4 Day In-Person Oil Painting Portrait Masterclass
Masterclass Information
Join Jess Leclerc for her 4-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.
Currently running Australia’s largest private art school with over 750 weekly students, Jess has established herself not only as a professional art teacher with over 25 years experience, but as an award winning artist in her own right. This combination of both practising artist & teacher is what sets Jess and her masterclass apart.
Having also attended in-person workshops globally, led by renowned artists like Casey Baugh, David Kassan, Shana Levenson, and Robin Eley, Jess incorporates the valuable insights and techniques learnt from these artists.
Students will learn how to paint with three modes; value, temperature and perspective.
In this comprehensive 30-hour oil painting masterclass, students will delve into techniques and expertise Jess has gathered as an emerging Australian figure-in-landscape painter and teacher.
Over the course of four days, students will create a portrait painting from a photograph. Each day, Jess will provide live demonstrations, detailed step-by-step guidance and offer personalised instruction to every student.
Jess will cover design and composition, foundational drawing, underpainting, colour theory and how students can apply their own style to their work.
While Jess 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.
Students will not rely on projection or tracing for their portraits. Instead, Jess will teach her proven method of achieving perspective through manual sketching and observational skills.
Students will be working from an image especially curated by Jess & a professional photographer for the workshop & teaching. Students will receive the full rights to these photographs.
For more advanced painters, there is the option to bring your own reference image, provided it is pre-approved by Jess before the masterclass date. Please email Jess at jess@jess.art to submit your reference for approval.
Whilst this masterclass is suited for all levels of artists, it is required that students have had some experience with using oils before enrolling.
Upcoming Dates, Location & Schedule:
10th – 13th January 2025
Art School Co. – 32 Wises Rd, Buderim QLD
Day 1 – Demonstrations, Drawing, and Designing a Portrait
Day 2 – Drawing up on Canvas and Underpainting
Day 3 – Painting and Finding the Flow of the Piece
Day 4 – Finalising the Portrait: How to Bring Your Artwork to Completion
9.30am – 4.30pm Daily
What You'll Need:
Below is the list of materials that Jess will be using.
It’s recommended that students bring the same or similar quality supplies. Please choose one of the following three options to ensure you have the correct supplies.
HERE ARE THE OPTIONS:
Option 1: Byo Supplies
If you are a painter you may have most of the required supplies, so check the list below for what Jess 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 $125 you can use all of the paint, medium and brushes you’ll need for the 4 day program. This option is great for students traveling interstate.
Option 3: Buy Supplies From Us
Students can pre-purchase all supplies needed for the masterclass at a 20% discount through Art Store Co.
This includes Jess’ 10 colour palette and 6 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 date.
Paints & Brushes 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
- WN Artist Cadmium Orange
- Schmincke Norma Royal Blue
- Neef Indian Sable Round #4
- Neef Indian Sable Bright #6
- Neef Indian Sable Filbert #4
- Neef Smooshing #4
- Neef Smooshing #8
- Neef Hog Bright #5
Others Supplies Needed:
- Jess will provide the canvas and any additional colours not already included in the materials list.
- All students will receive a free glass palette and a bottle of Jess’ paint medium, ‘Moonshine’ to utilise and take home. (If palette or moonshine is not required for the student we will supplement with a store voucher of the equivalent amount to those products)
- Easels, table, chairs etc all provided
If you are able please BYO brush cleaning containers & solvent/cleaning products (e.g. odourless solvent, brush soap, cleaning oils) NO TURPENTINE PLEASE.
Optional supplies to be supplied by the artist: Notebook for note taking, palette knives, paint rags, packet of baby wipes etc.
