Captivating Portraits in Soft Pastel (Online Course) Winter 2025 w/ Samir Rakhmanov
January 23 to February 13 (Thursdays), 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/7iXl5mxbuqM
Course Description
This course is oriented toward artists who work with soft pastels and portraits. Throughout multiple classes, participants will learn to use soft pastels in quick and rapid sketching of a portrait, by capturing the likeness and form in a picturesque way and explore different techniques of using the material. As well as getting more expressive and eloquent portraits in different color and lighting scenarios.
Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction, How to start, Quick marking and sketching
Introduction to the use of soft pastels in portrait drawing. Learning to sketch, how to start, and quickly get your idea laid out on paper, by capturing the form, color, and likeness of your subject.
Week 2 - Rendering, building the form from the sketch
The second week is about building from the sketch, by adding rendering to the form, revealing more intricate nuances in the form and color of the head. Exploring different rendering techniques. Learning how to render light and shadow in different scenarios
Week 3 - Portrait with hands (the start)
Third week participant set up their own portrait setups and start working from life. Building the composition, methodically sketching, drawing, getting the likeness, and introducing the color and tone into the portrait.
Week 4 - Rendering the background and the seater.
The final week is about finishing the portrait and adding the necessary details and nuances. And then fusing all those details and connecting them all into one unified piece and sealing the work with a fixative.
Course Materials
Soft Pastels
Base color set:
White
Yellow (like Cadmium Yellow), Yellow Lemon, Ochre (Light, Golden, Yellow Ochre)
Fleshtone olor, Orange, reds (Red Ochre, Red Cadmium or Vermilion, Crimson Lake, Carmine Red, Venetian Red),
Violets, sienna, brown (Umber, Mars)
Green (Veridian, or Emerald Green)
Blues (Ultramarine, Cobalt)
Black, and neutral grey.
Fixative for soft pastels
Possible surfaces to work on:
Pastel paper, Cardboard, hardboard
Materials for underdrawing:
Charcoal, graphite, eraser
Other:
Tissues, Paper Towels to clean your hands after use
Mirror for self-portraits
January 23 to February 13 (Thursdays), 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/7iXl5mxbuqM
Course Description
This course is oriented toward artists who work with soft pastels and portraits. Throughout multiple classes, participants will learn to use soft pastels in quick and rapid sketching of a portrait, by capturing the likeness and form in a picturesque way and explore different techniques of using the material. As well as getting more expressive and eloquent portraits in different color and lighting scenarios.
Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction, How to start, Quick marking and sketching
Introduction to the use of soft pastels in portrait drawing. Learning to sketch, how to start, and quickly get your idea laid out on paper, by capturing the form, color, and likeness of your subject.
Week 2 - Rendering, building the form from the sketch
The second week is about building from the sketch, by adding rendering to the form, revealing more intricate nuances in the form and color of the head. Exploring different rendering techniques. Learning how to render light and shadow in different scenarios
Week 3 - Portrait with hands (the start)
Third week participant set up their own portrait setups and start working from life. Building the composition, methodically sketching, drawing, getting the likeness, and introducing the color and tone into the portrait.
Week 4 - Rendering the background and the seater.
The final week is about finishing the portrait and adding the necessary details and nuances. And then fusing all those details and connecting them all into one unified piece and sealing the work with a fixative.
Course Materials
Soft Pastels
Base color set:
White
Yellow (like Cadmium Yellow), Yellow Lemon, Ochre (Light, Golden, Yellow Ochre)
Fleshtone olor, Orange, reds (Red Ochre, Red Cadmium or Vermilion, Crimson Lake, Carmine Red, Venetian Red),
Violets, sienna, brown (Umber, Mars)
Green (Veridian, or Emerald Green)
Blues (Ultramarine, Cobalt)
Black, and neutral grey.
Fixative for soft pastels
Possible surfaces to work on:
Pastel paper, Cardboard, hardboard
Materials for underdrawing:
Charcoal, graphite, eraser
Other:
Tissues, Paper Towels to clean your hands after use
Mirror for self-portraits
January 23 to February 13 (Thursdays), 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/7iXl5mxbuqM
Course Description
This course is oriented toward artists who work with soft pastels and portraits. Throughout multiple classes, participants will learn to use soft pastels in quick and rapid sketching of a portrait, by capturing the likeness and form in a picturesque way and explore different techniques of using the material. As well as getting more expressive and eloquent portraits in different color and lighting scenarios.
Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction, How to start, Quick marking and sketching
Introduction to the use of soft pastels in portrait drawing. Learning to sketch, how to start, and quickly get your idea laid out on paper, by capturing the form, color, and likeness of your subject.
Week 2 - Rendering, building the form from the sketch
The second week is about building from the sketch, by adding rendering to the form, revealing more intricate nuances in the form and color of the head. Exploring different rendering techniques. Learning how to render light and shadow in different scenarios
Week 3 - Portrait with hands (the start)
Third week participant set up their own portrait setups and start working from life. Building the composition, methodically sketching, drawing, getting the likeness, and introducing the color and tone into the portrait.
Week 4 - Rendering the background and the seater.
The final week is about finishing the portrait and adding the necessary details and nuances. And then fusing all those details and connecting them all into one unified piece and sealing the work with a fixative.
Course Materials
Soft Pastels
Base color set:
White
Yellow (like Cadmium Yellow), Yellow Lemon, Ochre (Light, Golden, Yellow Ochre)
Fleshtone olor, Orange, reds (Red Ochre, Red Cadmium or Vermilion, Crimson Lake, Carmine Red, Venetian Red),
Violets, sienna, brown (Umber, Mars)
Green (Veridian, or Emerald Green)
Blues (Ultramarine, Cobalt)
Black, and neutral grey.
Fixative for soft pastels
Possible surfaces to work on:
Pastel paper, Cardboard, hardboard
Materials for underdrawing:
Charcoal, graphite, eraser
Other:
Tissues, Paper Towels to clean your hands after use
Mirror for self-portraits