Bold Eye Bootcamp

A Bootcamp for Bold, Expressive Eyes
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

The eyes are the window to the soul—and get them wrong, and a portrait can feel lifeless. Eyes communicate emotion, draw the viewer in, and make your subjects feel real. In this intensive Bootcamp, you’ll go beyond a regular class with focused lessons and hands-on practice designed to build skill and confidence fast.

Your Plan for Better Art
Struggling with eyes that look stiff or generic? Preconceived ideas often lead to portraits that miss emotion. This Bootcamp teaches simple, practical rules for drawing and painting eyes, with exercises and a full demo of an emotional, expressive face—all in real time. By combining guided practice and step-by-step instruction, you’ll learn to paint eyes that truly connect.

What You’ll Learn

• Understand the eye in a simple, approachable way

• Avoid common mistakes artists make

• Paint emotional, soulful eyes

• Mix color effectively for depth and realism

• Complete an expressive portrait in real time
  …and more

With this Bootcamp format, you’ll get more practice, more instruction, and more confidence than a standard class—so your portraits finally speak.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I have gotten so much from every lesson I’ve taken in Bold School but this class was outstanding for me on many levels.

There were so many techniques that I have never tried nor considered. I absolutely love the palette. Thank you, Corey! I can’t wait to give this a try."

- Sandra Carr

Magenta Youth

Paint emotion with a bold magenta palette
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

CLASS DESCRIPTION
A portrait is more than just features—it’s a story, a connection, a feeling waiting to be shared. Too often portraits feel flat or stiff, leaving your subjects lifeless. This class teaches you how to use expressive brushstrokes and bold color to capture real emotion, turning your work into portraits that resonate.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Bring emotion to life: move beyond likeness and make your subjects feel real

• Break stiff brush habits: loosen your strokes for more dynamic, expressive portraits

• Use color to communicate: create mood and depth with bold, intentional choices

• Add texture that matters: avoid flat, lifeless skin and hair by painting with energy

"Corey, I loved your class to the fullest! I love all the intensity of emotion and expression in art pieces. Every detail, amazing eyes and body language speaks directly to the heart. I am so happy to have gotten familiar to your work, to you and to have participated in this class."

- Julia Barrancotto

Movement

From Static to Captivating
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🌱 Starter 

Are potential buyers taking one glance at your work but then moving onto the next piece? Creating movement in your pieces through abstraction, brushstrokes, and color placement allows you to control your viewer's experience. You have a story to tell, and there are tried and true practices you can use today to keep your viewer engaged. In three lessons, you will walk through twelve techniques that will finally add that life and excitement to your work! 

You will learn: 

• Color techniques that create movement
• Composition techniques that create movement
• Subject selection techniques that create movement 

Learn how to captivate your viewer's eye. Keep their attention on your work so they will not be able to walk away. 

By Corey Moortgat

"I really enjoyed this class.

The thought process and sharing of this painting's journey is great...

Just what I needed today. Beautiful painting. I am once again inspired. Thank you so much."

- Mari Van Dyke

Creating Visual Movement

Bring your portraits to life using the principle of movement
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

Captivate your viewer and add energy to your work by mastering movement, a core principle of art. This class guides you step-by-step through a full portrait painting, showing you how to use color, composition, and brushstrokes to control the viewer’s eye and make your work truly engaging.

Class Overview

• Lesson 1: Preparing Your Palette
  Start with an analogous palette and discover how Corey selects and mixes colors. You don’t need every paint—learn to mix what you already have.

• Lesson 2: Evaluating the Image
  See how movement concepts affect your composition even before a brush touches the canvas. Learn to plan placement and use a grid to transfer your drawing.

• Lesson 3: The Underpainting
  Lay in your first layer of values around the face. Focus on dimension and structure first, leaving movement techniques for later stages.

• Lessons 4–5: Layering and Refinements
  Refine colors and values in the face, gradually introducing movement concepts to guide the viewer’s eye.

• Lesson 6: Moving Beyond the Face
  Add depth and energy through the hair, neck, and background. Prepare your piece for dynamic, eye-catching movement.

• Lesson 7: Focusing on Movement
  Delve into expressive brushwork, color placement, and abstraction. This is where you begin to ignite energy and rhythm in your painting.

• Lesson 8: Final Review & Touches
  Push your piece further with emphasis colors, playful marks, and scribbles. Watch your portrait transform from static to captivating.

What You’ll Learn

• How to use the principle of movement to guide the viewer’s eye

• Strategic color mixing and layering techniques

• Composition tricks that create energy in your work

• How to simplify and emphasize without losing focus

• Step-by-step portrait painting from start to finish

By the end of this class, you’ll have a fully realized portrait that demonstrates how movement can elevate your work—and the skills to apply these techniques to any future painting.

"I've been in Bold School for three years. I've learned so much through all the mentors.

They keep creating great content, so helpful for me!"

- Lisa DuBois

Long, loose, bold hair

Keys to painting unstructured features
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

Loosen your brushwork, paint hair
Do you find yourself painting every single strand of hair in your portraits?

Painting a face can be challenging but at least you have structures to build. Hair brings a new set of challenges as its structure is organic and hard to control. Corey will demonstrate how to break out of those old habits and find freedom and expression in painting hair! 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Loosen up your Brush Strokes

• Expression & Form

• Color & Mark Making

• and more

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"Corey I love love your classes!

The way you explain things as you go and the thoughts. I really got a lot out of this time watching. 3rd time!! I picked up some things I need to apply and see if that will help me. Thank You so much."

- Pamela Marston

Stunningly Simple Braid

Details without Realism
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

 Painting hair can be tricky—especially braided styles—without stealing attention from the portrait’s most important features. In this class, Corey Moortgat demonstrates simple, effective techniques to paint braided hair while keeping the face front and center. Plus, explore optional abstraction methods to take your portraits to the next level.

What You’ll Learn

• Painting emotion through expressive brushstrokes

• Palette tips for dark skin

• Simple techniques for braids and hair

• Abstraction to enhance your portraits

• Blurring the lines for creative effect
  …and more

Follow along in real time as Corey creates a full portrait, showing step-by-step how to manage details without losing focus on the face.

"I really enjoy your teaching style! So calm and encouraging. I can’t wait to try incorporate some of these techniques!!! I’ve always been such a tight painter so I’m looking forward to trying and hopefully achieving the loose style you have. Such beautiful work!!!"

- Darla Peterson

Gridding Made Simple

Transfer References to Canvas Without the Stress
Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🌱 Starter 

Painting already comes with plenty to learn—color, brushwork, composition, and expression. The last thing you need is added pressure from struggling to draw your subject perfectly. This class shows you an easy, beginner-friendly gridding technique that anyone can use, no drawing experience required.

Mastering this method lets you focus on painting while accurately capturing your reference. And once you know it, you can paint any subject you want—freedom, confidence, and creativity all at your fingertips.

What You’ll Learn

• A simple, step-by-step gridding technique anyone can use

• How to transfer reference photos to your canvas with ease

• Focus on painting, not drawing, while still achieving accuracy

• Gain the freedom to explore any subject matter

• Build confidence and speed without added stress

Paint a Hand

Instructor: Corey Moortgat
🔹 Build

Hands are deceptively complex. Each one is made up of bones, muscles, and tendons, and the way they move or pose can make them one of the most challenging parts of a portrait.

This class breaks down the structure of the hand, showing you how to simplify intricate shapes and render them convincingly. You’ll explore techniques for values, form, and color—including secrets of a purple-based palette—to make hands feel real without getting lost in endless detail. By the end, you’ll complete a full portrait with confident, expressive hands.

What You’ll Learn

• Understanding the underlying structure of the hand

• Simplifying intricate shapes for clarity and realism

• Color secrets using a purple palette

• Complete a full portrait painting
  …and more

Follow along in real time as Corey Moortgat demonstrates a complete painting step by step.

"Watching Corey take a picture from beginning to the end is so interesting. She has an eye for the colors and where it works.Thank you for putting yourself out there and sharing your process. "

- Marjory Taylor