Painting Portraits in Oils
Four-Night Residential Check-in Monday 12th April 2027 Check-out Friday 16th April 2027
Available spaces
Join Sara Reeve, Brighton-based portrait artist and semi-finalist on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, for an inspiring and practical four-day masterclass dedicated to painting portraits in oils. Sara specialises in oil portraiture and is known for her bold use of colour, strong shapes, and her ability to help students develop confidence and a more expressive approach. As a tutor at Draw Brighton and presenter on Sky TV’s Art Made Easy, she brings clarity, energy, and a deep understanding of oil painting techniques to her teaching. This course is ideal for both beginners and more experienced painters who want to develop their skills in oil portraiture. Sara will guide you from the fundamentals right through to loosening up and beginning to find your own personal style. Day 1: Getting Started with Oils Sara will take you back to basics, covering everything you need to know about using oil paint for portraiture. You’ll explore materials, kit, mediums, colour mixing, and how to see and simplify tone and temperature (cool and warm colours). You’ll also learn how to approach a portrait confidently using limited palettes. Day 2: Alla Prima Portrait from Life Putting theory into practice, you will paint a direct alla prima portrait from a live model. Sara will demonstrate how to mix fresh, lively skin tones and avoid muddy colours, helping you work with confidence and clarity. Day 3: Loosening Up This day is all about freedom and expression. Through a series of targeted exercises and approaches, you will explore ways to loosen your style, develop more painterly marks, and start moving towards a more personal and expressive way of painting portraits. Day 4: Pop-Up Portraits (Morning) On the final morning, you’ll have the opportunity to create quick, lively “pop-up” portraits, consolidating everything you’ve learned during the week in a relaxed and creative session. This masterclass offers a perfect balance of technical instruction and creative encouragement, helping you build solid foundations in oil painting while giving you the confidence to develop your own artistic voice. All materials and equipment are provided. This masterclass includes a full board four-night stay at Cober Hill, just outside Scarborough. Check-in from 3pm on Monday 12th April 2027 Check-out by 10am Friday 16th April 2027
Cancellation Policy
Right to Cancel and Receive Reimbursement UK/EU consumers have a 14-day cooling-off period from the date of purchase for a full refund, provided the course or workshop has not yet commenced. Email info@bookaclass.com to cancel. Cancellation & Refund Policy (after 14 days): More than 8 weeks before the start date: Full refund minus £20 administration fee. 4–8 weeks before: 70% refund. 2–4 weeks before: 50% refund. Less than 2 weeks before the start or after the course has begun: No refund. Rescheduling: You may reschedule once free of charge up to 8 weeks before the start date (subject to availability). Later rescheduling incurs a £20 administration fee. To exercise your right to cancel you must inform us of your decision to cancel within the cancelation period. To cancel, contact us by email at info@bookaclass.org.