This 9-week series of evening workshops provides a comprehensive introduction to portraiture. Participants will learn fundamental techniques - from understanding facial structure and proportions to mastering lighting, colour mixing, and fine detail work.
Suitable for both beginners and those seeking to refine their skills, the workshops include demonstrations and hands-on practice, guiding each participant in developing their own personal style.
Each workshop pairs demonstrations with hands-on practice, enabling participants to apply new techniques to their own work, develop a personal style, and build essential skills for capturing the human face.
The series begins with an introduction to facial proportions and skull structure, including quick sketch exercises from different angles. Participants then move on to detailed studies of individual features - ;the eyes, nose, and mouth - followed by full-face and head drawings that explore foreshortening and the planes of the face.
Using mirrors and working from one another as models, participants will strengthen their observational skills and understanding of facial anatomy.
Subsequent workshops cover realistic hair textures, lighting, and shadow to create volume, as well as colour theory for mixing and applying skin tones. Participants will first complete a monochrome portrait in graphite, focusing on composition and value, before progressing to the use of oil paints to produce a full-colour portrait using a basic palette.
The final sessions concentrate on refining details and completing a portrait, culminating in a group critique and discussion.
The workshops employ a variety of methods, including drawing and painting from one another, working from photographs and personal images, and using mirrors as reference.
Mediums include graphite and oil paint, applied on paper or canvas, approximately A4 in size.
Participants are invited to create and develop a single portrait during the 9-week block, using photographs as references for their artwork, such as a portrait of a family member. Nicole Porter began her tradition of painting portraits of her children and continues this practice each year.
Learning Methods
This course will be delivered on campus from 18:30 – 21:00 every Monday for 9 weeks.
Participants are required to provide a personal photograph(s) of someone they wish to create a portrait of. This can be a physical or digital photograph.
Activity Summary
- Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 15 in the group
- 22.5 hours of teaching in total over 9 evenings, 18:30 – 21:00
Timetable
- Week 1: 19 January - first workshop
- Week 2: 26 January
- Week 3: 2 February
- 9 February - no workshop due to public holiday
- Week 4: 16 February
- Week 5: 23 February
- Week 6: 2 March
- Week 7: 9 March
- Week 8: 16 March
- Week 9: 23 March - last workshop
Independent Study
Students are encouraged to create and maintain a personal sketchbook which reflects their own creative practice involving the documentation of processes, inspirations, learnings and basic sketches.
Assessment
This workshop is not formally assessed.
Workshop facilitator
Born in Aberdeen in 1986, Nicole Porter is an accomplished portrait artist who earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee. With international experience in Norway, Paris, and New York, she blends classical techniques with a modern artistic approach. Nicole Porter is currently based in Aberdeen as the resident artist at The Nicole Porter Gallery, the artist also holds a Master of Fine Art with Distinction from Gray’s School of Art. With over ten years of teaching experience, she conducts portrait workshops that focus on technical skill and creative expression.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this workshop.
This workshop is suitable for beginner - intermediate level.
Required Age
All students are required to be at least 18 years of age on the commencement of the workshop.
For Academic Year 2025/2026
Course fee: £290 per person
The fee is to be paid as part of sign up process and prior to the first session.
After completing the registration form, you will be directed to the payment page. Your place on the workshop is not confirmed until payment has been received. If you have any difficulties locating the payment link or if you have registered for this workshop but have not completed the payment form, please contact us for a direct link to pay which will bypass registration.
Additional Costs
Essential core materials are provided.
The following course-related costs are not included in the course fees:
Workshop Cancellation & Changes
If minimum participant numbers for this 9-week workshop are not met, the workshop will be cancelled and participants will receive a full refund.
If you’ve signed up and paid for this workshop but need to cancel, please email us at engage@rgu.ac.uk at least 7 days before the first evening session begins.
If the named practitioner is unable to deliver the scheduled workshop, the session may be cancelled or delivered by an alternative facilitator.
Disclaimer
Fees are regularly reviewed and published for each series of workshops. Tuition fees are fixed for the duration of a workshop/course at the rate confirmed during the application process.
Any questions?
Get in touch with the Engage Team and we'll do our best to help.