Fundamentals of Figure & Portrait Drawing with Christopher Pariano

Build a strong foundation in figure and portrait drawing through this intensive four-week charcoal masterclass
About this Event

4-Week Charcoal Masterclass

Dates: Sundays — July 5, 12, 19 & 26
Time: 3:00–6:00 PM (3 hours each session)
Duration: 12 hours total

Working from a live model each week, students will learn a structured approach to observational drawing, focusing on proportion, gesture, anatomy, light, shadow, and rendering.

Each class begins with a live demonstration by instructor Christopher Pariano, followed by guided drawing sessions where students receive personalized instruction based on their individual skill level. Whether you're a beginner looking for a solid foundation or an experienced artist refining your technique, the workshop is designed to help you progress through direct observation and one-on-one feedback.

Students are welcome to work in charcoal or their preferred drawing medium.

What Makes This Masterclass Special?

• 12 hours of professional instruction over four Sundays.
• Live demonstrations before each drawing session.
• Draw from a live model every class.
• Personalized feedback tailored to your individual goals and experience level.
• Overlay critiques on tracing paper, allowing corrections without marking your original artwork.
• Designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced artists alike.
• A structured curriculum that builds skills week by week rather than through isolated sessions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, students will:

• Create a strong proportional lay-in for an 18" × 24" charcoal drawing.
• Understand how to simplify the figure by separating light and shadow masses.
• Develop convincing form through value, rendering, and edge control.
• Improve gesture, likeness, expression, and structural understanding of the human figure and portrait.

Pricing & Value

• Regular Price: $300 (just $25/hour of instruction)
• Early Bird: $250 (only $20.83/hour — available for a limited time)
• Artroom Members & Queen City Art Members: receive an additional $50 discount, bringing the cost to $200(just $16.67/hour of professional instruction).

Professional art education is often difficult to access, and this masterclass is designed to make high-quality instruction affordable while providing extensive individual attention throughout the course.

Materials

• Smooth Newsprint Paper (18" × 24")
• Hand-sharpened Conté pencils
• Drawing board

Instructor

Christopher Pariano is a fine artist, painter, and concept artist in the games industry. After earning his Bachelor's degree in Painting from SCAD, he continued his classical training at Watts Atelier of the Arts in California, where he studied the Reilly Method.

Christopher's work bridges traditional fine art and entertainment design, with experience spanning painting, drawing, concept art, illustration, pixel art, and animation. He has taught at Michaels, Cheap Joe's Art Stuff, Hands Create Studio, Warrior Art Camp, and currently instructs at Artroom Charlotte while working on multiple game titles. Christopher is also an ARC 14th International Salon Finalist, recognized for excellence in representational art.