Learn how to make realistic portraits using the beautiful, painterly medium of charcoal on toned paper. In this class, we will examine how to successfully represent form and capture a likeness from life. This class teaches realist techniques that were taught in the academies and ateliers in 19th Century Europe. French ateliers and academies started their students off with charcoal drawing before painting, and we will take the same approach. This approach begins with a few lines forming a simple abstraction and eventually evolves to a tonal drawing. This method is a step in a natural progression towards realist portrait painting in oils. This class is an intermediate to advanced level class, so students should already have very solid drawing skills. Traditionally, students trained by doing master copies, drawing from casts of classical sculpture, and drawing still lifes, etc., long before being allowed to draw from the model. The reason for this is that drawing in the realist tradition is fun but also challenging. It is a beautiful way of drawing that requires a great deal of practice. Students can expect the need to come to every class, to do homework, and to practice outside of class time. The class teaches traditional academic concepts, but in an encouraging open environment conducive to learning.