Dear Art Friends In November 2012 I obtained distinctions on the portraiture certificate course provided by London Art College, after being successfully guided by the mentorship of my course tutor, Nick Beall. In order to achieve this standard, I worked progressively through 16 study units and I produced assignments covering portraiture techniques, such as preliminary sketches of facial expressions and emotions, facial anatomy, composition, poses, colour theory and tone. I had the opportunity to develop my drawing skills/art theory understanding and create ideas in graphite, CP, acrylic, watercolour and oils media. LAC provided excellent support and underpinning knowledge throughout my course. It is important to create a true likeness of character, part of the technique lies in getting tonal values correct and an accurate underdrawing is essential if these qualities are to indicate the essence of the individual portrayed. These images below, forming part of my final assessment prior to grading, illustrate the importance of preliminary sketching whether in graphite, as shown, or basic acrylic/oil sketching before the image takes shape on canvas. "Chaos at Rest" is a spur-of-the-moment composition which gave me credibility, confidence and care to succeed as a student artist to gain distinctions. The preliminary graphite became an original pastel pencil creation and I thank Nick for all his honest feedback which has continued to inspire me to do greater things and have a more knowledgeable understanding of master artists such as Spencer, Munch, Berserik and Durer. Indeed the section on self-portraits has translated into my own work with an personal undertaking to produce a "Selfie" each year to not only depict my ageing process, but be in a strong position to appreciate and compare my work progress on this artistic journey. Copy/paste the following link to learn about how a London Art College portraiture course could help improve your painting and drawing skills: http://www.londonartcollege.co.uk/portrait-painting-course/portrait-painting-certificate-course.htm