Work independently in the drawing medium of your choice! This monitored studio is designed to give students the opportunity to work from live nude models without instruction, allowing you time to explore and experiment. Just as any life drawing session the poses will range from short gestures gradually building to longer poses at the end. This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to develop and extend your drawing skills. No class 1/19, 2/16.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Leslie Bowen, Monitor
Cost: $390
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

With a focus on telling stories utilizing artwork, this course explores the juxtaposition of word and image, sequentially, and other narrative tools to convey visual meaning. Participants will complete several visual narratives within a variety of formats, which may include a series of related images, a comic book, picture book, graphic novel, or other illustrated narrative.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Deon Robinson
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This course offers a survey of illustration in both function and practical application. Students will learn to analyze and visually interpret written source material while exploring a variety of ideation methods and experimenting with techniques combining traditional and digital media. Key projects will include illustrations for editorials, advertising, product packaging, picture books, and lifestyle applications. Students not pursuing a focus in illustration but interested in visual communication are encouraged to join this class.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Deon Robinson
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

In this class, students will apply principles of drawing to invented images, both representational and abstract. Students will draw from the imagination without live, physical reference using a variety of approaches that may include using photo and found reference, narrative drawing (single and multi-panel), creating visual solutions to a brief, and constraint-based abstraction.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This course introduces the computer as a fine arts tool and provides an overview of digital arts concepts and terminology. Instruction engages students in critical awareness of new media and extends fine art drawing and painting principles into the digital realm. Students will have an opportunity to solve design problems using a variety of computer software applications and gain skill in the use of tactile electronic hardware such as touchscreens and digital pen tablet technology.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Deon Robinson
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This course will provide hands-on experience using traditional dry media, such as graphite, colored pencils, chalk, and pastel, through water-soluble materials, such as watercolor, gouache and ink. There will be ample presentation, lecture, and demonstration of the wet/dry media techniques. Students will be guided in working from personal sketches, paintings, photography, and from recognized artworks as well as from observation. Students will be expected to provide basic materials that they already have and most paper. To ensure that all students can experience the various processes, the instructor will provide any materials that individual students do not have. Issues of form, spatial concepts, color, visual and critical thinking will be addressed through individual and group critiques.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jill A. Rupinski
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This class is an opportunity for the student to develop three complex works of escalating ambition. As has often been said, “all art comes from other art” in the sense that artmaking is a culture in continuous negotiation with present needs and precedent. Students will develop a small group of imaginative peers from the labyrinth of painting history to consult and debate in the development of three works. The resulting pictures may include the production of studies, copies, collages, and any other kind of visual fodder to develop ambitious compositions that will explore the overlapping terrains of abstraction and figuration.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Peter Van Dyck
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

The convincing depiction of form in three-dimensional space is one of the great conceptual breakthroughs in Western art initiated during the Renaissance. Drawing What You See will begin by drawing items from still life on toned paper. How do you begin a drawing, and when do you stop? We will explore physical viewpoint, composition and the rendering of light and shadow to create mood and feeling. The goal is to build a drawing vocabulary that communicates your thoughts and feelings. The class will include demonstrations, discussions of masterworks (traditional and contemporary) and thoughtful feedback on class work. The drawing participants will discover this to be a valuable resource for more advanced work in drawing and painting.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $480
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Working from cast studies and life models, this class emphasizes the rhythm, form and structure of the human figure, with attention placed on introductory anatomy. Students encouraged to explore a variety of mediums, including charcoal and graphite. All levels welcome, from beginner through experienced. High School students ages 16 and older are welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $555
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Designed for artists ready to challenge themselves and take their work to the next level, this class is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the artist's own creative process and sensibility. A variety of subject matter will be explored. Previous drawing and painting experience is recommended.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Karen Fogarty
Cost: $575
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This 12-week course is for beginners who want to explore drawing and oil painting, and for more experienced artists who want to improve their artistic skills. Using still-life compositions, students will learn about form, space, design, value, and color through working observationally. In addition, the instructor will introduce a variety of artists who are representative of the lessons provided and conduct in-process and final critiques for a helpful synopsis of the student’s progress and ideas. The class will be broken up into two weeks of drawing and four weeks of painting, but the student is open to work in any medium if they prefer.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Annie Gardner
Cost: $480
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Led by master artist Michael Doyle, students consider the composition of a figure within an interior setting. Students may elect to draw or paint, using a variety of materials.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $655
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

In this class, our main focus will be on the study of form in a spatial context, and, we will use observational approaches in the construction of our images. We will begin by drawing the figure on toned paper. Our drawing tools will be charcoal and white chalk. We will explore physical viewpoint, effective composition and effective rendering of light and shadow to shape our expression and create a unified pictorial image. The goal is to encourage a sensitive approach to handling a wide range of values, in tandem with a variety of lines and edges. The class will include demonstrations, discussions of masterworks, both traditional and contemporary, and thoughtful feedback on work.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $655
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

The convincing depiction of form in three-dimensional space is one of the great conceptual breakthroughs in Western art. This applies particularly to portrait drawing where the volume of a head is such an important vehicle of communication. The main focus will be on issues of composition, texture, measure, likeness, proportion, and the study of form in a spatial context. We will be drawing from models using toned paper, white chalk and charcoal. Class members will learn how to render the effects of light and shadow to create a sense of volume. The goal is to encourage a sensitive approach to handling a wide range of values, in tandem with a variety of lines and edges.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $655
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This class will explore the essential relationships of shape, proportion, and value within the condition of light bathing subject matter. The painterly medium of charcoal contributes significantly to understanding the practice of building a painting. Drawing in line and moving to masses, students strive to draw fluidly with concentration on value and proportion, identifying a process that is particularly suited for training painters. The course begins with shorter exercises, as detail-oriented seeing emerges in still life drawing after students learn to prioritize the order of the masses.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sharon Henderson
Cost: $480
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This 6-week course is for beginners who want to explore drawing, and for more experienced artists who want to improve their artistic skills. Using still-life compositions, students will learn about form, space, design, and value through working observationally. In addition, the instructor will introduce a variety of artists who are representative of the lessons provided and conduct in-process and final critiques for a helpful synopsis of the student’s progress and ideas.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Annie Gardner
Cost: $240
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Strengthen and hone your foundational drawing skills through a series of one- and two-day projects. Topics of concern will be design, structure of space, perspective, and light and shade. Subjects will include interior space, single objects and still life arrangements, and the life model. All levels from beginner to advanced are welcome. Tuition includes a $25 models fee.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John Horn
Cost: $565
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

PAFA’s breathtaking Cast Hall is available for students to work from copies of Greco-Roman and Renaissance sculpture, including the Winged Victory, the Venus de Milo, and the staggering life-size Michelangelo’s David, among other notable works. Cast Drawing was one of the first courses established in the founding of the Academy and has remained a core part of PAFA’s fine arts curriculum for over 200 years. Become a part of this long and rich artistic tradition as you learn to draw accurately from observation, explore line and shape, describe form through light and shadow, and gain an appreciation for some of history’s most beautiful sculptural artworks. This course is an excellent introduction to drawing techniques and materials and is appropriate to all levels.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

If you’ve never drawn before, or your skills are a little rusty, then this class is for you! Learn to draw what you see with confidence. Work from simple forms, still life arrangements, and interior and exterior spaces to master the drawing elements: shape, contour line, composition, light and dark, texture and perspective. Instruction will guide students through sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, gauging value, and ways of defining form and space. This course is excellent as a foundation for future study, as a precursor to more advanced drawing study or to painting and other disciplines.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This class will offer useful strategies for representational life drawing to artists at any level of practice. Instruction will address gesture, rhythm, continuity, volume, and what artists most often refer to as “accuracy.” An important theme will be the ways in which gestural and analytical tactics are used together to make expressive and compelling drawings. The class will utilize both short and long poses to strengthen observational skills and to deepen understanding of how the figure moves and occupies space. By way of demonstration, the instructor will work alongside students in every class in addition to giving individual critiques.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Carolyn Pyfrom
Cost: $615
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Painting the human form from observation is one of the cornerstones of PAFA's long tradition of rigorous instruction. Working from the nude model in poses of varying lengths, investigate color mixing, proportion, and composition using oil paint as a medium. Focusing on alla prima painting techniques and a limited flesh-tone palette, learn to model the human form through gesture, shape, volume, and temperature – excellent for painted sketches and preparatory studies, foundations for extended work, or an introduction/refresher to figure painting. Intended for all skill levels. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students may draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Using inexpensive materials, this hands-on workshop will introduce the concepts and methods needed to create a strong sense of dimension and likeness in your portrait drawings. Explore the proportions and planes of the head, neck and shoulders. Learn how to create a structural foundation and how to easily manage anatomy by breaking down forms into simple geometric shapes. Instruction will address different strategies for creating a finished tonal portrait as well as tips and tricks that will help you draw like a pro! Note: Tuition includes a $10 models fee.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: RA Friedman
Cost: $205
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

For students seeking to expand their beginning drawing skills or those new to working from the figure, this class will focus on applying drawing’s basic elements to the human form. Starting from Antique and Classical sculpture from PAFA’s cast collection and progressing to work from the life model in short and long poses, work in charcoal and graphite to explore figure-based concepts of gesture, proportions, anatomy, and expression. Instruction will cover sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, gauging value, and ways of defining form and space. This course is excellent as a foundation for future study in any discipline or for more advanced figure-based work. Note: This course includes the use of nude models.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Embody the spirit of spring with fresh and immediate painting! Learn to capture the essence of a living, botanical subject quickly and spontaneously in pencil and watercolor. This alla prima method can be used for preparatory studies for sustained paintings, compiling a field sketchbook, or as an end in itself. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $10 materials fee to cover floral subjects.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Linda Gist
Cost: $205
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This intensive workshop is designed for those looking to push their portrait drawing abilities toward the professional level. Demonstrations and in-class exercises will open up how you see, think, and approach the creation of a likeness, avoiding common pitfalls. Explore subtleties of form and the relationships of lines, planes and tones, capturing the character and energy of the subject. Additionally, instruction will cover facial expressions and deep anatomy of the face, neck, and upper body. Drawing will be primarily in graphite pencil and stick. Introductory portrait drawing or equivalent recommended. Note: Tuition includes a $10 models fee. For more introductory instruction, see the instructor's Portrait in Pencil Workshop (not required for enrollment in the Advanced workshop).
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: RA Friedman
Cost: $205
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Capture the small-town beauty Manayunk's hilly streets, rowhomes, and storefronts. Learn to create a convincing sense of space, light and time of day while depicting streetscapes, trees, water and sky. Color mixing and painting techniques for oils will be demonstrated, but all drawing/painting media are welcome. Located just 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, Manayunk offers engaging urban and riverside neighborhood subjects with parking, shade, provisions and facilities available. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Larry Francis
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Discover the unique possibilities of drawing on Mylar in this immersive weekend workshop. Students will explore how the smooth, translucent surface of Mylar allows for even blending, soft moody values, and bold contrasts. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on exercises, participants will experiment with graphite, charcoal, and erasing techniques to create expressive drawings. Ideal for artists interested in expanding their drawing vocabulary, this workshop offers a focused introduction to using Mylar’s versatile and forgiving surface.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Shushana Rucker
Cost: $115
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632