The Realist Academy ™
Paint better, get your art into galleries, make art you are proud of
If painting isn’t your job (yet), you want it to be.
You’ve been fantasizing about a way to make your realist art a thriving career,
working with galleries and collectors.
You want to paint better.
And even though you’re talented, you’re not really recognized.
Yet.
You want to stop doubting your talent.
And you’re not keen on going back to college.
Painting courses, marketing courses, social media courses all sound like a hassle to even find.
And you’re short on time.
You want your art to be a thriving career.
And be super proud of the art you create.
You value skill (otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this), but you recognize art as a career needs a bit more than just that.
If only someone could explain to you, without wasting your time, what you need to know to make oil painting your job.
The answer?
Having a resource that gets your skills to a gallery level, but also helps you devise a game plan to turn your art into a solid art brand.
Am I onto something there?
TRY THE REALIST ACADEMY TASTER MASTERCLASS: PAINT SKIN WELL
If you want to experience the lectures at The Realist Academy and learn more about painting realistic skin in oil, try this masterclass.
Hi, I’m Tereza Barnard, your Instructor for this course.
top 50 finalist of the British Art Prize 2023
A combined audience of over 110k on social media
full time artist (www.terezabarnard.com)
BEFORE
AFTER
I went from some not-so-great oil painting attempts to making art my full-time career in just a few years. I did a lot of courses, had a mentor, and attended live workshops.
The question is, could I teach someone what I learnt even faster, through just one online course?
Well…..
Students of the Realist Academy examples:
The Realist Academy students Michelle Cyr and Georgia Loring (pictured) were hobby artists with little to no experience of painting with oils prior to joining the academy in early 2023.
Michelle Cyr with her sold painting which made it to TOP 50 of EMERGING WOMEN ARTISTS AWARDS of Arts and Hearts.
Michelle has been signed up to have a solo gallery show in June 2024.
Georgia Loring, with her sold painting, shortlisted for the Almenara Art Prize. Her other paintings have made it as a finalist of the Emerging Artist Category of Beautiful Bizarre’s magazine Art Prize and top 100 of the Emerging Artists Awards of Arts to Hearts. Georgia was a beginner prior to joining The RA in 2023. She is now a gallery represented artist.
I’ll save you the details of how they went from scratch to having solid art brands (because that’s what this course teaches you 😉)
But for now, remember this 1 thing:
Their crazy great results are a proof that YOU can do it, too. (& I’ll show you how)
You DON’T need countless workshops and seminars,
every style of paint,
a million and one brushes and tools,
and all the time in the world to paint
to live the dream of having a career as a professional painter.
Perhaps you’ve already done some of that…
And you’re no closer to your goal…
In fact, you may doubt your talent…
Or maybe you haven’t even really tried. Because you feel selfish pursuing art when there is so much else that needs to be done
(And by the way, yes, we do cover mindset shifts to help you stop feeling that way too.)
You can (and SHOULD!) jump out of bed every day knowing you’ll be doing what you love most: Painting.
This 100% self-paced online course provides a detailed, step-by-step blueprint to your artistic success. Everything you need to know is instantly available upon joining, allowing you to run after your dreams as fast as you want to! Create gallery-worthy art even if you have a couple of hours a week at most to spend creating it.
With a Little Direction, it’s Possible to:
Seriously elevate your realist painting skills from the comfort of your home.
Fully understand how to build your art as a brand, so that it can become your job.
Present your art in a way that’s attractive to galleries and collectors.
Showcase your taste and personality through your art and cultivate raving fans and collectors for your most authentic work.
Grow on social media by the thousands, even when other people complain it’s impossible!
… And did I mention NO MORE SCHOOL…?
Even with minimal time currently available to dedicate to your work?
Sure, sure, how would I know?
Hi, I’m Tereza Barnard
And I’m a realist painter and online course creator.
But I also have degrees in psychology, and once upon a time, I was an assistant clinical psychologist, and I
loved that work!
When I moved back to my home country, the Czech Republic, for a couple of years, I had to wait for my
degree certifications from the UK to be recognized, and in the meantime, I landed a career in interior
design, working for hotels…
(I liked that work, sometimes.)
But if I’m honest… something was always missing… and it took reading a book about our ‘true calling’ to
wake me up and make me realize… I wanted to paint. I always wanted to paint. Professionally.
I took the step about six years ago while I was a new mum on maternity leave.
All I wanted to do was spend my days getting my hands dirty, joyfully creating art that flowed from the
depths of my soul onto the canvas for people who couldn’t wait to pay top dollar for my work.
Once I started having collectors for my own work instead of never-ending commission requests, once I placed in the finals of world-renowned art competitions (British Art Prize, ModPortrait, ART Salon) and I had my work taken to an art show by a NY gallery and appear in hardcover books and magazines, I decided to put together a resource I didn’t have when I first started.
I would have loved a resource or a course to help me with my own art when I first started. A student-centered course that you can come back to time and time again. This is how The Realist Academy was born.
All I wanted to do was spend my days getting my hands dirty, joyfully creating art that flowed from the
depths of my soul onto the canvas for people who couldn’t wait to pay top dollar for my work.
It wasn’t a smooth and seamless journey. I had my share of bumps in the road, but that’s what I’m here
to help you navigate. Because one thing I realized through my own journey was that information on what you actually need to work with reputable galleries and collectors wasn’t easy to come by. In fact most courses I attended were simply teaching me how the course instructor painted, not what I needed to do to make art my job.
MUST HAVE STRATEGIES INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE
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Learn methods that will spark new perspectives and instantly improve your paintings.
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You have unlimited access to numerous tutorials that go into the nitty-gritty on details such as how to paint an ear, a piece of jewelry, a candle, and much more!
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Mindset is what keeps a LOT of us playing small or staying where we are. Overcoming that is an absolute necessity to attaining the success you’ve been daydreaming about. We talk about how to smash those obstacles and put success within your reach.
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This is the key piece to creating work that attracts galleries and collectors. Your favourite galleries have a taste of their own, and you will learn what to emphasize to grab their attention and get your work hung on their walls.
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You will learn the exact strategies that I used to leverage Instagram reels to thousands of new fans each month. This one marketing strategy can skyrocket your career.
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We’ll talk about different types of galleries so that you can determine for yourself whether a gallery is the right fit for you and your work and where it is best to apply.
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You’ll learn how to market your art so that you get followers on social media who actually wish to buy it and galleries who wish work with you.
WHAT DO THE REALIST ACADEMY STUDENTS SAY ABOUT THE ON
At the End of This Program, You Will:
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From painting supplies, through studio set up, principles and techniques and demonstrations you’ll learn to create realistic paintings in three-dimensional looking realism.
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You will develop your unique perspective and brand, and your art will reflect that. This gives you clarity behind what to promote, and how to promote it.
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You will know exactly what elements your website needs, and also what not to include so that you don’t accidentally alienate galleries
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With clarity around your brand and a new understanding of social media, you’ll be able to tackle Instagram, and every other platform out there!
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You will know how to market your art beyond social media and use social media to target and convert people into actually wanting to buy your art
Who’s this course for?
Self-motivated, visual learners who like fast-paced lessons and might be:
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If you are hobby artist, but you don’t feel like your art is as skilled and art is not yet a career for you, then this course is for you.
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This course has it all – and this is for you.
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If you are a business and you wish to uplevel your social media presence, this course is for you too.People have many individual reasons for joining The Realist Academy, and using social media for your career to their best advantage is definitely one.
This Course Might Not Be for …
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The Realist Academy has a very diverse body of students. Some started from scratch as hobby artists, some are already professional artists with thriving careers just wanting to learn oil painting from me (Tereza Barnard). There are even galleries and journalists inside the course, taking it for their social media presence.
There is however one type of student that messages me and consequently never signs up. The messages are eerily similar. They go something like “I already have 35 years of experience on this and that, I don’t need your course, I just need this part.”
Absolutely without exception when I look at their work it lacks understanding of the key principles we cover inside the course.
Before you sign up for a course like this, you can find out all the available information, talk to other students, but ultimately you don’t know what’s inside the course and how it can change your life till you are inside the course.
People who tell me they don’t “need the course just this part” are essentially saying no without knowing what they’re saying no to.
That’s never a good fit for this course. Because this course will force you to think differently about your existing art. You might end up completely restructuring what you paint about (many students have), or redoing your website from the ground up.
For that you need an open mind. Do you have one??
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We have beginners in oil painting, who painted in acrylics or other media before joining the course, but this course is not a good fit if you’ve never ever picked a paintbrush. Unless you are a very ambitious beginner. In that case you might love it
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This course will teach you exactly how to jumpstart your art career, but it’s much less formal, and more like a mentorship.
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Half of this course applies to artists regardless of their painting style, but all of the painting instruction is based on realism.
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This course is 100% self-paced with no live element. This means it's ideal for people who are thirsty for information, but it's not for people who are afraid to make a decision, take action and follow through on making their dreams a reality.
The biggest transformations I’ve seen from this course are from people who had a successful career before, but it wasn’t their true calling. We have former business owners who use this course as a blue print to start their dream business in their true calling.
We’ve got As for your Qs
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The course starts now and finishes when you want to. It is a completely self-paced online course. You decide when you start and when you finish. All the lessons are prerecorded and available to you whenever you need them.
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Not if you are ambitious. This course shows the whole painting process, including what surface to paint on, which brushes I recommend using and what colours I have on my palette. If you are serious about your ambition, then this course is for you.
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Absolutely. The first 4 modules of the course are all about oil painting. Some things will be different for acrylics, such as not having to be mindful of drying times across different mediums used with oils. But a lot of what I teach is applicable to a variety of media, such as using texture to create a three-dimensional realism. The second part of the course is all about your art and how to strengthen and develop your own visions and present them on your website and social media. This part is applicable to anyone.
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Anyone can join. That said, the course is only in English.
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Not sure if this course is right for you? Send us a question at studio@terezabarnard.com
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You will have access from the moment you enrol for at least 24 months and often longer. However, most of my courses I run for years. You will have access for as long as we keep it available and will be grandfathered to any platform changes or course upgrades.
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Naturally, everybody is on a different level and delving into different aspects of becoming an artist.
There will be parts of the course you will be more interested in and you'll want to know more about them.
That's perfectly natural, but it's very important that you don't miss any crucial pieces of the puzzle and have access to the whole course to have a full picture. Because the whole course is a method.
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It always helps to iron out your knowledge so that you don't miss some key points.
Refund Policy
Considering the type of service offered, this course is non-refundable. Once you have purchased the course & accessed the lessons, it's yours to come back to as many times and as often as you like. Please only buy this course if it’s a resounding “yes” and take responsibility for your decision
Course Outline: Here’s What You’ll Learn
This course includes 8 modules. Each module has multiple, fast-paced videos including real-time demonstrations.
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In this module, you'll get acquainted with the materials so that you can make informed choices as to what to buy and where to save your cash. You’ll also get tips on studio setup, cleaning, and how to start building a colour collection that suits YOUR needs.
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This module includes fast-paced videos covering principles I abide by. You’ll learn how and where to use texture, how to look at shadows and even how to guide viewers' focus around your painting.
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Here you will combine and apply what you learnt in module 1 and 2 to start painting people and skin.
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Here you will again apply the basics and principles from previous modules to practice painting hair, earrings, and clothes.
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Let’s talk about YOU. In this module we will dive into developing your artistic voice and turning it into artwork. We will also discuss sneaky mental blocks that might have crept up to keep you from chasing your dreams, and how to overcome them.
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This module guides you through creating work that you’re deeply aligned with and attracts your favorite galleries as well as outlines your career goals.
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You’ll get practical advice on varnishing, signature, and certificates of authenticity.
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Learn exactly what to include in your website, how to structure it, and how to understand galleries and collectors and what they’re looking for. This is the big-money section that covers your fast-track to crazy growth on Instagram, leading you to showcase your art to an unlimited number of people. Building upon your foundation as a brand, you’ll understand exactly what type of content you’ll need to be a huge success.
This module also features a social media strategy lecture teaching you how to effectively market your art to gain collectors and gallery cooperations.
A 100 % self-paced online course designed to take you to gallery-level oil painting skills and teach you how to present your work so that you have an art brand of your own which appeals to collectors, galleries or the audience of your choice. Payment options Choose between: 1 single payment= best price 4 payments over 4 months
