2 years
International Certification Program
Drawing • Painting • Contemporary Visual Practice
Programme International de Certification
Drawing • Painting • Contemporary Visual Practice
A two-year advanced training program for artists seeking rigorous technical mastery, contemporary artistic development, and a coherent personal visual language.
Developed within the pedagogical framework of Atelier Tekin in Brussels, the program combines the discipline of the classical atelier with contemporary artistic reflection, professional guidance, and long-term individual mentorship.
This certification is designed for highly motivated students who wish to move beyond recreational practice and engage seriously with drawing, painting, composition, visual research, and artistic positioning.
The program welcomes emerging and developing artists from diverse backgrounds and levels, provided they demonstrate commitment, curiosity, discipline, and a genuine desire to progress.
2-Year Program (6 trimesters), 13 modules of advanced technical and theoretical training.
Mestan Tekin Art Atelier is an independent private training institution, unaffiliated with any educational networks. The program is designed based on exceptional standards of excellence and rigor.
A PROGRAM BUILT AROUND FOUR FUNDAMENTAL AXES
1. Advanced Technical Mastery
Students develop a thorough understanding of the following fundamental disciplines:
• observational drawing
• artistic anatomy
• perspective
• composition
• color theory and color systems
• light, value, and tonal structures
• materials, supports, and surfaces
• oil painting
• acrylic painting
• watercolor
• charcoal
• ink
• mixed-media techniques
The objective is not mechanical virtuosity, but visual intelligence: learning to observe accurately, identify what is essential, construct compelling images, simplify forms, and organize visual elements with clarity, sensitivity, and intention.
2. Artistic development
Beyond the acquisition of technical skills, the program encourages each student to progressively develop:
• a personal visual language;
• compositional maturity;
• conceptual coherence;
• genuine artistic independence;
• the ability to build a meaningful and substantial body of work over time.
Particular attention is given to the relationship between technical mastery and artistic intention.
Students are encouraged to develop a critical understanding of images, contemporary artistic practice, art history, visual culture, and their own artistic identity. The objective is to cultivate artists who are not only capable of producing technically accomplished work, but who also understand the aesthetic, cultural, and intellectual questions that shape artistic creation today.
3. Historical and Contemporary Awareness
The program maintains a continuous connection between:
• the great traditions of drawing and painting;
• the realities and challenges of contemporary artistic practice.
Students study and analyse the work of major artists from different periods in order to understand:
• compositional strategies;
• pictorial construction;
• the organisation of colour;
• surface treatment;
• visual rhythm;
• the hierarchy of forms and visual elements;
• the evolution of artistic ideas and approaches throughout history.
The objective is not imitation, but understanding.
By deepening their knowledge of artworks, artists, and historical contexts, students acquire the tools necessary to position their own practice within a broader artistic continuum while developing a personal and contemporary vision of artistic creation.
4. Professional Practice
The Certification Program also prepares students to engage confidently within professional artistic environments through:
• portfolio development and refinement
• exhibition planning and preparation
• methods for presenting and communicating artistic work
• critical discussions and constructive analysis
• the development of long-term artistic projects
• the public presentation of artworks
Throughout the program, students learn to articulate, contextualize, and defend their artistic choices with clarity, relevance, and maturity.
The goal is to equip them with the confidence to present their work professionally, engage in meaningful dialogue with a wide range of audiences and art-world professionals, and position their practice within a coherent, thoughtful, and sustainable professional framework.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
YEAR ONE — Foundations and Visual Construction
The first year is dedicated to building strong technical, perceptual, and conceptual foundations.
The main areas of study include:
• observational drawing;
• proportion and structural construction;
• artistic anatomy;
• composition;
• perspective;
• the organisation of values and light;
• colour theory;
• artistic materials and techniques;
• the fundamental principles of pictorial construction;
• analytical studies from life and from historical masterworks.
Throughout the year, students progressively develop discipline, rigor, observational accuracy, and compositional awareness while acquiring the essential tools required for a demanding artistic practice.
YEAR TWO — Personal Language and Advanced Practice
The second year is devoted to consolidating the student’s artistic practice and developing a coherent personal body of work.
The main areas of study include:
• advanced painting methodologies;
• visual research;
• complex composition;
• the creation and development of series of works;
• artistic positioning;
• exhibition thinking and presentation strategies;
• portfolio refinement;
• critical feedback and critique sessions;
• preparation for the final certification jury presentation.
Throughout the second year, the emphasis progressively shifts from technical acquisition toward artistic coherence, creative autonomy, and the affirmation of a clear personal direction.
The objective is to support each student in the development of a mature, distinctive, and sustainable artistic practice capable of engaging meaningfully with the contemporary artistic landscape.
PEDAGOGICAL
The teaching methodology is based on direct instruction, studio practice, observation, experimentation, and individualized guidance.
Students develop within a demanding yet supportive environment where technical precision, consistent practice, intellectual curiosity, and long-term growth are considered essential values.
The program prioritizes:
• depth over speed
• structure over improvisation
• artistic authenticity over superficial effects
• sustainable growth over short-term performance
Each student benefits from personalized guidance adapted to their level, strengths, pace of learning, and artistic goals.
The objective is not only to develop technical proficiency, but to foster an independent, coherent, and sustainable artistic practice.
FINAL CERTIFICATION JURY
At the conclusion of the program, students present their work before a professional jury composed of invited specialists from various fields within the art world.
The jury may include:
• artists;
• art historians;
• curators;
• exhibition designers and scenographers;
• gallery professionals and art market specialists.
The final presentation evaluates:
• the development and progression of technical skills;
• the coherence of the student’s artistic practice;
• the visual maturity of the work presented;
• the quality of artistic research;
• the student’s ability to analyse, present, and defend their practice in a critical and professional manner.
Beyond the evaluation of the artworks themselves, the final jury serves as a moment of dialogue and reflection, allowing students to position their work within a broader artistic context and to demonstrate their ability to communicate their vision, intentions, and artistic choices with clarity and confidence.
ADMISSION
Each application is reviewed individually.
Selection is based on several criteria:
• motivation;
• seriousness of intent;
• artistic commitment;
• the quality of the portfolio submitted, or the potential demonstrated;
• the ability to commit to a demanding long-term program.
Enrollment is intentionally limited in order to maintain a high level of pedagogical support and meaningful individual mentorship.
LOCATION
The program takes place in Brussels within the professional environment of Atelier Mestan Tekin.
The atelier functions simultaneously as:
• a teaching space;
• a place of artistic research and creative production;
• a contemporary environment dedicated to the practice of drawing and painting.
This immersion within a working studio allows students to develop their practice in a dynamic setting where learning, reflection, and artistic production continuously inform one another.
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
This program is intended for:
• committed beginners seeking to build strong and lasting foundations;
• intermediate artists looking for greater structure and direction in their practice;
• advanced students preparing for a professional artistic trajectory;
• practicing artists wishing to deepen, reorganize, or expand their visual practice.
Beyond technical level, commitment remains the essential criterion.
Curiosity, discipline, perseverance, and a genuine desire to progress are the qualities that enable students to benefit most fully from the program.
PHILOSOPHY
Drawing and painting are not approached here as hobbies, decorative activities, or purely technical exercises.
They are understood as complete practices—intellectual, perceptual, emotional, and material—requiring time, discipline, reflection, and sustained commitment.
Within the program, technical mastery is never considered an end in itself. Rather, it serves as a tool for thought, expression, and the development of a personal artistic vision.
The ambition of this certification is simple:
to help artists develop lasting visual strength, genuine technical freedom, and a clear artistic direction.
Through rigorous instruction, individualized mentorship, and sustained studio practice, the program seeks to cultivate artists who can observe with accuracy, think with depth, create with intention, and build a body of work that is truly their own.
TUITION FEES
Year One: €3,900
Year Two: €3,900
Flexible payment plans are available, allowing tuition fees to be spread over the academic year.
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
The program is delivered within a multilingual environment.
However, a functional understanding of English is strongly recommended, as English serves as one of the primary languages of communication throughout the program and during certain educational activities.
CALENDAR
Students may enter the program at three different points during the year:
• October
• January
• April
The curriculum consists of six trimesters, which do not necessarily need to be completed consecutively.
This flexibility allows students to adapt the program to their personal or professional circumstances while completing the full certification curriculum.
APPLICATIONS & CONTACT
Atelier Mestan Tekin
55 Rue Saint-Jean
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Email: mestan@me.com
Tel: +32 491 749 908
Application Procedure
Applicants are invited to submit:
• a portfolio or selection of recent works;
• a brief statement of motivation;
• any relevant information regarding their artistic background and objectives.
Applications are reviewed individually.
Spread out the payment of enrollment fees
CERTIFICATION STUDENTS
• Xavier Lince
• Cédric Léonard
• Oscar De Rouck
• Niina Guariento
• Saliha Yousfi
• Isabelle Espinosa
• Sakina Abrahimova
Spread out the payment of enrollment fees