Portrait Painting Bootcamp 2026

with Arthur Gain

An intensive, practice-driven course on portrait painting, where Arthur Gain teaches his award-winning methods of direct oil painting.

February 28 - April 4

STUDENT ACCESS

In this new 6-week curriculum, Arthur will share and explain his award-winning method of painting portraits with oils.

During the workshop, Arthur will guide you through the process of creating an expressive portrait while covering key elements: head studies, painting hands, and rendering additional aspects like backgrounds, clothing, and accessories.

From tools and materials to composition and advanced rendering techniques – this well-structured, beginner-friendly experience will help you improve your painting skills and deepen your knowledge of oil painting.

Six full time paint along sessions plus additional pre-recorded materials and reference images for practice.

During the course of the Bootcamp, students will complete one medium-sized multi-session portrait and at least three portrait studies with different compositional elements.

Schedule (US Eastern Time, every Saturday):

• 10:30 AM – Live demo & paint along pt I

• 12:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Q&A and Lunch Break

• 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Live demo & paint along pt II

Duration: 6 weeks | 02/28 - 04/04

Skill level: Any

Recording of each session will be available the next day.

Recording Access: 12 months

What is new in 2026

This year’s theme is narrative composition. We will learn and practice narrative portraiture, from master studies and alla prima sketches to multi-session portrait with imaginative background. All aspects will be covered using Arthur’s trademark, beginner-friendly teaching approach.

Color theory fundamentals, from mixing skin tones to color notes and accents in the finishing touches, teaching students how to combine color theory with the practical use of oil paints.
Crucial principles of composition and how to direct attention using value schemes and color notes.
Introduction to compositing through a combination of painting from life, the use of references, and digital tools.

You will learn:

Efficient and direct ways to block in a portrait using a combo of constructive and observational methods

1

2

How to mix natural looking skin tones and how to use temperature shifts.

3

How to paint heads, backgrounds and narrative elements

Using textures, varying opacity levels, and different paint applications to achieve visual impact.

4

5

How to compose and design the painting to express the mood

6

How to use the direct painting method in a multiple session project

Week I

February 28th
A Modern Approach to Classical Portraiture. Lessons from the Old Masters. How to Start a Painting Efficiently.
Paint-along session with a live model.
Week II

March 7th
Fundamentals of Color. Value Keys and How to Set Up the Model and Lighting. A Tonal Approach to Narrative Painting.

Paint-along session with a live model
Week III

March 14th
Using Color to Tell the Story. Mixing Strategies and Palette Organization. How to Paint Skin Tones That Look Natural and Luminous.

Paint-along session with a live model
Week IV

March 21st
Likeness and Form: How to Combine Constructive and Observational Methods to Achieve Likeness
Paint-along session with a live model
Week V

March 28th
Composition: Background and environment as narrative elements. Use of references. Second session of the narrative portrait.
Paint-along session with a live model
Week VI

April 4th
Edges and Brushwork. Texture and transparency. How to finish the painting. Final session of the narrative portrait.
Paint-along session with a live model

Excerpt from the Bootcamp 2024 (Week 3 Live Session)

What Students Are Saying:

“First class.....excellent course... I learnt so much and Arthur was attentive to my progress, patient and super helpful with any issues I was having. I really appreciated the recordings and how information was easily accessible with it being divided into smaller lesson titles. ”

Pavllou Kokko
“This was a very helpful bootcamp both in helping me ground my fundamentals, as a largely self-taught artist, but also to see how Arthur pushes away from the reference/model to make decisions as an artist.”

Martin
“I loved the way Arthur explained so many techniques in detail and shared so many insights... All over my learning curve was very steep and I understood a lot more than what I ever did with just watching YouTube videos or studying books. There is not much to improve - it was really the best art instruction course I ever did”

Sigi Dannheimer
"This was such a wonderful learning experience; I’m saddened that it is over but excited to put all this new knowledge to work! Many thanks for being an exceptional instructor and thanks again to Kelsey, an amazing assistant."

Lori Barrison
"Extremely helpful and thoroughly enjoyed it. The mixing of skin colors was the most beneficial and what colors can do on the canvas next to each other also."

Patrick Stacy
"It was exactly what I needed as I had been away from painting portraits for a couple of years and although had been attempting on my own some self-doubt. This challenge gave me the tools to feel confident and new approaches to make it more interesting."

Santiago Perez
"Completely satisfied. This was my favorite course to date. The instruction was extremely clear and the step by step approach enabled me to build solid foundations and retain important information. I am quite slow and am still working my way through the course but knowing that I can work at my own pace has made the journey a rewarding experience."

Roda Fisher

Enroll Now

Spectate Tier

$350

Full Access to all live sessions, demos, materials and assignments

Recordings: 12 months

Access to Alla Prima Academy community

Weekly Private Critique Sessions

$900

Weekly 45 minutes private Zoom Critique session with Arthur Gain

Full Access to all demos, materials and assignments

Recordings: 12 months

Access to Alla Prima Academy community

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About Arthur Gain

Arthur Gain, based in Barcelona, Spain, is a self-taught oil painter with a diverse artistic journey. His works have been showcased in esteemed venues worldwide, including the MEAM in Spain, the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in the US, and the Museo La Contea Del Caravaggio in Italy.

Arthur is a winner and finalist of numerous international competitions, including the prestigious BoldBrush Award, finalist multiple times in competitions such as BoldBrush, ModPortrait, and ARC Salon.

Nowadays, Arthur focuses on personal projects and commissions for private and corporate clients. Additionally he continues to share his expertise with a broader audience both offline and online, including professional artists seeking to enhance their skills in oil painting and alla prima technique, as well as students at the Barcelona Academy of Art.

Website: arthurgain.com

FAQs

Is this Bootcamp good for beginners?

It is absolutely great for the beginners and for experienced painters alike. Arthur’s method ensures covering all essential fundamentals while demonstrating and explaining all (including advanced) aspects of painting with oils.

What time and day do live sessions start?

For all six weeks of the Bootcamp, live sessions will take place every Saturday at 10:30 AM Eastern Time | 7:30 AM Pacific | 2:30 PM UTC | 4:30 PM Central Europe.

Each session follows this structure:

• 10:30 AM – Live demo & paint along pt I

• 12:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Q&A and Lunch Break

• 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Live demo & paint along pt II

To keep the session comfortable, short breaks will be included, allowing time for the model to rest and participants to recharge.

What if I can’t attend live session?

All live sessions are recorded, and students will have access to the recordings the following day. Don’t worry—you won’t miss a thing.

What is difference between Spectate Tier and Feedback Tier?

Feedback Tier students receive personal guidance from Arthur Gain during the Bootcamp. It includes access to a private mentorship dashboard and weekly one-on-one Zoom calls with Arthur.

Which materials do I need to participate in the Bootcamp?

You can check out the list of materials here.

Portrait Painting Bootcamp 2026

with Arthur Gain

What is new in 2026

You will learn:

1

2

3

4

5

6

Week I

Week II

Week III

Week IV

Week V

Week VI

Excerpt from the Bootcamp 2024 (Week 3 Live Session)

“First class.....excellent course... I learnt so much and Arthur was attentive to my progress, patient and super helpful with any issues I was having. I really appreciated the recordings and how information was easily accessible with it being divided into smaller lesson titles. ”

“This was a very helpful bootcamp both in helping me ground my fundamentals, as a largely self-taught artist, but also to see how Arthur pushes away from the reference/model to make decisions as an artist.”

"This was such a wonderful learning experience; I’m saddened that it is over but excited to put all this new knowledge to work! Many thanks for being an exceptional instructor and thanks again to Kelsey, an amazing assistant."

"Extremely helpful and thoroughly enjoyed it. The mixing of skin colors was the most beneficial and what colors can do on the canvas next to each other also."

"It was exactly what I needed as I had been away from painting portraits for a couple of years and although had been attempting on my own some self-doubt. This challenge gave me the tools to feel confident and new approaches to make it more interesting."