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Wabi Sabi & the Beauty of Aging

a charcoal portrait class

In this online class we’re going to draw this charcoal portrait of a beautiful aged face in a free and loose style.

I love drawing older faces! Life’s experiences are translated into a multitude of beautiful wrinkles and lines. The face tells its silent stories from ages ago. And that is so interesting and exciting to draw!

In this class we’re going to use a fun method to draw these lines and wrinkles without having to focus too much on all the little details.

You’ll also learn some helpful techniques to draw the proportions and measurements of the face. That way you can be more confident in your drawing and work in a free and expressive style.

The total duration of this class is 2 hours. You can download all videos and course materials, to keep forever. And since this is a self-study class, you get instant access – so you can start right away or whenever you like.

Click the button below to sign up now, or continue reading for all details and practical info.

Your face is marked with lines of life, put there by love and laughter, suffering and tears. It’s beautiful.  LYNSAY SANDS

Wabi Sabi

This class is inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi sabi. Rooted in buddhism, wabi sabi recognizes the beauty in the transient, the impermanent and the incomplete. It appreciates the value of the authentic and the imperfect. It embraces the cycles of life and nature, of birth and death, and everything in between.

The concept of wabi sabi is prevalent throughout all forms of Japanese art. It includes characteristics of asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, muted colors, aging and natural elements.

There’s much to discover in the teaching of wabi sabi, and that is what inspired me for this class. It is expressed in the style of the portrait, the use of colors and materials, as well as the beautiful aged face of our subject.

But when does something’s destiny finally come to fruition? Is the plant complete when it flowers? When it goes to seed? When the seeds sprout? When everything turns into compost?  LEONARD KOREN

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:

  • Sketching out the head in a slightly tilted and rotated position
  • Tools and techniques to draw the correct proportions
  • A handy method to check your proportions and measurements while you’re drawing
  • Creating the wrinkles of an elderly face, without having to focus too much on all the little details
  • Using gestural movements to work in a loose and free way
  • Working with willow or vine charcoal
  • Working with a charcoal pencil
  • Working with a kneaded eraser
  • How to store and protect your charcoal drawings

What will you receive

2 hours of video lessons

Over 2 hours of video lessons, recorded in high-quality and real-time.

Downloadable content

You can download all the videos and the reference photo for this class, so you can keep them forever

Lifetime access

You get life-time access to the course website, so you can do the class at your own pace.

Sign Up Now!

Self-study class

  • 2 hours of video lessons
  • All videos & materials can be downloaded
  • Get immediate access to all content
  • Take the class at your own pace
  • Lifetime access
 35.00
Sign Up Now

Prices in Euro will be used for the actual purchase.

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 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.

I have never worked with charcoal before. Can I sign up?

Yes! It’s no problem if you have no previous experience with charcoal. 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, foundational approach to working with charcoal and learn a host of different techniques, then I recommend taking the course The Many Faces of Charcoal.

Do you work with a reference photo in this course?

Yes, we will be working with a reference photo in this course. It 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.

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