ONLINE ART COURSE
Portraits with attitude
painting faces and feeling
A self-paced oil painting class for artists who want to learn to capture expressive personality and energy in their portraits without overcomplicating things.
Let a vibrant underpainting create the foundation for attitude
Use a simple palette to craft believable tones
Loosen up and play with artistic strokes instead of trapping yourself in edge-to-edge painting.
This class was previously taught as part of Kara Bullock’s Let’s Face It annual course!
Learn how to use a vibrant color for an underpainting that sets the tone for the whole peice!
LET THE UNDERPAINTING WORK
THE POWER OF COLOR
Using a simple palette we will create believable skin tones that operate in harmony with each other.
STAY LOOSE!
Not every painting is meant to be painted fully - leave some room for creativity and spirit to shine through your use of space.
WHO IS THIS CLASS FOR?
You want to create believable portraits that focus more on the subjects energy, vibe, and personality than creating a photorealistic copy.
Skill Level: Beginner+
You want to get better at painting in oils
You feel intimidated by portraits!
You want to stop overworking every detail
You want a process you can use for future figure paintings
You’re comfortable with oils or ready to stretch your skills with a guided project
WHAT’S INCLUDED
SELF-PACED
VIDEO LESSONS
DIGITAL COURSE WORKBOOK
INSTRUCTOR
FEEDBACK
STEP-BY-STEP
PROCESS
LIFETIME COURSE ACCESS
LIFETIME COURSE ACCESS
INSIDE THE COURSE
SELF-PACED ONLINE VIDEOS
01 Sketch + Underpaint
Sketch the key structure landmarks and complete a vibrant underpainting.
02 Paint Mixing
Learn how to use your reference image to create a range of colors to pull from.
03 First Layers
Bravely begin blocking color onto the portrait, focusing on large strokes.
04 Refining Layer
Here we tighten form, shape and color while still staying loose and open.
05 Final Layer
Last adjustments and background decisions!
ENROLL NOW,
START ANYTIME.
Paint expressive portraits with more personality, energy, and confidence. In this self-paced oil painting class, I’ll walk you through my process for turning a reference into a loose, painterly portrait full of character, from the initial sketch and underpainting through color, expressive marks, and finishing touches.
Meet Rose
Rose Cameron | Instructor
Rose Cameron is an oil painter, artist, and instructor known for expressive figurative work, bold marks, and approachable teaching.
In Portraits with Attitude she will show you how to use a vibrant underpainting to set the tone of the whole work. You’ll learn how to simplify color mixing and create tones that work for skin and work together to form a whole energized work.
Whether you are new to painting oils or experienced, you will walk away with a lively painting and a handful of new tools to fold into your practice.
Her approach is practical, loose, and honest: start with structure, focus on the big shapes, let the painting stay alive, and refine only where it actually helps.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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It is best for adventurous beginners to intermediate painters. The pose is challenging, but the process is broken into clear steps. You do not need to be an expert at figure painting, but you should be willing to take your time with the drawing and shadow shapes.
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The course is self-paced. You’ll receive access to the video lessons and digital workbook, so you can begin when you’re ready and work through it on your own schedule.
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This class is taught in oils. You may be able to adapt the process to acrylics, but the demonstrations, layering, blending, and fat-over-lean guidance are specific to oil painting.
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A 16x20 or 12x16 Ampersand Gessobord works well. You can use another surface if you prefer, but a firm panel is helpful for the scraping, carving, and expressive mark-making used in the background.
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No. Use what you have. The class uses a limited palette, and you can substitute similar colors where needed.
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Yes. The class includes a downloadable PDF with the supply list, reference information, and step-by-step process.
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After purchase, you’ll receive access to the course materials and can begin the class at your own pace.
Supply list
You are welcome to use what you have on hand. It’s the learning, not the tools, that make the difference!
Suggested surface
Ampersand Gessobord, 16x20 or 12x16
Oil paint
Titanium White
Kings Blue Light
Transparent Red Oxide
Quinacridone Rose
Yellow Ochre
Sepia Extra Dark
Veridian
Cadmium Yellow Light
Mediums
Gamsol or other odorless mineral spirit
Gamblin Neo Meglip for thinning paint (or another paint thinning medium)
Brushes
Stiff flats in a limited range of larger sizes, such as 12, 10, 6, and 4
Other Materials
Gray glass palette or palette paper
Paper towels
Palette scraper or razor
Gamsol for thinning paint and cleaning brushes
Gloves
Cleanup wipes
READY TO PAINT PORTRAITS THAT CAPTURE THE ENERGY OF THE SUBJECT?
Let’s walk through it step-by-step with this repeatable process!