Senior Years Portraiture Workshop

Adelaide Central School of Art, a leading art institution in South Australia, deliver quality incursions run by acclaimed practicing artists. Alex Beckinsale, a lecturer in drawing at Adelaide Central, visited the College this week to run two three-hour workshops with senior years Art students.

Beckinsale’s focus was on delivering a formula for drawing portraits based on an understanding of the anatomy of the face, with a specific focus on the planes evident within the skull. Tonal rendering and the importance of highlights were also key features of the workshop.

Students in Year 10 began the session with foundational exercises that led them into drawing a charcoal portrait. Many students produced works they were immensely proud of; the delight they expressed bears testimony to this.

Year 11 and 12 students were also taught the basics of portraiture before being encouraged to work from inspirational images in a style that suited their personal aesthetic.

The success of the workshop was evident the day after when students discussed the value of the experience and eagerly photographed their completed works.

Mary-Anne Hobbs
Curriculum Coordinator Art/Design

Artwork from L to R by Alannah Roxas, Mia Kelly, and Lia Lavenant.