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December 6-7, 2025
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.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: RA Friedman
Cost: $205
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

December 8, 2025
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: $35
Sponsor: Wayne Art Center
Website, email, 610-688-3553

Mondays, January 5 - April 27, 2026
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

Mondays, January 5 - April 27, 2026
Oil medium will be used throughout this course to produce a series of achromatic, monochromatic, limited color and full color studies of the figure in simple spatial situations. Paint application will be direct, although indirect approaches and optical color will be addressed. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of hue, value and chroma to describe form and levels of space. Poses and environments will initially be kept simple to allow for the development of small, rapid studies. Time spent on each pose will then expand throughout the semester to explore a more complex treatment of form, color, surface, and design.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Douglas Martenson
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Wednesdays, January 7 - April 22, 2026
Figure Modeling is a comprehensive figure modeling course for first year students. The class will focus on geometry, anatomy, and proportion, as well as the crucial elements of gesture, rhythm, spontaneity, and spirit of form making. Students will be encouraged to work in a variety of sizes. Outside projects should be expected. Independent study and experimentation are always encouraged. Broader topics/discussions, such as the nature, history and philosophy of figurative art will also be discussed.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John Horn
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Thursdays, January 8 - April 23, 2026
Open Studio is a comprehensive clay figure modeling class. The class will continue the study of the figure, with a focus on anatomy and proportion, but will also emphasize the crucial elements of gesture and rhythm, spontaneity, and spirit. Students will be encouraged to work in a variety of sizes and outside projects should be expected. Independent study and experimentation are always encouraged. Issues concerning advanced students will be discussed on an individual basis. Broader topics/discussions, such as the nature and philosophy of art and the artist will also be introduced.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John Horn
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Thursdays, January 8 - April 23, 2026
Students will learn the structure of the portrait, the history of historic and contemporary portraiture, methods and materials of portraiture, and will be encouraged to develop a personal point of view in portrait painting. Issues of form, spatial concepts, color, andvisual and critical thinking will be addressed. Individual and group critiques will be conducted.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Douglas Martenson
Cost: $1,400
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Fridays, January 9 - April 24, 2026
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

