Warmup: Igniting Creativity: Quick Drawings with Intuitive Flow

Unlock the beauty of intuitive portrait drawing by starting with quick, croquis-style sketches. In this lesson, we’ll use simple shapes and let intuition guide our hand as we explore the delicate essence of the human face. We’ll begin with graphite and add touches of watercolor and mixed media to breathe life into our sketches.

You’ll learn to approach portrait drawing with a light, playful touch, letting go of the need for perfection. I’ll share my top tips for quickly capturing a face’s essence, setting the stage for creating expressive, intuitive portraits. This lesson serves as the perfect introduction to the deeper techniques we’ll explore in the main portrait lesson.

Main Lesson: Crafting the Vision and Expressing the Soul in Portraits

In this lesson, we’ll dive into creating an intuitive portrait infused with timeless symbols and positive affirmations. We’ll use a harmonious palette of nature-inspired greens, oranges, and pinks to craft a vibrant yet gentle composition. The portrait will emerge in soft, delicate tones, capturing both the subject’s outer beauty and their deeper essence.

With graphite, watercolor pencils, and touches of gold, you’ll create a portrait that reflects not only the face but a personal story. Feel free to infuse your piece with your own symbols and meaning as we explore intuitive drawing further. This lesson builds on the foundations from our warmup lesson, encouraging playfulness and freedom from perfection.

No prior experience is needed, and artists of all levels are welcome. I’ll guide you through working from references in a creative, free-spirited way, allowing you to adapt the base image into something uniquely personal. For those more confident in their drawing, feel free to incorporate your own techniques.

Bonus Lesson: Designing Intuitive Oracle Cards with Symbols and Gold

In our bonus lesson, we embark on a magical journey of creating intuitive oracle cards where creativity meets personal meaning. Using watercolor pencils, gold paint, and mixed media, you’ll design handmade cards that reflect your unique vision.

We’ll start by creating vibrant, abstract backgrounds with watercolor pencils, blending them into expressive textures. Then, I’ll guide you through crafting symbolic designs—from alchemical symbols to zodiac signs—infusing each card with personal meaning. You’ll enhance the symbols with gold paint, adding a mystical touch to these little pieces of art.

This process offers a peaceful, meditative approach, where intuition and playfulness guide your creativity. Whether you create a few cards or an entire deck, you’ll enjoy a deeply personal and rewarding artistic experience.

Supply List

In this list, I lay out the materials I use throughout the class. The class doesn´t require many materials, and is quite budget friendly.

I encourage you to use what you already might have, buy a few things inspired from the list and adapt. The list is NOT brand specific and there are many wonderful materials. I recommend buying artist-grade materials since they tend to be easier to work with and create more vibrant results. That being said, use what you have, and have fun!

Paper

Watercolor paper, 300 gms. We use water in some of the lessons, so good paper is essential. I use Canson XL Watercolor 300 gms, a cellulose type paper, that lends itself well to the techniques I show. Cotton paper is also great. I will discuss this in the lessons.

Trays for mixing watercolor

Having some nice mixing trays is very helpful. It doesn’t matter whether they are plastic or porcelain. I use both. In the workshops, I use porcelain, mainly because it’s so beautiful.  

Watercolor Pencils

Faber Castell “Albrecht Dürer”, 132 Beige Red, 127 Pink Carmine, 111 Cadmium Orange, 168 Earth Green Yellowish, 158 Deep Cobalt Green, 178 Nougat, 181 Paynes Grey, 191 Pompeian Red, 130 Dark Flesh

Watercolor

A bit of titanium white watercolor from a pan.

Color Pencils, waterproof

Faber Castell “Poly Chromos”, 132 Beige Red, 178 Nougat, 181 Paynes Grey 

Graphite

Any graphite pencils you have, wooden or mechanical. In this lesson, I only use a 2B graphite pencil.

Gold

Watercolor gold from Schmincke Horadam. Any gold media you have would be wonderful.

Other materials 

• Kneaded eraser. I use Faber Castell brand

• Posca Pens, various sizes in gold and white

• Pencil Sharpener (remember they blunt quickly so a new one with a fresh blade is good)

• A few basic Watercolor Brushes for painting. In this project I only use a no. 5 and 6, but it’s nice to have a variety of different sizes of brushes.