Portrait drawing for all abilities

Develop your portrait drawing skills in this 6-week course.
Suitable for beginners and those improving confidence and accuracy.
Learn to observe and capture facial features with structure and likeness.
Explore proportion, placement, line, tone, and shading.
Build portraits step by step from first marks to finished work.
A calm, supportive studio to grow your skills. ✏️🎨

What we’ll do each week

Week 1 – Introduction to Portrait Drawing & Facial Proportions We will begin by exploring the basic structure of the head and learning how to map out facial proportions. You will practise placing the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears in relation to one another using simple guidelines and measurements.

Week 2 – Drawing Facial Features This week focuses on studying individual features in more detail. You will practise drawing eyes, noses, mouths, and ears, learning how shape, line, and observation help create more believable and expressive portraits.

Week 3 – Head Shape, Structure & Angle We will look at the overall form of the head, including skull structure, jawline, and how the head changes when viewed from different angles. You will begin constructing portraits with more confidence and a stronger sense of form.

Week 4 – Tone, Light & Shading in Portraits This week introduces tonal drawing techniques to help create depth and realism. You will explore light and shadow across the face, learning how shading can describe form and bring a portrait to life.

Week 5 – Creating Likeness & Expression We will focus on what makes a portrait feel convincing and individual. Through observation and refinement, you will work on capturing likeness, character, and subtle facial expression in your drawings.

Week 6 – Final Portrait Study In the final week, you will bring together everything covered across the course to complete a more developed portrait drawing. This session will focus on refining structure, tone, and detail, helping you leave with a finished piece and greater confidence in portrait drawing.

What you’ll leave with

By the end of the course, you will have:

A series of practice studies exploring facial features, proportions, and structure
A stronger understanding of how to construct a portrait from initial guidelines through to a finished drawing
Increased confidence in observing and capturing likeness and expression
Experience using tone and shading to create depth and form in the face
A completed final portrait drawing to take home
The skills and knowledge to continue developing your portrait work independently or progress onto further courses