3 day - Expressive Portrait & Life Drawing Workshop

Expressive Portrait & Figure Life Drawing Workshop.

This workshop comes with a premium-quality drawing kit (valued at $50) to elevate your creative experience! Plus, all model fees for the full three days are included in the price!

Location: Hanke Studio, North Sydney
Dates: Tuesday 15th April – Thursday 17th April 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Daily
Facilities: Air-conditioned studio, kitchen for lunch storage, nearby shops for convenience.

*Workshop price -  includes model fee

Day 1: Tuesday 15th April 2025 – Portraits, Hands, & Innovative Drawing Techniques

• Focus: Dive into expressive portrait drawing, tackling challenging areas like hands and facial proportions while exploring exciting, innovative drawing techniques.
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• Daily Plan:
  • Learn the essentials of portraiture, focusing on capturing the essence of the model’s face with personality and emotion.
  • Explore dynamic ways to draw hands and facial features with fun, experimental approaches.
  • Introduction to unconventional techniques like using ink washes or quick gestural marks to capture the spontaneity of the model.
  • Critique: Constructive and encouraging feedback to help you refine your work and build confidence in your drawing approach.

Image : Benedicta - Portrait & Life model 

Day 2: Wednesday 16th April 2025 – Full Figure Life Drawing & Exploring Mixed Media

• Focus: Figure drawing with a focus on gesture, composition, and bringing your drawings to life using mixed media.
• Daily plan:
  • Discuss the principles of figure drawing with an emphasis on dynamic poses, proportion, and balance.
  • Learn how to create exciting compositions, making your figures feel full of movement and energy.
  • Introduction to mixed media techniques, from using ink, watercolour, pastels, graphite, charcoal and collage.
  • Critique: Personalized feedback on how to refine your figures, gesture, and use of mixed media for added impact.

Day 3: Thursday 17th April 2025 – Advanced Gesture, Composition, & Expressive Mixed Media

Focus: Bring it all together with expressive figure drawings, advanced gesture techniques, and vibrant mixed media painting.

• Daily plan:
  • Explore ways to push your compositions even further with exciting, innovative approaches, using mixed media to create mood and energy.
  • Learn how to upscale and incorporate abstract elements into your figure drawings to create striking, emotive artworks.
  • Critique: Final group critique, reflecting on your growth over the past three days. Get personalised advice on how to continue developing your expressive drawing and mixed media skills.

Materials List for the Portrait & Figure Life Drawing Workshop

You'll be provided with premium-quality charcoal, erasers, and pastels to bring depth and richness to your drawings. For the best creative experience, check the materials and bring additional materials. 

Drawing Materials:

• A1 Cartridge Paper Pad
• Heavyweight Watercolour Paper (300gsm or heavier)
• Charcoal (Pencils & Sticks) - Faber Castell soft Pitt compressed supplied in the workshop 
• Graphite (Pencils, H to 8B)

Ink & Mixed Media:

• Ink (India ink or drawing ink)
• Watercolour (Colours of your choice)
• Acrylic Paint (Colours of your choice)
• Brushes (Watercolour & Acrylic)
• Soft Pastels - supplied in the workshop 
• Oil Pastels

Other Essential Materials:

• Palette for Mixing
• Eraser (Sennielier soap & Fabre Castell grip) - supplied in the workshop 
• Masking Tape
• Fixative Spray

Live Model & Easels and Drawing Boards provided.

Disclaimer and Waiver of Liability
By booking into this workshop, you agree to take full responsibility for your own safety while traveling to and from the venue, as well as during the duration of the workshop. You also agree to take responsibility for your personal belongings while attending the workshop. The workshop organisers will not be held liable for any accidents, injuries, or loss of property that may occur during your participation.

Image: Jody Graham - self portrait No. 6 - Resolute 76cm x 56cm charcoal on paper