Ruth is a fine artist and portrait painter based in London, UK.

Ruth has been fascinated by portraiture since her mid-teens. Her imagination is sparked by the human face, and its unique capacity for character and communication. Ruth taught herself to paint in oils while also studying for a BA in Music, and on graduating began painting full-time.

Since then, Ruth’s paintings have gathered praise across the globe. Recent awards include 2nd Place Figurative Work in the Art Renewal Center International Salon (2025), the People's Choice Award in the Portrait Society of America International Competition (2023), a Purchase Award from the Art Renewal Center (2021) and 1st Place Young Artist award with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (2020). In 2023 Ruth was elected a Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and  awarded Signature Status by the Portrait Society of America. 

“My work is almost always figurative; it is humanity, facial expression, and body language which spark my imagination. I want to communicate, and I always strive for a strong narrative element in my paintings. Inspirations include the work of pre-Raphaelite and naturalist painters, and post-impressionist painters (Waterhouse, Bastien-LePage, Friant, Bramley).
I am passionate about painting from life – I’m drawn to the organic experience of capturing my immediate reality in paint. This passion is balanced by a keen curiosity regarding texture, layers, and edges. I constantly seek the most imaginative ways to make paint replicate the feel and character of what I see. Quick, immersive live studies are generally followed by extensive studio work.”

Ruth has exhibited at Sotheby’s NYC, Arcadia Contemporary NYC, MEAM Barcelona, the Mall Galleries London, and is represented by London galleries Panter&Hall and Fine Art Commissions.

• Medium: Oils.

• Skill level: All levels welcome.

• Duration: 3 h 10 min.

• Included: Live demonstration video, downloadable model photograph, materials list.

• Bonus: A limited-edition signed print of the demonstration (A3 giclée on water-colour print paper) is available exclusively from Workshops in Yorkshire. Edition size: only 5, signing included.

• Ruth Fitton’s Live Stream

• Ruth Fitton’s Materials List

• Ruth Fitton’s Reference Image

If you need us to re-send this to you, please contact us.

• How to observe the live model: capturing the nuances of character, gesture and presence.

• Drawing and value relationships: establishing a strong foundation in oil for a convincing portrait.

• Designing the portrait: narrative, composition and how Ruth composes her figurative works.

• Surface and paint handling: how she employs texture, edges and layering to translate life into paint.

• Studio workflows: moving from quick live studies to extended studio refinements.

This video will be available to re-watch at your leisure until 24th September 2027.

Yes! As soon as you purchase, you will have access to Ruth’s materials list, so you can paint along from home.

We do sell some of them, yes! We have listed them below.