Realistic Pencil Portraiture: Capture Stories and Emotions
A course by Alan Coulson , Portrait Artist
Illustrate lifelike portraits using a reference photo as your guide and make them your own with personalized details
Illustrate lifelike portraits using a reference photo as your guide and make them your own with personalized details
Realistic drawing doesn’t have to mean making an exact copy of reality; it can also be interpretive and personal. Portrait artist Alan Coulson creates highly detailed portraits driven by an interest in people and their stories. He has collaborated with The New York Times, Sunday Times Magazine, University of London, and more.
In this course, Alan teaches you how to make a realistic pencil portrait using a photographic reference. Create lifelike illustrations filled with emotion and use experimental techniques to make them your own. Capture the stories of the people around you with a pencil.
This is Alan’s second course with Domestika. In his first, Realistic Oil Portraiture: Conveying Detail and Expression, he dives into creating detailed portraits through the vibrancy and versatility of oil paints.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 14 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (130)
- 3,274 students
- 18 lessons (4h 0m)
- 14 additional resources (3 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create your own unique, realistic pencil portraits using a photo reference.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in creating unique pencil portraits that capture feelings and emotions.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is necessary for this course.
In terms of materials, you will need a range of pencils, from soft to hard, cartridge paper, paintbrushes, cotton buds, erasers, and access to simple photo editing software
Reviews
A course by Alan Coulson
Alan Coulson is an award-winning portrait artist from England with over fifteen years of experience using oil paints. He began a Fine Arts degree, however, after struggling to articulate his creative ideas, he dropped out and began working in fashion retail.
It was the birth of his first son in 2005 that prompted him to reconnect with his artistic ideas and explore oil painting. Shortly after deciding to pursue his dream of becoming a portrait artist, Alan Coulson was awarded a BP Portrait Award from The National Portrait Gallery in London. The exposure and awards he has received have given rise to a successful career in portraiture with clients including The New York Times, The Sunday Times Magazine, Bloomberg Markets Magazine, Carlton Books, The Chronicle Review, Club Wembley, and more.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparation, Form and Composition
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Introduction and Materials
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How to Create Form
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Composition of Your Subject
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U3
Setting up Your Portrait
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Approaching Your Photo
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Creating a Grid and Outline
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Refining the Drawing
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U4
Portrait Feature by Feature
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Eyes 1
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Eyes 2
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Nose and Lips 1
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Nose and Lips 2
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Ears
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U5
Finalizing the Portrait
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Shading the Face and Neck 1
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Shading the Face and Neck 2
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Hair
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Final Details
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Personal Twist to Your Drawing
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FP
Final project
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Realistic Pencil Portraiture: Capture Stories and Emotions
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
priyaljain
Im a beginner in portrait sketching but have explored other art forms over the years and this was the best course to start my journey. The steps are broken down into such easy parts that you'll be surprised how everything comes together so effortlessly!! Highly recommend it
aortizg06
El video es muy lento, la técnica no es muy prolija y el resultado no es sorprendente. Lo único bueno de este curso es la cuadrilla para dibujar proporcionado y el llamado a la experimentación del penúltimo video.
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cathmorrow
Really enjoyed this course. Gave good insight into methods of working and developing skills in portraiture.
jorgeandresolayaortiz
Excelente técnica
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cpalmer818
Instruction were easy to follow.
Lots of great tips along to way, to create a great picture.
A lot of equipment was not required to have a good looking drawing.
A begin can get good results.