STAGES OF A PORTRAIT | REBECCA TAIT

Taking Bookings

8 Jun

Dates: Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd Feb 2026
Times: 10am-4.30pm
Location: Enniskerry
Skill Level: Experience in Portraiture

Please see detailed workshop information below

If this course is fully booked or not currently scheduled, go ahead add your name to the waiting list HERE

Payment plans are available contact us directly

aBOUT THE WORKSHOP

This very personalized workshop will begin prior to the official start date. Rebecca will ask all enrolled students to email her six images of their portrait work by February 10th. She prefers that these images be portraits executed in graphite or charcoal, although portrait paintings are also acceptable. Rebecca will evaluate these submissions for many elements, including:

head and neck structure,
proper execution of facial details,
consistency in head and neck angles,
facial symmetry,
and the aesthetics of the medium used.

This individualized critique will be written up and presented to each student privately one hour prior to the start of the workshop (9:00 AM on February 20th). During this private session, Rebecca will discuss how to best address the student's areas for improvement, which she kindly refers to as the "holes in the Swiss cheese" of their work. This initial assessment will then form her main focus for each individual student throughout the 3-day workshop.

Rebecca will be conducting numerous demonstrations that focus on:

achieving a strong, accurate start,
understanding the proper anatomy of the head and neck,
techniques for rendering eyes, noses, lips, and hair,
and the final aesthetics of a graphite portrait.

Her goal is for each student to leave the workshop with a wealth of information on how to take their portraiture work to the next level.

Under Rebecca's expert guidance, this intensive, personalized workshop is designed to provide a significant leap forward in your portraiture skills. You will move beyond simple representation to create portraits with depth, accuracy, and compelling artistry.

Here are the key areas you will explore:

1. Foundational Structure and Anatomy

A Solid Start: Learn Rebecca's methods for establishing a strong, accurate foundation, including effective blocking-in techniques to capture the head and neck's angle and proportion from the very beginning.
Anatomical Precision: Gain a deeper understanding of the underlying bone and muscle structure of the head and neck, learning how this knowledge informs surface forms and creates a believable, three-dimensional portrait.

2. Mastery of Facial Features

Move beyond generic representations and learn to render each feature with confidence. Rebecca will break down the specific anatomy and rendering techniques for:
- Eyes: How to capture their moisture, depth, and life.
- Nose and Mouth: Understanding their complex forms to avoid flatness.
- Hair: Techniques for treating hair as a mass with volume and rhythm, rather than drawing individual strands.

3. Cohesion and Likeness

You will learn how to ensure all features work together harmoniously. This includes techniques for achieving:
- Facial Symmetry: Placing features correctly in relation to the cranial mass.
- Consistent Angles: Maintaining a unified perspective and head/neck relationship throughout your drawing process.

4. Artistic Refinement and Medium Aesthetics

Elevate the final presentation of your work. Rebecca will demonstrate how to push your use of graphite or charcoal to create a finished portrait with:
- A full range of values and dynamic contrast.
- Compelling textures and surface quality.
- A professional and polished appearance.

5. A Personalized Roadmap for Growth

A unique component of this workshop is the pre-workshop portfolio review. You will receive a written, individualized critique from Rebecca that pinpoints your specific strengths and the "holes in the Swiss cheese" in your current work. This personalized assessment ensures that the instruction you receive is tailored to your needs, giving you a clear and actionable path for continued improvement long after the workshop concludes.

By the end of this three-day experience, you will possess not only new technical skills and a deeper understanding of portrait drawing but also a customized strategy for taking your artistic practice to the next level.

- Build a solid foundation by mastering the anatomy of the head and neck and learning techniques for a strong, accurate start.
- Render realistic facial features with specific methods for drawing lifelike eyes, noses, lips, and hair.
- Achieve cohesion and likeness by understanding facial symmetry and maintaining consistent angles.
- Enhance your medium's aesthetics to create finished graphite or charcoal portraits with professional contrast and texture.
- Receive a personalized roadmap from Rebecca's pre-workshop critique, targeting your specific "areas for growth" for maximum improvement.
Confirmed upon registration