Hone your skills with intensive specialized instruction!

Shane periodically teaches workshops with demonstrations and personalized instruction as a way to bring more specialized attention to disciplines of representational realism in drawing and painting. Workshops are a fun way for students to mutually benefit from step-by-step instruction as they are facing the challenges of a similar subject.

Portrait Painting Using Oils
3-Day Workshop

portrait painting of a man from life by Shane McDonald
14 x 11 inches oil portrait of David painted from life by Shane McDonald in 2020
Time-lapse single-sitting portrait painting study by Shane

Portrait Painting Workshop
1st day: we'll practice working mostly from plaster cast, photos,
and finally our live model for the last hour.
2nd and 3rd days: We'll work 2-1/2 hours each day from our live male model.

Ages 12 - Adult
2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
1st DAY: Sunday, September 10, 2023
2nd DAY: Sunday, September 17, 2023
3rd DAY: Sunday, September 24, 2023

$120 (7.5 hours total)

All spots are full for this workshop as of August 21, 2023.

LIMITED TO 6 STUDENTS. Students will be need to bring:

  • two 8x10 or 9x12 inches canvas boards for studies
  • two 14 x 11 or 16 x 12 inches canvas, linen, or smooth wood panels for final portrait
  • glass or wooden palette
  • selection of 4-5 long-handled brushes (filberts, flats, and rounds) ranging in widths of 1/8th-inch to 1-inch
  • metal or glass jar for Gamsol mineral spirits
  • Oil colors:
    • Titanium White
    • Cadmium Yellow Light
    • Cadmium Red Medium
    • Alizarin Crimson
    • Ultramarine Blue
    • Cerulean Blue
    • Sap Green
Agenda DAY 1
  • learn general proportions of human adults and children
  • use the "Andrew Loomis" method to imagine the head at different angles
  • practice generalizing shapes and measuring proportion
  • practice mixing colors on the palette
  • practice painting eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair from photo references
  • paint a small study of a plaster head
  • draw our model using paint in the last hour
Agenda DAY 2
  • work from the reference of a live model to compose a pleasing composition
  • learn about different ways to light your portrait subjects
  • learn ways to accurately map your drawing for accuracy
  • block-in the light and shadow with "the couche," a paint layer of proper value and color
  • begin to paint the subtle nuances and plane changes of the model's face surfaces
  • soften edges
Agenda DAY 3
  • re-wet the "couche" of the eye sockets, nostrils, ears, mouth, and jaw-line
  • paint features of eyes, nose, ears, lips, and hair
Payment and Registration

Pre-payment is required to register. Want to pay by cash or check? Email Shane McDonald or leave a voicemail at (770) 218-0676 to let him know you're stopping by to pay or that the check is in the mail.


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