Exploring the Portrait - Art Academy

Exploring the Portrait

COURSE CODE: SC2504072

COURSE DATES: Monday 17th – Friday 21st August 2026

TUTOR: Charlie Schaffer

DAYS: 5

TIMES: 10:00am - 4:30pm

EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Ages 18+, All Levels

FEE: £425

LOCATION: Bankside Campus, 185 Park Street, SE1 9BL

Exploring the Portrait is a dynamic and thought-provoking mixed media course that invites you to question, expand, and reimagine what a portrait can be. Moving beyond traditional ideas of likeness, this course encourages you to experiment with materials, mark-making, and conceptual approaches to portraiture. Through a series of focused sessions, you’ll explore multiple ways of seeing and representing the human face, from observational to expressive, intuitive to analytical.
Sessions will cover:

– Close observation as well as abstraction and conceptual interpretation
– Materials & mark-making
– How identity, mood and character can be captured or disrupted
– Develop ideas through experimentation, layering, and reworking
– Group dialogue & shared learning
– Creating an extended portrait using the approach that resonates most

You’ll gain confidence in experimenting with materials and approaches, deepen your understanding of portraiture as both image and idea, and develop a more personal and expressive visual language. Suitable for all levels, this course offers an open and supportive environment for exploration. Teaching is responsive and discussion-led, with demonstrations, references to a wide range of artists, and ongoing one-to-one feedback. You’ll be encouraged to take creative risks, question conventions, and learn both independently and collaboratively within the group.
Following this course, you may be interested in joining one of our weekly painting courses such as Portrait Painting.

Recommend booking by: August 3, 2026

All Levels

All attendees must be aged 18 and over.

This course is suitable for all levels. Students can move at their own pace depending on their experience, with as much support from the Tutor as they wish. This means an student from the following experience levels can join this course:

Beginner

Choose a Beginners course if you are looking for a broad introduction to the medium you are studying. Our Beginner courses are suitable for students with no prior experience.

Beginner +

Choose a Beginner + course if you are looking to hone your skills, focus on a specific subject area and build your confidence. These courses are suitable for those with some basic skills in and knowledge of the taught medium.

Intermediate

Our Intermediate courses are suitable for students who have considerable prior knowledge of the taught medium or have completed a Beginners/Beginners + course with the Art Academy.

Advanced

Choose our Advanced courses if you have considerable knowledge in the taught medium. You are expected to be able to work independently and have critical discussions around your work.

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CHARLIE SCHAFFER

Charlie Schaffer’s practice consists of paintings and drawings featuring portraiture, self-portraiture and his interpretation of Old Masters’ artworks. In 2014 Schaffer received his BA Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Brighton – a year after completing his Foundation Diploma at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. He was subsequently awarded the Brian Botting Prize “for an artist aged 30 or under for an outstanding representation of the human figure” in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

In 2019 Schaffer won the National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award for his painting ‘Imara in her Winter Coat’, an amalgamation of thousands of hairline strokes painted over four difficult months as artist and sitter in his studio. He uses his portrait paintings as a way to experience connection and understanding with his subjects, placing focus on the process rather than the final product. Indeed his self-portraiture reveals truths about the artist’s own emotional state, which has evolved with his artistic style.

In addition to the National Portrait Gallery collection, Schaffer’s work is held in a number of international private collections, as well as collections held by several universities. Schaffer is currently working on a commission for the National Portrait Gallery, which, upon completion, will enter the permanent collection and remain on show to the public.

Bankside Campus

185 Park Street,London SE1 9BL

tel: +44 (0) 207407 6969

This is our new purpose built accessible campus. Find more information here

Nearest Tube/ Rail: London Bridge or Southwark (both a 10-15 minute walk).

Please note that London Bridge has two exits, the most direct route is to follow signs to “Borough Market”.

Students are welcome to use The Hub during break times, where you can prepare hot drinks and/or food. You must bring your own keep-cup, water bottle or food container to the Academy as mugs, glasses, and containers will not be available in our Bankside campus.

Tea and coffee will be provided by the Academy and is available from the island unit at the end of The Hub.

Terms and Conditions

  • By booking onto one of our courses you agree to our Short Courses Terms and Conditions.
  • You will need to have paid in full before the first session of your class. Your place is not guaranteed until we have received full payment. Please book early in order to guarantee your place on the course.

Materials & Equipment

  • If you purchased a pack online this will be given to you on the first session of your course upon your arrival. Packs can be booked on our Materials Page or on this page when you book the course
  • Please don’t wear your best clothes as there is always a chance you will get messy. If possible bring an apron or overalls.
  • All artwork at the Academy MUST be taken home at the end of each session where possible, with the exception of oil paintings and sculpture works.
  • We cannot store materials at the Academy, so please take these to and from your sessions.
  • Please ensure that your mobile phone is switched off or is on silent during the class.
  • Health and Safety Guidelines will be provided to you a week before the start of your course.

Concessions and Discounts

We offer a number of concessions and discounts, please find more information on what we offer here.

Gift Vouchers

If you would like to purchase a gift voucher to be used on our courses then you can purchase these here.

£425.00