Beyond Representation: Personal & Expressive Portrait Painting

Online classes

Redefine portraiture with artist Alanna Peters. Bend reality through abstraction, bold colour, and gestural marks to capture emotion over accuracy. For painters ready to break free from realism and discover their signature style in expressive, soul-driven portraits.

Portrait painting extends far beyond capturing a likeness—it’s about conveying emotion, personality, and artistic vision. Led by acclaimed artist and educator Alanna Peters, this virtual course is designed for students ready to take the next step in their portrait practice, moving beyond traditional reference-based painting.
Through guided exercises and exploration, students will develop the skills to interpret and transform reference images, rather than simply replicate them. Techniques such as distorting form, abstracting features, expressive colour choices, and unconventional mark-making will encourage students to explore portraiture in a new and personal way.
Drawing inspiration from historical and contemporary artists, this course will introduce alternative approaches to composition, gesture, and mood, allowing students to break free from rigid realism and develop a portrait style that is uniquely their own.
With individualized feedback and a focus on creative experimentation, students will gain confidence in interpreting their subjects, emphasizing artistic expression, and infusing their portraits with depth and personality.

Develop a deeper understanding of portraiture, moving beyond representation to expressive interpretation.
Experiment with abstraction, colour, and mark-making to create dynamic and personal portraits.
Explore various artistic approaches, drawing inspiration from art history.
Learn to manipulate reference images, translating them into unique, expressive works rather than direct copies.
Refine their composition and brushwork techniques, enhancing mood, movement, and energy in their paintings.
Gain confidence in personal artistic choices, embracing creative risk-taking in portrait painting.

Solvents:

Please bring linseed oil or walnut alkyd medium or stand oil and a solvent.

Personal recommendations: Chelsea Classical Studio LEAN and FAT medium or a combo of non yellowing linseed oil (gamblin or Chelsea Classical) with either Citrus thinner from Eco-House or Lavender Spike from Chelsea Classical

Please do not bring Liquin as it makes the paint sticky and less moveable.

Brushes:

You are welcome to bring any brushes you like but please bring the following

- #10 or #12 filbert for glazing

- #2 and #4 filbert

- #0 and #1 pointed rounds for details

Recommendation: Mundy blending brushes to soften the edges of my line. Available through

Rosemary and Co.

https://www.rosemaryandco.com/brush-sets/for-oils/mundy-bristle-blender-set

Varnish:

Gamvar by Gamblin is recommended

Support:

Please bring a pad of oil painting paper. Example : https://www.deserres.ca/products/canvas-pad?variant=40128113115269

We will use the paper sheet to do colour theory and small works

You are welcome to bring any surface you wish. Stretched canvas, cradled wood panel or canvas board. Please make sue it is pre gessoed and ready to paint

My preference is for Artfex aluminium panels as they are a hard surface yet lightweight.

Sizes: 8”x10” or 11”x14” or 16”x18” depending on your comfort level

Gesso:

If your support is already gessoed then great. Recommended to use unprimed panels and

gesso with 2-6 coats of liquitex white or grey gesso.

Paints:

You are welcome to bring any oil paints you like to use. I use a variety of Windsor and Newton,

Gamblin, Micheal Harding, Vasari and Williamsburg.

Please bring the following colours: