3 Week Portrait Sketching Course

Booking: Course price is £150. Reserve your place with a £30 deposit paid via Eventbrite. The remainder will be invoiced directly and is due two weeks before the course begins.

Have you ever wanted to sketch portraits but…

• Don’t know where to start?
• Stop life drawings when you get to the head?
• Would like brush up your drawing skills and develop your confidence?

Learn the essential foundation of sketching portrait studies on this 3 week course with Christopher Clements and expand your creative potential.

What you’ll learn

• Week 1: Proportion & Gesture
• Week 2: Structure & Lighting
• Week 3: Finishing & Detail

Whether you want to create portrait sketches of friends and family, improve your life drawing or want a solid foundation for portrait painting, this course will provide you with a flexible set of drawing skills that you can use however you like.

If you’re new to Northern Realist this course is perfect to start with because it covers the drawing techniques used throughout all our portrait courses. It’s also a great refresher course if you’ve studied with Northern Realist previously.

Course Overview

It can be hard to know where to begin when drawing portraits. So on this course you’ll learn an approach which starts with the simplest aspects and builds one thing at a time. Each stage guides the next. This will help you confidently build up drawings in layers, adding detail as you become more confident about the big picture.

It can be hard to know where to begin when drawing portraits so you’ll learn an approach which concentrates on one thing at a time. Each decision informing the next. This will help you confidently build up drawings in layers. Starting with the most important elements, you’ll add detail as you become more confident about the big picture.

Christopher will begin the sessions with an explanation and demonstration of the principles to be covered. You’ll then work on your own drawings using reference images, getting plenty of personal feedback as you progress.

Each week you’ll focus on a different aspect of drawing the head, building on the previous class. In the final week you’ll bring everything together in a finished drawing.

• Week 1: Proportion & Gesture
• Week 2: Structure & Lighting
• Week 3: Finishing & Detail

By the end of the course you’ll be familiar with principles required to drawing convincing head studies and will have developed your portrait drawing technique.

Is this course for me?

Don't know where to start drawing the head? This course perfect for beginners as we’ll cover all the basic drawing principles you need to know.

You have experience but want to take your skills up a notch? If you’re more experienced it will offer you chance to try a different approach while developing your existing skills.

Want to paint portraits? The course will help you focus on the fundamental drawing skills necessary to give your paintings a strong foundation.

Want to get The head right in life drawing?You'll learn how to create the right relationship between the head and body as well as how much detail to include.

Want lots of feedback and help? Numbers are limited giving you plenty of personal feedback and helping you work towards your own personal goals. Whether you’re looking to learn core principles or push your skills from a more advanced position the course will have plenty to offer.

Essential Info & Booking

• Price :£150
• Dates: 12th, 19th & 26th June 2026
• Time: 10:00 - 13:00
• Location: Hope Press, Adelphi Mill, Grimshaw Lane, Bollington, Macclesfield, SK10 5JB

Booking: Course price is £150. Reserve your place with a £30 deposit paid via Eventbrite. The remainder will be invoiced directly and is due two weeks before the course begins.

Questions: Use Contact Form above right or visit the Contact Page or email info@northernrealist.com

About Christopher Clements

Christopher Clements is a professional painter and founder of Northern Realist Drawing & Painting. He has exhibited internationally and featured in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Pastel Society annual exhibitions. He studied Fine Art at Manchester School of Art and Classical Drawing and Painting at the Angel Academy, Florence.

Christopher has been teaching drawing and painting at Northern Realist and the University of Salford for 10 years. He combines his extensive subject knowledge and friendly approach to bring out the best in his students. Classes with Christopher are always informative, constructive and fun.