The ability to depict objects in space is essential to representational drawing, and understanding these principles is fundamental to manipulating them for expressive and abstract effects. Gain a firm foundation in the concepts and terminology of perspective while practicing linear perspective drawing using both grid-based and freehand techniques. Instruction focuses on the interpretation of space, the organization of objects within space, and the relationships of relative proportion. Course content defines and examines a variety of methods for representing three-dimensional objects on a flat, two-dimensional surface, including orthographic, oblique, and isometric drawing systems.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jill A. Rupinski
Cost: $1,450
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This drawing class focuses on the invention of images based on imagination rather than copying physical objects through observational techniques. Explore the formation of images based on ideas, mark-making, and personal expression. Apply the principles of drawing with a more open-ended approach that includes exploring abstract and symbolic forms, interpreting compositional implications, and remaining receptive to how the creative process informs image-making. Work in a variety of conventional drawing media, including charcoal, graphite, and ink, as well as alternative materials and techniques. Methods may include using photographs and found reference materials, as well as creating single- or multi-panel narrative drawings. Classwork includes both prompted assignments and self-directed projects, emphasizing individuality and independent thinking.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Cost: $1,450
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

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.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Leslie Bowen, Monitor
Cost: $460
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Develop your ability to render the human form through the time-honored combination of anatomical study and life drawing. Learn the methods and technical skills of traditional figure drawing, such as measuring, capturing gesture, anatomical structuring, and tonal rendering. Through lectures and demonstrations, and work from the life model, learn the structural aspects of the human form: bony landmarks, simplified volumes, and proportional relationships. Progress to the skeletal framework and superficial muscles to identify their surface effects and how they influence mass and movement. Incorporate your knowledge of figure anatomy to capture the fluidity, vitality, and subtleties of the human form while working from the life model in short and extended poses. Ideal for anyone interested in strengthening their figure drawing, painting, or sculpture skills.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John Horn
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, this course also offers more advanced students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the language of painting. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students may draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $385
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Enjoy the expressive possibilities, portability, and vibrant color of traditional watercolor, watercolor pencils, or watercolor markers for open air landscape drawing and painting! Work with either drawing or water-based applications or combine them for luminous mixed-media studies as you portray the beauty of autumn in Philadelphia’s parks in your own personal style. Learn techniques for choosing a composition, mixing and layering color, and working efficiently outdoors as you complete a series of rapid sketches and at least one sustained drawing or painting. Open to all levels. Painting locations featuring shade, restrooms, and other amenities may include Wissahickon Valley Park, Glen Foerd Mansion, and Brandywine River locations. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $265
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

PAFA’s breathtaking Cast Hall is a unique resource that offers enrolled students the opportunity 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. Students may also work from select casts on display in additional PAFA exhibition areas. Cast Drawing has been 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.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Cost: $450
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 still life arrangements, selections from PAFA’s casts and statuary, interior spaces, and the human figure to master the drawing elements: shape, contour line, composition, light and shadow, texture and perspective. Instruction will guide students through sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, shading methods, and ways of defining form and space. This course is also excellent as a foundation for future study, including for painting and other disciplines. Note: Tuition includes a $25 models fee.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Cost: $500
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Don’t fall for the fallacy that you have to have “talent” to draw! Drawing is a skill like any other. You start and make a lot of mistakes, and with time and practice, you get better. We’ll begin at the beginning. We’ll get familiar and comfortable with a range of pencils and erasers. We’ll do simple exercises to start sharpening your ability to see critically. You’ll learn how to translate what you see to lines on the page. You’ll look for shapes, angles, and distances. Then we’ll look at what helps define an object in space, and how to use shading to make an object look three-dimensional on a two-dimensional surface. Come ready to have fun and gain confidence!
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mamie Duff
Cost: $245
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Students may elect to draw or paint, using a variety of mediums. Open to all levels, from beginner to experienced.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $300
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: $585
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: $645
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

This 12-week course is for beginners who want to explore life 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 five weeks of drawing and seven weeks of painting, but the student is open to work in any medium if they prefer or continue drawing throughout the entirety of the course.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Annie Gardner
Cost: $490
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. 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 to build a drawing vocabulary that communicates a class members visual ideas and ideals. The class will include demonstrations, discussions of masterworks, both traditional and contemporary, and thoughtful feedback on work.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ernie Norcia
Cost: $645
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

A class for those who have some comfort with drawing, but want to further their skills in accuracy and shading. Over 12 weeks, we will be borrowing elements of the rigorous classical training programs that were foundational for greats from Sargent to Picasso. We will do a few drawings from drawings, but most classes will focus on drawing from still life set-ups. We will get picky about accuracy, in pursuit of making drawings that pop off the page and make you proud. We’ll talk about angles, distances, line quality, light, shadow shapes and more, giving you a range of tools with which to hone your craft. I can’t wait to welcome you to a level of skill you didn’t know you had.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mamie Duff
Cost: $585
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Explore new techniques and further develop your personal style along with fellow artists and friends in Wayne Art Center's bright and spacious art studios. This professional-style open studio offers a self-directed environment where artists of all levels can hone their skills and explore their creativity. Designed for those seeking a dedicated time and place to create without the constraints of formal instruction, the space fosters independence and artistic growth. These sessions are open to everyone—from absolute beginners to advanced artists—providing a supportive community for anyone looking to focus on their craft.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
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: $250
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Late September is the year's most generous moment for the sketchbook artist. Leaves are at the height of their color, seed heads are heavy and ripe, berries glow against darkening stems, and the first hints of bare branch architecture are just beginning to show. The landscape is abundant, specific, and fleeting — exactly the conditions a field journal was made for. In this hands-on workshop, you will build a field journal page dedicated to autumn's peak, working in graphite, Micron pen, and watercolor. Learn to observe the colors, textures, and forms of the season with fresh attention, and develop techniques for recording botanical subjects at their most expressive moment. All skill levels welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Margaret Saylor
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

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

The convincing depiction of form in three-dimensional space is one of the great conceptual breakthroughs in Western art. This class 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. Recreate what you see with power and fresh vision. 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: $300
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: $645
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Discover a deeply intuitive, painterly approach to drawing. In this workshop, you will learn the art of subtractive charcoal drawing, covering your paper in dark tones and using erasers to literally sculpt the light. Working from photographs, we will demystify the landscape, exploring how to simplify dense foliage, sculpt tree trunks, and create atmospheric perspective using value rather than outline. This class will be fun and a bit messy. Ideal for painters looking to strengthen their tonal compositions and illustrators looking for a more initiative drawing style.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Claire Haik
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

In this full-day workshop, you will build a richly annotated sketchbook spread dedicated to the fungi and flora of the autumn woodland, working in graphite, Micron pen, and watercolor. In the days before class, forage your neighborhood, yard, or a local park for anything that catches your eye — mushrooms, seed pods, leaves, lichen, whatever the season offers — and bring your finds to work from directly. A variety of specimens will also be provided. Learn to observe the distinctive shapes, textures, and tones of mushrooms and their habitat with an artist's eye, and develop techniques for capturing everything from the velvet surface of a cap to the delicate architecture of gills, pores, and stems. All skill levels welcome.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Margaret Saylor
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Learn how to create a realistic and character-descriptive portrait of your beloved pet or favorite animal in this workshop and have fun at the same time! The instructor will guide through a step-by-step drawing process that includes: How to create the facial structure of your pet How to render beautiful and sparkling eyes How to build nose and mouth shapes How to create light and dark fur How to choose the right background for your portrait Join us for a happy pet drawing day!
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Alicia Mino Gonzalez
Cost: $115
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Don’t fall for the fallacy that you have to have “talent” to draw! Drawing is a skill like any other. You start and make a lot of mistakes, and with time and practice, you get better. We’ll begin at the beginning. We’ll get familiar and comfortable with a range of pencils and erasers. We’ll do simple exercises to start sharpening your ability to see critically. You’ll learn how to translate what you see to lines on the page. You’ll look for shapes, angles, and distances. Then we’ll look at what helps define an object in space, and how to use shading to make an object look three-dimensional on a two-dimensional surface. Come ready to have fun and gain confidence!
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mamie Duff
Cost: $245
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Students may elect to draw or paint, using a variety of mediums. Open to all levels, from beginner to experienced.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michael Doyle
Cost: $300
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Explore new techniques and further develop your personal style along with fellow artists and friends in Wayne Art Center's bright and spacious art studios. This professional-style open studio offers a self-directed environment where artists of all levels can hone their skills and explore their creativity. Designed for those seeking a dedicated time and place to create without the constraints of formal instruction, the space fosters independence and artistic growth. These sessions are open to everyone—from absolute beginners to advanced artists—providing a supportive community for anyone looking to focus on their craft.
 
Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
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: $250
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 class 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. Recreate what you see with power and fresh vision. 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: $300
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Learn everything you need to know about the medium of pastels. Apply basic and advanced techniques in rendering the still-life, portraits and cityscape views. Topics include the use of light and color, types of pastel available, use of different papers, fixing and transporting finished drawings, and safety issues.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Joseph Sweeney
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647

Don't miss this opportunity to draw the figure model with guidance from noted figurative artist Carolyn Pyfrom in this all-day intensive workshop! Learn representational life drawing strategies to marry gestural drawing approaches of rhythm, continuity and volume to "analytical" ones, highlighting the ways in which good gesture and good proportions support each other. The mornings will focus on short-pose gesture drawing with poses gradually extending to 20 minutes long. The afternoon sessions will feature one long pose allowing for the development of values and forms. Ideal for artists at any level of practice.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Carolyn Pyfrom
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio
Website, email, 267-514-8647