The Many Faces of
charcoal
CREATING EXPRESSIVE FACES
using a variety of
CHARCOAL DRAWING TECHNIQUES
Charcoal is one of my most favorite art supplies of all times. It’s a beautiful material that can be used in an endless variety of ways. You can draw from super soft and smooth, to expressive and raw with a lot of texture. It’s a very forgiving medium and therefore ideal for beginners. But also intermediate and advanced artists can use charcoal in all kinds of ways and let themselves be surprised by the versatility of this beautiful product.
This in-depth portrait class is all about this fantastic medium: charcoal. You’ll learn how to draw expressive faces, using a variety of charcoal drawing techniques and different types of charcoal.
This class is now available as a Self-Study Course.
After signing up, you get immediate access to all course content and you can do all the lessons in your own pace. You have lifetime access to the course website and can download all course materials and videos for future reference.
Click the button below to sign up now, or continue reading for all details and practical info about this class.
Sneak Peek
Here’s a little sneak peek of one of the projects of this class.
To draw, you must close your eyes and sing. PABLO PICASSO
About this class
The Many Faces of Charcoal is an online charcoal portrait course which runs for six weeks.
Each week we’ll do a full, in-depth project in which we’re going to create a charcoal portrait from start to finish. Every project will be different, using different techniques or styles. I will show and tell you exactly what I do and why I do it, so you can learn & practice the techniques and implement them in the future in your own style.
Besides the full-length weekly projects, we will also do weekly warm-up exercises and I will explain all about the materials and supplies.
And last but not least, you will also receive a full-length bonus project. 🙂
This is an online class, so the lessons are taught in video format and you can watch them from the comfort of your home. All videos are in real-time, so not sped up or partially skipped. You can watch me draw and hear me explain my process, 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. You can watch the videos whenever you like and as many times you want!
The Projects
These are close-ups of the projects that we’re going to make.
Supplies
Curious to know what types of charcoal and other supplies we’re going going to use in this class? Click the button below to download the full supply list! 🙂
What will you learn in this class
In this class you’ll learn to work with a variety of supplies and techniques, which you can then incorporate in your future work. Some of the things you will learn:
- Working with a variety of charcoal supplies, including willow/vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, charcoal pencils, and charcoal powder
- Using additional tools to work with charcoal, such as brushes, various erasers, and more
- Various ways to combine charcoal with other materials, such as gesso and water
- Creating faces in different directions, including straight forward, three-quarter, profile, and downward tilted
- Building up the portrait in layers
- Creating shadows and light
- Creating expressive marks, line work, and texture
- Building up a portrait from broad to detailed
- Creating a combination of detailed and more sketchy parts in your portrait
- How to finish, store and frame the final drawing
Sneak Peek
Here’s another sneak peek of one of the projects of this class.
Practical Info
The Many Faces of Charcoal is now available as a self-study class. After purchase you get immediate access to all the lessons, so you can do the course comfortably in your own pace. You get lifetime access to the course website and all videos can be downloaded so you can keep them forever and do the lessons as many times as you like.
You will also get access to a dedicated Facebook group, where you can show your work, connect with fellow students, ask questions, and share tips.
What will you receive
Sign up now!
Art is standing with one hand extended into the universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy. ALBERT EINSTEIN
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never taken an online course. How does it work?
If this is the first time you sign up for a Juna Biagioni Art course, you will create an account during the registration process. You can access the private website of the class with the email address that you signed up with and the password that you chose for your account.
Since this is a self-study class, you get immediately access to all the lessons and course materials. These will all be provided on the dedicated, private course website. You can watch the lessons online, and/or download everything so you can keep all the course materials forever and access them from your own hard drive.
The lessons are taught in video format. All videos are in real-time, so not sped up. You can watch me draw 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.
Besides the course website you will get access to the dedicated Facebook group for this class. This is 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 this course. In practice this means that the course website (including all videos and course materials) will remain accessible to you for as long as the 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 materials if you want to keep them forever.
After signing up, do I get access to the lessons right away?
Yes, after signing up you get direct access all the lessons of the class. You can do them whenever it suits you, at your own pace and in your own time.
Can I download the videos and course materials?
Yes, you can download all the videos and other materials of this course.
Can I get feedback from you on my work?
The self-study class does not include feedback on individual work.
Is there a dedicated Facebook group for this class?
Yes, there is a dedicated Facebook group for this class. It’s a great place to ask questions, share your work, and meet new art friends. You will receive the link to the group after you sign up for the course.
I am a total beginner. Can I sign up?
It depends a bit on what type of beginner you are.
If you are a beginner in working with charcoal, but have some basic experience in drawing faces, then definitely yes, you can do this course. This is an in-depth class that teaches a number of different charcoal techniques, and you will learn a lot from it.
If you are a beginner in drawing faces, then you can also sign up for this course, because you can follow in the video lessons exactly what I’m doing and learn a lot about how to work with charcoal. However, this class doesn’t teach the basics of facial proportions and shading, or how to work with tonal values, etc. If you would like to get more in-depth lessons about these subjects, I definitely recommend to do my class Drawing in the Soul first. That will give you a strong foundation for drawing faces, and is very good for beginners because it starts from the very basics and builds up from there.
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 in order to take this class?
You don’t necessarily need a Facebook account to take this class. The course website is a dedicated website that you get access to after you sign up for the class. 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 workshop 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.
I notice that the course is organized into weekly lessons. Do I have to wait every week for my lessons, or can I access to them directly after purchasing the course?
You get immediate access to all lessons of the course. The Many Faces of Charcoal was originally set up as a 6-weeks course and this outline is maintained in the self-study class, but you can access all lessons of all 6 weeks directly after you purchased the course. This means that you can do all lessons whenever it suits you, at your own pace and in your own time.
Is there a payment plan available for this course?
Yes, there is a payment plan available to pay in installments. For more info on the conditions, please contact me via the contact form below.
Can I get a refund after purchasing this course?
Since this is a self-study course and all lessons are downloadable directly after registration, no refunds are given after purchase of the course.
Can I give this course as a gift?
Certainly! Just contact me by filling in the form below and I’ll be happy to help.
How can I contact you?
You can contact me by filling in this form.
What Participants Say
I loved The Many Faces of Charcoal! I had never done any work with charcoal before and I'm relatively new to drawing portraits! I learned sooo much! Juna is a wonderful teacher who gives you step by step directions with attention to placement of facial features and shading! A friend challenged me to share my artwork on social media for seven days. So, I did one of the lessons each day. It was the highlight of my day! I loved every minute of it!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Many Faces of Charcoal. Charcoal is a new medium for me and Juna does a great job of explaining how to use the various forms of charcoal as well as additional helpful techniques. I loved all the lessons, but especially the ones incorporating gesso and texture. Learning how to create texture, fixing the charcoal so it doesn't move, adding lines, using my tombow eraser more effectively, using paper towels and brushes, and being looser in my drawing were just a few of the things I learned! Juna is relaxing to listen to, the instructions are clear…Read More→
So enjoyed Juna’s course The Many Faces of Charcoal! Didn’t realise there were so many different techniques, learned so much. Thank you Juna, but not goodbye! ❤️
I joined Juna Biagioni's class The Many Faces of Charcoal with the intention of completing the 6 week course, however life/art got in the way and I found I could only complete one lesson. I must say that even though I have not advanced far with it (but I do intend to, when I can find that window of time), I found Juna's classes really enjoyable to listen to, easy to follow, and the course well structured. Juna gives a lot of in-depth knowledge of the use of the medium, and that was what I was after. Such a beautiful…Read More→
I highly recommend this class, The Many Faces of Charcoal. Juna Biagioni is a wonderful teacher. I learned so many different applications of charcoal. My favorite is working with tinted gesso background and painting with charcoal. My work has improved a lot with Juna’s excellent feedback. Her lessons are in real time and easy to follow. The supplies list is very thorough. The Facebook group is an awesome way to connect and view students drawings done in the class. I love charcoal even more!
In Juna's courses I learned so much... I love her courses for the simplicity of learning. Although my English is not excellent, her courses are clear to understand. She is a fantastic teacher and really offers a variety of ways to use the same material. Her feedbacks are exceptional to correct errors. I definitely recommended them!
Although I have been painting with charcoal for several years, a new world opened up to me after taking the course The Many Faces of Charcoal. Juna guides you in a very professional way through the many facets and techniques of drawing and painting with charcoal and thanks to her constructive feedback she lifts you to a higher level. This was the best course I have ever taken. I recommend everyone to get started without any delay!
I learned a lot in The Many Faces of Charcoal. The course offered good explanations of the subjects and introduced me to new techniques. I'm now able to create portraits in a more free and loose style.
The Many Faces of Charcoal was the best class I have ever taken – bar none! If you are hesitating – don’t. I am a fairly experienced artist and I learned so many new techniques in this class. Charcoal is amazing, you will be astounded at what you will be able to achieve. Juna has pushed the boundaries of the medium. Sign up now!
The Many Faces of Charcoal was my first time ever using charcoal, as well as drawing faces. I had a blast learning from Juna. She is an amazing teacher! Her soothing voice through the instruction made each lesson so easy to follow and helped me to be able to accomplish each project, stress free. Her feedback right after each week's project was so detailed and helpful, that helped me understand what to focus on next. That sets her apart from any other online classes out there! Thank you so much Juna! Until we meet again in another classroom setting...
I've taken many online art classes over the years, but Juna's class The Many Faces of Charcoal was special. She is a highly gifted instructor who brings out the best in her students. I'm especially impressed at the feedback she provides. I can't imagine the time it must take her to respond so thoughtfully. I learned so much! She is both encouraging and challenging, a rare and beautiful combination that makes her instruction exceptional. My classmates were both beginners and more advanced, and everyone learned in the safe environment she created. I definitely grew as an artist during these last…Read More→
The Many Faces of Charcoal was the ideal complement to my personal artistic growth that has started with Juna's class Drawing in the Soul. What to say about Juna? She's is patient, lovely, kind and supportive. All the lessons provide real progress to the student and at the end of the course you feel you have improved, and the fundamentals of charcoal will help you to express your ideas.
The Many Faces of Charcoal has been an amazing class. I started with little experience using charcoal products. Each week offered different techniques with the different forms of charcoal. I learned more about seeing the lights and darks in faces. Juna Biagoni teaches at a great pace, and you will find that her feedback is a most valuable learning tool for everyone. She teaches, critiques honestly and positively, and gives you the tools to continue. Best classes from the best teacher!!
The six weeks of The Many Faces of Charcoal was a very successful learning experience for me. I especially appreciated the expert teaching style and the new information regarding the supplies. I was not familiar with the properties of different charcoals, nor the use of gesso as well as additional erasers. My favorite experience was the last project where we applied both charcoal and gesso with water. Juna’s encouragement and humble approach would lead me to recommend highly to a friend – or anyone, for that matter. Thank you very much Juna!
I have just completed the charcoal drawing class The Many Faces of Charcoal with Juna and I can honestly say that it has been the best online art course I have taken to date. Juna has a very professional approach, is very kind and gentle in her manner and also very respectful of everyone, regardless of where they are on their artistic journey. I have been painting watercolour portraits for a number of years but in this course I learned techniques I had never learned before and will be able to take them into my future work. She also simplified…Read More→
I loved, loved this course, The Many Faces of Charcoal. I can’t believe that I am drawing beautiful portraits. You are a great teacher Juna Biagioni. Can’t wait for the next class you offer.
The Many Faces of Charcoal has changed my appreciation of charcoal from something to sketch with and make fast gestural drawings with, to valuing charcoal with its many applications as a tool for finished work worth my very best efforts and artistic ambitions. In particular, I appreciated Juna's teaching style as equally valuable in changing my understanding and possibilities with the use of charcoal as a tool for finished art work. Juna's skill as an accomplished artist along with her encouraging guidance and support allowed me to relax and invariably smile while listening to her calmly modulated instruction. I can't…Read More→
Love the way of teaching by Juna and the delicate results. Her feedback is very clear and spectaculair with photo's before and after. I had so much fun working with charcoal in several different ways and techniques. Love charcoal and Juna, I'm now addicted.
I started on this artistic journey around a year and a half ago. I was absolutely positive that I had no drawing ability and could only produce the most free-form, haphazard piece that was based on luck and lack of control. It was my good fortune to find Juna Biagioni. Her beautiful portraits inspired me and spoke louder than the negative voice in my head that said I couldn't do this. My background is teaching, so I know excellent teaching when I experience it. Juna is thorough in her preparation and explanations. She provides everything you need from what materials…Read More→
I loved every lesson in The Many Faces of Charcoal! The videos were explained really well, and having an exercise before doing the project was really helpful getting the hang of the technique. I also loved the relaxing intro music!! Juna gives great feedback and is always here to answer your questions. I’ll definitely do the other courses.
I learned a lot in The Many Faces of Charcoal. Especially new techniques to work with charcoal. I already knew Juna from the course Drawing in the Soul, so I knew she was an excellent teacher. I can only recommend this course to all of those who want to learn how to work with charcoal. And especially those who want to learn other techniques to work with this material. I loved it!
The Many Faces of Charcoal was my first 'in depth' charcoal class and I learned so much about charcoal portraits. Juna introduced us to a wide range of materials and techniques. Each week the 'warm up' exercise eased us in to the materials and techniques and the projects were not only fun, but also left you with a sense of achievement. Juna is excellent at creating confidence and joy in creativity and she encourages you to discover the versatility of this medium. Her feedback is of a high standard, detailed, helpful and somehow always exactly what you need to help…Read More→
I loved every lesson in The Many Faces of Charcoal. I have learned new techniques like to "draw" with an eraser, doing an underpaint with gesso to create texture, and being loose with charcoal powder. Juna is such a great teacher and her lessons are easy to follow and she gives always step-by-step instructions. I highly recommend The Many Faces of Charcoal – for everyone!
Juna is a fantastic teacher, her classes are very well structured, and she explains step by step every detail and in a very patient way. The Many Faces of Charcoal is my fourth course with her and I would take another new course with her.
I really enjoyed Juna's course, The Many Faces of Charcoal, and I learned so much from her. I didn't have much previous experience with charcoal but through this course, it quickly has become one of my favorite mediums. I like it that her lessons involve very light layers of charcoal on top of each other... That allows the portrait to emerge slowly, layer by layer. It's easier for me to learn that way, plus it gives a beautiful look to the portrait. Juna's video lessons are easy to follow along with and very thorough, and she has such a warm,…Read More→
I just finished the course The Many Faces of Charcoal and it was a delight to be guided by Juna through each of the six weeks. Her teaching and video-documented step by step approach is for the beginner and experienced alike, very motivating and encouraging and I learned so much. I never knew there were so many different ways to draw with charcoal. Each week was different. The most fun for me was painting with charcoal, water and gesso, staying loose. I also liked the reference photos we used and the freedom to choose our own if we preferred. Sharing…Read More→
Juna runs the very best courses there are online and I wait with absolute longing for every new course she offers. Once again I have learned SO much in The Many Faces of Charcoal. Working with a gesso base before applying charcoal was a wonderful discovery and painting with charcoal... Well what can I say?! I couldn't believe how much I learned. And... that applies to every single lesson. I have enrolled in all of Juna's courses and nowadays they are the only courses I would enrol in. Juna's way of teaching is incredibly supportive and helpful and the cameraderie…Read More→
The Many Faces of Charcoal is the second class I have taken with Juna. How could I resist? She is a brilliant, generous, and inspiring teacher, and I am so grateful to have found her. In her classes I have learned a huge amount of technique - who knew you could do that with charcoal? - but the value of her teaching goes far beyond technical skills. She creates a safe, supportive, and adventurous atmosphere, in which artists of all levels of experience are inspired to take risks, work hard, share, and grow. I know I will return to her…Read More→
I am extremely grateful to Juna for this course, The Many Faces of Charcoal! A rich addition to what I had already learned regarding portrait drawing and for the first time in my life with charcoal! It was a shock to experience how deeply this touched me and did the course with me along the way! I have come to love this medium immensely and in the first place, through her way of education and patient clear teaching, Juna has made it so special for me. Again, thank you for your positivity and your help in this charcoal process... It…Read More→
Being relatively new to the medium when I took these classes, I was a bit nervous and unsure that I could make lovely portraits. Juna’s instruction videos are interesting and thorough, and her teaching style is suited to beginners as well as more advanced students. I learned so many skills and techniques that have elevated my enjoyment and improved my art. I also learned how to use products that had previously intimidated me. I highly recommend The Many Faces of Charcoal to anyone, especially those who are unfamiliar with the diversity and pleasures of working with charcoal.
Good explanation, good guidance. Fun atmosphere in the Facebook group, always feedback. I definitely recommend The Many Faces of Charcoal.
The lessons in The Many Faces of Charcoal were fun, educational, inviting and inspiring. With good quality videos, at a calm pace and offering clear explanations.