Chantel Barber: Painting From Photos - Expressive & Emotional

What’s exciting about this course:

• Never view acrylic portrait painting the same way again
• Discover how to paint loose, expressive effects with acrylic paints
• How to turn acrylic’s fast drying time into an advantage 
• Paint with intent and experience true liberation
• Strange everyday tools to enhance your painting
• Add movement, color, brushwork, light, and story into your paintings
• Dos and don’ts of painting from a photo reference
• How to make the right choice when editing (and avoid permanent mistakes)
• Energize your brushstrokes
• Achieve lost and found edges, even with acrylics
• Important mindset-shifting advice on interpretation
• The little-known reason you shouldn’t ignore Photoshop
• Surefire ways to engage your viewers through rhythm & movement
• How to stay flexible as your composition takes shape
• PLUS: An enlightening interview with Chantel
• And much, much more!

You’re about to push the boundaries of portrait storytelling by gaining a deep understanding of the principles of acrylic painting… 

Even if you work mainly with oils, Chantel’s unique style and approach to acrylics will have a significant impact on your artwork.

Chantel will show you how to capture a photo’s life and essence so you can go beyond copying photos into the realm of creating original artwork from them.

You’ll learn how to paint engaging and inspiring portraits that are full of meaning, substance, and expression…

Portraits that entice the viewers’ senses — drawing them in visually through masterful application of bold strokes and strong colors.

After this course, you may not look at acrylic portrait painting the same way again...

Chantel’s signature blend of techniques is the result of three long decades of practice…

It’s a rare combination that impresses both art collectors and master painters!

This is the fine art of acrylic portrait painting. 

You’re going to get paradigm-shifting painting insights you can’t get anywhere else…

Taught by none other than Chantel Barber herself — one of the best acrylic painters of our generation!

No matter where you are in your painting journey, Chantel’s distinctive approach will help you transform into a much stronger artist.

Chantel is a very ambitious woman … extremely ambitious...

Before she fell in love with acrylics in 1990, Chantel had been drawing people using oils since she was 11 years old...

She knew her passion was for creating portraits using an impressionistic and loose style, and that was best suited to oil paints...

But one day she got curious: “Why can’t I use acrylics to achieve the same outcome as oils?”

She was determined to find the answer, but struggled to find anyone who could teach her.

On top of that, the artists she knew said acrylic was best used for abstract work and bold graphics — NOT portraiture.

She knew the two mediums were completely different...

But like a true artist, she decided to break all the rules.

She spent the next 30 years exploring and honing her acrylic techniques, doing things almost no other artist could replicate without her personal guidance.

Which is why Chantel is the perfect teacher to help strengthen your art techniques — even if acrylic is not your primary medium.

She’ll reveal how you can bridge the gap between oil and acrylic techniques to create something exceptionally unique to you.

Chapter Breakdown 

01- Introduction

02- Materials & Tools

03- Tips for Working with Photos

04- Block In

05- Mixing Color

06- Develop the Painting

07- Create Special Effects

08- Add Details

09- Push & Pull

10- Fresh Eyes & Finishing Flourishes