Portrait Painting with Cornelia Hernes (June 2026)

In this four-day portrait painting course, Cornelia Hernes will guide you through the academic and artistic tradition of portrait painting by painting a colour study, before venturing into the final portrait. We will discuss materials used in the painting process along with various strategies employed for building a solid and realistic portrait. We will touch on how to compose the portrait with a focus on how to illuminate the portrait and how to capture the foundation of gesture and proportion. We will then delve into practical and steadfast observation techniques, such as how to employ mirror observation. Furthermore, we will discuss how to observe the colour and value relationships of the portrait, which are the keystones in capturing the illusion of reality.

 

All levels are welcome to participate in this workshop.

 

If you are just stepping into the realm of portrait painting or you are a seasoned artist looking to hone your portrait painting skills, this workshop is for you. The workshop will be structured with a combination of one-to-one instruction along discussing concepts in a group setting. And of course, we will enjoy plenty of painting time together!

 

KEY CONCEPTS COVERED.

 

- How to capture the gesture and proportion in the foundation of the portrait.

- How to observe colour, values and the shapes of the portrait.

- How to use the mirror to observe abstract shapes in the realistic portrait.

- How to build the portrait from the foundation, intermediate stage and the refining stage of the painting process.

 

ABOUT CORNELIA

 

Cornelia was born and raised in Norway, and from the onset of her oil painting pursuits in her late teens, she was particularly interested in rendering the human form and emotive expressions through portraiture and mythological motifs.

 

Cornelia achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction from the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, in 2003. In the summer months of 2002-2004, she studied with Odd Nerdrum in Norway. Following her BFA degree, she pursued a classical realist training at The Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Upon graduation, she was hired as a Principal Instructor in the drawing and painting program. She moved to Gothenburg, Sweden in 2010 and taught at the Swedish branch of the Florence Academy of Art until 2016, when she moved to New York to teach at the Florence Academy of Art, US branch. In 2018, Cornelia transitioned to online teaching and she now lives in Norway and works with students across the globe with painting tutorials and online teaching.

 

 

WORKSHOP TESTIMONIALS

 

Along with her artistic profession, Cornelia has extensive experience teaching art on all levels. Among her workshop repertoire are portrait, academic nude and cast drawing, painting, still life painting, floral painting, as well as painting the figure in drapery and painting the figure in an interior setting.

 

"Painting with Cornelia has been an amazing experience for me. Not only is she a remarkable painter and masterful at her craft, but she is also a formidable teacher as well." - Michael Storrings

 

"...Cornelia is a great, precise, soft spoken communicator. Her comments are very articulate and, more importantly, fresh and honest. No clichés on art appreciation and techniques." - Jean-Pierre Jacquet

 

"Cornelia created a great tone and atmosphere in this workshop. She combined a nice blend of demo, group instruction and very individualised attention which met various levels of experience" - K.G.

 

"...I have learned so many ways to see in just two days! I can't wait to incorporate all of these new tools into my practice." - Chelsea.

 

MATERIALS LIST:

• Panel for colour study. About 15 x 20 cm
• Panel or canvas for the portrait. About 30-35 cm. Medium to smooth weave
• Brushes (see below)
• Oil Paint (see below)
• Palette (see below)
• Palette knife (see below)
• Linseed oil. No solvent.
• Apron
• Nitrile gloves
• Notebook
• Plastic wrap for transporting brushes if you are washing them at home

CANVAS:

In this workshop, we will paint one colour study and one final portrait painting. For the colour study, please bring one painting support, such as a pre-gessoed panel prepared for oil painting, in about 15 x 20 cm. I enjoy working with Jack Richerson panels or ready-made MDF panels from Jacksons in the UK.

For this course, I recommend painting on a gessoed panel or medium-to-smooth-weave linen for the main portrait. I will be working on Claessens 166 universal primed. About 30 x 35 cm.  It would be preferable if you could prepare your painting support with an imprimatura at least two days in advance of the course. An imprimatura is an initial stain of colour on a ground. It is useful in the underpainting stage of the painting as it allows us to more efficiently establish value relationships early on in the painting process.

For the imprimatura, use one warm and fast-drying pigment, such as Raw Umber. Dilute the paint with a little turpentine to allow for a thin wash on the canvas. You can do with a rag rather than a brush. Keep the layer fairly light to mid tone (like cardboard) and as even as possible. Do not use any linseed oil in the imprimatura. Leave in a ventilated place to dry. Please note that the RAW UMBER Studios is a solvent-free painting space, so it is important that the imprimatura is prepared in advance of the course.

BRUSHES:

The brushes painters use are largely of personal preference. Brushes have different personalities, so having a range of them helps complete the different tasks in a painting. For instance, in a smooth passage, such as in the shadow, using a synthetic filbert or sable can be more helpful than using a flat hog bristle brush, which in turn might be the perfect brush to use when you want to obtain thicker brush strokes. Having brushes in a variety of sizes is essential. Larger brushes cover larger areas more efficiently, while smaller brushes are vital for more delicate transitions. When you are in the middle of the painting, you could easily use 10 brushes or more during each painting session. Keep that in mind when deciding how many brushes to purchase. Flat, filbert, bright and cat tongue refer to the shape of the brush.  

 

Typical brush usage:

• 2 background colours.
• 2 shadow colours.
• 3 lights.
• 3 mid-tones.
• 2 small brushes for crisp and fine drawing accents.
• Suggested brands: Terkell, Escoda, Rosemary, Winton, Blick studio bristle, Old Holland, da Vinci and Raphael. 

 

OIL PAINT

If you are purchasing any of the colours listed below, I recommend investing in professional artist brands, such as Old Holland, Michael Harding or Rublev Colour. Avoid the cheapest grade paints, such as Winton.

• Titanium white 
• Yellow ochre
• Cadmium lemon yellow
• Alizarin Crimson
• Vermillion extra (old holland)
• Ultramarine Violet
• Ivory black 
• Raw Umber 
• PALETTE
• Wooden Palette. Larger palettes have more space to work on, so it is worth the investment. I prefer a square palette that can either rest on a table or be attached to the easel. If you need a palette, we recommend here or here, depending on your budget. (If you already own a palette, no need to buy a new one. Any will do!)
  

PALETTE KNIFE

• 1 medium to large-sized palette knife ( minimum a little bit wider than a thumb). 
• A teardrop-shaped palette knife for mixing paint on the palette is recommended. However, if you have a different-shaped palette knife for this task that works with you, this is fine.

 

Looking forward to painting with you at the workshop!

Cornelia