How to Paint a Portrait

Painted portraits are some of our most recognisable images.

Mona Lisa, Van Gogh’s self portraits, Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.  

We are people pack animals and people are what we tend to be most attracted to and interested in.

Portraits can tell the story of the individual, celebrate them, honour, create conversations about topical issues, and capture a moment in time.  

It really is is an honour to paint someones portrait.  We learn about them, about ourselves and about the beauty of life.

It is hard to articulate what is happening for the artist as we seek to capture the essence of a person, a facet within them or the essence of them. 

You will find that people are touched by seeing their own portrait.  Seeing an aspect of themselves captured by someone else. I have been surprised

by my work creating tears of joy as someone sees their portrait.

Portraiture and me?

I never would have dreamed where painting portraits could take me and the people I could meet all through my paint brush.

Portrait painting was not something I intended to do.  It all came about through a chance encounter - or rather a series of loose connections that I allowed to inform my path.  

You see as someone who paints Australian plants I am often at the Botanical Gardens.  One day when chatting to staff Dennis Fisher who did not know me asked what I do? 

“I paint natives” Oh he said “paint me”  He is an Aboriginal Australian and I was mortified at my faux pax and retreated saying “Oh native plants! I don’t

paint people.” And was duly embarrassed.

Anyway at that time my friend Mary mentioned an oil painting course coming up in Adelaide by a world renowned artist who as it happened 

use to play basket ball with her boys - and as an enthusiastic supporter of their basketball for years I ended up signing up for the course - knowing little 

about it other than it was in 6mths time. 

When I turned up to the course to my surprise it was a portraiture course.  As I painted the monotone underpainting 

I could see Dennis’s face emerging from the page.  I decided I was going to have to find him again and paint his portrait.  I did.  

And when I did I saw the shy pride, humility and joy of being immortalised in a portrait.  

I realised there is a power in portraiture. 

Also that the Aboriginal people of my country are not feted and honoured enough.  And that began ‘Keys to our Country’ my first portrait series.  

I painted a series of Aboriginal Australians who bring their culture into their work, thereby teaching us more about Aboriginal culture. 

They were sold to raise funds for Aboriginal Education.  I mention how these portrait series were presented to show the way people love to engage

with portraits and how they can be very powerful at creating conversations.

When I paint Australian Wildflowers I literally have a love experience with the intricacies and beauty of life.  It happens too with a portrait - engaging with

another form of amazing life.  That is not to say that I fall in love with the person but the wonder of the spark of life that makes humans unique and

marvellous.

I have also painted a series of women leaders Leading Women’s Profile, in response to finding that only 6% of CEO’s in the Australian Stock Exchanges

top 200 companies were women.  I wanted the portraits to create conversations about women and leadership and encourage all of us to find ways to

help young women get to those positions.

These were presented on International Women’s Day at Crown at the Women in Rotary Breakfast and then at Deloitte Melbourne where they were

exhibited.  Funds raised went to Bridge of Hope to support vulnerable youth coming out of child protection.   

As I was painting the MD of Bendigo Adelaide Bank Marine Baker a staff member was lingering at the door watch us with a dreamy smile on her face.  

When I spoke to her in the break she said - ‘Oh I’m so proud”.  You see when one woman is honoured - so to are all women honoured.  

The portrait can be very powerful.

I have painted those who have died while I chat about them with their loved ones, leaders, children and always am honoured and touched by the

experience. It really is humbling and unique. I’ve made this course so you can have that experience of connection too.

How to Paint a Portrait - Content

In this online course we are going to create a portrait together - you can do it at your own pace in your own home.  

Learning by painting the same portrait together will help you problem solve and nut things out as you see how I managed it.  

Don’t think I’m saying you have to paint as I do - I’m not.  I’m showing you what has worked for me and others and you can learn it and bring it into your

own style.  It can be good when you are learning something new to completely immerse yourself in the process, building new skills as you go.

You can watch along with me painting the whole portrait over 8 hours as I chat to you about what I’m doing or, 

if you want things faster, watch the time lapse version - you have a choice.

In this course we will cover:

• Materials - I recommend a specific list of acrylic colours. We use a particular colour palette to create warm or cool, light or dark flesh tones. I also recommend certain brushes. You can use oils and follow the course just the same as the colours I use are available in both. I use acrylic here as that is what my students usually use but the lessons are just as applicable to both.

• We cover getting ready to paint - your painting space, making it easy to keep painting

• The monotone underpainting - which creates a guide for the more complex step of colour

• Mixing flesh tones

• Eyes

• Eyebrows

• Nose

• Mouth

• And bringing it all together.

Who Should Join?

This might be hard for an absolute beginner. That said you can follow every step of what I do. If you have done my course How To Paint WIth Acrylics you have a definite edge.

When does it start?

I am just putting the finishing touches to the videos now and will launch on April 28 2022