A few words from learners who began where you are.
“Portraits are something I always avoided, never confident with them. Breaking the face down into proportions made it simple, and made me feel capable.”
“This was my first experience with watercolour portraits. I learnt a lot, and I feel more confident now.”
“This is the first time I have made a human face with confidence.”
“Definitely not the exact version, but I am so happy with my first portrait ever.”
“I just loved doing this painting. I couldn’t believe, first of all, that I could draw people.”
“I am absolutely loving the portrait course. The step by step teaching is amazing for a non-artist like me.”
By the third evening: soft skin tones, gentle expression, a portrait you made from scratch.
An eye, a nose, and lips in a single tone, so each feature starts to feel approachable.
Proportions and every feature placed as a simple shape, drawn from a reference.
Open any section to see the exact dates, days, and what you will cover.
We begin with the foundation of a portrait. You learn the basic proportions of a face and how to simplify features into shapes, then sketch a straight-face portrait from a reference, placing the eyes, nose, lips, face shape, neck, and hair. It is about understanding the structure before any paint.
You finish with a complete portrait sketch, ready to paint. There are six days before Day 2 to refine it and share it for feedback.
We shift to watercolour and practise the features on their own. Before the full portrait, you paint the eyes, nose, and lips in monochrome, so you can feel value, softness, and shadow without the pressure of colour mixing.
You finish with monochrome studies of an eye, a nose, and lips, and steadier control before the final portrait.
We paint the portrait you sketched on Day 1. You start with light layers, build skin tones gradually, work the features within the whole face, and bring in softness and depth, without letting the face turn patchy or muddy.
You finish with a complete, beginner-friendly watercolour portrait.
The weekend after the workshop, on Saturday 1 August, we set aside a live hour to review selected works. It is included in your fee.
All sessions stay on your Alekhyam dashboard for three months, until 26 October 2026. Keep sharing your work for review while your replays are live, and continue with more steadiness on your own.
A digital certificate of completion, issued on request once you finish the workshop portrait, live or with the replays.
A couple of notes from learners who found a calmer way back into art.
That kind of progress is quiet, but it matters.
Yes. You do not need strong sketching skills to begin. The workshop is designed for learners who are new, rusty, or not yet confident. Every step is taught live, and each evening picks up where the last one ended, so you are never left guessing what to do next.
All three live sessions run from 5:00 to 7:30 PM IST. Each session is 2.5 hours, with a short break in the middle; questions are answered along the way, and each session closes with a 20-minute live Q&A. All times are India time (IST, UTC+5:30); in July that is about 12:30 PM in London and 7:30 AM in New York. The bonus review on 1 August runs from 5:00 to 6:00 PM IST.
Each session reaches your dashboard as a replay within a few hours of ending, so a missed evening is easy to catch up. Each evening builds on the one before, so watch the one you missed first.
All replays stay until 26 October 2026, three months after the final session. That window does not extend.
If you already know one of the dates clashes, write to us on WhatsApp or email before you book, and we will tell you honestly whether catching up by replay will work for you.
Comfortably, and never on camera. Only your instructor is on screen, and her camera stays on the paper, the colours, and the reference she is painting from, so the whole session stays with the art. Ask anything in the Zoom Q&A panel as it comes to you; she answers as she paints. Each session closes with a 20-minute live Q&A, where the team can unmute you if you would like to speak.
Live review is selective, based on artworks that reflect common doubts and learning points for the group. For live consideration, share your work 4-5 hours before the next session. Even if your work is not shown live, every workshop-related artwork shared in the learner community is reviewed while your replays are live, until 26 October 2026.
Joining links are sent by email, and you can also join directly from your Alekhyam dashboard on the app or website. Replays are streamed from the dashboard as well, so everything stays in one place.
You will learn to sketch a face from scratch, understand proportion and features, then move into watercolour basics, monochrome shading, skin tones, and finish a complete watercolour portrait with growing confidence.
You do not need an elaborate setup: watercolour paper (A4 sheets or a sketchbook; other sizes work too), a set of watercolours, a few synthetic round brushes, a pencil and eraser, water containers, a cloth, and a mixing palette or ceramic plate. Recommended brands and where to buy them are shared in your dashboard once you enrol. If you already have a simpler watercolour pad, start with it: Day 1 is sketching, so any paper does for your first evening, and thicker paper (around 300 GSM) holds the washes better once the painting days begin.
No. We give you the reference: it reaches you in your dashboard, and also by email and WhatsApp. It is the same female portrait you see across this page, so you already know exactly what you will be painting. Everyone works from the same reference, which makes every step easy to follow, and once you know the method you can paint any face you choose.
Our learner community lives on Tamboora, Alekhyam's community space. It is where you introduce yourself, share workshop-related work, ask questions, and receive support from the team and other learners. It uses a separate quick login, and we send you the details after you enrol.
Yes. You can request a full refund at any time before the second session begins on Saturday, 25 July. That covers a change of plans before the workshop starts, and the first evening not feeling right once you have tried it. Once the second session begins, refunds are not accepted.
Yes. The price of $18 covers the workshop in full: all three live sessions, the bonus review, and your replays. No forex or convenience fee is added by us at checkout.
Finish the workshop portrait, live or with the replays, and request your certificate on WhatsApp, email, or in the learner community. We issue it digitally, made out to the name on your account.
Because it certifies real, completed work, we ask to see your finished portrait, and we check your name once so the certificate carries your real name. If your account name and your ID differ, write to us first and we will sort it out. Replays stay until 26 October 2026, so there is time to finish at your own pace.
“A portrait is not about talent. It is about the right order, and someone guiding you through it. Three evenings are enough to begin.”
