Realistic Pencil Portraiture: Capture Stories and Emotions
A course by Alan CoulsonPortrait Artist
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
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
Introduction and Materials
9 minutes, 10 seconds
How to Create Form
20 minutes, 49 seconds
Composition of Your Subject
16 minutes, 38 seconds
Approaching Your Photo
8 minutes, 1 second
Creating a Grid and Outline
19 minutes, 48 seconds
Refining the Drawing
12 minutes, 39 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know Alan Coulson, portrait artist, and your teacher for this course. He talks about how he went from a career in retail to becoming an award-winning artist. Discover the influences which inspire his work, from music to fashion.
Look at the materials needed for this course, then practice using them with some simple drawing exercises. Discover Alan’s personal approach to creating form with pencils and erasers. He demonstrates different ways to shade, make marks, blend, and more, before discussing the composition of your subject. Explore how to capture photos filled with emotion, taking into consideration things like posture, gesture, and light.
Time to set up and edit your portrait. Discover the grid method and how to use it to create portraits to scale before making a start on your illustration. With your outline ready, refine your drawing by tidying up features, erasing unwanted lines, and depicting light and shadow on the face.
Add form and depth to your drawing by focusing on each feature individually. Begin with the eyes, the part Alan considers to be the most important for engaging the viewer. Then move on to the nose and lips, and finally the ears, using different mark-making techniques and blending to soften.
Fill in the area between each feature with directional lines and contours. Shade the face and neck, then learn how to draw convincing hair by layering shade and working with an eraser pen to create highlights. Add the finishing touches to your portrait before putting your own twist on your art with a variety of different materials.
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
- 3 months ago
This course was so helpful. Everything was explained well and easy to understand and follow. Highly recommend
- 4 months ago
Working on this project was easy and pleasant. The material was clearly presented and well-structured, with plenty of specific examples.
- mecklybverPLUS5 months ago
This an excellent course where you'll learn a lot of stuff. Highly recommend
- 7 months ago
An excellent course. I love drawing but have always been intimidated by the idea of drawing portraits. However this course has changed all that. Alan's instruction was easy to follow and the grid method of transferring an image to paper a revelation. I have now completed my first ever portrait and am delighted with how well it turned out! Thank you.
- 8 months ago
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce cours et les explication données. Cela est concret et facile à la fois. Cela nous apporte des point d'étapes entre la grille qui sécurise notre dessin et effacement pour laisser place à un dessin se voulant réaliste. Cela nous donnes de la force et de la confiance pour aller plus loin dans notre création. Merci monsieur le professeur, vous êtes sympathique et vous rendez votre art accessible à tous. Cordialement, Laurent QUINTIN-JOAQUIN Ile de La Reunion
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
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparation, Form and Composition
- Introduction and Materials
- How to Create Form
- Composition of Your Subject
- U3
Setting up Your Portrait
- Approaching Your Photo
- Creating a Grid and Outline
- Refining the Drawing
- U4
Portrait Feature by Feature
- Eyes 1
- Eyes 2
- Nose and Lips 1
- Nose and Lips 2
- Ears
- U5
Finalizing the Portrait
- Shading the Face and Neck 1
- Shading the Face and Neck 2
- Hair
- Final Details
- Personal Twist to Your Drawing
- FP
Final project
- Realistic Pencil Portraiture: Capture Stories and Emotions
What to expect from a Domestika course
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.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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.
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.
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.
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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FAQs
This course is designed for intermediate artists with some drawing experience. Beginners may find it challenging, as it covers advanced techniques for realistic portraiture and proportional accuracy.
You’ll need a range of graphite pencils (soft and hard), quality drawing paper, blending tools like brushes and cotton buds, erasers (including putty and eraser pens), a ruler, and a tablet or printouts for reference photos.
You’ll master the grid method for proportions, advanced shading, using photo references, creating realistic facial features, and blending techniques for hair and skin textures. The course also covers adding personal touches and expressive elements.
The grid method allows you to break down reference photos into manageable sections, ensuring precise proportions and easier transfer of complex features onto paper.
No painting experience is required. While the course discusses the relationship between drawing and painting, all core lessons focus on pencil and graphite portrait drawing.
Yes, the course provides step-by-step guidance on rendering all major facial features with realism, including detailed eye, nose, lip, and ear drawing techniques.
Yes, the course covers both traditional and digital methods for creating and applying grids to your reference images, including using tablets and photo editing apps.