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Not Sure Where to Start? Begin with a Bundle That Matches Your Style.
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.
The Brayers and Wax Method
A masterclass in texture
The secret to digitally painting with a truly organic mark.
Master the digital surface as Heather breaks down the art of imperfection—raw skips and surface fractures inspired by real media.
This bundle is for artists who love layering, texture, and the visual history that lives beneath each stroke. Designed to work with Heather’s hand-painted textures and Corel Painter’s texture palette. Requires Corel Painter 2021 and newer.
The Sargent Collection
When hyper-realism won't cut it
Expressive. Heavily Painted. Lyrical.
Sargent’s brushwork doesn’t sit still—it dances.
This bundle is for artists who crave movement, rhythm, and bold mark-making with confident edgework. Learn to paint with flow, impression, and intention.
The Classical Collection
Structured, strategic, timeless realism ideal for beginner Painter artists
This is the gateway into Painter for photographers ready to move beyond polished Photoshopped edit. Designed around traditional realism, this track teaches the disciplined foundations of light, form, and value—ideal for those drawn to luminous, refined portraiture.
Perfect for beginners and professionals alike who want a clear, structured path into painterly work without guesswork.Â
Learn the tools, then apply intuition.
Creating and Using Functional Backgrounds
The Original Masterclass:Â Building from the background out
This is more than a painting tutorial—it’s a foundational study in crafting background space with purpose.
Watch as Heather guides you through her complete process, painting a portrait head from start to finish while placing deliberate emphasis on constructing the background by hand.
Requires Corel Painter 2021 and newer.
The Atelier Archive is your quiet place to return.
Timeless tutorials for artists who learn by heart—not haste—rooted in structure, strategy, and 20 years of proven, repeatable success.
These Bundles Were Made for the Long Haul
Each bundle is a carefully curated path—pre-recorded, high resolution, and paired with the exact brushes I use in my own workflow.
There are no deadlines. No live timers. Just a quiet, steady invitation to learn at your own rhythm.
Rewatch anytime. Re-enter when you're ready.
This isn’t about chasing a mood. It’s about showing up with a method that works.
Explore the chance to work with Heather one-on-one
A Method That Works
Whether you’re drawn to the expressive, heavily painted lyricism of Sargent, the sculpted light and structure of Classical Realism, or the bold, organic breaks found in traditional media and reimagined through Brayers & Wax, each bundle delivers the tools and training I use in my own professional work.
Sargent’s brushwork doesn’t sit still—it dances.
Classical Realism sculpts light like marble—measured, grounded, timeless.
Brayers & Wax embraces the raw elegance of texture—those imperfect skips and surface fractures that only real media once gave us… until now.
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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.Â
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.Â
Webex training includes the recording of your live session, all high resolution painted stages (provided you supply the image), and more!
Livestream Video From Heather's Easel
Coming Soon
"Heather is one of the most incredible artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Not only is she exceptionally talented, she is a gifted instructor. Methodical, well organized instruction almost guarantees student success. Her patient, caring demeanor shines through in every course she gives. She truly desires success for each and every student! You won’t regret studying Corel with Heather!"
Michelle Parsley
M.Photog., M.Artist, Cr., CPP www.ElevateYourArt.com
"Anything produced by Heather Michelle will help you as an artist - Anything!"
Helen Yancy
M.Photog, M.Artist, MEI, Cr. Hon.M.Photog. F--ASP, Hon.F-ASP, EA-ASP, Hon.EA-ASP, CPP, AP Past President, Professional Photographers of America PPA www.HelenYancy.com
"Heather is a master instructor. When I wanted to learn Painter, she made it so easy. With very few workshops near me and the expense of traveling just too much to take on, learning Painter with Heather over the internet was the ticket! Amazing that I can watch her paint from 3000 miles away, then we can turn the tables and she can help me brush stroke by brush stroke to master the techniques I so desperately wanted to learn! One-on-one learning is how I get the most out of my education and Heather was there for me all the way. Using the internet, Webex screen sharing and Heather’s wonderful ability to communicate artistic techniques from afar were truly the best way for me to learn Painter. Not only did I save money by not traveling to expensive workshops, I got to learn on my schedule, I had Heather all to myself in one-on-one instruction that was custom tailored to my learning ability and my information needs. It launched my use of Painter into the stratosphere and now I’m creating art I never dreamed I could imagine!"
Julia Kelleher
M. Photog., M. Artist., CR., CPP www.jewel-images.com
"You have the best explanations for the brush settings (in Painter) that I’ve ever heard, and they help make sense of how to use the brushes."
Audrey Wancket
M.Photog.Cr., CPP www.wancketstudios.com
"I discovered Heather’s work over 2 years ago as I was drawn to her beautiful brushstrokes and paintings of children. Each painting had emotion and depth but was unique in so many elements from tonality, flow and impact, When I found out that she also offered private online painting classes for professional portrait photographers, I was hooked. I fell in love with her personality instantly! Her attention to detail and exquisite teaching manner helped me as I was just a beginner in Corel Painter when we started working together over 18 months ago. Heather is patient but instantly began to show me how to enhance my own work. I have studied Corel Painter for over 3 years and I could not be at the level i am today, without Heather. I continue to work with her, 18 months later because I love challenging myself as an artist. Her love and talent shines through as she has taught me about Art theory and utilizing tones within my paintings. She is NOT about the quick fix! She has taught me to see and breakdown all of the colours in skin, fabric and how to apply the appropriate brushwork to accent each detail. I love this about her! Heather is not only a painter but she is also a professional photographer. This is a tremendous asset because we can talk on the same level with regards to posing a subject and the use of props and lighting with intension to further paint the image. I live in Canada and I look forward to our Webex sessions. It’s crazy to think we are half a continent away from each other. It’s as if she is in the next room! The sessions are recorded which is so helpful because I can watch them over and over again as I practise. Heather is always willing to help me when I’m struggling and I’ve never asked her a question that she couldn’t answer. Thank you Heather, for your wisdom, your elegance but for inspiring me as a Portrait Artist with your ability to open my level of creativity to levels I didn't’ think I could achieve just a few years ago! Your forever student…if you will have me!"
Jocelyne Hebert
Artist, www.ReflectionsByJocelyne.com
"...improving with every painting and I thank you for showing me how to 'let go' and be more painterly! My work has improved a million times over!"
Beverly Walden
M.Photog. Cr., http://www.waldensphotography.com/
"Fellow Corel Painter Master Heather is a wonderful artist and teacher. I've had the pleasure of seeing Heather painting and teaching. I can attest from first hand experience to her combination of both artistic and technical skills, plus energy and enthusiasm, all of which makes her a great speaker and teacher. Heather is passionate about art and people. She explores painting in the traditional as well as digital world. She communicates clearly and is patient and encouraging of her students. She knows Painter very deeply and is always open to learning and growing - qualities that enhance what she has to offer as a teacher. I highly recommend Heather as a platform speaker as well as a Painter instructor."
Jeremy Sutton
Artist, www.jeremysutton.com
"Heather is phenomenal! I have her teaching tutorials and have taken both her week long and private classes. If you are ready to take your photography to the next level, Heather can help you do it. Her teaching style is easy going and completely understandable. Heather both a true talent and gifted teacher."
Susan Michal
M.Photog.Hon.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI www.susanmichal.com
"Heather Michelle isn't just an accomplished painter - she's a gifted teacher. Her tutorials and webinars are well designed and presented in such a way that the material is easy to grasp. She starts at the beginning and takes you step by step through the process, showing you all the little tricks along the way. I've taken several Painter courses and many are aimed at the advanced beginner or intermediate level, skipping over things like the Preferences panel and setting up the color space. I purchased her Breaking Out of the Box Portrait Set tutorial when I first started out with Painter, and to this day I refer back to it when setting up a new computer or installation of Painter. You can't go wrong with any of Heather's classes, tutorials, webinars, or brush sets whether you're a beginner or a trained artist in your own right. She knows the software, she knows art and photography, and she understands the differences and challenges of painting digitally as opposed to painting with traditional media. I can't recommend her enough!"
Jennifer Crowder
"Due to the excitement of all my goodies today that I have managed to get I decided to start over with the painting I was working on. I used Michelle Parsley's tutorial for masking, Heather Michelle's old school PS prep. One of Heather's gorgeous backgrounds changed the color so I had color harmony and pretty much changed all the colors on the girl and dress that I wasn't happy with and this is all BEFORE I ever go into painter. The moral of this little tale is PREP your work! It's a must to have a fantastic base for your painting. I'm finally off to Painter. I've been prepping all morning. It's SOOOOOOOOOO worth it... Heather Michelle's old school prep is so easy and makes such a big difference. It's night and day compared to my previous paintings. Just thought I'd share!"
Tara Richardson
www.soulofapainter.com
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.Subscribe to Our Newsletter
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!
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 expertHeather's Blog - Pigment & Pixels
Click here to read.
Clarity in Education and Excellence in Execution
