Thursday, October 22nd, 2026, 9:00 am (3 hours)
Friday, October 23rd, 2026, 9:00 am (3 hours)
Saturday, October 24th, 2026, 9:00 am (3 hours)
Join watercolor artist Lorraine Simonds for a three-day interactive online workshop exploring a fresh, expressive approach to portrait painting. Beginning with strong tonal foundations and progressing toward increasingly confident and painterly techniques, Lorraine will demonstrate how to create portraits that capture both likeness and emotion without becoming overworked. Through thoughtful simplification, expressive brushwork, and intentional design, students will discover how to create portraits that feel vibrant, atmospheric, and full of life.
Day 1 – Tonal Foundations for Expressive Portraits
Day 1 is all about foundations. We'll work in monotone to remove the overwhelm of color and train your eye to see what truly makes a portrait come alive—tonal value, edges, and shape design. Through theory, guided exercises, and a step-by-step demonstration, you'll learn how to use water control and confident brushwork to create form, depth, and mood with clarity and restraint.
Day 2 – Painting a Soft Child Portrait
Building on the previous day's foundation, day 2 shifts into a soft, sensitive child portrait, where we'll explore gentler transitions, quieter edges, and the subtle decisions that keep a painting tender rather than tight. We'll discuss what changes when painting a young subject—from proportion and softness to suggesting features without relying on hard lines.
Day 3 – Bold, Loose & Expressive
The final day is where we loosen the reins. We'll take everything you've built and push into a bolder, more expressive portrait, focusing on energy, contrast, and confident mark-making. You'll learn how to strengthen a focal point, simplify with intention, and finish a painting with confidence—so it says exactly what you want it to say, and you know when to stop.
Recordings of the workshop are available for a lifetime.