I am absolutely loving this course. One of my goals has been to develop a reliable, step-by-step process for painting portraits in oils, and this class has given me exactly that. I really appreciated how the course was structured, beginning with drawing and shading exercises on paper, then moving into a monochromatic oil underpainting (grisaille), and finally building up layers of color and detail to create a realistic portrait.

What made the experience especially rewarding was seeing how much my previous portrait drawing classes helped along the way. The skills I developed through sketching realistic faces and understanding light, shadow, and form made the transition to oil painting feel much less intimidating. Each stage of the process felt like a natural progression rather than a completely new challenge.

I found it incredibly satisfying to watch a portrait gradually come to life, from a simple drawing to a fully realized oil painting. This course has strengthened both my technical skills and my confidence, and I now feel I have a process I can return to whenever I begin a new portrait. It has been an inspiring and enjoyable learning experience from start to finish.

My final portrait project is being painted in oils on an 18x14-inch linen canvas. Below is my process: First: Proportion sketch techniques:

 

Light and shadow tone study mini portraits : 2 values, 3 values, and more values:

Portrait in pencil with shadows, proportion and form before and after on the left.

Created a grisaille layer using eight distinct monochromatic color values:

I added color in three stages: blocking in, detailing, and final touches. I learned how to improve the forms and shading to create a more realistic portrait. I may continue working on this painting to improve the color transitions.