Graphite Portraiture for Beginners

What you'll learn

Master the essentials of portrait art with our drawing and painting courses in Sydney!

Whether you’re a complete beginner or returning to drawing after time away, this structured 4-session course offers a bridge between casual sketching and formal studio training. Join this hands-on portrait drawing class to develop fundamentals of charcoal drawing techniques, build observational skills, and gain confidence working from both life models and reference photographs. You’ll explore how to see like an artist, sketch with purpose, and draw faces with structure and expression.

Led by an experienced tutor in a supportive small-group setting, this workshop series is ideal for adults seeking a foundational art course that encourages practical skill development and visual understanding.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this portrait drawing course, you should be able to:

Use graphite pencil tools effectively to control line weight, edges, and shading
Apply light and shade to create form through cast shadows and tonal variation
Measure angles and proportions accurately to establish a balanced composition
Simplify the human face into planes to enhance three-dimensionality
Complete a drawing from a reference source using foundational techniques

Want to deepen your skills further? You might enjoy our other Portrait Drawing Classe s.

Course content

Each session focuses on a key element of the portrait drawing process:

Week 1 – Line and shadow

Blind contour warm-up exercises
Understanding graphite pencil techniques and shadow creation
Drawing geometric forms to explore light and form
Reference photo drawing with varied line weight and edges

Week 2 – Proportion and structure

Composition planning with thumbnail sketches
Measuring techniques and the “constellation” approach to relationships
Blocking in basic portrait shapes
Breaking the face into planes and understanding light

Week 3 – Life study and integration

Extended drawing session with a live model
Application of line, proportion, tone, and structure
Group critique and reflection

Week 4 – Refinement and expression

Revisiting unfinished work to build complexity and polish
Exploring texture, edge control, and mark-making styles
Techniques for finishing a drawing: blending, lifting, and accenting
Developing a personal drawing voice within a realistic framework

This course has no current classes. Please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Graphite Portraiture for Beginners