Portrait Painting Workshop Recap

I had so much fun leading this Valentine’s Day workshop at A Reason to Survive as part of ARTS After Dark! 💘 It felt really special to gather close friends, colleagues, and local students in one space to create memories and shared experiences. I got to put my “Teacher” cap back on, diving into color theory, illustration fundamentals, and most importantly, making space for joy and creativity. Grateful for community, connection, and art that brings us together. I am so proud of everyone for being brave and painting portraits! They all came out so good!

My approach to planning this workshop was to encourage my students to take their time and really practice illustration techniques by mapping out their subject’s face, mix colors and learn about color theory, and jump right into painting. The class took its time, and folks were finishing around 2.5 hours into the workshop. The unveilings were the fun part; each pairing revealed their paintings to their partner at the same time!

The space looked so beautiful, all lit up with the big paper flower sculptures created by ARTS staff member, Kelsey Kenny. The ARTS event’s team did an amazing job. I highly recommend ARTS After Dark for community art workshops.

Location: The ARTS Center, National City
Photographs: T.Jay Santa Ana
Example Artwork created by: Katie Carrion, Ulises Galicia, Zade Landegger