In this 3-month program, you'll master the art of creating strong, realistic portraits while diving deep into color, composition, and techniques for building textured grounds that will make your work truly stand out.
With lifetime access to plenty in-depth demos, lectures, and creative exercises, you'll be guided every step of the way. Plus, you'll have access to downloadable references to support your learning, support via email & automatic membership in the dedicated artist community.
Here are some of the key highlights of the course content:
Learn the fundamentals of head anatomy and classical drawing techniques to draw realistic portraits (downloadable reference, interactive lectures & multiple demos, 4+ hour content)
Learn an effective method to mix realistic skin tones for any complexion (multiple demos, white/pale, light brown, black skin, 4h+ content)
Learn about value, chroma, temperature and composition and apply them to paint impactful portraits in oil (multiple step-by-step demos, 4h+ content)
Explore various techniques to create intricate grounds and backgrounds in a variety of mixed media including gold leaf.
Create distressed grounds with paper mounted on panel/canvas to use as a base for expressive portraiture (multiple demos, 3h + content)
Practice specific topics in-depth - ie from eyes, mouth, nose (multiple bite-size demos, 2h+)
Full Program Content:
- Chapter Overview (0:55)
- An Effective Method to Mix Any Skin Colour (3:41)
- Color Mixing Demo: How To Organise Your Palette (11:14)
- Colour Mixing Demo: Focus on White/Pale Skin (15:21)
- Colour Mixing Demo: Focus on Olive / Light Brown Skin (13:31)
- Color Mixing Demo: Focus on Dark Brown / Black Skin (11:04)
- Concluding Notes (1:15)
- PRACTICE AT HOME: creative exercises and assignment
- A Method to Unleash Creativity (1:49)
- Priming Your Surfaces (2:43)
- Creating an Abstract Ground for a Medium Painting (1:28)
- Toning & Applying Gold Leaf (4:11)
- Spray Painting, Stencilling & Layering (9:15)
- Tips and Best Practices to Keep Inspired! (3:55)
- PRACTICE AT HOME: creative exercises and assignment
- Overview of the lesson (1:12)
- Before We Start: Surface, Composition and Transferring Our Drawings (11:01)
- Before We Start: Creating a Colour Study Using the ZORN Palette (35:54)
- Start Painting: Blocking-in (28:57)
- Get the likeness right (29:09)
- Pushing the Portrait Further: Finer details and Rendering (28:58)
- Finishing Touches: Adding an Abstract Background & Varnishing Your Work (21:28)
- APPENDIX: a Preview of Oil Paint MEDIUMS (8:00)
- PRACTICE AT HOME: creative exercises and assignment
- Chapter Overview
- An Insider’s View of My Creative Process
- Plan Your Process: Brainstorming, Doodling, Sourcing References and Sketching
- Demo I: Sketch Using Images and Imagination
- Demo II: Transform Your Sketches Into Small Painting Studies
- Demo III: Scale Up Your Studies Into A Large Abstract-Figurative Painting
- PRACTICE AT HOME: creative exercises and assignment
Ready for more in-depth content? Check the 6-month Programs - stream only (START) or Stream+Live (PLUS):
Italian-born Rosso is an acclaimed professional fine art painter residing in the UK. Her innovative artwork merges traditional painting methods with abstract expressions to create contemporary portraits that have captivated audiences internationally. Beginning her artistic journey at the age of 30, Rosso made the bold leap from a previous advertising career to pursue her passion for arts. A product of intensive self-directed learning, Rosso honed her craft through part-time studies at the London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA) and invaluable mentorship from artists who greatly influenced her technique.
Rosso's dedication to her craft is evident not only in her award-winning pieces but also in her approach to teaching. Translating her extensive experience into the classroom, she fosters an environment rich in practical skill-building and innovative thinking. With an undying passion for painting and a conviction for continuous learning, Rosso engages students with the same enthusiasm that fuels her creativity in the studio. Her success stories span from emerging artists to seasoned professionals who have all benefited from her dynamic instructional approach and her deep connection to the art community. Through her vibrant teaching methods, Rosso's goal is to inspire and guide her students to explore their unique artistic voices and achieve excellence in their creative pursuits.