Artist Issues and Career Planning

This class is geared towards artists and designers interested in working in art-related fields. Common topics confronted by artists and designers will be discussed, including career direction, basic artwork protection, creative block, criticism, self-doubt, time management and working with clients and trade practices in graphic design. Students will discover their strengths and weaknesses, and the personal strategies that work for them. Note: a textbook, Strategic Planning for Designers, is required for this course.

The Art of Portraiture

This is a comprehensive program designed to enable students of all skill levels to acquire workable techniques for drawing realistic portraits. Students learn about the structure and proportions of the head and translate the technical knowledge into compelling portrait drawings. An additional emphasis is placed on capturing the "true likeness" of the sitter, and on exploring the development of portraiture through history.

In this course, students will master realistic still life painting using oil paint. The emphasis is on developing color perception and becoming comfortable with oils.

This course is designed to familiarize the students with the human body and enable them to draw convincing, realistic figures. It deals with basic anatomical structure and proportions of the figure. The goal is for students to be able to draw figures in various positions and in action without depending too much on models or photographs. A secondary goal is to expand the student’s perception of the human figure in its historical context. Some drawing experience is beneficial, but beginners are welcome

This course is designed to introduce the essentials defining the practice of watercolor painting.  Basic execution, theory and the history of watercolor will be explored.  Watercolor techniques such as brushwork, washes and wet and dry methods are some of the many possibilities of expression we will explore with this versatile medium.  A materials list will be presented and discussed on the first day.  For the first day, bring what you have on hand, or notify the teacher for a complete materials list.

Fabric Painting

Discover hand-painted fabric techniques.  Using textile paints, resist techniques and cotton and silk, be inspired by art and the beauty of nature to create your own unique patterns for t-shirts and scarves.  Learn the basics of color and creating a composition and create your own original hand-painted scarf or t-shirt.

Faux Finishing and Decorative Painting

This course will explore various techniques involved in creating exciting decorative surfaces for furniture, rugs, walls, floors and ceilings.  Learn how to make grazes, mix colors, cut stencils, and the basics of sponging, ragging, dragging and marbling.  Bring in one small piece of furniture, a box, chest, footstool, etc., to be completed.