Immerse yourself in the art of portrait painting with this in-depth masterclass led by expert artist Luke Thompson. This workshop is designed to guide you step-by-step through essential portraiture techniques, focusing on the nuances of skin tones, facial structure, and expressive mark-making. With hands-on instruction and expert demonstrations, Luke will help you develop both technical skills and a traditional approach to portraiture.
In Stage 1, you’ll dive into mixing skin tones from a limited palette, creating your own reference sheet to capture subtle colour variations. Building on this foundation, you'll sketch out a preliminary portrait, laying down the structural basics of the face.
In Stage 2, you’ll apply these techniques to create a more detailed and dynamic portrait. Working from provided photographic references, you’ll bring your painting to life, capturing likeness and character while exploring expressive mark-making techniques.
Stage 1 (Approx. 50 minutes):
The workshop will begin with a focused session on mixing skin tones, designed to help you understand and recreate the subtle, varied hues found in the human face. Using a limited palette of acrylic paints, you’ll explore how to blend colours to capture a spectrum of skin tones, from warm undertones to cool shadows. Each participant will create a reference sheet, layering and mixing colours to produce a personal palette that can be used as a guide for future works. This exercise will deepen your understanding of colour theory and prepare you for the nuanced task of portraiture.
Next, you’ll move into studying facial structure. Guided by Luke, you’ll practice rendering the essential shapes and planes of the face, focusing on accurate proportions and form. This preliminary painting will be a simplified portrait, allowing you to identify the core elements—eyes, nose, mouth, and general shape—without getting bogged down in fine details. This foundational exercise will set the stage for more detailed work in the next phase.
Stage 2 (Approx. 2 hours):
Building on the techniques practiced in Stage 1, you’ll dive into creating a more complete, detailed portrait. Here, the focus shifts to achieving a likeness that reflects your subject’s unique features while embracing a variety of expressive mark-making techniques. This part of the workshop will encourage you to go beyond traditional portraiture and explore creative brushwork, layering, and texture. The goal is not only to capture the subject's appearance but to infuse your work with energy and contemporary style, making each piece feel vivid and dynamic.
Throughout the session, Luke will demonstrate techniques from his own practice, offering tips on the delicate process of placing skin tones next to one another to build realistic transitions. He’ll guide you on how to use brushstrokes to sculpt the contours, structure, and tonal contrasts that bring a face to life on canvas. His step-by-step insights will provide both practical instruction and artistic inspiration, supporting you as you bring depth, character, and expression into your portrait.
The workshop will use the photographic reference images provided.
About the Tutor
Luke Thompson (b. 1993, Leeds) is a representational oil painter based in Settle, North Yorkshire.
After pursuing a music career up until the age of 24, Luke changed paths and rediscovered his love for drawing and painting. He began to teach himself through studying the academic and traditional methods of working directly from life. Delving further into this passion, he travelled to Florence to study under the alumni of the Florence Academy of Art, where he gained an insight into the techniques and practice of the painters of the past. Following his studies, Luke set up his studio and is now working professionally, taking regular commissions, tutoring, and participating in exhibitions. He has been selected for exhibitions at city galleries including Leeds Art Gallery, The Ferens, and The Great Yorkshire Show, and tutors regularly at various institutions including Harewood House and Craven Arts.