Discover the joy of painting sheep portraits with this 6-week Premium Live Course, designed for artists who want to improve... Read more
🔴 Course Enrollment Limited to 60
$780.00
Hi, I’m TJ Cunningham. I grew up in the hills of Vermont, where the quiet beauty of rural life shaped both my love of painting and my favorite subjects—landscapes, livestock, and the quiet dignity of animals. For the past 15 years, I’ve worked as a full-time artist, painting professionally and teaching hundreds of students along the way.
Sheep have always fascinated me—not just for their texture and light, but for the challenge of capturing their presence with subtlety and truth. My goal as a teacher is to make that process approachable. I break down complex ideas into clear, manageable steps so you can grow in skill and confidence, one brushstroke at a time.
Whether you’re just starting out or deepening a lifelong practice, I’m here to help you paint with greater clarity, purpose, and joy. Let’s make something beautiful together.
02 Oct
We’ll begin with a side view of a ewe—perfect for understanding proportion, rhythm, and head structure without tricky foreshortening. We’ll break the subject into simple volumes and block in clear shapes that feel solid and true. You’ll learn how to see through the wool to the bone structure beneath, and how to build a foundation that will support every stage to come.
09 Oct
Now that we’ve built a solid drawing, we’ll shift focus to light and surface. Learn how to suggest fleece without getting fussy, create light effects with expressive brushwork, and manage transitions across rounded forms. We’ll focus on value shifts, clean edges, and painterly restraint—making the wool feel soft, real, and full of life.
16 Oct
In this session, we’ll use a front-facing lamb to study symmetry, proportion, and expression. The lighting is soft yet directional—perfect for exploring how to shape the planes of the face using gentle transitions. You’ll learn how to define form without relying on hard edges and how to keep your painting loose while still accurate.
23 Oct
We’ll wrap up our lamb portrait by studying the subtlety of texture: the velvet feel of wool, delicate color variation, and nuanced edges around the ears, nose, and jaw. This session will focus on refining your edge control and keeping texture believable without going tight. You’ll learn how to let restraint and soft transitions bring your subject to life.
30 Oct
This week, we start our next subject: the black ram. With strong ¾ lighting and massive horns, this session is all about form, presence, and weight. You’ll see how to capture a bold silhouette and how to lay in a dramatic subject using deep darks, bold shapes, and an eye for light’s behavior on complex forms.
06 Nov
Now we bring the ram to life. We’ll cover painting dark shapes with variety and light, shaping edges, and adding warm/cool color notes to build subtle form. I’ll guide you through the finishing process—what to tighten, what to leave alone, and how to give your work the depth and presence it deserves.
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
During the group feedback sessions, you'll have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback and support from me and your fellow classmates. These sessions will be conducted live on Zoom and are included in the cost of the course.
Feedback Session Times
