9 seats available
Drawing from Observation
Artist-Instructor: Mira O’Brien
Language: English
(German communication also possible.)
Location: Rungestraße 20, 10179 Mitte
(S-Bahnhof Jannowitzbrücke / U8 Heinrich-Heine-Straße)
November 5 – December 10, 2026
– 6 x Thursdays
– 18:30 – 20:30
Level: All levels are welcome! This is an intro drawing workshop.
Cost: 220 € (inc. VAT)
Materials:
Please Bring: Various pencils from soft to hard (a set of at least 4 pencils between 2B to 9B), A4 or A3 drawing paper sketchbook, soft graphite stick(6B or higher), kneadable eraser, hard white eraser, sharpener. Guide for where to buy art supplies.
What to Expect:
Ready to learn how to draw? This workshop will help you develop your observation skills and transform the way you see the world. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to strengthen your foundation, this course will guide you to confidently draw what is in front of you. From there, the possibilities are endless! Drawing can become a meditative practice or a powerful communication tool, and you’ll also discover the expressive qualities of different drawing mediums along the way.
In this workshop, you will build essential drawing skills with a focus on drawing from observation. Whether you’re drawing from a Still Life, Wooden Mannequin or Live Model, you will learn to break down your subjects into shapes, lines, tones, and proportions, creating a strong connection between what you observe, think, and draw. These fundamental techniques will help you construct accurate drawings, from initial outlines to fine details.
We’ll start each class with quick warm-up sketches, followed by longer drawing sessions where you can create your own unique compositions. This workshop is perfect for beginners and offers new techniques for more experienced artists. No matter your skill level, you’ll see improvement as you progress. We will explore a variety of materials from pencil & charcoal to pastel & ink.
Topics covered:
- Observation
- Still life
- Proportions
- Contour lines
- Tonality
- Composition
- Balance
- Negative space
- Intro to figure drawing
Along with technical exercises, we’ll explore examples from art history and contemporary art to provide context for the techniques you’re learning. For instance, what can we learn about contour lines by comparing the works of Henri Matisse and David Hockney? Each class will combine structured exercises with time for experimentation and more in-depth drawing sessions.
By the end of this workshop, you will have a solid grasp of basic drawing techniques and be ready to apply advanced concepts like negative space and tonality to your work. You’ll also gain a new appreciation for how these universal principles have shaped the work of artists throughout history.
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is well suited for complete beginners seeking to gain a foundation in drawing. Specific techniques and concepts will also appeal to those with some drawing experience, that have not necessarily taken the time to hone their skills in a methodical way. The focus on drawing from life provides valuable practice for every skill level.
About Your Instructor:
Mira O’Brien is an internationally exhibited artist as well as an arts educator and the founder of the Berlin Drawing Room. Her artistic practice incorporates botanical painting into contemporary discussions around technology, the environment and our relationship with nature. She received her BA from UCLA (2004) and her MFA from Yale (2008). She is the recipient of many awards and residencies; recently her exhibition, publication and workshop series “A Curious Herbal” was awarded the Draussen Stadt grant by the Berlin Senate.
