I’m Matt Murphy — a professional portrait artist and creator of the 9-Step Portrait System.

I teach a clear, modern, repeatable way to paint expressive portraits in oils and vibrant portraits in watercolour — without the heavy traditional rules that often make portrait painting feel complicated.

Most people don’t struggle because they lack talent. They struggle because they lack structure.

My 9-Step method breaks the process into simple, logical stages you can follow from blank canvas to finished portrait. In oils, I focus on modern blocking and blending. In watercolour, controlled glazing for bold, clean colour.

The aim is simple: give you a framework you can use again and again — building real confidence with every portrait you paint.