Creative Portrait
Adult (Ages 16+) | Registration opens 10/28/2026 10:00 AM
Have you always felt a love and curiosity about the subject of portrait-painting and how it's done? This is the perfect course for students of all backgrounds and experience levels! Our 8-week workshop will introduce you to gesture drawing and personal color language. We will build upon our knowledge each week advancing from simple construction of the head in charcoal and graphite to tonal painting, the elements of light, color mixing and materials for acrylic paint, completing our semester with a finished color portrait in acrylic or a medium of your choosing that you will feel proud of. Instruction will be paired with demos, handouts, guided exercises and discussions to suit your interests and experience level.
Email Communication Policy
Please note that ACA will use the email address, which you provided at registration, as our primary means of communicating with you. In registering for an ACA program, you acknowledge that ACA has permission to email you with important updates, as well as information about upcoming events, programs and exhibition opportunities. Requests to be removed from our email mailing list must be sent to info@acarts.org.
Text/SMS Notification Service
To receive important text updates, including class reminders, weather cancellations, and more, please consider enrolling in our SMS/Text Notification Service. Please note that this service is only intended to provide important program reminders & updates for participants and will not be used for promotional purposes.
Upon registering, you will receive an automatic confirmation of your subscription from the number (781) 429-0398. Please save this number as “ACA” or “Arlington Center for the Arts” for future reference. Please note that this is a non-responsive line. To receive live assistance from an ACA staff member, please contact info@acarts.org or (781) 648-6220.
- Paint:
1 acrylic paint set containing the following 5 colors: alizarin crimson, cad yellow light, ultramarine blue, ivory black, titanium white. Good brands: liquitex, golden. Recommended size: 59 fl oz tube
1 plastic or portable palette for mixing paint
1 palette knife. Here is a suitable example: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/rgm-plus-palette-knife-size-34
Brushes: 4 brushes, 2 rounds, 1 medium flat, 1 large flat or round. Synthetic brushes are generally durable but type and brand choice is yours. Suitable example: https://www.dickblick.com/products/silver-brush-bristlon-synthetic-brushes/
A couple canvas pads are best for classtime. You may wish to buy stretched canvas for at home practice or your final project. Canvas pads can be any size but not smaller than 9 x 12” is recommended. Suitable Example: Strathmore Canvas Pad: 300 series, 100% Cotton, medium texture
Drawing:
1 pack vine charcoal sticks, graphite drawing pencils
charcoal paper pad or large sketchbook
Reba Nehring
Reba is a Massachusetts-raised Neurodivergent Teaching Artist with 10+ years of experience painting, teaching, and working in the arts. They graduated from The Walnut Hill School for the Arts in 2007, with a major in Visual Art. In 2011 they graduated from The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts 4-year Certi?cate Program, and in 2012, they graduated from The University of Pennsylvania, with a BFA and a concentration in Art History.
During their education Reba received numerous awards in recognition of their work including the Richard E. & Dalto Woosam Scholarship, Academy Merit Award and Gray Trust Scholarship, Barnet Prize for Abstract Art, Caldalder Prize for Landscape, and the Linda Lee Alter Scholarship.
Reba has participated in group shows at Chase Young Gallery and The New Hope Art Center, and in 2016, they accepted a scholarship and residency at The Vermont Studio Center.
Reba began teaching in 2021, and have taught classes and led workshops on topics including painting and drawing, color theory, and mixed media approaches for adult learners and high school students. Reba is especially passionate about working in non-traditional spaces and providing learners of diverse backgrounds and abilities with enriching, thoughtful creative lessons.