Portrait Painting Masterclass with Richard Kitson

Richard Kitson is leading a portrait painting masterclass at Leeds Drawing Club on Saturday 24 October, from 10am to 4pm. It's a full day of painting from a single pose, part of the club's Portrait & Long Pose Sessions — a tutored course run by a practising artist rather than a quick drop-in.

Kitson is a figurative and portrait artist based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and he's worked across the UK and internationally. His work has been featured in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize, Figurative Art Now, and the Cork Street Open. He took part in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018, and his paintings hang in a variety of public and private collections. He continues to take portrait commissions and run workshops in Barnsley and Yorkshire, so this is one of his sessions coming over to Leeds.

On the day, you'll work from one pose for the whole session, with Kitson tutoring as you go. You can bring your own paints, palette, and canvas or oil painting paper. If you'd rather not lug everything in, the club can provide oil paint, a palette, glass jars, Gamsol, and A2 oil painting paper for a £10 surcharge. Everyone needs to bring their own brushes, rags, and aprons, though. The masterclass runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 24 October at Leeds Drawing Club, Unit C3 Flexspace, Burley Hill Trading Estate, Burley Road, Leeds LS4 2PU, and costs £95.