Open Call to Exhibit: all students!!

**Last day to submit is Saturday, October 18, 12-1pm !!

Other upcoming times: Friday, October 17, 1-4 pm, October 14 & 15 from 4-6 pm or at 9pm.

All former and current students of the Berlin Drawing Room are invited to participate in an upcoming exhibition! This is a great opportunity to showcase your work in a supportive community setting! Don't be shy! You are welcome to exhibit work that you made during the workshop you participated in, or thereafter.

The exhibition will take place on October 19 at the Berlin Drawing Room. There will be a reception for the artists and their friends, as well as friends of the Berlin Drawing Room. Although the exhibition will only be up for one day, lot's of people will come through and it will be a really fun event. If you have time, volunteer to help with install/deinstall or during the reception (see details below).

The Berlin Drawing Room has offered high quality Drawing, Painting, Watercolor and Mixed Media Workshops since the summer of 2011. Even if you participated in a workshop a few years back, you are still very welcome to participate!

• Who can submit work: all former students! That means if you have ever take a workshop at the Berlin Drawing Room at any time, you are invited!
• What to submit: up to 3 pieces per participant, made during or after the workshop. The number of works included will depend space and the amount of other works submitted.
• When to submit: Tuesday/Wednesday (Oct. 7/8, 14/15) from 4-6pm or at 9pm (before or after current classes), Sunday, October 5 from 1-3pm. Friday, October 17, 1-6pm. Or arrange a time by getting sending me an email.
• Where to submit: Bring your work directly to the Berlin Drawing Room.
• Label: Make sure your works is labeled with your name, the year the work was made, and title. 
• Volunteer: to help set up on Saturday, October 18, help with refreshments on Sunday, October 19, or deinstall on Monday, October 20. Any little bit of help is greatly appreciated!!!
• Confirm: please confirm that you will participate and when you plan to drop off your work. Thank you!

Installation: Saturday, October 18 (all day)
Exhibition and Reception: Sunday, October 19 (more details to come)

The Drawing Room has traditionally been a space for sharing ideas and discoveries.

Private Parties at the Berlin Drawing Room

Looking for a creative way to start off you Hen/ Stag Party weekend in Berlin? Look no further!

Hen Party Life Drawing

Life Drawing Parties at the Berlin Drawing Room are a fun and creative way to celebrate with your friends! With the added bonus that you get to take your drawings back home with you.

We have hosted many great Bachelor/ Bachelorette Parties at the Berlin Drawing Room. Usually the format is charcoal drawing from a live nude model. Male or female - your choice. Our models are highly skilled and experienced, most of them are professional dancers or performers.

We start off with a warm up exercise to loosen everybody up.  Then we move on to short gesture poses.  At the end there might be one or two longer poses (10-15 min).  We will stick to a fast paced format that keeps the energy level high. Workshops usually last 2 hours.

The focus here is on having fun and participating in a unique event, not on creating masterpieces. These workshops are perfect for total beginners as well as the more experienced.

lot's of short poses: gesture drawings!

* The Berlin Drawing Room can accommodate groups up to 12 people. If your group is much bigger, it is possible to rent a larger space nearby for the event. At additional cost.
* All materials and the model are included.
* Prosecco can be arranged at a reasonable extra cost.
* CONTACT me for a personalized quote. This will depend on the number of participants and the length of the workshop. Typically a workshop starts at around 280 Euro.

Bachelorette Party

... with a little prosecco!

Bachelor Party

Bridesmaids sifting through their drawings

the bride is the one wearing the veil!

Fall Drawing and Painting Workshops!

I'm really excited to announce two upcoming workshops, starting in September! The Drawing Workshop is a classic, and like I say, "Everyone should learn how to draw!"  

The Painting Workshop will be a challenging yet rewarding exploration into the counterintuitive world of color! A great follow up to the Drawing Workshop.

Sign up now by contacting Mira HERE

*** Mira will be away from the computer August 30 - September 6.  If you don't here back right away regarding your registration in a workshop, that is the reason! But not to worry, there is usually enough space for everyone who wants to join the class, so just assume all is good unless you here otherwise. And I will be writing marathon emails on the 7th! ***

Drawing Workshop: September 9 - October 14

the Berlin Drawing Room in action

This workshop introduces basic techniques in drawing, with a focus on drawing from observation. Exercises explore technique, medium and strategies in visual thinking. This class is a perfect introduction for beginners, with some new skills to be learned for the more experienced. You will see your skills improve, no matter what level you are starting at!

Each class is structured around a formal topic: contour lines, tonality, negative space, portraits, etc...  with examples from art-history and contemporary art, followed by a brief discussion. We will build technique through guided exercises, followed by time for experimentation and longer drawings. We will draw from a live model and from still-life creations.

We will make an excursion to draw the ready-made still-lives of Berlin’s Natural History Museum, including dinosaur bones and exotic taxidermy. This class will take the form of a Drawing Scavenger Hunt!

Location: Berlin Drawing Room in Kreuzberg, directions HERE

Schedule: Tuesday 6-9 pm (September 9 - October 14, 2014))

      - Field-Trip to the Natural History Museum on Saturday, October 4, 12-2 pm.

Cost: 140 Euro for the complete Workshop (7 classes: 6 regular plus 1 field-trip)
Sign-up: contact

                 - more about the instructor HERE
                 - limited to 10 students

Link to drawing supply list and suggestions where to purchase HERE

"I really recommend this classes to open minded people. Here you will learn basics or enhance your already established skills in a non academic way. You can alwais grab a book and learn about how you "should" draw lights and shadows, but this is different. This is about approaching reality, breaking through your "standards" and creating something that, sometimes surprisingly, is alwais definitely interesting. If you are not afraid of what can get out of your pencil when you let it go, just come to this workshop: it is the right place for you."   -  (Review by Simone Brizzi, participant of the Drawing Workshop)

Painting Workshop: September 10 - October 15

Painting Workshop

This workshop is an introduction into the expressive and versatile medium of painting.  

We will start with basic color theory, learning how to mix colors and achieve a unified color world. Through exercises designed to show the difference between hue and value, or the relationship between complimentary colors, we will sharpen our understanding of how colors interact and how to mix paint.  

We will learn step by step how to approach making a painting.  We will explore techniques for layering and using brushstrokes to create form and space.  Non-toxic acrylic paint will be supplied. 

The focus of the workshop will be on representational painting from direct observation, such as from a still-life or a self portrait looking in the mirror.  One exception will be the Painting Collage project, and there will be opportunities to explore individual style and personal expression.  

Location: Berlin Drawing Room in Kreuzberg, directions HERE

Schedule: Wednesday 6-9 pm (September 10 - October 15, 2014)
                   - Field Trip: Saturday, October 11, 12-2pm to see a painting exhibition.

Cost: 150 Euro for the complete Workshop (7 classes) including paint.
Sign-up: contact

                 - more about the instructor HERE
                 - limited to 10 students

Supplies: Acrylic Paint will be supplied. Brushes and paper available for purchase.

Painting Collage

Life Drawing in August 2014

Join us for Open Life Drawing at the Berlin Drawing Room!

Wednesday, August 6, 6-9 pm

               Focus: Charcoal and contour lines

Sunday, August 10, 4-7 pm

               Focus: Ink and watercolor

Wednesday, August 13, 6-9 pm

                Focus: Longer poses

Price:  45 Euro for all three classes, 20 Euro per class.
Materials:  Bring a drawing pad, pencils, and any other drawing utensils you like.  Some special materials will be provided or available for purchase. See below for details.
RSVP:  contact

ink with watercolor background

Format:  Draw from a live nude model! The typical format we use for life drawing, or Aktzeichnen, goes like this.  We start out with a warm up drawing excercise, such as blind contour drawing. Then we do a series of gesture drawings from short expressive poses - always interesting because our models are typically dancers and performers! We end the session with a few longer 20 minute poses.  I will suggest themes to focus on such as "the exploratory line" or "negative space".  There is a break so you can mingle, get a coffee, or at least some fresh air.

These open life drawing sessions are well suited for absolute beginners as well as more advanced participants. Whether you want to learn new techniques, or just draw from a model with a nice group of people in a beautiful space, you are welcome. 

Focus: This year I have decided to spice things up with a special focus for each session. You can choose to participate in the focus, or not. I know that for some of you, you just want to draw from a model and you have your own technique in mind, and you are very welcome to pursue this and ignore me.  

• Charcoal and Contour Lines:  For the first class we focus on long flowing contour lines with charcoal! Emphasis will be on quality and economy of line, as well as the various effects one can achieve with the modest medium of charcoal.  Materials: Bring sketch books, drawing pads, pencils, erasers, etc... Some paper and charcoal are provided. 
• Ink and Watercolor: We will experiment with ink and watercolor as drawing mediums.  This technique is different from creating a finished painting.  We will "draw" with the paint brush and use color more graphically. Watercolor may provide a soft colorful background for a an ink painting, or the drips and pools of color may blend into the drawing.  (see example above)  Materials:  Bring watercolor paper, brushes, water based mediums such as watercolor or ink, a cup for water, a palette, paper towels.  I will have some ink and watercolor to use, and some watercolor paper and brushes for purchase. If you don't have all the materials, don't worry!  I have materials to share, and other people usually like to share what they bring. A little bit of my red ink for your blue? So just bring what you have.
• Longer Poses: The special focus here effects the format of the class itself. Instead of the many shorter gestural poses we normally start out with, we will spend almost the entire class time with longer 20 minute poses. We will have a few short poses to warm up at the start, but then we go straight to the 20 minute poses. You can use these longer poses to create more finished works or experiment further with some of the materials we used in the first two classes. This could also be an opportunity to make more detailed studies or hands, feet or a portrait.  Materials: Anything you like! 

Open Life Drawing: Sunday, July 27. 4-7pm

Draw from a live nude model! 

Join us for Open Life Drawing at the Berlin Drawing Room! All are welcome!

We start out with a warm up drawing exercise, such as blind contour drawing. Then we do a series of short gestural poses - always interesting because our models are typically dancers and performers! We end the session with a few longer 20 minute poses.  The instructor will suggest themes to focus on such as "the exploratory line" or "negative space".  Personal instruction and critique will be geared to the level of each participant. These classes are suitable for beginners as well as the more advanced who want to practice drawing from a model.  

When: Sunday, July 27. 4-7pm
Where: Berlin Drawing Room
Cost: 20 Euro (some paper and charcoal will be provided)
RSVP: contact

life drawing at the Berlin Drawing Room

gesture drawings

Summer Workshops: Drawing and Watercolor!

Sign up now for June/ July Workshops at the Berlin Drawing Room!  
I will be offering the Drawing Workshop from June 24 - July 29 and the long awaited Watercolor Workshop from June 25 - July 16.  

To sign up, contact me at miraob@gmail.com. You will receive a registration form with payment instructions. 

Summer Drawing Workshop: June 24 - July 29

This workshop introduces basic techniques in drawing, with a focus on drawing from observation. Exercises explore technique, medium and strategies in visual thinking. This class is a perfect introduction for beginners, with some new skills to be learned for the more experienced. You will see your skills improve, no matter what level you are starting at!

Each class is structured around a formal topic: contour lines, tonality, negative space, portraits, etc...  with examples from art-history and contemporary art, followed by a brief discussion. We will build technique through guided exercises, followed by time for experimentation and longer drawings. We will draw from a live model and from still-life creations.

We will make an excursion to draw the ready-made still-lives of Berlin’s Natural History Museum, including dinosaur bones and exotic taxidermy. This class will take the form of a Drawing Scavenger Hunt!

Location: Berlin Drawing Room in Kreuzberg

Schedule: Tuesday 6-9 pm (June 24 - July 29)  Field-Trip: Saturday, July 12, 12-2 pm.

Cost: 140 Euro for the complete Workshop (7 classes: 6 regular plus 1 field-trip)
(materials are not included, find the supply list here)

for more info: drawing workshop

Summer Watercolor Workshop: June 25 - July 16

In this Workshop we will use the landscape of Berlin as a subject for learning the subtle medium of watercolor.  Basic color theory will also be covered. We will learn how to layer transparent colors to create the effect of cool shadows and warm sunlight, how to control the paint flow for fine detail as well as smooth backgrounds, and how to use the brush for different types of texture.

Tiergarten (Spring 2013)

The Workshop will take place twice per week, first in the studio and then outdoors. The classes held in Berlin Drawing Room studio will focus on technique, which can then be applied in the field. We will meet every Saturday in a new location, and paint plein-air.  See pictures below for some examples of past plein-air sites.

No experience required! This class is perfect for beginners as well as more advanced students who want to improve their skills or just discover interesting landscape locations with fellow painters!

June 25 - July 16

7 meetings: 4 x on Wedneday in the studio 
from 6-9 pm  
(June 25, July 2, 9, 16)
and 3 x on Saturday in the field from 12-3 pm. (June 28, July 5, 13)
cost: 140 Euros 

(materials are not included, find the supply list here)

for more info: watercolor workshop

Guides for Seeing Art in Berlin

In the mood to go see some art but not sure where to go? Tired of paying museum admission fees but intimidated by the long list of galleries? Already saw the "big names" but not sure what to see next?

Help is here! Well indirectly... I wanted to share with the Berlin Drawing Room community my list of art guides in Berlin.  These are great resources for finding out what is currently up, but also to get tips and reviews.

Enjoy!

One of my favorite exhibitions from last year:
Hilma af Klint at the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum

1.  Index Berlin
http://www.indexberlin.de
This guide is fairly comprehensive when it comes to commercial galleries, and has a pretty good list of alternative spaces and private collections (that are open to the public) as well. Invaluable is also the list of openings, by date!

2.  Berlin Art Link
http://www.berlinartlink.com
This website is great because they give weekly recommendations on what to see. They also post reviews, studio visits, and more to go deeper into the Berlin art-scene, as well as a variety of other resources.

3.  Bpigs: Berlin Independents Guide
http://bpigs.com
Here you can find listings for mainly alternative, artist-run, project spaces in all their variety! Bpigs offers weekly recommendations for exhibitions and other art-related events.  Reviews and a variety of other content can also be found on their website. 

4.  The Berlin Drawing Room FB page!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berlin-Drawing-Room/111978005591766
I post links here to the exhibitions we see when we go on class field-trips, or just when I come across something that I think you guys would enjoy.  So "like" the page and my suggestions!

Painting Workshop Field-trip

Mixed Media Field-trip to Blain|Southern

Yinka Shonibare at Blain|Southern