Introduction to Portraiture (six week course)
with John Murphy-Woolford
Do you want to begin or improve your portraiture skills? Struggle with likeness or making your work look three dimensional? This six-week Introduction to Portraiture focuses on simple approaches which will elevate your work and help you create convincing portraits.
No previous experience of portraiture is necessary: this course is for beginners.
Spring Term 2025 Dates
27 February
6, 13, 20, 27 March
3 April
Course Description
Using A4 images of famous paintings and drawings from art history as source material, we will explore the basic tools and techniques used to create convincing portraits. (Alternatively, students can provide their own high-quality images to work from.)
We examine aspects of drawing important to portraiture and think about how these have been used in a variety of ways. Students will respond to these images, making drawings of their own with the guidance and support of the tutor. We also cover the use of drawing materials and their benefits and limitations.
Course Programme
Week 1
Line: creative and practical use. Blocking in. Using straight lines. Drawing from big ideas to small ideas.
Week 2
The planes of the face. Shadow and tone shapes.
Week 3
Understanding light and tone.
Week 4
Three tone drawings.
Week 5
The structure of the skull.
Week 6
Self-Portraiture.
Gustav Klimt Woman’s Head 1932
The skills needed for portraiture are accessible to anyone who is ready to spend some time looking and studying. This course will give you the confidence and tools needed for making portraits from source material or a live model.
Materials
All students will need:
Graphite pencils. HB, 2B. Eraser. Paper / Sketch book A4 or A3. Willow charcoal.