My flagship instructional offering. While it can't replace the 1-on-1 assistance I give at an in-person workshop, this online course dives deeper—much deeper! 4 years in the making, "Learn to Paint Dynamic Portraits & Figures in Oil" contains everything I know about the Fundamentals of Painting and Composition, presented in structured, easy-to-follow lessons.

PEOPLE ARE INSPIRING TO PAINT! As artists, we have the amazing opportunity to capture and share the beauty of our subjects. But it can be quite a challenge!

Maybe you’ve tried to paint people, but something always seems to be lost in translation. The beauty of your subject was not conveyed through your painting.

If you want to communicate with words, you have to know the language. If you want to communicate with paint, it’s no different. You have to learn to speak the visual language. In this course, I’ll show you how to develop a command of the visual language, so you can communicate the beauty of people faithfully and dynamically.

Four years in the making, this course is packed with content—45 written lessons and 13 hours of video! I've designed each lesson to be a stepping stone to guide you toward making better paintings. I've gone over everything with a fine-toothed comb for clarity and conciseness. I have crammed this course with the most powerful and essential elements I know about painting people.

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll learn how to do:

In Units 1–4:

  • Conquer proportions with the 4 Actions for Accurate Proportions
  • Avoid 8 common drawing pitfalls
  • Make your flat portraits come to life in 3-D form
  • Understand what "warm" and "cool" really mean
  • Convey even the most subtle forms with temperature
  • Answer "what color is that?" with the 3 Questions for Correct Color
  • Mix realistic skin colors with my 6 Guidelines for Mixing Color
  • And so much more!

In Units 5–7:

  • Know what to look for (so you don't miss seeing it)
  • Establish 4 Essential Elements early on
  • Train your eye to see temperature
  • Understand the Main Law of Temperature
  • Empower your forms with the 7 Value Zones
  • Strengthen your paintings through simplification
  • Understand the 3 Causes of Color
  • And so much more!

In Units 8–9 (Composition):

  • Make your paintings stand out from the crowd with the 5 Principles for Powerful Picture-Making
  • Draw your viewers from across the room with the 5 Strongest Eye-Catchers
  • Make a statement with a strong center of interest or "focal point"
  • Avoid paintings that feel off-balance
  • Create a dynamic "pop" with value patterns
  • Lead your viewers on an exciting journey through your picture
  • Compose with confidence as I reveal the compositions behind some of my most successful paintings
  • And so much more!

Can I Really Learn to Paint Online?

I can't replace the in-person help I give in my workshops. However, there are several things about this online course that are better than an in-person workshop:

In Most In-Person Workshops:

  • You furiously take notes so you don't miss anything the instructor says.
  • You have to travel and pay for lodging and meals.
  • The concepts may not be presented in a cohesive, orderly manner.

  • You feel overwhelmed with mountains of info crammed into just a few days.
  • When it's over, you're often left wondering, "where do I go from here?”

In this
Online Course:

  • You can pause, rewind, and watch as many times as you need!

  • You can take this course in the comfort of your own home or studio.
  • Every lesson is carefully written for clear, concise instruction. Each new lesson builds on the last to help you improve your skills one step at a time.
  • This course is packed with valuable content, but you can enjoy it at your own speed.
  • Throughout the course, there are powerful exercises designed to help you improve your skills, even after you've finished all the lessons (see below).

You Can Continue to Improve
Even After the Course is Over

At the end of a workshop, were you ever left wondering, "where do I go from here?" I won't lead you to the end of this course without equipping you to continue on. Throughout this course, there are powerful exercises to help you improve your skills. I've designed these exercises to be repeated as many times as you like, so you can continue honing your skills, even after you've finished all the lessons!

Lifetime Access

Your paid access will last for the lifetime of the online course!*

Money-Back Guarantee

I truly believe the online video course can help your work soar to new heights. However, if you feel the course wasn't right for you, I will offer a full refund within 30 days of your purchase. I want you to be totally satisfied! For full policies regarding Option 3, please see here.

Choose an Option:

Option 1

$199 USD

Purchase Option 1

Lifetime access to Units 1–4:

  • 22 written lessons
  • 4-hour video demo of Larry (above), divided into 11 lessons

Option 2

$449 USD

Purchase Option 2

Everything in Option 1 PLUS
lifetime access to Units 5–9:

  • 23 written lessons
  • 9-hour video demo of Lauren (above), divided into 15 lessons
  • Total of 45 written lessons plus 13 hours of video demos!

Not Ready to Purchase?
Try the Course for FREE!

When you create a free account (click button below), you will receive free access to Unit 1 of the course and a 20-minute video from the course! In addition, I'll share announcements of other educational opportunities such as workshops.

Please enjoy this free gift from me to you!

 

 

 

 

*Not including any temporary lapses of your access that may occur from technical difficulties, etc., which I will endeavor to resolve in a timely manner. I intend for the lifetime of this online course to continue for at least 3 years from your purchase unless circumstances such as changing technology make this not feasible for me.