Mick McNicholas

Expert tutor

Originally from Liverpool, now living and working in Wokingham, Berkshire, Mick is an artist focussing on portrait and figure painting.

Following a successful career as a musician and a digital artist, Mick’s practice led him to develop his skills in drawing originally as a way to enhance how he made digital works, but as he progressed he rediscovered his passion for producing physical works if art that actually exist in the world.

Despite studying Art & Design Foundation in his youth, and having an MA in Digital Media, Mick is largely self taught in terms of traditional media. After years of self-imposed study (including numerous workshops with renowned artists) Mick has for several years now regularly taught life-drawing and portrait painting both locally and across the UK, and organises his own workshops for international artists, as an extension to his practice.

Mick’s drawings and paintings have been exhibited in several prestigious shows (most notably at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait award 2025, at the Mall Galleries with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Pastel Society, and in the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition), and various group exhibitions around the UK including the New Light Art Prize 2023/2024.

He has also exhibited in the Venice Biennale 2024 as part of the Processed Collective, and appeared on Sky Portrait Artist of the Year (series 11).