Portrait Painting with James Bland (Feb 2025)

Portrait Painting with James Bland NEAC

On this course students will pursue a single observed portrait painting for two days from life following a day of warm-up exercises designed to focus and develop a range of complementary skills. There will be one-to-one tuition throughout, and all steps will be demonstrated by the tutor.

This three day workshop with James Bland is perfect for all artists from beginners to those looking to expand their practice.

Course Structure

Day 1

Morning: a limited palette study and a brief demonstration.

Afternoon: 2-3 gestural portrait studies (demonstrated). 

Day 2 

Starting a painting with a broader colour range that will continue for two days. 

Day 3 

Continue to finish.

Who is the tutor?

This course is taught by James Bland NEAC.

James was born in Grimsby and did a BA and Masters in Fine Art in Canterbury - he has been developing his lyrical, narrative style ever since .

You can see more of his work here.

There is an interview with James here

How many students will there be?

There is a maximum of 12 participants and the tutor will customise the course according to your individual needs.

Materials List

Oil colours: titanium white, ultramarine, crimson, yellow ochre, others as desired 

Other: brushes/knife/rags/odourless solvent/sealable jars/palette 

Supports: panels or canvas — 1 large (20”), 4 small

(in order to transport paintings home it is always good to have pairs of panels or canvasses of the same size)

If you have any questions, please see our frequently asked questions or contact us.