Two Model Figure Drawing Workshop

Master the complex dynamics of drawing the multi-figure composition. This intensive, five-hour studio workshop features two models posing simultaneously, offering a rare opportunity to study structural anatomy, overlapping forms, and the spatial relationships between interacting figures.

Under direct observation, students will progress from quick, dynamic gestures to detailed, extended poses. Through hands-on exercises and instructor demonstrations, you will learn to navigate the negative space between models, capture shared gravity, and render how light and shadow pass from one form onto another.

What you will master:

• The Geometry of Connection: Capture the intersecting lines and weight distribution of interacting poses.
• Chiaroscuro & Shared Light: Observe how one figure casts reflections and shadows onto the other.
• Spatial Composition: Balance two figures on a single plane to create depth and narrative tension.

Whether you aim to build a competitive portfolio or develop your personal expressive style, this workshop provides structured, one-on-one guidance to elevate your figurative practice. Two highly experienced models will be present. The session concludes with a collective group critique.

Open to teens with written parental permission, download the form HERE, and submit it signed to Melissa Gabriel [email protected]. 

The Five-Hour Session Schedule

Part 1: Shared Gesture and Spatial Warm-Up

10 – 10:30 a.m. | 30 minutes

• The Focus: Loosening up the hand and eye while training the brain to see two figures as a single compositional unit.
• The Action: A rapid series of 1-, 2-, and 5-minute poses. The instructor focuses on capturing the shared energy, the negative space between the models, and the lines of connection rather than isolated proportions.

Part 2: The Geometry of Connection (Proportion & Structure)

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | 60 minutes

• The Focus: Establishing a solid, structural foundation for two interacting bodies.
• The Action: Poses lengthen to 10 and 15 minutes. Students practice comparative measurement to ensure both figures are scaled correctly to one another, focusing on shared gravity, overlapping contours, and the points of physical contact.

Part 3: Overlapping Anatomy & Intersecting Mass

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | 60 minutes

• The Focus: Deconstructing how the mass and musculature of one figure relate to, or physically support, the other.
• The Action: Two longer poses (25–30 minutes). Students refine anatomical accuracy, paying close attention to weight distribution and how foreshortening behaves when one model is positioned partially in front of the other.

Lunch Break: 12:30 – 1 p.m. | 30 minutes

Part 4: Shared Light & Intersecting Shadows (Rendering Form)

1 – 2 p.m. | 60 minutes

• The Focus: Developing a three-dimensional quality using complex lighting dynamics across a single, sustained dual-pose (50 minutes).
• The Action: With the models holding a fixed, long position, students move beyond line work to explore chiaroscuro (light and shadow). Key observation is placed on cast shadows—specifically, how one model’s body casts shadows and reflects light onto the other’s skin.

Part 5: Finishing and Collective Critique

2 – 3 p.m. | 60 minutes

• The Focus: Final rendering of the long-pose drawing followed by a collaborative review.
• The Action: The first 30 minutes are dedicated to resolving fine details and edges on the sustained pose. The final 30 minutes are spent as a group, sharing work and discussing how different artists successfully resolved the spatial and narrative relationship between the two figures.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR 

Born in NOLA and raised in the Dominican Republic, Raul Perdomo has been an exhibiting artist working in Miami since 1990. He holds a BFA degree in painting and drawing from Florida State University with minors in printmaking and art history. His work has been included in multiple group and solo exhibitions and is a part of many national and international art collections.

Raul has been a South Florida Art Center/now Oolite Arts resident artist between 1990-1993. His experiences as an exhibiting artist in the contemporary art world evolved into the art education field, where he worked for M-DCPS between 2006-2008. Between 2008-2012, taught advanced painting, drawing, and portfolio development workshops both privately and at Oolite Arts. Perdomo served as visual arts program director and has worked as an instructor at Miami Arts Charter School, Wynwood campus, since 2011.