SESSION V | Observational Portraiture & Portfolio Synthesis

Apr 4 – May 9 Sundays | 1 – 4:30 pm

Media: Oil Paint on Canvas from Live Models

Tuition: $500 (All supplies & model fees included)

Instructors: TBA

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Course Description

The capstone module of our academic year program. Session 5 brings together everything students have learned—comparative measurement, value structure, paint handling, and color theory—and applies it to live observational portraiture.

Working from live models, students master the complex geometry of the human head, feature alignment, skin tone mixing, and capturing a likeness. The session finishes with a dedicated portfolio audit and digital file preparation pass.

Weekly Curriculum Breakdown

  • Week 1: Facial Structure & Skull Geometry

    Proportions of the head, planes of the face, and setting up a structural portrait block-in from life.

  • Week 2: Features in Detail

    Micro-geometry of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears as extensions of the underlying skull structure.

  • Week 3: Skin Tone Mixing & Temperature Shifts

    Mixing accurate flesh palettes from warm light zones to cool reflected shadow tones.

  • Week 4: The Long Pose — Portrait Underpainting

    Executing a long-pose portrait: wiped-out underpainting moving into color block-in from a live model.

  • Week 5: Turning Form on the Head & Edge Hierarchy

    Refining soft transitions on cheeks/forehead vs. hard edges along hair lines and feature accents.

  • Week 6: Portfolio Synthesis & SlideRoom Workshop

    Final portrait touches; portfolio review; digital editing, cropping, and cataloging for college submissions.

Portfolio Deliverables

  1. One Master Portrait Painting in Oil: A fully developed portrait from a live model showing likeness, form, and color control.

  2. SlideRoom Ready Digital Portfolio File: High-resolution, color-accurate digital exports formatted for university application portals.