Portraits in oils

 I am delighted that artist Mike Skidmore Has agreed to come and teach a two day masterclass at the studio in April. This workshop is suitable for those with some experience with oil paint.

Tickets are £200 including a £50 deposit

Heres what he has to say about himself and his workshop. 

A little bit about me!

I’m an old Yorkshireman with a terrible sense of humour, and heaps of

enthusiasm. I paint portraits and still life and have been lucky enough to have exhibited at a number of posh galleries.

I’ve lead a pretty eclectic life from musician to designer, uni lecturer (nothing to do with art),

counsellor, and even had a spell on local BBC radio.

My way of looking at teaching is very simple - give positive encouragement, build confidence, and of course, give lots of 

information and instruction. After all, knowledge would be pretty pointless unless shared.

So come along and I promise you will enjoy every minute and learn lots - it’s my job to make sure

that happens.

What we will do in our time together

We’ll be doing a pencil drawing directly onto the canvas, which we’ll ‘fix’ with a transparent coat of

acrylic. Then we’ll paint a tonal picture, as this ensures the underpainting 

dries quickly. Finally we’ll paint in oils, covering every aspect of the painting process.

What you will learn (portraits)

• A new way to use a grid      system for the drawing (students can draw freehand if preferred)
• How to address the tonal      values of a picture in order to create a sense of three dimensions
• How to paint skin, the      mouth, hair and eyes - not forgetting ears (everyone hates painting      them)!!
• How to build a painting      in layers
• Glazing and mediums -      how to use them, when to use them and their advantages
• Lots of other stuff too      numerous to mention

Materials

Tools: 

2b pencils and sharpener

Putty rubber

3 x jam jars

White spirit

A cotton rag

Kitchen towel

Cotton buds

'T' square - a cheap plastic one will do

Palettes - the silver foil platters that supermarkets sell are ideal. Students can 

then take them home and use the paint on them.

I will also have a selection of the paints you will need.

Brushes I will bring a selection in case someone hasn't got a particular brush

Oil or acrylic brushes are fine

A sable or rigger brush in either size 3, 4, 5

Square end or filbert brushes in size 2, 4, 6 

Blending brush (sometimes called a fan brush)

Canvas boards

I prefer students to work on the same canvas boards that I use, as I know 

exactly how the paint will behave: Belle Arte canvas boards 24 x 30 cm which can be bought online from Jackson's Art.

They are about £5.00 each. I will also bring some in case anyone can't get hold of them. for a cost of £5.00 each

Medium: I make my own and will provide enough for each student