The latest information on courses available at the Art Room can be found on this page. All courses are held at the address Yliopistonkatu 3, Porthania, 7th floor, unless otherwise indicated.
Inquiries: liekki@helsinki.fi.
Please note: The spring 2025 courses are full. For the student courses you can register to the queue.
You can attend the student courses only if you have registered as an attending student or postgraduate student for the same term. You need your student number to register.
You can only participate in one student course at a time (either Mon or Tue). You can queue for both, but if you get a place in both, you have to choose which course you attend.
Mondays 3 February – 14 April, 4–7 p. m., for University of Helsinki students and doctoral students (free of charge).
The course is fully booked! You can register to the queue: https://www.lyyti.in/Perinteinen_ja_soveltava_piirustus_I_0179/en
During the course, we will explore traditional and experimental methods of observational drawing, from classical plaster cast drawing to croquis. The course can accommodate 20 students and it's equally suitable for beginners and more experienced students. The teacher is the drawing master of the University of Helsinki, Vappu Rossi.
The course is not organized in weeks 8 and 10 (17 February and 3 March).
NB! Participation in the first course session on 3 March is mandatory. If you cannot attend the first session, inform the teacher beforehand so you don’t lose your place in the course.
Please note that the guided tours during drawing excursions may be held in Finnish. Drawing exercises and individual teaching are given also in English.
If the course fills up, it’s worth to register for the waiting list. You can register for places in the queue until the last week of the course.
You can attend the student courses only if you have registered as an attending student or postgraduate student for the same term. You need your student number to register.
You can only participate in one student course at a time (either Mon or Tue). You can queue for both, but if you get a place in both, you have to choose which course you attend.
Tuesdays 4 February – 15 April, 4–7 p. m., for University of Helsinki students and doctoral students (free of charge).
The course is fully booked! You can register to the queue: https://www.lyyti.in/Perinteinen_ja_soveltava_piirustus_II_1078/en
The course can accommodate 20 students and it's intended for people with some drawing experience or those who have completed the first course. The teacher is the drawing master of the University of Helsinki, Vappu Rossi.
The course is not organized in weeks 8 and 10 (18 February and 4 March).
NB! Participation in the first course session on 4 February is mandatory. If you cannot attend the first session, inform the teacher beforehand so you don’t lose your place in the course.
Please note that the guided tours during drawing excursions may be held in Finnish. Drawing exercises and individual teaching are given also in English.
If the course fills up, it’s worth to register for the waiting list. You can register for places in the queue until the last week of the course.
The intensive courses are open to everyone and feature atelier work, expert lectures, and excursions to various venues of the University of Helsinki, fascinating from the artist’s perspective. The teacher is the drawing master of the University of Helsinki, Vappu Rossi.
Intensive course Wednesday–Friday 5–7 March 2024 at 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Price 52 € / 26 €.(*
Registration begins on Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 9:00 a.m.: Fully booked!
For questions about the University’s online store, support requests: accounting@helsinki.fi.
The theme of the Spring 2025 course is the much-requested subject of face. The course begins with an overview of facial anatomy, presented by Dr. Suvi Viranta, University Lecturer in Anatomy from the Faculty of Medicine. During excursions, we will explore artworks focusing on faces in the University Main Building, the Old Student House, and Topelia, where art historian Dr. Ville Hakanen will introduce us to its plaster cast collection.
In the Art Room Atelier, we will create a large-scale facial study using charcoal and other drawing tools. The starting point can be a self-portrait or one of the sculptures from the Art Room’s plaster collection. A photograph can also serve as a reference.
Please note that the guided tours and expert lectures will be held in Finnish. Drawing exercises and individual teaching are given also in English.
At other times, we work on a large-scale charcoal drawing in the Art Room Atelier.
The Art Room Classics Courses are suitable for both beginners and more experienced artists.
The price 52€ / 26€ (discount price only for students and postgraduate students of the University of Helsinki) includes teaching, excursions, drawing supplies for atelier work and paper. You can bring your own equipment too, if you want. For excursions, you need your own drawing pad or sketchbook, and your own drawing tools.
Before the course, the participants will receive an email with additional instructions. Please check that your email is entered correctly on the registration form. Registration is binding.
The intensive course can accommodate 20 participants.
*) Note: For Art Room Classics, the reduced price is only for students and doctoral students registered as attending students for current term in the University of Helsinki.
Open to everyone. Wednesdays 5 February – 16 April at 5–7:30 p.m.
The price for one night 16€ / 10€. The teacher is the drawing master of the University of Helsinki, Vappu Rossi.
On 12 and 19 March, we have the same model & pose two times in a row.
More detailed info about the dates & themes and the registration links below.
Registration begins on Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
The open Drawing Nights at the Art Room welcome both beginners and more experienced artists. Each evening course can accommodate 20 participants. No previous experience in life drawing is necessary. Life drawing and croquis evenings will be held on alternating weeks. Places for the Drawing Nights are sold individually.
The price for one night is 16€ / 10€. The reduced price is for students, pensioners, unemployed, members of the Helsinki Alumni community, individuals doing their military or non-military service, and professional artists. Registration is binding.
Croquis is a full-body sketch of a model drawn in a short amount of time. The Croquis Nights at the Art Room provide a comprehensive overview of the different aspects of croquis drawing. Croquis, like all forms of life drawing, becomes even more rewarding with practice! For the croquis evenings, you need your own drawing pad or sketchbook, preferably size A4–A3, and your own drawing tools.
Life drawing at the Art Room focuses on classical drawing of a live model. The model does not change positions as in a croquis session. Instead, we will be drawing one pose over several 20-minute periods. The basics of charcoal drawing technics and observational drawing will be covered during the life drawing evenings. Life drawing is a fascinating, suitably challenging way for artists of all skill levels to practice their hand-eye coordination! In the Life Drawing Nights, a large sheet of paper will be provided. You can borrow drawing supplies from the Art Room or bring your own.
NOTE: On 12 and 19 March, we have the same model and the same pose. If you book a place for both, you can continue the same drawing for two nights, if you wish. You can also participate in either of the evenings individually.
Note! Last-minute cancellation places can be inquired from the drawing master at vappu.rossi@helsinki.fi or directly in the Art Room at the start of the drawing night at 5 pm. Upon arrival at the last-minute cancellation place, the course fee will be paid in cash directly at the Art Room.
Course dates, content, and registration:
Registration takes place in the university's online store. Our drawing evenings are in high demand, and the first sessions of the season, as well as special drawing evenings, often sell out quickly. If you plan to register for multiple sessions, please note that your reservation is confirmed only after payment. Simply placing a session in your cart does not guarantee your spot, and it may be removed if the session fills up before you complete the payment. For questions about the University’s online store, support requests: accounting@helsinki.fi.
Registration begins on Tuesday 21 January 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
5.2.2025 Croquis & Movement Croquis. The model will be clothed, not the traditional nude model. Our model for the evening will be professional dancer Sade Risku: Fully booked!
12.2.2025 Life drawing: Fully booked!
26.2.2025 Croquis: Fully booked!
12.3.2025 Life drawing, same model & pose as on 19.3.: Fully booked!
19.3.2025 Life drawing, same model & pose as on 12.3.: Fully booked!
26.3.2025 Croquis: Fully booked!
2.4.2025 Life drawing (model with full body tattoo): Fully booked!
9.4.2025 Croquis: Fully booked!
16.4.2025 Life drawing: Fully booked!