Fridays 10:00 -13:00
12, 19 & 26 June 2026
Hope Press, Bollington, Macclesfield
Join Christopher Clements over three weeks as you learn to draw head studies with confidence for portraits, life drawings and sketching.
Have you ever wanted to sketch portraits but…
- Don’t know where to start?
- Miss out the head in life drawings?
- Want brush up your drawing skills?
- Develop your drawing confidence?
What you’ll learn
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 biggest, simplest things first.
You’ll you’ll focus on one thing at a time, helping you make clear decisions. This gives you more thinking space for your own creativity.
Each stage guides the next, helping you confidently build up drawings in layers. You’ll add detail as you become more confident about the big picture. It is a flexible approach which eaves you free to take your work in whatever direction you like depending your own personal style and reasons for making portraits.
Course Overview
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.
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.
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.
- Week 1: Proportion & Gesture
- Week 2: Structure & Lighting
- Week 3: Finishing & Detail
Is this course for me?
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 as a foundation for your own creativity.
This course perfect for beginners as we’ll cover all the basic drawing principles you need to know.
If you have experience but want to take your skills up a notch it will give you the chance to hone your existing skills.
Want to paint portraits? The course will help you focus on the tonal drawing skills necessary to give your paintings a strong foundation.
It can be hard to get the head right in life drawing and tempting to leave it out. You’ll learn how to create the right connection and relationship between the head and body as well as the choice of how much detail to include.
The numbers are limited to give you plenty of personal feedback and help 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.
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.
What you’ll need
Bookings are made by paying a £30 deposit via Eventbrite, you will then be invoiced for the remaining balance.
Easels and drawing boards are provided
- Newsprint paper
- Smooth Drawing paper (Strathmore Bristol or similar)
- Willow charcoal
- Conte Pierre Noire or similar carbon or charcoal pencils
- Putty Rubber
- Soft eraser
- Craft Knife
- Sanding Block
- Kitchen Roll
- Paper Stumps
Course: 3 Week Portrait Sketching Course
Date: 12th, 19th & 26th June 2026
Time: 10:00 – 13:00
Price: £150
Booking: reserve your place with a £30 on Eventbrite, the remainder will be invoiced before the course. Just click the Book Now button.
Venue: Hope Press, Adelphi Mill, Grimshaw Ln, Bollington, Macclesfield SK10 5JB
Materials: Charcoal or Pencil Drawing Media, see below for full list
Leaders: Christopher Clements
Parking: Clough Bank Car Park, Clough Bank. Just off Grimshaw Lane below Adelphi Mill
Key Info & Booking
Questions: Use Contact Form above right or visit the Contact Page or email info@northernrealist.com
What you’ll Need
- Easels and drawing boards are provided
- We can provide the drawing media and paper and equipment for £15, just let us know in advance.
- If you’d prefer to bring your own materials see the bottom of the page for a list.
Refunds
- Refunds excluding Eventbrite fees up to two weeks before the course
- The invoiced remainder can be refunded up to 1 week in advance.
- Full refund including deposit if the course is cancelled
Materials List
- Newsprint paper
- Smooth Drawing paper (Strathmore Bristol or similar)
- Willow charcoal
- Conte Pierre Noire or similar carbon or charcoal pencils
- Putty Rubber
- Soft eraser
- Craft Knife
- Sanding Block
- Kitchen Roll
- Paper Stumps