Digital Studio: Evening | The Contemporary Portrait

Explore theatrical portraiture through wet media, using brushwork techniques to bring character and expression to the face.

Life Drawing
Drawing the Clothed Model

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Digital Studio: Evening | The Contemporary Portrait Image

Course details

Dates

Mondays
28 Sep 2026

Times

18:30 – 20:30

Duration

1 session

Fees

£23

Location

Online

Tutors

Rachel Mercer

Overview

In this Digital Studio class, tutor Rachel Mercer will take inspiration from artists who explore tragedy, comedy and theatrical character. Alongside well-known depictions of clowns and musicians by Watteau, Cézanne, Picasso and Beckmann, the class will also look at theatrical portraits by contemporary artists.

Working from a model, you will explore ways to embrace the difficulty and unpredictability of wet media. Through brushwork and bleeding techniques, you will consider how ink, watercolour or gouache can bring life and energy to the portrait, while also revealing the delicacy and expression of the face.

Each Digital Studio class makes use of the School's multi-camera set-up to create drawing-from-observation opportunities that are only possible online. Tutors offer guidance throughout to help students approach different poses and get the most out of each session.

Please note: online models will not pose nude. Models in this series will be semi-clothed.

Our classes are not recorded and made available to watch later.

Who is it for

All levels are welcome from beginners to experienced professionals.

What’s provided

No materials are provided.

What to bring

Suggested materials include: