Workshop

Contemporary Portrait Drawing

2 Aug 2023

Regular hours

Wed, 02 Aug
11:00 – 16:00

Cost of entry

£65
£60 for full-time students, Friends of the RBSA, RBSA Members and Associates, and RBSA Graduate Associates

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RBSA Gallery

Birmingham
England, United Kingdom

Address

Travel Information

  • The 101 bus runs from Birmingham City Centre down Newhall Street. For timetables and bus stops, please check National Express West Midlands.
  • The RBSA Gallery is in walking distance from St Paul's Metro tram stop
  • The RBSA Gallery is in walking distance from Snow Hill and Birmingham New Street train stations
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Contemporary Portrait Drawing Workshop with Milan Topalovic.
Starting with a variety of short drawing challenges, Milan will demonstrate and guide you through techniques which improve your artist’s eye to develop your perception of form and proportion.

About

Supported with one-to-one demonstrations, you will then be introduced to the skills required to produce realistic, detailed portraits.

Age group and abilities to be taught        

  • 18 years and above.
  • Suitable for all abilities

Course aims and skills/knowledge to be taught

  • Developing key observational skills
  • Learning patience and problem-solving
  • Free-hand sketching and planning a portrait
  • Learning techniques for fundamental proportions
  • Breathe life into a portrait with shading, contrast and light

Course outline for Contemporary Portrait Drawing Workshop

Morning activity

  • 20-minute warm-up challenge
  • Show and Tell based on warm-up and detailed one-to-one and group feedback as a starting point for students to develop practice
  • Studies to develop observation and proportion, the key skills to developing portraiture and eliminating stifling habit

Afternoon activity

  • A focus on individual features and perceiving shape and space
  • Building on this with one-to-one demonstrations supporting individual needs and goals
  • Students have an opportunity to choose own challenges to build confidence in their interests, this may include developing broader free-hand skills, or using semi-guided techniques to progress skills with confidence (using loose grids / completing a half-photo portrait)
  • Opportunity to learn about the portrait detailing process from start to finish including realistic blending

Materials and equipment required by students

  • Basic drawing materials including mixed grade pencils, rubbers, sharpeners, mechanical pencils, charcoal, and cotton wool buds/tortillons
  • A mirror for self portraits
  • A folder to take work home in

Materials and equipment provided

  • A4 and A3 drawing paper
  • A selection of drawing materials

Methods of assessing outcomes

  • Group discussion and tutor feedback
  • Completion of the evaluation form

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