellow Yellow ochre Cadmium red OR pyrrole red Permanent alizarin crimson Ultramarine blue Raw umber Burnt sienna
• Selection of Brushes of different sizes – your preferred type of brush shape/bristle. You will need at least one large (size 10 – 14/1 inch) brushes.
• Apron or wear clothes suitable for getting paint on

(N.B. lemon yellow and pyrrole red are non-toxic cadmium alternatives I’d recommend.)

Plus:

For Oil Painters

• Surface to paint on – approximately 20cmx30cm/A4 - 30cmx40cm/A3 (or your preferred size). You may want a second smaller one for the first day. Can be board canvas or oil painting paper.
• Zest It Sansodor or other low odour solvent + container to take home dirty solvent - NO TURPENTINE OR WHITE SPIRIT
• Palette Knife
• Palette
• Brush washer (optional)
• Dipper (optional)
• Painting Medium (optional)

For Acrylic Painters

• Surface to paint on – approximately 20cmx30cm/A4 - 30cmx40cm/A3 (or your preferred size). You may want a second smaller one for the first day. Can be board canvas or acrylic painting paper.
• Palette
• Palette knife
• Palette (preferably a wet palette - instructions here)
• Brush washer (optional)
• Dipper (optional)
• Painting Medium (optional)
• Spray bottle (optional)

For Gouache Painters

• Surface to paint on – approximately 15cmx20cm/A5 -20cmx30cm/A4 (or your preferred size). You may want a second smaller one for the first day. Can be watercolour paper illustration board or heavyweight paper.
• Palette (preferably a wet palette - instructions here)
• Spray bottle (optional)

Materials Included

• Solvent jars
• Water pots
• Brush soap
• Blue roll
• Masking tape
• Oil painting paper
• Acrylic painting Paper
• Watercolour Paper

Running of the Session and Accesibility

When you arrive at the building head to the front door next to the building manager's office. The doors are locked at the weekend so please call the phone number on the door to be let in.

The building has a wheelchair ramp lifts and accessible toilets. Unfortunately the building does not provide parking. As this is a painting workshop students will typicallly stand at easels but stools are availble if required. If you have access needs please get in touch.

If price is a major obstacle to coming to this session please get in touch and I will find a way to help.

Illness and Covid

Please do not attend this workshop if you have covid flu are otherwise infectious or showing similar symptoms such as coughing sneezing fever etc. You will receive a refund as well as our appreciation! Just get in touch to let me know.

The studio has an industrial grade air filter and is well ventilated with high ceilings.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the session!

Model Pay

This session is run via the Draw Brighton studio and adheres to their basic model rates of £20/hr including breaks. Draw also guarantees sick pay for life models. We believe it is important and ethical to compensate our models with a fair living wage.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Lancelot Richardson