Yim Mau-Kun Art Academy/From Likeness to Life - A Complete Course in Portrait Drawing & Oil Painting
Drawing and oil portrait

From Likeness to Life - A Complete Course in Portrait Drawing & Oil Painting

  • Course
  • 22 Lessons

With Yim Mau-Kun

Based on a live workshop in Shenzhen, China — featuring real-time demonstrations and in-depth lectures (with English subtitles)


The Problem

Most artists struggle with one of two things:

  • Their drawings lack accurate structure and likeness

  • Their paintings feel muddy or lifeless

That’s because drawing and painting are often taught separately.

But in reality — they are one connected system.


What Makes This Course Unique

Learn from a Real Masterclass Experience

This course is not a scripted studio production.

It is carefully edited from a live portrait drawing and oil painting workshop conducted in Shenzhen, China (2014).

That means you get:

  • Real-time demonstrations from life

  • Natural, unscripted teaching moments

  • Deeper insight into how a master artist thinks and works in practice

Accessible to a Global Audience

  • All lecture content includes English subtitles

  • You can follow both the technical instruction and the artistic philosophy clearly


The Transformation

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Construct portraits with confidence and accuracy

  • Capture true likeness

  • Understand form through planar analysis

  • Paint with clean, vibrant color

  • Use brushwork to create life and expression


What You’ll Learn

Part I: Portrait Drawing

  • Block-in using straight lines

  • Planar analysis for understanding form

  • Achieving accurate proportions and likeness

  • Shading and value relationships

Part II: Oil Portrait Painting

  • Connecting drawing principles to painting

  • Understanding painting as a language of color

  • Mixing custom colors for every stroke

  • Organizing your palette for clarity

  • Focusing on color block relationships first

  • Developing expressive brushwork


A Rare Look Into the Teaching Process

Because this course comes from a live workshop setting, you’ll experience:

  • How decisions are made in real time

  • How problems are solved during the process

  • How structure evolves into a finished painting

This is something highly edited courses often don’t show.


Mr. Yim’s Philosophy

Drawing is the foundation. Painting is the language.

You’ll learn how:

  • Drawing builds structure and accuracy

  • Painting expresses color, light, and emotion

Together, they create portraits that feel alive.


What You Get

Total Length: 7.75 Hours

Edited recordings from a live 2014 workshop in Shenzhen

  • Step-by-step demonstrations

  • Lectures with English subtitles

  • Practical exercises and insights

  • Lifetime access (if applicable)


Who This Is For

  • Beginners who want a strong foundation

  • Intermediate artists struggling with likeness or color

  • Serious students seeking classical training

  • Artists transitioning from drawing to painting


Before / After

Before:

  • Guessing proportions

  • Muddy color mixing

  • Overworked paintings

After:

  • Clear structure

  • Confident color control

  • Expressive, intentional brushwork


About Yim Mau - Kun

An internationally recognized artist combining:

  • Russian realism structure

  • Impressionist color

  • Decades of teaching


Start Learning Today

If you want to truly understand portraiture — not just imitate it — this course will give you the foundation.