Watercolour Portrait Course: Expressing Character and Colour

Join us for an immersive watercolour course in Glasgow, perfect for ambitious beginners and intermediates.



5 x 3 hours Class size 1 to 10 guests    

  £235 - £275 (£235 for Early Bird (ends 9th of October); £275 for Standard Entry)

Choose between the organised and fully comprehensive 5-week course or single sessions (starting at just £40) designed to fit seamlessly into your week. Perfect for ambitious beginners ready for a structured exploration, and intermediate artists looking to expand their technical toolkit
Limited Single Session Tasters are available! Short on time, or just want a wee experience? Join us for a relaxing, risk-free single class right here in Glasgow. Just pick the Thursday you'd like to join and book your ticket. Learn a little watercolour, and leave with a painting. Click here to select your date!
From retired folks looking for a warm, social environment to practice, to freelancers and remote workers needing a refreshing creative break..
What to expect:
  • Zero prep, zero cleanup -- walk in and paint! All high-quality materials are provided for you.
  • Small class sizes mean you get supportive one-on-one guidance from a professional artist with 30 years of experience devoted to your progress.
  • Learn alongside a professional live portrait model - drawing proportion & rhythm for facial structure, colour relationships, layering & blending effects, and how to achieve the best likeness of the sitter with a clear and structured, step-by-step method!
Course summary:
Week 1 (15 Oct): Understanding the Drawing
Learn how to make an effective under drawing using the rules of proportion, gesture, and designing shadow shapes for accurate facial structure and anatomy. We will paint from a photographic reference using monochromatic washes to learn the power of value, and form building.
Week 2 (22 Oct): Palette Design and Brush Control
Discover palette organisation and colour practice that will bring your understanding of flesh tones and temperature to the next level. Command a variety of brush effects for blending, and keep luminous colour where you want it. We will paint from a photographic reference using the full palette.
Week 3 (29 Oct): Working with a Live Model
Begin a new painting from a professional live portrait model! The earlier rehearsal paintings and new knowledge will have you confident and ready to paint from life - as is done in classical Atelier style academies. An under drawing and initial wash will be established, with guidance on capturing the sitter's likeness.
Week 4 (05 Nov): Developing the Portrait
Continue working with our live model to deepen washes and important colour/value relationships. Using variegated or gradated washes, mingling or charging, you will decide with various techniques where to maintain control, or where to play with full expression.
Week 5 (12 Nov): Final Details and Finishing Touches
Our final session with the live model, and the refinement of your painting. Learn the art of glazing, accenting, and selectively adding important details without "over working". Bringing together the best decisions for a polished finish.

Upcoming dates for Watercolour Portrait Course: Expressing Character and Colour

Times are London time. Dates and prices as of 6 Oct 2026, 6:48pm; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

1 upcoming date between 15 Oct 2026 and 15 Oct 2026.

  • Thu 15 Oct 2026, 2pm-5pm (then the same time each week, for the next 4 weeks)
What you'll get
  • Experience watercolour painting without the setup or cleanup!
  • Quality materials are provided, and you can keep the painting you make for the day.
  • Winsor & Newton professional paints, 100% cotton Arches paper, high-standard brushes, broad palettes, and boards.
Knowledge required
This course is for ambitious beginners ready for a structured exploration, and intermediate artists looking to expand their technical toolkit
What to bring
Just bring yourselves!
Session repeats

This class series runs over 5 consecutive sessions, at the same time every week.

Location

House of Toad - 23 Park Circus, Glasgow

Parking consists primarily of paid on-street pay-and-display metered bays managed by Glasgow City Council (using the RingGo app), which are generally free in the evenings after 6:00 PM and over the weekends. (If you like, cheaper parking at Kelvinbridge SPT Park & Ride, South Woodside Road, Glasgow, G4 9HG - Just a 10min walk from Venue)

Watercolour Portrait Course: Expressing Character and Colour location
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Your teacher

The Fine Art of Jason Michael Bentley
The Fine Art of Jason Michael Bentley

Instagram followers 8k followers

Hello my name is Jason Bentley. I'm an American fine artist from Chicago. In 2019 I moved to Scotland with my wife (who is Scottish). I keep a studio in Merchant City, Glasgow, where I enjoy teaching, taking on commissions and making work for galleries. I love discipline based activities. I sing and play guitar, and have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I also have a 'pretend" black belt in cooking and mixology. I'm very devoted to craft and refinement! This journey in refining my skills as a "lifelong student" has led me to study traditional art at the Glasgow Academy of Fine Art, where I graduated in 2024. I believe that teaching completes the lifecycle of this discipline. In this, a culture of growth can be nurtured and recycled, serving the student, teacher, and community that I am proud to be a part of!
My experience with watercolour goes further back than my experiences here. As a child, a pencil was always in hand, but when I began taking studio courses in collage, I discovered watercolour and fell completely in love. Despite my refinements in drawing and painting in oils over the years, I've maintained a deep connection with watercolour. I'm known in my teaching community as "that guy that can do both!"
I've been happily teaching for 15 years. Here, in Scotland, privately from my studio, and in workshop and school environments including the Edinburgh Drawing School. This year I received an Honorable Mention from the Art Renewal Center and exhibited with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in London.
About my Teaching:
I love process and clarity. As a person who prefers straightforwardness in my own studies and pursuits, I work to design a learning language that makes sense for my students. I will teach you how to develop an instinct and selective eye for constructing form in stages, starting simply, then building in complexity. This approach will work for many subjects. So there is lots for you to explore and enjoy. As you need, we will discuss theory and materials in great depth, preparing you to embrace the subjects with confidence. All levels of experience are welcome.

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