Artist LAB - Paper Dolls

Service Description

PAPER DOLLS A two-day workshop with artist Nicola Heim Saturday 31 October & Sunday 1 November 2026 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Das Art Department, Hackney, London In this two-day workshop, artist Nicola Heim invites you into the world of her Paper Dolls. We will draw, paint, cut, collage and construct, exploring faces and figures, colour and pattern, clothing and details, and ways of transforming flat paper into characters with movement and personality. DAY ONE — FACE, FIGURE & CHARACTER Nicola will introduce one of the central elements of her work: drawing faces. Through exercises, we will explore proportions, ways of simplifying a face, and how small changes in line, shape, expression or hair can transform a character. From faces, we move to the whole figure, considering body shape, posture and silhouette while developing our first Paper Doll ideas. We will create painted and patterned papers, experimenting with colour, marks and repeated shapes to give each figure a distinctive identity. Throughout the day, we will sketch, test ideas and begin creating our dolls. DAY TWO — CUT, CONSTRUCT & PLAY On day two, we move from drawing into construction. We will cut, layer and assemble our figures, exploring ways to connect individual elements. Nicola will demonstrate techniques for movable parts, as well as folded, layered and opening elements that can reveal something underneath. We will work with: drawing and painting faces and figures colour and pattern painted and found papers collage and layering clothing and details movable joints folding and opening elements different construction and assembly techniques Nicola will introduce a collection of techniques and possibilities. The aim is to create one or more individual Paper Dolls and discover approaches you can continue exploring in your own work. WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR? The workshop is particularly suited to people who enjoy experimenting with drawing, colour, pattern, paper and construction, and are curious about taking a figure beyond the page. Some previous art-making experience is recommended, but no previous Paper Doll experience is required. Most importantly, come prepared to play, experiment and see what happens when a drawing becomes something you can hold, move, dress, fold and unfold.