5 Day In-Person Oil Painting Portrait Masterclass
Portraiture asks us to slow down, look closely at another person and search for what it is about them that we want to honour in paint. Across five focused days, Jesse will guide you through the complete process of designing, drawing and painting a portrait.
Alongside the technical teaching, you’ll begin building a clearer understanding of your own painting practice and how to keep progressing once you return home.
Friday 25th September – Tuesday 29th September
Places are limited, this masterclass does sell out.
About This Masterclass
Join Jesse Le Clerc for her 5-day hands-on Portrait Painting Masterclass, where you’ll develop personalised techniques, learn the essential skills of portraiture, and create your own portrait with expert guidance every step of the way.
Students will learn how to paint with these modes: value, temperature, perspective, volume of paint and edges.
In this comprehensive, almost 40-hour oil painting masterclass, students will delve into techniques and expertise Jessehas gathered as an emerging Australian figure-in-landscape painter and teacher.
Each morning and afternoon, Jesse will complete a full demonstration of the stage students will be working on, allowing everyone to see the process clearly before beginning their own work. Throughout the week she will also provide detailed step-by-step guidance, and personalised instruction for every student.
Jesse will cover design and composition, foundational drawing, underpainting, colour theory and how students can apply their own style to their work.
While Jessie will be sharing the techniques and approaches that shape her own portrait paintings, this masterclass isn’t about teaching students to mimic her style. Instead, it’s about equipping them with the tools to develop their own unique approach to portraiture. By the end of the course, students will gain the confidence to apply these methods independently and continue exploring their personal artistic journey beyond the masterclass.
Alongside their painting, each student will build a Personal Practice Journal throughout the five days. The journal is designed to help you capture what you’re learning, understand where you are in your own practice and begin developing a practical plan for what to work on next, so the progression continues long after the masterclass is over.
Students will not rely on projection or tracing for their portraits. Instead, Jessie will teach her proven method of achieving perspective through manual sketching and observational skills.
Whilst this masterclass is suited for all levels of artists, it is required that students have had some experience with using oils before enrolling.
Schedule, Dates & Location
Friday 25th September – Tuesday 29th September
Art School Co. – 32 Wises Rd, Buderim QLD
Day 1 – Demonstrations, Drawing, and Designing a Portrait
Day 2 – Demonstrations, Drawing up on Canvas and Underpainting
Day 3 – Demonstrations, Painting and Finding the Flow of the Piece
Day 4 – Demonstrations, Full day of painting.
Day 5 – Finalising the Portrait: How to Bring Your Artwork to Completion
8.30am – 4pm Daily (we finish at 4pm each day so there’s still time to get some sunlight in the afternoon)
What’s Included
- 5 x 8 hour days of tuition from Jess
- Daily demonstrations
- A Personal Practice Journal
- The reference photo, curated by Jesse and a professional photographer, with full rights included
- Your canvas
- A glass palette to take home
- A bottle of Jess’s “Moonshine” paint medium to take home
- Group lunch on the final day
- Easels, tables and chairs, all provided
Supply Options
If you choose to rent or buy your supplies through us, you won’t need to source the paints or brushes listed in the Full Paint & Brush List below. Regardless of which option you choose, please also check the “What You Need to Bring” section for the few items every student needs to bring with them.
Option 1: BYO Supplies
If you are a painter you may have most of the required supplies, so check the list below for what Jesse recommends and bring your own. If BYO supplies, similar quality paint brands and brush sizes can be used also. Eg Winsor & Newton / Schmincke / Art Spectrum / Michael Harding / Sennelier / Rosemary Co. etc. Please don’t cut corners with cheap supplies!
Option 2: Rent Supplies From Us
We will be offering a paint supply rental program for those who don’t want to buy or bring their paints. For $100 you can use all of the paint, medium and brushes you’ll need for the workshop. This option is great for students travelling interstate.
Option 3: Buy Supplies From Us
Students can pre-purchase all painting supplies needed for the masterclass at a 20% discount through Art Store Co. This includes Jess’ 10 colour palette and 5 brushes. Choose this option at checkout and we will have your supplies waiting for you upon arrival.
Once enrolled we will send all students additional info closer to the date.
Full Paint & Brush List
This section is specifically for students choosing Option 1: BYO Supplies.
This list is only for students bringing their own paints and brushes. If you’re renting or buying through us, you can skip this section, we’ve got those covered.
Again, your paints do not need to be these specific brands. If you already have the same colours in another brand, that is perfectly fine. They just need to be artist quality paints.
Paints needed:
- WN Artist Cobalt Blue
- WN Artist French Ultramarine
- Schmincke Norma Transparent Red Brown
- WN Artist Permanent Alizarin Crimson
- WN Artist Cadmium Red
- WN Artist Cadmium Yellow Pale
- WN Artist Yellow Ochre Light
- WN Artist Naples Yellow Light
- WN Artist Titanium White
- Schmincke Norma Royal Blue
Brushes recommended:
- Smooshing Brush Size 4
- Smooshing Brush Size 12
- Filbert Hog Hair Size 1
- Filbert Hog Hair Size 3
- Hog Flat Brush Size 12
It’s completely fine if you don’t have these exact brushes. Similar artist quality brushes that serve the same purpose will work perfectly well.
Jesse will be supplying:
Cadmium Orange, Cobalt Turquoise. Jesse will also provide the canvas and any additional colours not already included in the materials list.
What You Need to Bring
This section applies to every student, regardless of which supply option they choose.
Regardless of which supply option you choose, there are a few things every student should bring with them for the five days:
- 2–3 packets of baby wipes, any quality is fine
- Brush-cleaning containers
- Solvent and brush-cleaning products, e.g. odourless solvent, brush soap or cleaning oils
- NO TURPENTINE PLEASE
Optional:
Palette knives
The Personal Practice Journal, canvas, glass palette and the other items listed under “What’s Included” will be provided.
How Does the Personal Practice Journal Work?
At the start of the masterclass, Jesse provides each student with their own Personal Practice Journal to work alongside their painting. Throughout the five days, it becomes a place to record what you’re learning, reflect on where you are in your practice and identify the areas you want to continue developing.
You’ll use it to start mapping out what to practise, what you might make next and the areas of your practice that need more attention.
Towards the end of the masterclass, Jesse works with you individually to shape these ideas into a personal plan for moving forward, based on where you are, what you want to develop and what will help you continue making when you return home.
What Image Will Students Be Painting?
Students will be working primarily from an image especially curated by Jesse and a professional photographer for the workshop and teaching. Students will receive the full rights to these photographs. Throughout the course there will also be moments working from life, allowing students to learn how to navigate the differences between painting from a photograph and observing a live subject.
For more advanced painters, there is the option to bring your own reference image, provided it is pre-approved by Jesse before the masterclass date. Please email Jesse to submit your reference for approval.
FAQs
Do I need portrait or oil painting experience?
You by no means need to be an experienced portrait painter, but we do ask that you have some familiarity with using oil paints before attending the masterclass.
Can I bring my own reference photo?
Advanced students may bring their own reference image, provided it is pre-approved by Jessebefore the masterclass date. Email Jesse to submit your reference for approval.
What happens if it sells out?
Subscribe to our cancellation list to be notified.
Questions?
Any further questions? Please email Jess.
What Past Students Say
