“My Beginners to Intermediate Portrait Course consists of six classes which I hope will add adventure and excitement to your portrait journey. We will be exploring Modernist styles of portraiture including 1920s expressionists, the 1930s modernists, the increasingly modern styles of portraiture from the 1950s and onwards, to the current and later styles of today. In this Course I will share with you my passion and enthusiasm for creating portraits. If you too experience this joy, I will feel that I have succeeded.” Philip David

Class 1 – We will revisit the basics of portrait painting. We will look at Expressionist Portraits from 1910 to 1930s utilising hard edge and we will look at work by artists known for this style.

Class 2 – We will explore Modernist styles from 1920s to 1950s in the more emotive and penetrating styles of female artists both International and Australian.

Class 3 – We will explore the 1960s emerging Pop Portrait art looking at colour and psychological in-depth interpretation of sitters predominately using thin dark line filling in with colour.

Class 4 – We will explore the fleshy style of portraiture utilising ochres, flesh tones and white highlights showing the intense creases, bulges and bumps in a face particularly looking at portraiture by Stanley Spencer and Lucien Freud.

Class 5 – We will explore a particular style of portraiture that I favour at times utilising a hard-edged dark acrylic base marking all the lines and notes of the face and other areas allowing time for that acrylic paint to dry, then adding layers of slightly less deep colour and building up to the lightest tones last. A quick drying dark acrylic such as Magenta, Prussian Blue or Black will be advisable.

Class 6 – We will spend time using the often-preferred style known as Tonal Realism in which upon marking with underdrawing such as a sketch and then using a very thin wash of light colours allowing time to build up slowly with darker colours lastly. A quick dry medium in the early stages might be useful for oils.

COURSE MATERIALS
1 A3 Art Pad, approx. 150gms Paper or A3 Canvas Pad
• Or Larger as Desired (i.e., 70 x 50 or 90 x 60)
• MDF Board might be an alternative – available at hardware stores
1 Pack of Chalk Pastels (instead of Pencils)
2 Size 24 Flat Brushes
2 Size 16 Flat Brushes
2 Size 6 Flat Brushes
1 Fine 2 Point Brush
2 Untippable Tubs or Jars with Lids, approx 500mls
2 or more large bull-dog style clips
1 thin stiff wood or plastic board to hold A3 page/canvas sheet, approx. 300 x 500mm or larger
Assorted rags to clean brushes
Odourless Turps if using Oils

PAINTS: 1 tube of each, in either in Acrylic or Oils – as preferred

One tube of each in acrylic:
• Flesh Colour
• Naples Yellow
• Titanium White
• Magenta
• Prussian Blue
• Red Ochre
• Yellow Ochre
And other colours as desired – maybe a greater range of yellows, blues etc.