A course that invites you to see portrait-making through a new lens – with more attention to meaning, emotion, and narrative.
About the course
In this course, the goal isn’t to create a perfect portrait, but to use portraiture as a tool for telling stories. Each session is centered around a unique assignment, with a strong focus on conveying emotion and visualizing personal or universal themes.
We’ll work in black and white throughout the eight weeks to fully concentrate on composition, form, contrast, and content. By removing color, space is created to truly explore the expressive power of an image.
My aim is not only to guide you in building technically strong portraits, but to encourage you to give meaning to your work. How do posture and body language express emotion? What elements can you add to strengthen your story? And how do you create imagery that resonates?
These lessons go beyond the classical approach to portraiture – they are designed to challenge you to look, feel, and imagine in new ways.
What will we explore in the 8 sessions?
- (Exaggerated) proportions
- Zooming in and out of the portrait
- Posture and body language as carriers of emotion
- Capturing mood and feeling
- Working with symbolism and props
- Materials and techniques
- Light, shadow, and contrast
- Detail and finishing
For whom?
Groups of 10 to 25 people.
Suitable for both beginner and advanced (young) adults.
The course can be booked by academies, museums, libraries, community centers, or other groups.
Duration
8 weeks of 2.5 hours per session (including a break)
Location
On-site (with enough tables and chairs)
Price
€350 per person
(Excluding material costs)
What to bring
Your own A4 sketchbook (smooth paper, minimum 140 gsm)
A set of graphite pencils (Bruynzeel or similar), Black Conté crayon (available online or at art stores), Eraser, (Mechanical) pencil
I’ll provide a warm atmosphere, something nice to eat and drink, and of course, plenty of space to create, explore, and share.
By the end of the course, you’ll have gained both technical and conceptual knowledge of portrait-making – along with the inspiration and tools to keep creating on your own.
Malu Bekker
I am Malu, and since 2019 I have officially been an entrepreneur, but in reality, it all started long before that. From a young age, I have been passionate about fashion (designing), painting, illustrating, and later also animating.
In 2021, I graduated Cum Laude from the Illustrated and Animated Storytelling program at AKV St. Joost in Den Bosch. Today, I work as a freelance illustrator and animator for various (social) organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
In addition to freelancing, I create paintings to give expression to everything that happens internally within myself and/or others. Images capture what words sometimes fail to express.
With this workshop, I hope to offer people a new expressive form to navigate their own internal world.