November 7 - 9, 2025:
Portrait Masterclass with Alex Tzavaras
Only €280 for 21 Hours of Tuition by a Master Portrait Artist
7-9 November 2025
Venue:
PAKD Gallery, An Der Mole 9, 10317 Berlin
Discover the Fundamental Principles of Portrait Painting from life
Join contemporary realist artist Alex Tzavaras for a 3-Day intensive portrait painting workshop. Working exclusively from life, Alex will guide you through a clear, step-by-step process for creating lifelike portraits, using the direct Alla Prima technique, favoured by artists like John Singer Sargent.
Each day includes a full painting demonstration by Alex, alongside personal guidance to help you develop your skills and deepen your understanding of his portrait painting process
About Alex
Alex Tzavaras is a professional portrait artist and experienced instructor known for his clear, practical teaching style. He has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Royal Society of Portrait painters.
Passionate about preserving the knowledge of past masters, Alex is the creator of the popular SIMPLIFY drawing and painting YouTube channel, where he shares traditional drawing and painting techniques with a worldwide audience.
What You’ll Learn
A system for drawing with accurate proportion
How to simplify the head by breaking it down into basic shapes
How to sculpt 3D form using light and dark tonal values
Key strategies for achieving a likeness
Which colours to use for mixing realistic skin tones
Bring your portraits to life, by painting realistic features like the eyes and mouth
Practical tips on materials, brushes and setup
Ideal for artists who want to take their portrait painting skills to the next level.
Mixing palette - the larger the better
Brushes:
(Recommended minimum, preferably with long handles)
1 or 2 Large filbert bristle brushes: sizes 8 or 10
1 or 2 Medium filbert bristle brushes: sizes 6 or 8
1 or 2 Small filbert or Round bristle brushes: size 2
1 or 2 small round synthetic or sable rigger brushes: sizes 0 - 2
Odorless Mineral Spirit (i.e. Senellier Green, Sansodor,)
Oil Colours (please NO water-mixable oil paints):
Titanium White
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Red Light or Pyrrole Red (Cheaper option: like Winsor Red by Winsor & Newton)
Alizarin Crimson
Transparent Oxide Red or Burnt Sienna
Ultramarine Blue
Ivory Black
Canvas or Panels – 40cm x 30cm or larger. We recommend gesso-coated wood panels rather than soft cotton canvases, - these can also be purchased from the gallery when the course begins.
Kitchen Towels
ADDITIONAL OPTION - If you don’t want to purchase materials, we can offer brushes, paints and spirit to borrow at the gallery for a €5 surcharge.
Canvas or panel to paint on can also be bought at the gallery