Dates:
Thursday 11th - Sunday 14th Feb
&
Monday 5th - Friday 9th July 2027
Times: 10am-4pm
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

Are you looking to level up your portraiture? We are offering truly unique and specific opportunity on how to achieve likeness in both structure and colour in a portrait through the expert guidance of artist tutor Rebecca Tait.

PART 1: PERSONALISED CRITIQUE PRIOR TO THE WORKSHOP IN-STUDIO DATES
Upon sign up you will be invited to send examples of your work to Rebecca for critique. This individualised critique will be written up and presented to each student privately through a private face to face online appointment (via Zoom) prior to the start of the workshop.

PART 2: STAGES OF A PORTRAIT | DRAWING | FEBRUARY DATES
Detailed and digestible information on how to create a powerfully accurate drawing will be taught in an exciting and engaging way in February. Rebecca will teach how to master a drawing that stands alone as a classical work of art or that sets the stage for a final painting. Rebecca will take a very individual approach with each participant as outlined during the personalised critiques.

You are then given another personalised ‘road-map’ on what to work on and time - time to explore and put in to practise what you’ve learnt.

PART 3: FULL COLOUR OF A PORTRAIT | JULY DATES
When you come back then in July a plethora of information on all aspects of obtaining beautifully luminous colour in your portrait oil paintings will be loaded on to your evolving understanding of portraiture.

Truly professional techniques will be taught by a highly experienced teacher who prides herself in each of her students finding genuine success.

PART 1: The Personalised Intensive (INDIVIDUAL ONLINE CRITIQUE)

This very personalised workshop will begin prior to the in-studio workshop dates. Rebecca will ask all enrolled students to email her six images of their portrait work by 31st January 2027. 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
The aesthetics of the medium used

This individualised critique will be written up and presented to each student privately through a private face to face online appointment (via Zoom) prior to the start of the workshop. 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 first 4 day workshop in February.

PART 2: STAGES OF A PORTRAIT - DRAWING (FEBRUARY; IN-STUDIO)

1. A Personalised Roadmap for Growth
A unique component of this workshop is the pre-workshop portfolio review. You will have received a written, individualised critique from Rebecca that pinpoints your specific strengths and the "holes in the Swiss cheese" in your current work during PART 1 of this workshop. This personalised 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

PART 3: FULL COLOUR OF A PORTRAIT | JULY DATES

During this dynamic 5-day conclusion of the workshop with Rebecca Tait, students can expect a deep, enjoyable dive into all aspects of full colour portraiture.

Day 1: Head, neck and shoulder anatomy will be discussed and taught in an entertaining, digestible way that enhances retention of the information. This will be followed by bold studies of colourfully wrapped skulls focusing on better understanding of how to turn colour on a structure.

Day 2: Work with the live costumed-model begins starting with how to produce an accurate grisaille. Additionally, there will be fascinating colour theory discussions and painting demos.

Day 3: Basic colour study is started, seeing big colour, value, temperature and shapes first. The benefit of stepping back and adjusting initial decisions will be explained. Canvas will be fully covered in well thought out colour choices and accurate anatomy.

Day 4: Students will be heading from macro towards micro seeing. Sophisticated colour mixing will be explained.

Day 5: Fine details of anatomy are checked. All aspects of value, temperature, colour, chroma, placement, shape and edges are all put through final adjustments. Final critique and individual suggestions for advancement are suggested. The art of the signature and how to support loose canvas will also be covered.