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Fridays, June 20 - July 18, 2025
Learn the basics of painting with watercolor and pastel, ideal for plein air, as you work on location at beautiful and historic Laurel Hill Cemetery featuring terraced grounds, sculpture, and amazing views of the Schuylkill River. The instructor will demonstrate techniques, reference art historical examples, and encourage personal expression. Instruction will be geared to watercolor, but experienced oil/acrylic painters are welcome. Free parking and restrooms available.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

June 21, 2025
Celebrate the first day of summer painting on location at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education! The Schuylkill Center is one of first environmental education centers in the country, with 365 acres of fields, forests, ponds and streams, as well as Philadelphia's only wildlife clinic - and amazing location for painters! Instructor Keith Leitner will demonstrate watercolor and pastel techniques, reference art historical examples, cover the ins-and-outs of working outdoors and encourage personal expression. Instruction will be geared towards watercolor, but you are free to the materials of your choice including gouache, oil, acrylic and drawing media. The workshop will include a welcome and orientation by Schuylkill Center staff. Restrooms and free parking available. Don’t’ miss this great opportunity!
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

June 22, 2025
Geometry has been a source of interest, beauty and creative inspiration for the artist through the ages. Geometry and geometric forms are all around us: lines, forms, and shapes can be seen in everything from architecture to plant life to seashells. Artist and educator Michael Smith will guide you through non-mathematical working methods inspired by geometry in this workshop, designed to enhance your ongoing body of work or be the starting point for a new one. Create a painting in the medium of your choice: acrylic, gouache or watercolor while you work from your own reference photographs, magazines, books or digital imagery.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Smith
Cost: $75
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

June 23-27, 2025
Explore flowers and other natural forms, beginning with line and value drawing and progressing to full-color rendering in watercolor and mixed media. Topics will include sighting techniques, line quality, tone and value, creation of depth, composition, texture, and basic color. All levels welcome. Tuition includes a $15 materials fee for floral subjects, provided.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Linda Gist
Cost: $465
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Mondays, June 23 - August 11, 2025
Workshop participants will begin by learning to handle watercolor materials: papers, paints, brushes, palettes, and more. From the bold application of washes to fine detail, we’ll explore specifics: how to begin a watercolor and how to conclude a work, wet-in-wet to dry-brush, what to put in and what to leave out. The skillful use of the elements of composition and the simplification of form will provide a means to achieving dynamic results. We’ll also explore ways of creating a sense of light and mood, through the use of structured tone. The class will be looking at the watercolors by J. S. Sargent, Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth critically. Class members will be encouraged to work from still-life, and photos to start.
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $380
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Tuesdays, June 24 - August 12, 2025
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. Level: Previous drawing and painting experience is recommended.
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Karen Fogarty
Cost: $380
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Tuesdays, June 24 - August 12, 2025
Whether it is portrait, still life, landscape or abstracts, the presence of light against shadow gives the subject form and dimension. Bring your own inspiration to class and with this principle in mind, watch your paintings come to life! Composition and color mixing will be a focus in this class. All mediums and skill levels are welcome!
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Stefanie Lieberman
Cost: $380
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

June 28, 2025
Learn the fundamentals of painting with gouache, an opaque watercolor paint! Gouache is portable, fast-drying, and an easy-to-clean-up alternative to oils – great for travel or limited working time and space. Ideal for painters of all levels from beginning to experienced. Learn to develop paint application techniques for fluidity and control, with opaque and wash applications; gain the ability to mix color and to predict its effects; recognize and promote gouache’s characteristics and learn how to problem-solve with the material; learn to incorporate principles of line, value, color and space for a greater command of the medium. Work from still life to learn how to representationally depict a variety of subject matter and to recognize abstract concepts.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Allison Syvertsen
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Sundays, June 29 - July 20, 2025
Explore the world of watercolor! Watercolor is a wonderful painting medium due to its vibrant and translucent nature, quick drying time, and easy set-up and clean-up. Learn the tools and techniques of the medium while painting directly from engaging still life arrangements. Direct and layered painting methods, color, brushes, and the variety of papers available will all be covered. Receive helpful feedback and critique along the way. Great watercolor painters of the past and present will be discussed including John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Charles Burchfield and Andrew Wyeth. All levels welcome, from beginner to advanced and all forms of expression from realist to abstract.
Location: Philadelphia, PA, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Sundays, June 29 - July 20, 2025
Experience the joy of watercolor painting in combination with gouache and ink to create a range of effects! Learn techniques for layering ink and watercolor to develop a deep, rich surface as well as direct, alla prima methods while you work from your own photographs. Add gouache and drawing media for contrast and definition. All tools and techniques will be explained and demonstrated including methods for working from photographs, preparatory drawing, brushes, types of paper, use of color and painting methods. Designed to be instructional and fun for students of all levels of experience from beginner to advanced.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Kowbuz
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

July 7 - August 15, 2025
This six-week on-campus studio-rental program is designed for experienced visual artists and educators who desire constructive feedback on their artwork, as well as the support and interaction of an artistic community. Stimulate your personal artistic growth in your own private PAFA studio through individual weekly critiques from a stellar ensemble of nationally and internationally known artists, including members of PAFA’s acclaimed faculty, as well as discussion, group critiques, and artist studio visits. Tuition covers a private studio in PAFA's Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, weekly critiques (one-on-one; one group critique), and additional group discussions and outings to museums and commercial galleries (scheduled per students' interests), as well as the option to earn 4.0 undergraduate credits or 3.0 graduate credits.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cost: $1,500
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Tuesdays, July 8 - August 12, 2025
Explore both the versatility of watercolor and the exciting possibilities of color through still life painting. Learn to capture form with the freshness and fluidity of all prima techniques. Promote color in your work through instruction on color properties, mixing, and basic theory, as well as how to use hues in combination to create impactful compositions. Discussions and in-depth demonstrations will enforce all content so that students gain the facility and freedom to use color and painting techniques as means of personal expression. This course is excellent for beginners or anyone who loves color and loose, painterly techniques in watercolor.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $295
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Fridays, July 11 - August 15, 2025
Enrich your knowledge of painting with an in-depth look at watercolor. Thoroughly investigate a wide range of watercolor materials and techniques from your choice of landscape, still life, portrait, and figure subjects. The course is designed to equip each participant with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accomplished, personally rewarding watercolor paintings. Open to watercolorists of all levels and to acrylic/oil painters looking to broaden their skills.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: James Toogood
Cost: $675
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Fridays, July 11 - August 15, 2025
In this fast paced and fun workshop, we will explore the importance of understanding linear, atmospheric and solar perspectives in our work. Dramatically improve your paintings with this deep dive into how to use the atmosphere, sunlight and one- and two-point perspective to add drama, interest and credibility to our work. You don’t want to miss this one!
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mick McAndrews
Cost: $475
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

August 9-10, 2025
Color temperature is the perceived warmth and coolness of a color. It’s a vital tool for any artist for creating contrast and focus, establishing relationships between light and shadow, suggesting space or distance, and generating mood and meaning. This two-day course will investigate color temperature through a series of still-life exercises that will encourage experimentation, enforce understanding of color’s relative nature, and help you promote temperature effects in your work. Examples from historic and contemporary artists will be discussed. Instruction will be conducted chiefly in watercolor, but painters of all media are welcome!
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

See also:
Art Books for Watercolor & Gouache |
Tutorials for Watercolor & Gouache