Follow my step-by-step process for painting a portrait in oils, from refining the initial block-in to developing the facial features and bringing the finished painting together.
In this detailed, seven-part video tutorial, I’ll show you how I approach each stage of portrait painting, explaining my techniques, colour-mixing decisions and the reasoning behind every brushstroke.
See the process, understand the decisions, and build your confidence as a portrait painter.
My journey in painting began in childhood, where I was mentored by the late Charles Cassar through my teenage years. That early foundation shaped both my technical discipline and my sensitivity to the human subject.
Alongside painting, teaching has always been a second passion. At the beginning of my professional life, I taught English, an experience that gradually led me into the field of learning and development. Over time, this evolved into consultancy and corporate training, where I worked with professionals on mindset practices, leadership, sales, and communication skills. I found the subject matter meaningful and intellectually engaging, however, training individuals within corporate structures was not something I envisioned as a lifelong path.
Choosing to return fully to art was a deliberate decision. I redirected my teaching experience toward what felt most authentic to me: painting and portraiture. Bringing together both strands of my career has allowed me to create a practice that is both creative and educational.
The human form has remained central to my artistic work, particularly through portraiture. I focus on capturing subtle facial gestures and emotional nuance, with the intention of conveying a mood, a message, or a psychological state. I am interested not only in what is expressed, but in how it is perceived.
I now work primarily from my home studio, balancing commissioned portraits with the development of my personal body of work, while also teaching art and portrait painting. Through both creating and teaching, I continue to explore the space between intended emotion and interpreted emotion, and how expression shifts within that exchange.
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7 focused video sessions, each approximately 30–45 minutes long
1. Refining the Block-In - Establish accurate shapes, proportions and values.
2. Painting the Eyes - Develop form, colour and the details that bring the eyes to life.
3. Painting the Nose - Create convincing form through colour and tonal transitions.
4. Painting the Mouth - Understand structure, colour variations and subtle changes in value.
5. Painting the Hair - Work from larger shapes to details that suggest texture and movement.
6. Painting the Hand - Explore proportions, structure, light and shadow.
7. Finishing the Portrait - Refine the painting and bring all its elements together.
This is more than a painting demonstration. I’ll explain not only what I do, but why I do it, helping you understand how colour, values, form and brushwork contribute to a convincing portrait.
You’ll see my palette, follow my colour-mixing process and learn about the materials and digital tools I use along the way.
7 video lessons: approximately 30–45 minutes per session, with detailed demonstrations of the painting process.
Step-by-step explanations: clear verbal guidance throughout each stage, including the techniques and decisions behind my approach.
Materials lists: information about the paints, brushes and other supplies used in the sessions.
Palette demonstrations: a clear view of the colours I use and my colour-mixing process.
Reference photograph: the reference image used throughout the painting demonstration.
PDF companion guides: written instructions and relevant reference materials to support your learning and help you revisit key information.
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Artists who want to improve their ability to paint realistic portraits.
Students who struggle with accurately painting individual facial features.
Painters who want to understand how to approach the eyes, nose and mouth in greater detail.
Artists who find it difficult to translate a photographic reference into a convincing painting.
Students who want to observe a professional portrait artist's process, from the initial block-in through to the finished painting.
Painters who prefer detailed demonstrations that they can follow at their own pace.
Special DISCOUNT: $50 OFF
Choose the payment option that works best for you: a one-time payment or a monthly payment plan. Both options give you full access to the complete programme.
Enrol now for $147 instead of $197 and take the next step in your portrait painting journey.
If you're not completely satisfied with the course, you can request a full refund within 14 days of enrollment. Your satisfaction is my priority, and I want all my students to be content with their learning experience. Best of all, this means there's no risk involved!
Feel free to give the course a try firsthand to see if it's the perfect fit for you!
Get started today before this once in a lifetime opportunity expires.
