Portraiture: Drawing and Painting with Nicole Porter

This 9-week series of evening workshops provides a comprehensive introduction to portraiture. Participants will learn fundamental techniques—from understanding facial structure and proportions to mastering lighting, colour mixing, and fine detail work. Suitable for both beginners and those seeking to refine their skills, the workshops include demonstrations and hands-on practice, guiding each participant in developing their own personal style.

Each workshop pairs demonstrations with hands-on practice, enabling participants to apply new techniques to their own work, develop a personal style, and build essential skills for capturing the human face.

The series begins with an introduction to facial proportions and skull structure, including quick sketch exercises from different angles. Participants then move on to detailed studies of individual features—the eyes, nose, and mouth—followed by full-face and head drawings that explore foreshortening and the planes of the face.

Using mirrors and working from one another as models, participants will strengthen their observational skills and understanding of facial anatomy.

Subsequent workshops cover realistic hair textures, lighting, and shadow to create volume, as well as colour theory for mixing and applying skin tones. Participants will first complete a monochrome portrait in graphite, focusing on composition and value, before progressing to the use of oil paints to produce a full-colour portrait using a basic palette.

The final sessions concentrate on refining details and completing a portrait, culminating in a group critique and discussion.

The workshops employ a variety of methods, including drawing and painting from one another, working from photographs and personal images, and using mirrors as reference.

Mediums include graphite and oil paint, applied on paper or canvas, approximately A4 in size.

Participants are invited to create and develop a single portrait during the 9-week course, using photographs as references for their artwork, such as a portrait of a family member. Nicole Porter began her tradition of painting portraits of her children and continues this practice each year.

Info: Workshop Schedule: Mondays, 18:30 – 21:00 (2.5 hours)
Duration: 14/09/2026 – 23/11/2026 (9-week block)
Note: No workshops on 12/10/2026 or 19/10/2026 due to public holidays.
Workshop Dates
Week 1: 14/09/2026
Week 2: 21/09/2026
Week 3: 28/09/2026
Week 4: 05/10/2026
No Workshop: 12/10/2026
No Workshop: 19/10/2026
Week 5: 26/10/2026
Week 6: 02/11/2026
Week 7: 09/11/2026
Week 8: 16/11/2026
Week 9: 23/11/2026

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

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