Introduction to Miniature Portraits

In this six-week course, students will work towards the production of a small painting, rendered in either enamel paint or oil paint, on glass or aluminum. Students will be introduced to a variety of painting techniques and effects, such a stippling and layering, through practical demonstrations, as well as one to one support. Students will also be able to visit the collection of miniatures in the museum, for study, reflection and inspiration in the making of their own modern miniature.

Miniature painting has a unique place in art history and the genre has been experiencing a revival in the last ten years. Also known as travelling portraits, small paintings and miniatures posses great power, as their function is usually to depict subjects which are literally and emotionally close to their owners hearts. As well as possessing sentimental value, miniatures have an exquisite visual quality, because of the vivid colour used in their production, and their attention to fine detail. The paint and surfaces used on this course have been chosen because of their luminous and lustrous qualities.