The Realist Academy™
Become the Artist Galleries Take Seriously.
Master realism and build an art career collectors actually notice. Without Guesswork.
You’re One Skill Away From Being Taken Seriously as a Realist Artist
(Spoiler: It’s not just about “practicing more”)
Right now, your paintings are good.
Your friends say they’re “so talented.” Your Instagram followers leave fire emojis. Your mom calls you a genius (thanks, Mom).
But let’s be honest…
❌ Good isn’t getting you into galleries.
❌ Good isn’t making collectors line up for your work.
❌ Good still feels like something is missing, and you can’t quite put your finger on what.
The difference between “that’s nice” and “holy sh*t, I need this painting in my collection” is a few key skills—and you can learn them inside The Realist Academy.
👉 Learn the exact techniques that make realism paintings stand out
👉 Train your eye to self-correct (instead of endlessly doubting yourself)
👉 Start creating work so compelling that galleries actually want it
Skip the years of trial and error. Let’s get you from "good" to "undeniable."
You Could Spend Years Figuring This Out… OR You Could Learn It Now
Because let’s be real—“just practice more” isn’t exactly a helpful strategy.
Neither is:
❌ Watching random YouTube tutorials that contradict each other.
❌ Trying to “just feel it” when painting, only to get frustrated when it doesn’t work.
❌ Taking expensive art school classes that spend weeks discussing the emotional depth of a single brushstroke. (Cool, but… how do I make my paintings better?)
INSTEAD
IMAGINE THIS:
✔️ You sit down at your easel knowing exactly how to approach your painting.
✔️ You’re no longer “guessing” how to fix something—it’s obvious.
✔️ You see collectors, galleries, and even other artists treating you differently because your work now demands respect.
Because when your skill level is undeniable…
💰 Collectors notice.
🎨 Galleries take you seriously.
👀 Your DMs start filling up with actual opportunities.
Sound like the dream? Cool. It’s 100% possible. And The Realist Academy is how you get there.
What You’ll Learn (aka, the Stuff That Actually Makes a Difference)
🔥 Master-Level Painting Techniques → The exact methods used by me, Tereza Barnard, to create realistic precision, and insane detail.
🔥 The Realist’s Eye → Learn how to self-assess your work to see what’s off and fix it immediately.
🔥 Art Positioning & Marketing → Because skill alone isn’t enough. You’ll learn how to market yourself like a professional so you don’t just create, you know how to market yourself to meet your art career goals. Whether that’s a gallery representation or selling by yourself.
🔥 A Repeatable Process → No more “I hope this turns out good.” Consistently produce gallery-caliber paintings without second-guessing.
It’s basically everything I wish someone had handed me when I started.
Who This Is For (And Who Should Definitely Not Apply)
✔️ You’re a painter who’s into realism and knows they’re this close to breaking through but needs the right guidance.
✔️ You’re tired of trial and error and want a proven system that actually works.
✔️ You want collectors and galleries to notice you (instead of feeling invisible).
✔️ You’re committed to your craft and ready to level up—no more playing small.
🚫 Who This ISN’T For 🚫
❌ Hobbyists who just want a fun weekend project. (This is serious training.)
❌ Artists who think they “already know everything” but haven’t sold a painting.
❌ People looking for a magic trick—this is about real skill-building.
If that’s you, don’t waste your time. But if you’re nodding along like “holy sh*t, this is exactly what I need…” then:
What’s The Investment? (aka, What’s It Cost To Finally Get Taken Seriously?)
You could:
❌ Waste years trying to figure this out yourself.
❌ Spend £30,000+ on an art school degree that doesn’t actually teach this.
❌ Keep telling yourself you’ll “get better with time” while nothing changes.
OR:
🚀 Join The Realist Academy for £1,649 (or 4 payments of £497).
✔️ Unlimited access (for as long as we’re running this course or 2 years minimum since purchase, whichever is longer)
✔️ A skillset you’ll use for the rest of your career
✔️ A process that makes painting EASIER instead of harder
Wouldn’t it be nice to just know what you’re doing every time you pick up a brush?
BECOME THE ARTIST YOU KNOW YOU CAN BE
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
TRY A TASTER SESSION
Not everyone is ready for The Realist Academy right away, you might first like to see if my teaching style suits you. If you’re serious about taking your work to the next level, this is where you start. Access the taster session for The Realist Academy for just £5 and see what’s possible. This class shows you how to paint skin that's luminous and realistic. I share a technique that I use daily, and I also share more about the art of my students and information about The Realist Academy course.
STILL NOT SURE, READ THIS:
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)
What students of the Realist Academy say about the course:
In case we haven’t met yet
Hi, I’m Tereza Barnard, and this course is my baby. Once upon a time I was a fresh mum of a baby girl who randomly picked up a book called Who You Were Meant to be. From the first page, I thought “artist,” not “psychologist,”- a field I studied for years to the masters level.
Since then, I have managed to:
Have my paintings sold for $19 K
Get a 110k social media following
Get my art featured in NY and European galleries and worldwide collector homes and in magazines and hardcover books.
And somewhere along this crazy journey, I decided I wished to help people in the same position I was in: hardworking but clueless about taking their art to the next level of professionally looking and professionally presented. Thanks to the Realist Academy, I’ve encountered amazingly inspiring women, made friends and witnessed art career transformations that I will eternally be grateful for playing a part in.
I believe that You can (and SHOULD!) jump out of bed every day knowing you’ll be doing what you love most: Painting. And I teach you how to make that happen inside The realist Academy
MUST HAVE STRATEGIES INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE
-
Learn methods that will spark new perspectives and instantly improve your paintings.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
At the End of This Program, You Will:
-
From painting supplies, through studio set up, principles and techniques and demonstrations you’ll learn to create realistic paintings in three-dimensional looking realism.
-
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
-
You will know exactly what elements your website needs, and also what not to include so that you don’t accidentally alienate galleries
-
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!
-
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
We’ve got As for your Qs
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Anyone can join. That said, the course is only in English.
-
Not sure if this course is right for you? Send us a question at studio@terezabarnard.com
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 are the details of what You’ll Learn when you join The realist Academy
This course includes 8 modules. Each module has multiple, fast-paced videos including real-time painting demonstrations.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Here you will combine and apply what you learnt in module 1 and 2 to start painting people and skin.
-
Here you will again apply the basics and principles from previous modules to practice painting hair, earrings, and clothes.
-
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.
-
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.
-
You’ll get practical advice on varnishing, signature, and certificates of authenticity.
-
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.
What do students of the realist academy say?
-
![]()
“I also want to send a huge thank you to @terezabarnard and her @therealistacademy. The class is beyond amazing, it has completely changed my art and let me finally paint the images I see in my mind. There are no words...just thank you, Tereza. And if you haven't seen her work, it's stunning! I highly recommend a look."
Lauren Knollmeyer
-
![]()
Love, Light and Congratulations. This is not a surprise. It is a truly amazing course. 100% would recommend!!!
@cararoberts_art
-
![]()
“Module 5 is just brilliant!"
Shelby Shields
read more from artists who have taken this course
JOIN THE REALIST ACADEMY TODAY
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
Final Reminder (Because You’ll Forget & Leave This Tab Open for Days)
You can keep wondering why your work isn’t getting noticed…
…or you can learn what actually makes a difference and start seeing results now.
Imagine where your art could be six months from now.
Will you still be stuck, frustrated, and hoping someone “discovers” you?
Or will you be creating gallery-worthy paintings with confidence?
If it’s the second one, this course is the next step.
Have questions about the program?
Email me at studio@terezabarnard.com
(By the way, the answer is YES to Are we painting this hand inside The Realist Academy?