Portrait Intensive: Drawing the Portrait from Life

Mondays 6:30-9:30 pm

6 classes: $450 (includes model fees)

Starts September 14, 2026

Register

Instructor:

Kaelin Palcu

Class Description

This class is dedicated to the study of drawing the portrait from life, bridging the  academic  and individual artistic voice. Students will work in charcoal, graphite — both accessible, foundational drawing media — and are encouraged to explore beyond them into red chalk, natural pigments or other materials as their eye and instinct call for.

The course is built around multistage classes that carry a drawing through its full arc: beginning with the structural block-in and developing into full, refined rendering. Alongside these longer studies, students will also take on shorter, more expressive drawings focused specifically on the structure of the portrait — sharpening their ability to see and construct the head quickly, with clarity and confidence. Together, these two modes train both patience and instinct: the discipline to render at a high level, and the responsiveness to capture structure fast and expressively.

Who This Is For

This class welcomes all levels. Beginning students will be introduced to the practical, structural anatomy of the portrait — the skeletal and muscular logic beneath the surface — while more experienced students will be pushed to sharpen their observational responsiveness and develop a more personal visual language.

Instructor

Kaelin Palcu received part of her technical training at the Florence Academy of Art, where the pursuit of technical excellence and a deep reverence for drawing from life were foundational. She furthered her studies with Steven Assael, Michael Grimaldi, and Vincent Desiderio — artists whose work bridges academic precision with a highly individualistic approach to observation. Kaelin loves and encourages this dual lineage in the classroom: exacting in craft while encouraging individual expression.

SUPPLY LIST

  • 3 sheets strathmore charcoal paper (18x24)

  • vine charcoal sticks

  • willow charcoal sticks

  • conte pierre noire pencils. 2b

  • marie's charcoal pencil - neutral

  • kneaded eraser

  • mono zero eraser, or a standard rubber eraser cut into sharp triangles