Portrait Painting in Oil Masterclass
Four-Night Residential Check-in Monday 23rd March 2026 Check-out Friday 27th March 2026
Available spaces
Taught by Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Decade Gareth Reid, this portrait painting masterclass will focus on encouraging students to think about more than just the technicalities of painting a portrait and look at ways to get a connection between artist and sitter. Day 1: Observation and Loosening Up Kick off with exercises in drawing to sharpen your observational skills and free up your drawing style. Engage in a mix of short and long poses, with Gareth providing personalised guidance throughout the day. Days 2 & 3: Portrait Painting We will provide a number of portrait models with a focus on longer poses to refine your technique and observation. Gareth will support you in developing your skills with oil paint, helping you capture depth and character. Day 4: Life Drawing Conclude with a half-day dynamic life drawing session, featuring a blend of quick and longer poses to consolidate your learning. About Gareth Reid Winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 and Sky Portrait Artist of The Decade, 2023. Born 1974, Belfast. Lives in Glasgow. Graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and the Florence Academy of Art. 2023: Winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Decade for his drawing of Dame Judi Dench. 2019: Portrait of King Charles III commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces for Hillsborough Castle. 2017: Winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, painting Graham Norton for the National Gallery of Ireland. Gareth has shown on five occasions at the BP Portrait Award in the National Portrait Gallery in London, and in 2007 won the BP Travel Award. Having travelled to Finland, he gave talks on his work in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh and the National Portrait Gallery, London. His work has been published by the NPG. His work is held in the collections of the National Trust, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ralph Lauren, The Old Bailey, Dublin City Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Historic Royal Palaces, The Royal Collection and the National Gallery of Ireland. About Your Stay Check-in from 3pm Monday 23rd March 2026 Check-out by 10.30am Friday 27th March 2026
Cancellation Policy
All Classes, Courses, Workshops and Masterclasses are priced including VAT charged at 20%. By completing this purchase you are securing a place for the Masterclass and accommodation at Cober Hill. We understand that plans can change, so we’ve outlined our cancellation and rescheduling policies for our masterclass and accommodation at Ampleforth Abbey to ensure clarity and flexibility. Masterclass Rescheduling: You can reschedule your booking up to 4 weeks before the start of the masterclass. We will transfer your booking to an alternative date and provide written confirmation of the change. Cancellations: You may cancel your booking up to 4 weeks before the masterclass for a full refund, which will be processed to your original payment method within 3–5 business days. Within 4 Weeks of the Event: Cancellations made less than 4 weeks before the masterclass will not be refunded. However, if we are able to rebook your place within the 4 week period we will be able to process a full refund. Accommodation Rescheduling: Accommodation can be rescheduled up to 6 weeks before your stay, subject to availability. We will confirm the new booking details in writing. Cancellations: You may cancel your accommodation booking up to 6 weeks before your stay for a full refund. Within 6 Weeks of the Stay: Cancellations made within 6 weeks of the arrival date will incur a 50% cancellation fee. If we are able to rebook your accommodation, we will refund the remaining balance to your original payment method. Your Right to Cancel If you are a customer living in the United Kingdom or the European Union you have the right to cancel your contract to purchase services from us within 14 days of purchase without giving notice. The cancellation period will end 14 days from the date of purchase when you purchased a service. 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.