Beginning 29 September 2025
Portrait Painting Masterclass
Cours en anglais / course in English
Information and sign ups at www.samwilbraham.com
ABOUT THE COURSE
Portrait Painting MasterClass
This 8 week course will work through the individual features of the face before building up to a full portrait. By the end of the class you should have developed a closer understanding of the portrait and be confident in your approach to drawing and painting it.
Starting with a first look at the general proportions of the head we will then move directly into studies of each of the individual features.
We will break down the features week by week and look to make many studies of each to develop our understanding. Only through assiduous attention to the features will we better understand the individual forms. Once we have worked through the nose, mouth, eyes and ears, we will then look to bring our fuller understanding back into the portrait as a whole.
There will be a selection of old masters’ works, and models photographs to choose from for each week of the workshop. These will be shared via dropbox before the start of the workshop. Local artist, Sam Wilbraham will guide you through the course and help you bring your portrait drawing skills to the next level.
The course is offered as a 3 hours per week in-person class with a supplementary 20 minute video call during the week to check progress away from the classroom. The workshop will be taught in English.
ABOUT THE TUTOR
Sam Wilbraham
‘I am a British oil painter living in Vaud, Switzerland. Originally from Yorkshire I moved to Switzerland early 2019. I focus mainly on figurative and still life work from my studio here.
I love to work figuratively and with still life as I can push a narrative for my paintings. I look to do this through carefully considered arrangements and lighting. My figurative work usually requires that I work from photographs as the length of time to create a painting makes working from life impractical. I insist however that for my personal projects I take the photographs myself as I like to have full creative autonomy over my work. My still life arrangements I set up in the studio and paint from them directly. Combining these two aspects means that I get the best of working from life as well as creative freedom. I look to infuse traditional oil painting techniques with contemporary themes.
I sought out some of the best ateliers while learning and am now passing on this knowledge through workshops and online teaching. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about becoming a student (online or in-person), studio visits, commissions, or any other artistic enquiries.’
To find out more information about the course and to sign up, please go to www.samwilbraham.com