Introducing The Door custom mentorship with Heather

IN PERSON WORKSHOP Registration OPEN for 2025

Multiple Ways to Study


The Atelier Archive: Watch, Rewind, Return

In this atelier, time isn’t rationed. Once you step inside, the lessons are yours—always. Return whenever your hands are ready, rewind as often as your heart needs. Every tutorial is crafted with care and most are paired with the exact brushes I use, so you’re never painting alone, even when I’m not in the room.

LIMITED REGISTRATION - 4 Day Workshop 2025

Join Heather for four information packed days with hands on media including Golden gels, acrylics, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop and more! Registration is LIMITED! 

Registration is CLOSING SOON

NEW Sargent LIVE Webinar Feb 2025

90 minute webinar replay learning Corel Painter in the style of John Singer Sargent. Includes BRUSHES! 

Replay is Now Available

Classical Beginner Bundle

This bundle special includes Heather's Everyday brushes, Intro to Corel Painter 2021, Classical portrait tutorial, and Classical refresher tutorial all compatible with Painter 2021 and NEWER!

Ideal for the new Corel Painter user!

Webinar Replay Controlled Chaos with Animal Portraits

90 minute replay plus Chaos16 textures, full resolution guide images, and Heather's final painted file. 

View Immediately!

NEW Kelly Marie Dobson Curated Collection

This curated collection includes 387 high resolution textures and backgrounds

New BONUS Backgrounds!

NEW Night Owl 41 Collection

Luminosity and texture collide in this new background collection with alluring midnights and cooler tones. 41 Beauties!

Deliciously luminous!

2024 Passages

2024 MASTER COLLECTION

Introducing new DUOS! Includes 2023 Passages for a grande total of 186 high resolution beauties!

As seen in Heather's physical Baby Dream backdrop designs!

Alla Prima 3 & 4 Texture Collection

58 new hand painted textures to load into your Texture/Pattern palettes and use as overlays! Exquisitely realistic as they originated from actual paint!

You'll never paint the same after you experience organic texture!

Original Traditionally Hand Painted Collection

LIMITED TIME 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OFER

117 organically created brushstroked textures! 

The original textures that started it all!

INCLUDES BRUSHES!

60 min REPLAY

Learn how Heather incorporates watercolor and ink into sketching the head in this Corel Painter webinar! INCLUDES Beta set of brushes compatible with Painter 2021 (and newer)!

Replay includes BRUSHES

Alla Prima Brushes

NEW Brushes Pack

for Corel Painter 2021 and newer! Includes 17 beauties that aid in painting a heavy style not relying on the texture palette! As demo'd in the Alla Prima Refresher tutorial.

Access Immediately

Alla Prima Style Face

REFRESHER COURSE

60 minute REPLAY! Let's paint the FACE in the heavier Alla Prima style! Includes Intro to Corel Painter 2021.

Replay Available NOW

Tutorial Replay 60 minutes

REFRESHER COURSE

Enjoy this 60 minute REPLAY from Summer's Classical style webinar! Includes Intro to Corel Painter 2021 (compatible with newer versions of Painter)!

Immediate access!

2023 Creating and Using Functional Backgrounds Masterclass

 

REPLAY

OVER 10 hours of video

41 Backgrounds

25 Brushes

22 Textures

Worksheets, PDFS, Reference Images, and more includes everything you need to create a painting with a subject from start to COMPLETION!

Study at your own pace MASTERCLASS

Intro to Corel Painter 2021

78 minutes streaming tutorial to get you set up in Corel Painter from the time you first open the program until you re-open a document and have to re-attach your clone source! Compatible with newer versions of Corel Painter (sans their new features).

Stream Now

Breaking Boundaries Replay Plus Brushes

Intermediate - Full Start to Finish

127 Minutes plus BRUSHES!

Breaking Boundaries The Not So Hyper Realistic Approach to Faces 

 

Ground breaking tutorial PLUS brushes!

Controlling Texture in Your Backgrounds REPLAY

Learn how to paint a background from scratch in the digital space using Corel Painter 2021 (which translates to other digital programs) using design principles with this background veteran in a 2 hour webinar replay from 2021. 

Learn design principles that will rock your art

Painting the Background Space from Scratch

BEGINNER

Downloadable extras are compatible with Corel Painter 2017 (techniques are transferable with any software that paints!) and newer. Recorded in March of 2018 from a live webinar. Includes color sets and reference images plus lots of bonus material!

Mini Course

Fractured Realism Tutorial

INTERMEDIATE

In this 90 minute webinar replay Heather shares her recently adopted abstract realism process that is unlike anything she's taught before! This greatly expands upon the Brayers and Wax technique. 

When your art is too photo-realistic

Brayers and Wax, the Tutorial

Intermediate

151 minutes plus lots of goodies! This tutorial jumps off from the "Painting the Classical Realism" webinar replay sharing how Heather paints in her fractured, waxy style.

*Brushes not included

SPECIAL OFFER

Painting the Contemporary Portrait in Corel Painter 2018

INTERMEDIATE

 Discover the alla prima side of Corel Painter with this heavily painted, more free hand reliant 90 minute webinar replay that includes brushes! Compatible with Corel Painter 2017 and newer.

Brushes Included!

Painting Animals Set

BEGINNER

Includes Intro to Painter 2018

Compatible with Corel Painter X3 and newer. Shows both heavier and classical styles of painting! Includes tutorial brushes. 

 

The OG animals tutorial

Intro to Corel Painter 2018

BEGINNER

This is a MUST HAVE for all new Corel Painter users!

Compatible with Corel Painter 2016- basic setup of 2020. Recorded in March of 2018 from a live webinar. Includes a thorough look at the setup from the first time you open up Corel Painter to the first time you lay down a brush stroke! 

Buy Now

Modern Day Sargent Set

THE OG - INTERMEDIATE

An intermediate tutorial showing how to paint with heavier, chunkier brushwork reminiscent of John Singer Sargent. Includes brushes.

Buy Now

The Atelier Archive is your quiet place to return.

Timeless tutorials for artists who learn by heart, not haste.

Here, each lesson is crafted with care—pre-recorded, high resolution, and paired with the brushes I use myself. There are no deadlines. No clocks ticking down. Only the steady invitation to pause, study, and paint when your spirit is ready.

Come back as often as you need.
The art waits patiently.


Enjoy a glimpse of the ethereal October Fall Acids Backgrounds! Here are some details from this textural collection!

 

Order now for instant download access!


Pair your training with tools built for a smooth workflow


Night Owls Backgrounds

Hand-Painted Backgrounds & Textures for Elegant, Impactful Edits

Elegant. Usable. Crafted with photographers in mind.

Crafted with care and designed for fine portraiture, each high-resolution backdrop is created with the intention of print—built to hold its own on gallery walls, not just screens. Whether you're replacing a full background or adding painterly depth with an overlay, these designs offer both versatility and soul.


Heather began her career decades ago as a large-scale muralist, painting ceilings and walls with the trained eye of someone who understands how scale, lighting, and brushwork translate through the lens. A key differentiator in her work is that every background begins in the physical world—with organic paint, raw canvas, and real brushstrokes created by hand. These textures are then digitized with care, forming the foundation of her custom digital brushes and overlays. This grounding in tactile, analog mark-making gives her digital work an unmistakable warmth and authenticity that simply can’t be mimicked. These backdrops aren’t just beautiful—they’re engineered for photographic harmony.

Rooted in classical technique and digital mastery, her textures carry the influence of the Impressionists—never flat, rarely monotone, always tuned for color balance. Brushwork is thoughtfully layered, with softness or structure left to the artist’s hand. Apply as-is or blur gently (Photoshop’s Gaussian Blur pairs beautifully) to match your subject’s rhythm.


 

NEW Donna Eaton Collection

Artist Donna Eaton's favorite backgrounds from various collections plus 8 NEW never before seen high resolution, hand painted beauties! 

34 backgrounds ready for download

Classical Neutrals and Golds 2024

This new backgrounds and textures collection features 60 Classical Neutrals, 24 Classical Golds, and 23 bonus hand painted watercolors. 

The hand painted gild is perfection

Blush Greige 50

The Greige got a makeover and it's insanely elegant! It's the perfect balance of edge and bokeh! 50 new hand painted, high resolution beauties!

Available for immediate download!

Resilience Collection

52 bold high resolution beauties inspired by the outdoors in Spring

Heavy texture for your digital toolbox

Michelle Parsley's Preferred Patinas

Available at a special offer this gorgeous patina'd inspired collection includes 52 high resolution backgrounds and textures for your digital edit! Please note this is not the Birthdays pack, nor is it the Curated Collection.

On SALE

The Curated Collection 2019

(Includes the wildly popular Patinas and Acids!)

This Collection includes the Lavenders of Olde, Meet Me In The Garden, Exclusive Patinas and Acids, and BONUS materials totalling 80 high resolution, hand painted digital textures and overlays. 

Released April 2019

Instant access!

Summer Gold Collection 31

A love for gold leaf combined with cold wax and imperfect textures, layered with portraiture in mind.

Available For Immediate Access

Foundations Collection 27

Fractured layers, perfect for direct painting bases (alla prima style) inspired by cold wax and the heavier interpretations of today's portrait painters.

Available for immediate download

Alla Prima ll Collection

They look like real paint because they started as real paint on large canvases!

Over 100 high resolution beauties ideal as texture overlays and backgrounds.

Immediate access!

Original Alla Prima Backgrounds

The original 28 high resolution masterpieces migrated from the legacy store! These organic lovelies were created with physical paint on board and canvas.

Instant access

Veils 2021 Expansion Pack

44 Veils that dance and skip packaged in high resolution, transparent, editable PSD layered files. Each veil comes as a multiple layered file providing thousands of combinations! 

Customizable layers

SINGLES & MINIS

Singles & Mini Sets starting at $8!

Explore them HERE

Summer Greige 32

Palette knifed, alla prima, textural perfection. 32 backgrounds in the greige color schemes that complement every skin tone! 

Instant access

Chocolates Remixed 2020

Calorie free and oh, so decadent this pack of 20 high resolution backgrounds is a must have for every digital toolbox!

Download Now

Heather's Everyday Brushes Pack

Heather's Everyday Set for Corel Painter 2017 & newer 

Heather's most popular brush set EVER

Watermelon & Iced Tea Backgrounds

This luxurious collection features 49 new, hand painted variations of "Humidity Rolls In," "Iced Tea," and "Watermelon" backgrounds. The texture and color combinations are exquisitely paired!

Download Now

Hand Painted Wings

Heather's hand painted set consists of 40 transparent layers of fluttery wings!

 

 

Buy the wings on SALE

Brayers and Wax Brushes

This Corel Painter 2020 brush set (19 new brushes!) is a must have for the intermediate user looking to achieve texture or merge Heather's existing painted backgrounds. In fact, it's the brush collection she uses to create her recent backgrounds! 

Compatible with Corel Painter 2020, and newer.

Save HALF

Painterly Falsies

Digital Eyelashes (transparent layers) are easy to use in digital programs that use layers such as Adobe Photoshop! Simply drag and drop these highly editable layers!

Download Now

Artist Words Pack

This hand painted calligraphic layered set is perfect for those that are designing their brands as artists.

Layered letters

What Makes These Unique

  • Each background begins with real paint on raw canvas before entering the digital space

  • Created by an experienced muralist who understands large-scale photographic needs

  • Custom digital brushes built from organically hand-painted textures

  • Digitized with care to preserve authentic brushwork, texture, and color nuance

  • Designed for high-resolution printing and seamless editing

  • Rooted in Impressionist influence, balanced for light, depth, and harmony


     


Train Your Way with a Personalized Approach


Customize Your Private Training

Private Training Options on Site or Remotely via Your Computer

In Studio Mentoring

Join Heather in studio (or in your own studio) for thorough, hands on training in oil painting (over the printed canvas), Golden gel contouring, post print enhancement, Golden acrylic or oil, or Corel Painter training. 

Customized Livestream Webinar

Personalize your one on one training via livestream webinar. You only need high speed internet and a your fuzzy slippers.

Hot coffee optional. 

Webex training includes the recording of your live session, all high resolution painted stages (provided you supply the image), and more!

Accepting limited summer 2025 students

Livestream Video From Heather's Easel

Coming Soon

Training Materials and Tools

There is something for every learning style! Click on the icon to see availability and dates for live training!

Why Artists Trust Heather Michelle Chinn as Their Painter Guide

 Methodical

Easy to follow

Efficient

Effective Troubleshooting

Chronologically & Concisely Presented

Explained from start to finish with potential pitfalls discussed (and how "not to paint")

Teaching grounded in craftsmanship, intuition, and quiet purpose

Trusted by artists who crave depth, clarity, and a safe space to grow

Designed to replace overwhelm with confidence, clarity, and creative joy

Brushes are included with most pre-recorded tutorial sets

High quality audio and screen capture

Guided support available to help you through stuck points, even in self-study

Seasoned & award winning instructor

PPA Master Craftsman (education)

PPA Master Photographer & Master Artist

Corel Approved Painted Educator

Former Trained Golden Artist Educator

Pre-Recorded training and tools are available for immediate use in your digital "library"

Heather's teaching concepts are transferable across all painted subject matter and genres

Find your flow. Learn with Heather.

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YOUR INFORMATION WILL NEVER BE SOLD OR SHARED. HEATHER ANNOUNCES WORKSHOP, WEBINAR, NEW TUTORIAL AND BRUSH PACKS IN HER NEWSLETTERS FIRST! IT'S BENEFICIAL TO SUBSCRIBE AS SOME OF THESE ARE TIME SENSITIVE!

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See What Students Are Saying


 

"Mentoring with Heather was one of the best investments I have made in a very long time! I was nervous with my complete lack of previous painting experience but felt 100% comfortable and assured throughout the entire process. Heather catered her method of teaching to my learning style and made the process easy for me to understand and so much fun. I left feeling inspired and confident that I could take home the skills I learned and improve on my newly acquired painting skills at home!"

- Erin L.

Fast track your education with a seasoned expert


Clarity in Education and Excellence in Execution