Portrait basics – 6 weeks
Start Date: Wednesday 30/04/2025
Time: 02:30pm
Duration: 2.5 (total 15 ) hrs
Price: £320.00
Ability: All Welcome
Tutor: Rachel Labovitch
Tickets Available: 8
About this course
THIS COURSE IS NO LONGER TAKING BOOKINGS
Learn the Basics: Portrait Drawing & Painting in Water-Based Oil Paints
A 6 week course starting Wed 30th April 2.30pm - 5.30pm
Join artist and experienced tutor Rachel Labovitch for a welcoming and practical 6-week course designed to introduce you to the art of portrait drawing and painting using water-based oil paints. Whether you're new to art or exploring portraits for the first time, you'll build strong foundations in drawing, proportion, color mixing, and painting techniques—culminating in a finished portrait artwork.
Rachel is a skilled portrait artist known for her expressive work and approachable teaching style. She brings warmth and expertise, helping students grow their skills and creative confidence, at our inspiring studio in Twickenham. You will receive step by step instruction & guidance, practice of techniques with group and individual feedback.
3 sessions will be working with a live model and 3 sessions will be working from photographs.
You can choose to make your final portrait from ref you bring, such as a friend or family member or from photographs taken of our live model.
Week 1: Introduction to the Portrait
- Getting comfortable with the materials
- Basic facial proportions and structure
- Gesture sketches and simplified forms
- Light and shadow: tonal drawing basics
Week 2: Developing the Drawing
- Drawing from reference and life
- Understanding facial features in more depth (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.)
- Working with charcoal and graphite on toned paper
- Preparing a drawing for transfer to canvas
Week 3: ALl about Water-Based Oils
- Introduction to water-based oil paints: setup, safety, and differences from traditional oils
- Mixing skin tones with a limited palette
- Creating a tonal underpainting (grisaille)
- Blocking in the portrait with paint
Week 4: Building Layers & Form
- Layering techniques and working with opaque vs. transparent paint
- Enhancing depth and structure
- Refining facial features through colour and tone
- Brushwork and blending techniques
Week 5: Bringing the Portrait to Life
- Highlights, shadows, and subtle colour shifts
- Adding expression and personality
- Adjusting composition and contrast
- Rachel’s guided feedback and demonstrations
Week 6: Finishing Touches & Group Critique
- Final refinements and detail work
- Varnishing basics (for future reference)
- Group critique and one-on-one feedback with Rachel
What included
- Easels and studio equipment provided
- Live model session(s) included
- Personalized instruction and feedback from Rachel
- Tea & coffee available on site!
What to bring
Book Your Place
Event FAQs
“Taking the time to learn in the inspiring environment of Colne Road Studios was such a treat! The group was welcoming and supportive and Rachel is an extremely talented and generous teacher, sharing her skills and knowledge to give us fresh perspectives and a wealth of useful advice and feedback. I felt my ability and interest in drawing had been revived after many years dormant, learning how to observe as well as how to draw. I would encourage anyone willing to pick up a pencil to have a go, and have already signed up to Rachel’s next course! “CB March 2025
A CPZ is in force from Mon to Sat 8.30 – 6.30pm
Limited paid spaces available in surrounding roads with Ring Go cashless Parking
Max stay 4 hours during operational hours
Holly Road Car park, behind Marks & Spencer TW1 4HF
Mon to Sat – 8am to 6.30pm.
This car park is accessible and free to park in outside of these hours. Max stay 4 hours during operational hours – walking to the Studio approx 9mins
At the moment the courses at Colne Road Studios are designed for adults over the age of 18 . The aim is to create a relaxed environment, provide a bit of an escape and switch off from every day responsibilites. We are not able to accommodate children in our classes, nor do we provide children’s classes at this time.
To secure a course, please book at least 8 days before the listed course start date.
Any course with no bookings 8 days prior to it’s start date will then be removed from the website .
Courses with fewer than 3 participants may be cancelled, with 5 days’ notice given to those who had enrolled.
You will be notified by email if this happens, unless you would like us to text you instead, but please let us know.
A refund for the full course value will then be made.
Please bare with us . This might take 5-10 days to come through.
All of our longer courses are exchangeable up until 28 days prior to the start of the course. After this, you are able to change your booking to a different course for a £20 admin fee. Please note that from 14 days prior to the start of the course, your booking is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
Our refund policy is strict because it enables us to pay ourselves and our tutors a fair wage, and remain accessible as a studio.
Every time we are asked to to accommodate a refund request, we would be forced to lower our staff wages or increase our prices – both of which we really want to avoid. We hope you understand that this is why there are no exemptions to our refund policies.