Playful Portraits
a fun & easy monoprinting portrait class
Are you new to creating portraits, or do you feel a bit intimidated by it? Or are you a more experienced artist looking for new ways to create interesting texture and a looser style?
In this 1 hour online class we’re going to create a beautiful portrait, based on a fun and easy monoprinting technique which is great for creatives of all levels!
This method is very helpful if you’re new to drawing portraits, because it provides an easy starting point and helps to get an understanding of the structure and proportions of the face. But it’s also an interesting technique for more advanced creatives to create texture and work in a looser style.
And no worries, you don’t need any fancy tools – not even a gel plate or a plastic sheet! It’s a fun and simple method that will give beautiful and surprising results.
Click the button below to sign up now, or continue reading for all details and practical info.
Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise. JULIA CAMERON
What is monoprinting?
Monoprinting is a technique whereby you apply a medium, such as ink or paint, onto a surface called a ‘printing plate’. Then you press paper onto the printing plate so that the image is transferred to the paper. The difference with other types of printmaking techniques, is that each print will be unique, hence the name monoprinting.
I discovered monoprinting in 2014 and loved it right away! That’s why I developed a fun and easy method to incorporate it into portraiture. The fact that you don’t know exactly what the print will look like, the surprise element, and the unexpected textures that you can create, make this a very enjoyable and playful way to start your portrait!
Using a monoprint as the base of our portrait
This class is called Playful Portraits because we’re going to use a fun and playful method to create portraits! I’ll show you a super simple way to make a monoprint, which will form the base layer of your portrait and a helpful guide for the placement of the features and the shading of the face.
If you’re new to drawing faces, or if you feel insecure about it, this can be an great way to start your portrait, without having to do a lot of measuring or drawing outlines. It’s a perfect tool to help you loosen up your portrait work, while also getting a better understanding of the structure, proportions, and tonal values of a face.
The monoprint also gives your portrait a beautiful and interesting texture. It’s always a surprise how it will turn out, which is part of the fun and a great way to loosen up and let go of control. You can’t really predict the outcome, which is a good exercise to learn to use unexpected elements to your advantage and work with what emerges.
So, in this class we’re going to play with this monoprinting technique! I’ll show you one way to use it, but I hope you’ll be inspired to explore further. Experiment with different images, colors and supplies, to see what happens and discover what you like best. All you need is an open and curious mindset, and a willingness to work with what emerges. Give yourself time to learn, explore & practice this technique and to embrace the surprising results!
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. PAULO COELHO
No special tools needed
In this class we’re going to use a very easy and fun monoprinting technique that doesn’t require any special tools or supplies. You don’t need any fancy printing plates – not even a gel plate or a plastic sheet. You also don’t need tools like a brayer or baren, or specialized inks or paints. We’re going to work with a simple printout, photocopy or magazine clipping and use just one crayon and one pencil as our main supplies!
List of supplies
Below are the main supplies that we’ll use in this class. A more detailed list with some additional tools and alternative options will be available after registration.
- Hot press watercolor paper
- 1 water-soluble crayon (like Neocolor II or soft pastel)
- 1 pastel pencil or other type of colored pencil
- White gesso
- One or more soft brushes
What will you learn?
In this class we’re going to explore various techniques, which can of course be applied to any portrait that you want to create in the future. Some of the things that we’ll cover:
- Creating monoprints in a very simple way
- Creating the base values of the face without sketching
- Working with water techniques
- Drawing a face
- Using crayons for dry and wet techniques
- Creating interesting texture
- Building up the portrait in layers
- Working with tonal values
What will you receive
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never taken an online course. How does it work?
If this is the first time you sign up for any of my courses, you will create an account during the registration process. You can access the private website of the course with the email address that you signed up with and the password that you chose for your account.
The lessons are taught in video format. You can watch me work and hear me explain what I do and why I do it. This means that you can follow exactly what I do, and if you want you can go back and watch certain parts again if you missed anything or something was unclear.
Since this is a self-study course, you get immediate access to all the videos and course materials. These will all be provided on the course website. You can watch the lessons online, and/or download all videos and coure materials so you can keep them forever and access them whenever and wherever you like.
Besides the course website you will also get access to a private Facebook group for this course. Some courses have dedicated groups, other courses get access to my general Facebook group. The Facebook groups are a fun and safe place to post your work, ask questions, and meet new friends.
Lifetime access, what does that mean in practice?
You get lifetime access to the course. In practice this means that the course website (including all videos and course materials) will remain accessible to you for as long as this course is being offered for sale. If this course at some point in the future isn’t going to be offered for sale anymore, you will have 6 months to download all videos and course materials if you want to keep them forever.
Can I download the videos and other course materials?
Yes, you can download all the videos and other materials of this course.
Is there a dedicated Facebook group for this course?
There is no dedicated Facebook group for this course, but you are welcome to join my Facebook group Juna Biagioni’s Art Atelier. It’s a great place to ask questions, share your work, and meet new art friends.
Can I get feedback from you on my work?
Self-study classes don’t include feedback on individual work. However, I am frequently available in the Facebook group if you have questions about supplies or other course related topics.
I have never worked with the monoprinting technique before. Can I sign up?
Absolutely! The technique is simple to follow and will be explained and shown in the videos. You also don’t need any special products or printing plates for this technique, so it’s very easy to do.
Do I need a special printing plate or other tools for this course?
No, in this course you’ll learn a very simple but effective monoprinting technique. You don’t need any special printing plates such as a gel plate, linoleum, or even a plastic sheet. You also don’t need any special tools like a brayer or a baren.
I am not very experienced in art. Can I sign up?
Yes, certainly! It’s no problem if you have no previous experience with the supplies and techniques that we’ll use in this course. All techniques will be explained and shown in the videos.
However, this is a short class. If you would like to get a more in-depth approach to portrait drawing, learning about fundamental concepts like tonal values, and working with a variety of supplies and techniques, then I recommend taking the course Drawing in the Soul.
I feel a bit insecure about my art and not ready to show it to others. Can I participate without joining the Facebook group?
Yes, you can definitely participate without joining the Facebook group.
However, you can also join the Facebook without having to post your work if you don’t want to. The group is private and provides a safe environment for all participants of every level. It’s also a place where you can get support, ask questions, and meet new friends.
I don't have a Facebook account. Do I need one for this course?
No, you don’t need a Facebook account in order to take this course. The course website is a dedicated website that you get access to after you sign up for the course. The Facebook group is optional.
However, if you do want to join the Facebook group but don’t have a Facebook account (yet), you can also consider creating a Facebook account just for this course alone.
Do you work with reference photos in this course?
Yes, we will be working with reference photos in this course. They will be available for download from the course website.
Can I get a refund after purchasing this course?
Due to the downloadable nature of this course, no refunds are given after purchasing this course.
Can I give this course as a gift?
Certainly! Just contact me here so we can set it up.
How can I contact you?
You can contact me via this link.
Practical Info
Click here to read the practical information before purchasing this course
Access to the course
Once you have purchased your course, you return to a confirmation page with an overview of your registered courses. When you click on a course you should be already logged-in to the course site and have immediate access to the classroom.
If at any time you need to login to the site, you will need your username (the email address that you used to sign up for the course) and the password which you chose when you signed up. With your username and password you can always access your courses by clicking on ‘Login’ at the top of this website.
Practical requirements
This course will be presented online, so you need a web browser. I recommend Chrome or Firefox. Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version.
You will get the best results if you use a laptop or computer. You can use smaller devices (like a tablet) as well, but then the layout may change slightly.
If you want to download the videos, you need space on the hard drive of your computer, or an external storage like an external hard drive or a USB stick.
Other requirements:
- A high-speed internet connection to be able to download the videos or watch them online.
- A basic understanding of IT, like reading emails, watching videos online, reading PDF documents, and navigating websites like Facebook. If you’re having trouble with some IT related stuff some help can be given, but in-depth IT guidance cannot be given.