New Adult Courses & Workshops.
NEW Summer Workshops.
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Figure, Portrait, En Plein Air, Monday Open Session will resume in October 2026
SUPPLY LISTS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Are you looking to enhance your skills and understanding of the human form? Are you searching for a community of artists to who value learning in a creative atmosphere? Come study with us. We have a passion for learning and teaching and are very interested in helping you reach your goals for your work. Beginning, Intermediate, advanced professionals welcome.
Location: Vosler Atelier
330 Pauls Drive, Brandon, Florida 33511
813-417-5867 for more information
Enroll top right of Homepage to book online
PORTRAIT DRAWING
Sydney Harris
Saturdays
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
September 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
$180
Sydney's website: sydneyharrisfineart.com
Summary:
In this four-week course, students will work from a simplified planar head cast to study the underlying construction of the skull and neck through direct observation.
The first part of the course focuses on accurate proportion and structural drawing through line and comparative measurement. Students learn to establish the gesture, placement, and overall construction of the head before any rendering is introduced.
The second part of the course introduces the major planes of the head and how light relates to structure. Working in charcoal, students learn to group values and simplify form based on planar logic rather than detail.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a clearer understanding of how to construct the head as a unified form, building a strong foundation for future portrait drawing.
Materials:
18" × 24" drawing paper (Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Pad or equivalent)
Vine charcoal (soft)
Compressed charcoal - medium (or charcoal pencil - 2B)
Kneaded eraser
Drawing board
Sandpaper block or sanding pad for sharpening charcoal
Chamois
Bio:
Sydney is a classically trained painter working primarily in oils. She studied in a traditional atelier setting in New York City, where her training emphasized drawing and painting from life, careful observation, and a realist approach rooted in historical practice.
Her work centers on creating paintings that are sensitive and enduring, grounded in the practice of gleaning truth from nature. Still working most often from life, she is interested in presence, restraint, and the subtle character that emerges through sustained observation rather than overt stylization. Her paintings aim toward a sense of timelessness, prioritizing structure, light, and disciplined mark making over trend or spectacle.
