Time together
Draw someone you enjoy spending time with
Take turns drawing one another with paper and a pencil. Choose a comfortable pose, notice a few familiar details and reveal the portraits with kindness when you are done.
- Time
- 45–90 minutes
- Budget
- Free to begin
- Company
- Friends · Family · Partners
- Setting
- At home · seated or remote
Why make time?
You would like to make something together without booking a class or choosing another place to eat. A portrait afternoon gives a friend, partner or family member your attention and leaves room for an enjoyable, imperfect result.
You may notice a favorite shirt, a familiar expression or the way someone sits that usually passes in the background. The picture records how you spent time together. It does not need to look realistic to carry that memory.
Before you begin
- Use paper and pencils, crayons or markers you already own. Give each person a comfortable seat and a surface for drawing. Extra paint, canvases and matching supplies are unnecessary.
- Invite the person openly: ‘Would you like to draw each other for ten minutes each?’ Agree on a kind portrait rather than a joke about someone’s appearance. Let anyone choose a self-portrait, a favorite object or another role instead.
- Ask before taking a reference photograph or sharing any finished picture. For children, use suitable materials and let them decide how long to sit. Keep the first round short enough that posing is comfortable.
Make it happen
Choose a pose you can comfortably keep
Let the person settle naturally with a book, a cushion or an object they like. They can change position or take a break; nobody needs to hold an awkward expression for the picture.
Begin with the biggest shapes
Look at the shape of the head, shoulders and clothing and place them lightly on the page. Make the person large enough to add a few details. A simple outline is a perfectly good start.
Add details that feel like them
Choose the curve of glasses, a hairstyle, a favorite sleeve or something they are holding. Look up regularly and let conversation happen. You can use invented colors or add a setting they enjoy.
Change places and give the other person time
After the agreed short round, swap drawing and posing roles. Keep encouragement specific, such as noticing a color or a lively line, and save technical advice unless the artist asks for it.
Reveal the pictures generously
Show the portraits and explain one detail you liked making. Laugh together when the maker and sitter both enjoy the result, without making somebody’s body or ability the joke. Offer each person the portrait made for them.
Make the most of it
Leave room for a picture to be charming in its own way. A child’s enormous hat or a friend’s bold use of color can be more memorable than careful proportions. You are spending an afternoon together, not choosing the best artist.
Make it work for you
Draw across a call
Use a video call for a short pose, then show the pages to each other. Ask before taking a screenshot or recording. A familiar photograph used with permission also works when holding a pose is difficult.
Make a portrait from shapes or objects
Arrange large paper shapes on a table, or choose familiar objects that represent the person and describe why. Someone else can place pieces at your direction. Keep everything temporary if you want an easy cleanup.
Begin with a self-portrait
Use a mirror, a permitted photograph or your imagination. At a later gathering, everyone can share their own picture without having to sit for someone else.
Afterward
Write the date on a picture you want to keep. Its value can be the person and the afternoon it brings back, even if your drawing changes later.
Useful preparation
These sources support the practical cautions. The experience and its possible meaning are original STUDadventure suggestions.
End of this experience