Illustrative portrait drawing outdoors with Kunst doet Verbinden
Sometimes a workshop turns out just a little differently from what you had planned. And in this case, it actually worked out really well.
Last week, as part of Kunst doet Verbinden, we organised an extra workshop in illustrative portrait drawing. This time, we were not at our usual location at Hobbycentrum Nijmegen, but at De Kaaij. And with the weather being so good, we decided to take the workshop outside.
During the workshop, participants worked on drawing portraits. The aim was not to draw a face as perfectly or realistically as possible. Illustrative portrait drawing gives you the freedom to play with shapes, lines, proportions and your own style. Looking closely is just as important as drawing: what do you notice about someone, which features do you want to emphasise, and how do you translate that onto paper in your own way?
For some participants, this was something completely new. That is exactly what we want to offer through Kunst doet Verbinden: the chance to discover different creative techniques in an accessible and relaxed way. You do not need to know how to draw, paint or sculpt beforehand. Having a go, experimenting and discovering what suits you is much more important.
Drawing outdoors also gave the workshop a very different atmosphere. With the lovely weather, people around us and plenty of space to look at each other’s work, it naturally became a relaxed afternoon. There was drawing, chatting and laughing, and of course the occasional look at what someone else was doing.
Over the past few months, participants in Kunst doet Verbinden have had the chance to experiment with all kinds of art forms, from clay modelling and oil painting to welding, Tiffany glass and now illustrative portrait drawing. Every technique asks something different of you, and that variety is exactly what makes it enjoyable. Sometimes you discover something you had no idea would suit you.
We look back on this extra workshop at De Kaaij with a lot of pleasure. Hopefully, the participants went home not only with a nice portrait, but also with some new ideas, techniques and, most of all, the motivation to keep creating.
Kunst doet Verbinden is an initiative by Bildung Nijmegen, organised in collaboration with Hobbycentrum Nijmegen and made possible with the support of VSBfonds.
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