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• What: 12 sessions to work on a single painting to submit for the 2018 BP National Portrait Gallery Award.
  
• Where: Art Works Studio and Classroom, 660 N Larchmont Blvd. Los Angeles.
• When: see schedule below for details.
  

It's that time of the year. The National Portrait Gallery in London just opened its next open call. This opportunity inspires thousands of artists around the world to create their best work, making it the most prestigious portrait contest in the world.

Some of us were among the 2,580 artists who entered the contest last year, and this year we're doing it again. This is always an opportunity to improve and grow our practice, and a chance to create a painting that's more developed and elevated that the rest of our work.

We're opening a 6-WEEK workshop consisting of 12 sessions, hosted at Art Works Studio, starting December 5th. The painting workshop is open to painters who want to apply to the 2018 BP Portrait Award. We will be working on a single painting for the duration of the workshop. You can attend one session or all of them, it's up to you and your schedule.

Requirements:

• Being familiar with oil paint (having painted with it at least once).
  
• Painting surface (canvas or panel) is not included. Rest of materials are included. See FAQ below for size recommendations.
  

For this portrait workshop we have put together a special all-inclusive package that covers the following:

• 12 painting sessions at Art Works Studio (working on the same painting).
• Getting your final painting professionally photographed at Art Works Fine Publishing. We will take your work and bring it back after being photographed.
• Get the right file format for submission.
• Covering the submission cost. We will submit it for you.
• Covering the cost of the special edition catalog.
• Including your submission in an art show (TBD).

You can buy single sessions for this workshop through this page or use your Painting Pack codes to book. The sessions are not continuous and you don't need to attend all of them. But they are meant to be cumulative: the more sessions you can attend, the more your painting will develop.

You don't need to attend the workshop to submit. Here are ALL THE DETAILS. Photography costs and submission alone amount for $100.

Painting support is not included in the workshop. We recommend gessoed wood panels. The rest of the materials are included.

Studio Painting Dates:

1. Session 1, Tuesday, December 5: subject selection, sketch studies.
   
2. Session 2,Thursday, December 7: sketch on support, first wash.
   
3. Session 3, Tuesday, December 12: introduction to neutral palette.
   
4. Session 4, Thursday, December 14: introducing 1st primary+complementary.
   
5. Session 5, Tuesday, December 19: introducing 2nd primary+complementary.
   
6. Session 6, Thursday, December 21: introducing 3rd primary+complementary.
   
7. Session 7, Thursday, December 28: working on eyes.
8. Session 8, Tuesday, January 2: working on nose.
9. Session 9, Thursday, January 4: working on mouth.
10. Session 10, Tuesday, January 9: working on rest of anatomical features.
    
11. Session 11, Thursday, January 11: developing background.
12. Session 12, Tuesday, January 16: integrating all visual elements in final session.

• All Painting Appointments will be hosted at Art Works Studio and Classroom, at 660 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004.
  
• You will be able to leave the painting in the studio if you plan to work on it more than one session.
  

Frequently Asked Questions about the Workshop

Can I do it?

• Of course you can! Don't feel intimidated by the hyperrealism of some previously selected pieces. The truth is that what matters is personal style, not level or experience. We only ask you to have painted in oil before, at least once.

Is it too late to join?

• No. The workshop is not meant to be continuous. You can join any time you want, even on the last day (January 16th). However, we do go over each session in a cumulative way and that means the more sessions you attend the more your painting will develop.

Is paint/easel included?

• Yes. We ask you to bring you own support because it's a very personal choice. We provide the rest.

What support do you recommend?

• We like pre-primed wood panels a lot. Smooth surface and ready to paint on.

Do you recommend a particular size for the portrait?

• It depends on the time you'd like to invest on the painting and your own personal style. The larger size we've used in the studio is 18x24. The minimum size accepted is 10 x 8.

Do you have any advice on selecting a subject?

• Yes. The main premise is to choose a subject matter with a relaxed facial expression. Indoor lighting is best. Make sure the photographic reference is done by you.

Can I submit more than one painting?

• Unfortunately not. The workshop is designed to work on the same painting for as many sessions as we can.

What do the painting sessions look like?

• We bring examples of portrait paintings and talk about something we haven't considered or tried, and then we work on our own portraits. We give individualized feedback based on the specific stage of your work. We do a group critique at the end to share our thoughts and provide new pointers.

How long is each session?

• 2 hours, but sometimes it extends a little bit. We don't want to stop you when you have that last minute breakthrough.

Is the studio the one at 660 Larchmont? Is there parking?

• Art Works Studio is located at 660 N Larchmont Blvd, in Larchmonth Village. There is street parking, just look at the signs since each block has different restrictions.

Can the painting be stored at Art Works Studio between sessions?

• Yes. That's one of the many great advantages of painting there.

We are working on finding an opportunity to feature the submitted paintings created in the workshop in an event open to the public and coinciding with the opening of the National Portrait Gallery show, Thursday June 14th 2018.

We want to celebrate our journey through the process and share the work with everyone. We'll announce the location for the show as soon as we can secure it.

Only painters who attend the workshop and submit the work will be considered for the show. We ask attendance to at least one session of the workshop and proof of submission to the award.