Portrait – drawing & painting
We build a basis by learning about proportions, three-dimensionality and light, and then we look for that special something that makes someone just who they are. From photos and live models.
for curious people who want to learn to draw well
You love to draw, but your drawings always look a little different than what's actually in front of you. You can see that, but the path from recognition to execution remains unclear.
At Nila you learn to really see: you start to notice the quirks and details that make a person exactly who they are, and how to carry them onto the paper.
We paint and draw in small groups up to 8 people, or one-on-one – from your first stroke to confident painting. Courses are for adults, and some are in German and some in English. These are the kinds I offer; specific dates are listed below.
We build a basis by learning about proportions, three-dimensionality and light, and then we look for that special something that makes someone just who they are. From photos and live models.
Get the basics! We start with simple forms, all the way to a live model. With pencil, charcoal, ink and color in all its glorious forms.
From pencil, to ink, to acrylics – we inspect each technique with a magnifying glass!
Once a week, an evening dedicated to — as the name suggests — evening nude sessions. With instruction and live models.
Private lessons, fully tailored to you – alone, with one or as many friends as you like. Together we set the topic and the pace that suit you, and pick a date whenever you like.
1:1 or small group · on request Request one-on-one coachingOne-on-one guidance for your art school entrance exam. Together we discuss your interests and ideas, and find ways to sharpen the work to present it with precision.
One-on-one · on request Request portfolio consultationA birthday, a company event, or a bachelorette party? Tell me your idea — we'll find a format for it.
Write to meIn this two-day workshop we draw from photos and a live model. We begin with fundamental theory about composition and three-dimensionality – learning about proportions and how to depict a person's character on paper. You draw in pencil in longer sittings, with a few playful breaks with exercises to loosen up the grip and the eye. And could anyone ever get enough of drawing portraits? Come and see why this form is the ultimate art classic.
In this two-day workshop we draw from photos and a live model. We begin with fundamental theory about composition and three-dimensionality – learning about proportions and how to depict a person's character on paper. You draw in pencil in longer sittings, with a few playful breaks with exercises to loosen up the grip and the eye. And could anyone ever get enough of drawing portraits? Come and see why this form is the ultimate art classic.
Courses take place in Julija's studio in Mitte, close to Alexanderplatz. It is spacious, with an impressive view over Berlin from the 6th floor.
Nila was founded by the artist Julija Zaharijević in Berlin.
Julija has been teaching drawing and painting since 2016, at institutions including Boesner and Zeichenfabrik, and has taught in Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna and beyond. Her focus is figurative work – portrait, nude, figure – alongside still life, landscape and animals, across a wide range of techniques. Her teaching is structured but never rigid: technical clarity, curiosity, and attention to where each student actually is, not where they're supposed to be.
For workshops, private courses, or questions, just write to me directly – I'll get back to you quickly.
Last updated: 29 September 2026
These terms apply to all courses offered by Julija Zaharijević, trading as "Nila" ("I"), to customers ("customer"). The version published on kunstschule-nila.de at the time of registration applies.
These terms are available in German and English. In case of discrepancies, the German version prevails.
Nila offers drawing and painting courses for a course fee. Julija Zaharijević designs and teaches the courses in person.
Location (studio at Mollstraße 1, 10178 Berlin), dates, duration, and the minimum and maximum number of participants are stated in the respective course listing on the website.
Registration is by email and is initially non-binding. The contract is concluded when I confirm participation by email.
The course fee is payable within 7 days of the confirmation, by bank transfer or PayPal. The payment details are in the confirmation.
The customer can cancel the contract by email. The calendar day on which I receive the cancellation is decisive. Example: course starts on the 20th, cancellation received on the 13th = 7 days before.
The customer may prove that I incurred no loss or a substantially lower loss.
The customer can name a substitute to attend in their place until the course starts.
If the minimum number of participants is not reached, I can cancel the course up to 6 days before it starts. I refund any course fees already paid in full.
If I am unable to teach due to illness or accident, I first offer a replacement date. If that is not reasonable for the customer, they receive a credit or, on request, a pro-rata refund of the course fee.
At the start of the course, I give an introduction to the tools and materials used. Safety instructions must be followed. I do not take custody of personal belongings or clothing.
I am liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence, and for damages arising from injury to life, body or health. For slight negligence, I am liable only for breach of an essential contractual obligation (cardinal obligation), the fulfillment of which makes the proper conduct of the course possible in the first place and on whose observance the customer may regularly rely; in this case, liability is limited to the foreseeable damage typical for this type of contract.
Artwork created in the course belongs to the participants.
I use recordings in which participants or their artwork can be identified only with separate consent. Consent can be withdrawn at any time without formalities.
How I process personal data is described in the privacy notice on this website.
Julija Zaharijević | Kunstschule Nila | Mollstraße 1, 10178 Berlin | +49 152 28348525 | info@kunstschule-nila.de | kunstschule-nila.de
There is no right of withdrawal, as the courses are services related to leisure activities on a specific date (§ 312g (2) no. 9 BGB).
Julija Zaharijević, Mollstraße 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany, info@kunstschule-nila.de
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Last updated: September 2026