In-Person Workshops

Shape, Structure, Hatchmark: Drawing the Portrait

 June 20th —22nd, 2025

Big Turtle Studio, London
10 Riverside Yard, London, SW17 0BB
(Yellow Building, Studio 37)

Dan Thompson Workshop London Portrait Drawing Hatchmark

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This in-person workshop enables students to approach the art of portrait drawing through a series of creative disciplines: an optical block-in; the technique of constructive, “see-through” analysis; and one's implementation of chisel-like marks for capturing surface nuance. Beginning with lecture/demos which link concepts to practical application, students will react to these lessons via their style of life drawing. The course will encompass two model poses: A one-day exercise as well as a longer, two-day session to support tonal (value) development in the portrait.

All skill levels are welcome.

See Materials List

3 DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP

For more information and registration, please visit:
Big Turtle Studio


Observational drawing systems: the human figure in pencil

Sistemas de dibujo observacional: La figura humana en lápiz

July 4th —7th, 2025

Bogotá, Colombia

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

Este curso presencial, enfocado en la figura humana, ha sido diseñado en torno a la convergencia entre el dibujo observacional y el esquemático. La primera sesión se centrará en la importancia de un comienzo sutil y delicado, con énfasis en la integración rápida de estrategias fundamentales del dibujo.

Las sesiones de los días 2 a 4 profundizarán sobre las bases previas, mediante guías de interpretación anatómica y el estudio de planos y formas aplicados directamente al papel a partir de poses largas.

Al finalizar el curso, los estudiantes deberán contar con una comprensión más sólida sobre cómo orquestar y combinar el trabajo imaginativo con la observación directa del modelo en vivo, aplicando diversas técnicas y enfoques para el dibujo figurativo.

All skill levels are welcome.

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4 DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP

For more information and registration, please visit:
El Workshop Art


Short Pose Drawing: The Decisive, First Twenty

 July 14TH - 16TH, 2025

The Art Students League of New York, NY

215 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

The most important decisions of any drawing are made at the beginning of a pose. This workshop approaches those essential marks as a vehicle - setting the founding elements for longer pose drawing. Through capturing, editing and developing dynamic movement within the human figure, students will explore how to create authoritative depictions in the first minute, five, ten, and, finally: the decisive, first twenty minute pose.

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3 day in-person workshop

For more information and registration, please visit:
The Art Students League

Musculoskeletal Gross Anatomy For The Figurative Artist

 July 17TH - 21ST, 2025

The Art Students League of New York, NY

215 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This course presents the study of anatomy as a convergence of three unique concentrations: the historical aesthetics of medical research, contemporary human dissection, and life drawing. The workshop begins in the rare book library of the New York Academy of Medicine, where students examine original, centuries-old copies of some of the seminal anatomical treatises. Thereafter, students work in a medical setting, becoming more familiar with the extraordinary layers of interrelated human form - structures which are not typically clear in anatomical references. Motivated students of representational art will have unparalleled opportunities for developing detailed anatomical knowledge through their work in Cornell College of Medicine’s anatomy lab, where they will explore the complexities of the body through the study of PROSECTIONS and cadavers (prosections are specially prepared human anatomical specimens, wrapped in a damp preservative, as well as plastinated specimens, which allow for the study of deeper and more isolated anatomical structure).

A live model will pose in the anatomy lab during the workshop to help students understand how the deeper structures manifest within the living figure. Ultimately, students will work towards achieving greater anatomical clarity and fidelity in their comprehension, which will be applied to creating artwork with a finer appreciation of human construction.  

See Materials List

5 day in-person workshop

For more information and registration, please visit:
The Art Students League

The Portrait in Drawing and Sculpture

 July 24TH - 28TH, 2025

Lyme Academy Of Fine Arts, CT

84 Lyme Street,  Old Lyme, CT 06371

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This multidisciplinary workshop integrates sculptural and drawing techniques to deepen students’ understanding of portraiture. The course emphasizes interpreting form, structure, and tonality through hands-on practice.

Part 1: The Planes of the Head (2 sessions) – Students will sculpt a life-sized portrait, focusing on major planar surfaces, and translate this understanding into a long-pose graphite drawing from the same model. This approach strengthens the correlation between light, form, and tonality.

Part 2: The Features of the Portrait (3 sessions) – Building upon the foundation of planes, students will sculpt and draw individual facial features while studying key artistic-anatomical structures. Through sculpting and graphite rendering, they will refine their ability to capture facial landmarks and apply hatchmark techniques to enhance form.

This immersive workshop offers a structured yet exploratory approach to portraiture, enriching both technical skill and artistic perception.

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5 day in-person workshop

For more information and registration, please visit:
Lyme Academy Of Fine Arts

Enlivened Oil Portraiture:
The Use of a Controlled Palette and a Colored Ground in Painting

August 16th —17th, 2025

The Art League School, Virginia
105 North Union Street | Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Dan Thompson Workshop Controlled Palette in Oil Painting

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This painting workshop teaches students how to activate a wide range of color effects while maintaining the accuracy of form that portraiture requires. Beginning with lecture/demos involving the use of ground temperatures, students will explore the exquisite transparency of oil in their work from life. Skills gained in this course will prove vital for launching into a more committed, longer-term figurative work. All skill levels are welcome. A two-day, long pose painting and/or drawing exercise will support learning objectives. Model fees extra.

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2 DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP

For more information and registration, please visit:
The Art League School

Full-Color Oil Portraiture

 August 18th — 20th, 2025

The Art league School, Virginia
105 North Union Street | Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Dan Thompson Workshop Oil Painting Portrait

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

This painting workshop teaches students to handle the contemporary, full-color palette that oil portraiture requires. Beginning with lecture/demos involving the use of drawing in oil color, students will be guided through a highly strategic process of oil development in their work from life. Skills gained in this course will prove vital for launching into a more committed, longer-term figurative work. All skill levels are welcome. A three-day, long pose painting and/or drawing exercise will support learning objectives. Model fees extra.

See Materials List

3 DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP

For more information and registration, please visit:
The Art League School