Portrait Drawing class — 5 sessions
September 26 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Ready to go deeper? This in-depth, five-session workshop combines traditional portrait drawing techniques with the soft, blendable texture of PanPastels. You’ll learn to render likeness, values, and form through expressive shading — building real confidence with a powerful, versatile medium for dramatic monochromatic portraits.
Instructor: Laurie Maddalina (lmaddalinaart@gmail.com)
Skill Level: Beginner–Intermediate
Cost: $225.00 (full series)
Dates: 5 Saturdays, September 26, October 3, 10, 17, & 24, from 12:00–3:00pm
This series is designed for beginner and intermediate artists alike. Across five sessions, you’ll move from foundational portrait drawing skills into a full working knowledge of PanPastels — completing a portrait over the course of the series and leaving with the confidence and tools to keep exploring the medium on your own.
What You’ll Learn:
Portrait Foundations
- Anatomy of the face — proportions, features, and structure
- Exploring light and shadow with simple shapes
- Breaking down features into simple forms
Introduction to PanPastel
- Understanding the medium: properties and tools
- Techniques for blending, layering, and erasing
Application Techniques
- Blocking in values: light, mid-tones, and shadows
- Building depth and form with soft layering
- Using erasers for highlights and fine details
- Adding texture to hair, eyes, and other features
What to Bring:
Reference Photo: Bring reference material of your choosing, or Laurie can provide one for you. Work from an iPad or a printed photo — whichever you prefer.
Art Supplies: All the items on this list are available from Jerry’s Artarama — items are also available at The Art Stop and Rochester Art Supply, except for the proportional divider. If you already own any of these items, that’s fine too!
- Strathmore Recycled Toned Sketch Pad, 400 Series — 11″x14″ (24 Sheets), either the tan or grey toned are ok
- 2 – Sofft #4 Point Knife w/ 5 Covers. Please purchase two Sofft knives — one to use with black and one with white.
- PanPastel® Artists’ Pastels — Black, 9 ml
- PanPastel® Artists’ Pastels — Titanium White, 9 ml
- Prospek Proportional Divider
- General Pencil Factis BM-2 Mechanical Eraser
- Tombow MONO Zero Round Eraser, 2.3mm
- Creative Mark Enhanced Kneaded Eraser, Large Grey
- 2B or 4B charcoal pencil
- Viva paper towels
Location:
Railroad Street Artworks
3 Railroad Street, Suite G
Fairport, NY 14450
Laurie Maddalina studied studio art and graphic design at SUNY Potsdam before becoming an art director and freelance designer. She has trained with notable portrait artists like David Kassan and Rob Liberace, and regularly attends National Portrait Society conferences. Laurie has taught charcoal portraiture as an artist-in-residence at a local high school and offers private tutoring from her studio in Fairport.
