Portraiture with the Masters
Join us for an immersive four-night residential retreat at the picturesque Cober Hill, nestled in the serene North Yorkshire countryside, where you’ll hone your portraiture skills under the guidance of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year winners Wendy Barratt, Brogan Bertie and semi-finalist Sara Reeve.
This programme is designed for artists of all levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals, offering a blend of structured daytime workshops, optional evening sessions, and a culminating pop-up exhibition.
Each day, you’ll participate in a focused workshop led by one of our renowned tutors, exploring distinct aspects of portrait drawing and painting. Evening activities provide additional opportunities to expand your artistic horizons, and the retreat concludes with a celebratory showcase of your work, fostering a supportive community of creatives.
Over three days of expert-led tuition, participants will delve into three portrait methods which are:
- Painting Portraits with a Limited Palette with Wendy Barratt - Discovering the power of simplicity in portraiture with a limited palette to create striking portraits with economy and impact.
- Self-Portraits with Sara Reeve - Helping you translate your unique features into a compelling composition.
- Portrait Painting with Brogan Bertie - Using smooth panals and oil paints helping you capture likeness by emphasising underlying structure.
Book Now
Click on the link below to secure your space
Day Student at Cober Hill Tuesday 17th August - Friday 20th August 2027
695 British poundsLoading availability...
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Four-Night Residential Check-in Monday 16th August 2027 Check-out Friday 20th August 2027
1,245 British poundsLoading availability...
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Gallery
Some images from Portraiture with the Masters 2026
Your Stay at Cober Hill
Duration: Five nights, with full board accommodation included.
Check-in: From 3pm on Monday 16th August 2027
Check-out: By 10.30am Friday 20th August 2027
Non-Residential options are available and include all materials, refreshments and lunch.
Workshops take place Monday - Thursday 10am - 4pm.
Your Room at Cober Hill
On check-in you will be allocated your own en-suite bedroom. Accommodation at Cober Hill is basic but clean. There are no TV's in the bedrooms but there is free wi-fi throughout the site for you to use.
Meal Times
Your buffet-style breakfast is available from 8.30am.
Lunch will be served at 12.30pm
Evening meals are served at 6pm.
Entertainment
Your group will have use of a private drawing room for the duration of your stay. This includes a TV, board games, a selection of classic literature as well as views of the gardens and, in the distance, the sea!
Cober Hill has wonderful grounds which you are free to explore. There is also a tennis court, croquet lawn and a bar. Participants are responsible for settling any bar bill at check-out. Cober Hill is a short distance from the North Sea and there are excellent transport links to Scarborough, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby and beyond.
Parking and Public Transport Links
There is ample parking at Cober Hill as well as good public transport links to the site.
Extending Your Stay
Subject to room availability, you can also extend your stay. Please add a note at the time of booking and we will contact you to arrange any additional accommodation required.
If needed, we will be able to provide secure storage for any luggage after check out.
Accessible Rooms
There are a number of accessible rooms available at Cober Hill. Please confirm at the time of booking if you require an accessible room.
Guests
If you would like to stay at Cober Hill with someone who won't be attending the course, we will be able to arrange this for you. There will be an additional cost which we can confirm with you before booking.
How to Find Us
bookaclass.com events in Cober Hill are located at:
Cober Hill
Cloughton
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO13 0AR