2025 Workshops
Alla Prima Portrait Drawing + Painting Workshop
A Journey through Expressive Styles using Charcoal and Oils
Tutor : ZIN LIM
Date: 18, 19 & 20 April 2025
Time : 3 day workshop 10am to 4pm
Price: $1200 incl gst
Venue : Atelier Melbourne Art Academy, Oakleigh, Melbourne. Experience the tactile and spontaneous nature of portrait! This innovative workshop will guide you into the dynamic world of expressive portraiture, helping you break free from the constraints of fine-detail drawing. Under the expert guidance of artist Zin Lim, this workshop welcomes artists of all levels and explores the fascinating process of creating vibrant, emotive portraits that capture personal essence through expressive/Alla Prima techniques.
What You Will Gain:
You will complete one portrait in a different style each day
Deep Understanding: Master core principles of portrait drawing and painting, including the structure, proportion, and gesture, while unraveling complex light and shadow schemes.
Creative Process: Learn to create dynamic and captivating charcoal and brush marks, use tonal ranges effectively, and design compositions that reveal your artistic identity.
Hands-on Experience: Create three expressive portraits based on carefully selected photographic references. Using bold techniques and step-by-step guidance, you’ll build portraits that convey depth and emotion.
Why This Workshop Is Unmissable:
Expert Guidance: Zin Lim’s wealth of experience in expressive portraiture will lead you into new realms of artistic expression that are dynamic and spontaneous.
Skill Enhancement: Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this workshop is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of charcoal drawing or transition your style into a more expressive, tactile approach.
Unique Learning Opportunity: More than just a drawing experience, this workshop will allow you to discover new perspectives and techniques under the mentorship of a master artist.
Embark on this enriching journey to expand your portrait painting skills beyond boundaries. Secure your spot today and step into a world where each brush stroke brings you closer to mastering the art of expressive portraiture.
Testimonials
"I enjoyed it. I'm frankly very tired of doing hyper-realistic drawings - it's just not that relaxing. I think I will stick with the expressive figure drawing for a while and see if I can improve. I would be very interested in taking another class, especially expressive portraits." - Michael M.
"Thank you so much for teaching this class! The majority of my drawing classes in the past have focused very much on representative. Getting to learn more expressive techniques and getting to learn from you has been so enlightening and just truly a joy. I really appreciate your time and the thoughtfulness you put into this course. - Katie K.
"This was amazing, I learned so much. Most of all, that drawing in this way is much more a state of mind than I realised. Thank you Zin!” - Nathan A.
Note:
Fees will not be refundable upon students cancellation. However they could be transferred to other workshops or studies in AMAA. Fees will be 100% refundable if AMAA cancels the workshop.
About Instructor Zin Lim :
Zin Lim is an internationally renowned Korean artist and educator, known for his unique blend of realism, impressionism, and expressionism. With over 12 years of teaching experience at the Academy of Art Graduate School in San Francisco, he has developed a range of theories and techniques to help artists discover and develop their creative voices.
He has conducted more than 100 workshops, masterclasses, and lectures worldwide, including in the United States, Korea, Japan, Europe, China, Australia, and Dubai. Zin Lim's workshops are known for their dynamic and improvisational approach, encouraging artists to break away from the constraints of traditional techniques and explore more expressive and emotional styles. His teaching focuses not only on improving technical skills but also on helping artists uncover their unique artistic voices and express them boldly through their work.
Zin Lim’s work has received international recognition, with seven grand prizes in juried competitions and representation in 12 galleries across the United States. His artwork has been exhibited in over 100 solo and group exhibitions worldwide, including in prominent galleries and museums in Dubai.
He holds an MFA from the Academy of Art Graduate School in San Francisco and a BFA in Industrial Design from Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea.
Portrait Painting Workshop (10 DAYS)
Tutor : Troy Argyros
Date: August 11, 2025 to August 22 , 2025 (10 Week Days)Session 1 : 9am - 12noon Session 2 : 1pm - 4pm Price: $2250 AUD per session (Paint & Materials not included)Venue : Atelier Melbourne Art Academy, Oakleigh, Melbourne. Join Florence Academy of Art graduate and recent student of Charles H. Cecil Studios, Troy Argyros, for a two-week portrait painting workshop, working from life and to the scale of life under natural light. In a small group of just 5 per class, Troy will sensitively guide students through the process of creating a realistic oil portrait from life using the sight size method, capturing the visual impression of the sitter with fluidity and grace. Troy will be painting too, so students can see the process demonstrated from start to finish in real time. What students can expect to leave the workshop with is practical knowledge on :
• How to set up a portrait from life in sight size
• How to block in with paint
• How to use a painting medium to add fluidity and fusion to their drawing expression
• Palette organisation, colours and mixing, flesh tones
• How to prepare a painting at the end of a session for the next day
• What to prioritise at each stage
• How to apply and adjust paint on the canvas
• Methods for correcting mistakes independently
• Finishing
Students will get two in-depth critiques on their work per day, and any additional questions answered during the model breaks.
Note:
Fees will not be refundable upon students cancellation. However they could be transferred to other workshops or studies in AMAA. Fees will be 100% refundable if AMAA cancels the workshop.
Still Life Workshop - 3 days
Tutor : Hannah Sutton
Date: Saturday 20th - Monday 22nd September, 2025
Hours: 9am - 12noon / 1pm - 4pm (total of 6 lesson hours per day)
Price: 990 AUD
Included Materials: 1 x professional quality Claessens Canvas of 30x40cm, Still life objects and fabrics (Students may bring their own objects to paint if they would like to paint something specific.)About Your Instructor
Hannah Sutton is an Australian painter based in Florence, Italy, where she has a studio and is the program director of the 5-week Intensive Course in Drawing, Painting & Art History at The Florence Academy of Art. Of the many projects taught at the Academy, Hannah believes that still-life painting is the best studio exercise to teach composition, perspective, and controlling the elements of light, form, colour and texture across various objects. Workshop Description
Simple objects transform to tell a story in paint.
An introduction to composing and executing a Still Life painting using 19th-century classical realist methods. This 3-day workshop covers the basics of learning how to use the sight-size method, a classical drawing & painting technique, to set up objects, compose and execute a simple still life painting. Compositions will be inspired by classical 17th-19th century paintings, using natural light and a simple array of objects. Each day will focus on the step-by-step development of a small (no bigger than 30x40cm in size) painting with a simple composition. Demos will be given at the start of each day to show the process and discuss materials, paint mixing, and painting techniques. In addition to demonstrations, students will receive one-on-one critiques and instruction from Hannah throughout the day.
Though this workshop will focus on the practical use of a method to support your artistic practice, the aim is also to appreciate the beauty of everyday objects and the joy of translating them in paint.
Beginning – Intermediate – Advanced levels welcome.
SCULPTING WITH CLAY (6 DAYS)
3/4 Life- size Torso Workshop
Tutor : Georgina Mills
Date : 2025, MARCH 28, 29, 30 and APRIL 5, 6 ( 5 days )
Time : Friday - 4:30pm to 8pm
Other days - 9:00am to 1:30pm
Venue : Atelier Melbourne Art Academy, Oakleigh, Melbourne.
SOLD OUT ! contact for future workshops
(Students can expect 13 hours model time, Maximum class of 8 Students.) This is an intensive workshop that aims at improving student’s observational skills, sculpture techniques and knowledge of human anatomy and form. This course is specifically designed to introduce students to sculptural methods that help simplify the complexities of the human figure. Over the course students will sculpt from life a ¾ life-size torso with water based clay. Group lessons and daily individual critiques will help to guide them through this process. Students will then prepare their sculpture to kiln fired locally at their convenience. Students are to be aware that the kiln firing process can be unpredictable in results and the main goal of the workshop is learning how to improve their sculpting from life skills. Students can expect 13 hours model time. All clay will be supplied, some tools are available for use. All armatures are supplied and retained by the studio. Kiln firing not included (cost approximately $60).
