Service Description

Explore mark making, texture and expressive portraiture in a two-day oil pastel workshop with Viktoria Maliar. Join Viktoria at Artiloft in Zürich for a weekend devoted to the expressive possibilities of oil pastels. The workshop looks at how a mark, a shape or a change in value can give an image energy, structure and personality. The two days offer complementary ways of working. Day 1 focuses on mark making: the gestures and traces that give a drawing its individual character. Day 2 turns to the face, exploring structure, volume and the spark that makes a portrait feel alive. Throughout the weekend, Viktoria shares the essentials she teaches in her workshops and retreats: shapes and values as a foundation for confident, expressive drawing. DAY 1 · MARK MAKING, GESTURE AND TEXTURE Oil pastels have a particular richness in the way they meet the paper. You will explore how texture, rhythm and gesture can bring energy and personality to your work. The first day invites you to pay attention to the marks you make, their direction and their place within an image. You will look for ways to use them with intention and develop your own visual language. Alongside observing a subject, you will consider what the gesture and the material themselves can express. DAY 2 · STRUCTURE AND EXPRESSION IN PORTRAITURE On the second day, the focus shifts to the face. You will explore its structure and volume, and the elements that make a portrait feel alive. Working with shapes and values will help you organise your drawing and understand the relationships between different parts of the face. The explorations of Day 1 can then feed into your portrait work, bringing observation, gesture and personal expression together. WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR? All artistic levels are welcome. You may be picking up oil pastels for the first time, or looking to loosen up and deepen an existing practice. No previous experience is required. The group is limited to 16 participants, leaving room for exchange and individual attention. ABOUT VIKTORIA MALIAR Viktoria Maliar is a Ukrainian artist who trained at the Weißensee art school in Berlin. She lives and works in Dresden. Specialising in oil pastels, she creates expressive portraits that bring together emotion, memories, dreams and identity. Discover her work: www.viktoriamaliar.com PRACTICAL INFORMATION Dates: Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027. Schedule for both days: • 10:00–13:00: morning session. • 13:00–14:00: lunch break. • 14:00–17:00: afternoon session. • 17:00–18:00: review and discussion of participants’ work. Total: 14 hours of masterclass over two days, comprising 12 hours of the main programme and 2 hours of review and discussion. Venue: Artiloft Zürich, Craft Factory, 4th floor, Albulastrasse 24, 8048 Zürich. Teaching languages: English and German. PRICES AND MATERIALS CHF 460 per person for both days with your own materials. CHF 490 per person for both days with materials provided by the school. If you wish to bring your own materials, request the recommended materials list at info@artiloft.ch. A certificate of participation will be issued at the end of the workshop. Online registration and payment are required to reserve your place. OPTIONAL GROUP DINNER On Saturday 6 February, from 19:00 to 21:00, participants who wish to join can meet for a group dinner at a restaurant near Artiloft. Dinner is at an additional cost and is not included in the workshop fee. Artiloft will arrange the table reservation for those who would like to attend.