The natural world is an infinite and fantastic source of inspiration for the artist, and the versatility and luminosity of watercolor make it the perfect means of expression. Learn essential drawing and watercolor techniques to create both quick field sketches and detailed, finished artworks. Subject matter will include flowers, plants, animals and landscapes. Reference images will be gathered through observational sketches and photography. An ideal workshop for those interested in both the fine arts and the illustration field.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roberto Osti
Cost: $195
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Capture the active life of the city and its rich architecture. This is an excellent workshop for anyone who wants to learn to sketch on the bus or train, in cafés and public parks, or while traveling abroad. Topics include perspective, gauging proportions by eye, gesture figure drawing, and methods for simplifying form. All levels welcome. (rain or shine)
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Capture the active life of the city and its rich architecture. This is an excellent workshop for anyone who wants to learn to sketch on the bus or train, in cafés and public parks, or while traveling abroad. Topics include perspective, gauging proportions by eye, gesture figure drawing, and methods for simplifying form. All levels welcome. (rain or shine)
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Fred Kaplan
Cost: $195; $525 for 1.0 undergraduate credit
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Celebrate the floral wonder of spring! Working from fresh flowers from the instructor’s garden, paint colorful still life arrangements of irises, lilacs, tulips and more. Oil painting demonstrations will address light, color, gesture of the bloom, and composition. Examples from master flower painters throughout history will provide inspiration.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Dori Spector
Cost: $175
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Portray the spring landscape en plein air in the medium of your choice along the banks of the picturesque Brandywine River. Bring a packed lunch or eat at Hank’s, a longtime haunt of Andrew Wyeth’s. The day concludes with a visit to the Brandywine River Museum (free admission on the first Sunday of the month). Free parking, restrooms and sheltered locations available. (rain or shine)
 
Location: Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn the basics of drawing with pastel and watercolor, ideal for plein air, as you work along the picturesque Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The instructor will demonstrate techniques, reference art historical examples, and encourage personal expression. Amenities will be available along the way. All levels welcome.(rain date: June 7)
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Cost: $95
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

A combination instructed-class and open studio for students interested in advancing their representational drawing and painting. Design and work on your own personal projects utilizing the cast collection, figure/portrait models, and still life or interior spaces, assisted by individual critiques and group instruction on topics of broad concern or interest.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Peter Van Dyck
Cost: $865
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

We will use photos as a springboard for creating the paintings we want. In this 5-day workshop, participants will work in the studio from photographic reference of the landscape, using it to create paintings of different value keys, color keys, times of day, and seasons of the year. We’ll break down the information in photos, analyze it, and use it to create tonal sketches, change color palettes, and create paintings based on multiple images, memory, and imagination. Each day will include a lecture and demonstration followed by painting with one-on-one instruction.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: John MacDonald
Cost: $850
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore traditional and contemporary monotype techniques while working from direct observation of the posed model in a studio setting. Instruction will present a historical overview of the medium, demonstrating the range of artistic possibilities through the work of Edgar Degas, Paul Gaugin, and other historical and contemporary artists. Students will employ a combination of subtractive and additive techniques on Plexiglas or metal plates, using a procedural method that can be adjusted to suit individual needs. Images printed on the first day will be further developed with dry and wet media on the second day. Instruction will emphasize issues of drawing, mark making, composition, and design.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Mark Green
Cost: $415
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Brooklyn-based painter and PAFA alum Christine Lafuente considers her paintings “poetic responses to visual experience.” Responding to the still life motif, learn how to build an oil painting directly, with the emphasis on color. The workshop will begin with a painting demonstration, followed by painting sessions in which students will be guided through a series of focused procedures: composing a painting and establishing tonal design, mixing color, achieving harmony and palette organization, applying large color masses, and using principles of oil viscosity to build form into wet-into-wet painting.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Christine Lafuente
Cost: $850
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Ideal for teens who want to further their drawing skills and develop a strong body of work for their portfolios. Students will work in drawing media from the still life, PAFA’s historic cast collection, and figure/portrait models to learn principles of composition, value, perspective, and drawing techniques.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore clay modeling and expand your portfolio with three-dimensional work. Work from a life model to learn methods of terra cotta clay sculpture, focusing on anatomy, proportion, composition, and personal expression. Sculptures will be photographed for portfolios and kiln-fired after the course ends. Note: This class will utilize nude models.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Colleen O’Donnell
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore the exciting and challenging practice of landscape painting! Learn to depict ever-changing light and shadows through rapid decisions and swift mark-making. Study landscape masters to develop tactics for depicting foliage, trees, mountains, atmosphere, and clouds; then take your skills outdoors to paint the nearby landscape in the open air!
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

The class begins with a discussion of bird anatomy, comparative anatomy, the principles of aerodynamics, the importance of drawing and assembling shapes, and how to achieve the illusion of movement in sculptures of birds in flight. Sandy will help students determine the difference between a sculpture that is technically adequate & one that has spirit & life. All aspects of modeling in oil-based clay will be explored and beginning students are welcome. Students will work from computer imagery, photography, drawings, field guides, & a printed workbook. Sandy has instructed bird sculpture for over 35 years and is recognized as one of America’s leading wildlife artists.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Sandy Scott
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 412-741-4405

Explore illustration as a counterpart to music through the art of the concert poster. Students will experiment with traditional and digital methods to develop imagery that interprets the lyrical content of their favorite artists. Spontaneous and stream of consciousness drawing and lettering exercises will be employed to invent narratives from instrumental music. The history of the concert poster will provide context and serve as inspiration for the students own projects.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: James Heimer
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Add color to your portfolio by developing your painting skills in oil or acrylic. Work from still life arrangements to explore the fundamentals of painting including the selection and care of materials, painting techniques, and color mixing. Instruction will emphasize composition, value, and color relationships.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

This class will stress the learning process to achieve this goal; from basic proportions, structure and value relationships for the beginner, intermediate and advanced students may choose to work in color, but would encourage one to take at least first day or two of drawing and then to full color portraits with emphasis on enhancing values, color and design. We will do some value studies of a generic eye, nose, mouth and ear for a better understanding of their structure. We will talk about the process of learning to see, not to copy, but how to interpret. Good design is related to good drawing, and to me good drawing enhances good judgment and good taste.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Ned Mueller
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405

Paint your way through the mystery and uncertainty of the art-making process in this intuitive, practical and empowering workshop with acclaimed artist and PAFA graduate faculty member, Neysa Grassi. Dispel the voices of criticism in your head, and learn to perceive doubt as a valid means of investigation rather than a destructive force. Work in gouache and mixed media on paper to discover the freedom that comes from generating imagery without preconceived outcomes. Discussion of painting practices and feedback on students’ previous work will supplement studio activity. Instruction will be presented on an artist-to-artist basis, whether participants are beginners or seasoned artists.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Neysa Grassi
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore Philadelphia’s rich tradition of natural history illustration through fascinating museum visits and hands-on art-making with award-winning artist, illustrator and PAFA alumna Kate Samworth. Follow the path of Charles Wilson Peale, the painter, scientist, inventor, and naturalist who established the nation’s first natural history museum in 1786, in an effort to collect and catalogue all living things. Visit the American Philosophical Society and the Library Company of Philadelphia and others to view prints, paintings and ephemera related to the exploration of the natural world at the end of the Enlightenment era. Return to PAFA to create your own nature illustration of flora and fauna with a new understanding of the role of those who collected, preserved, identified and depicted living things through history.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Cost: $395
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Discover the creative possibilities of digital photography. Learn to use the camera as an expressive tool as you develop an understanding of photography’s technical and visual aspects. Instruction covers camera functions, compositional strategies, image editing in Photoshop, creating digital prints, and photographing artwork for a portfolio. Required:DSLR or compact camera with manual functions.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: RA Friedman
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn to draw or paint the portrait with confidence through time-honored methods. Drawing instruction will guide students through a comprehensive understanding of the head structure, proportions and features toward achieving both a likeness and aesthetic effect. Extended poses will allow thorough study of both drawing and oil painting processes. Prerequisite: Drawing 1 or other prior basic drawing experience.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Meghan Cox
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Figure drawing is one of the most time-honored methods of art training and a great way to rapidly produce valuable work for a portfolio. Work in charcoal and graphite directly from the life model in short and long poses, exploring gesture, proportions and anatomy. Prerequisite: Drawing (Section 1 or 2), Portrait Drawing & Painting or other basic drawing experience. Note: This class will utilize nude models.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Shushana Rucker
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn step-by-step cartooning basics so you can create characters, tell a story from life or imagination, or build a portfolio. Create your own short story to be included in a collaborative comic book to take home at the end of class. Instruction includes insights on the comic book and animation industry.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Jeff Kilpatrick
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Figure painting is one the most versatile and popular subjects taught at PAFA. Learn to paint the life model in oil/acrylic, focusing on human anatomy and proportions, paint handling, materials, and design. Prerequisite: Painting I: Still Life, Portrait Drawing & Painting or other prior basic painting experience. Note: This class will utilize nude models.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: David Wilson
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Printmaking enhances drawing/painting skills and creates striking contributions to a college portfolio. Explore the exciting possibilities of traditional line etching, screenprinting on t-shirts or other materials, and the painterly monotype. Learn the methods of image development, printing for each process, as well as the safe handling of all materials.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Shushana Rucker
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Explore the vibrant and subtle possibilities of watercolor painting. Learn the fundamentals of the medium, including the selection of papers, brushes, and pigments, as well as transparent and opaque painting methods. Work from still life, photographs, and the cityscape. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Learn everything needed to know about this medium and how to control it. Workshop will focus on understanding light by painting still lifes and then the portrait from models. All levels welcome.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Christine Swann
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405

Drawing in the Academic manner from plaster casts is a traditional and effective way to learn to draw accurately from observation. PAFA’s beautiful and historic Cast Hall contains life-size copies of antique and Renaissance sculpture – a unique resource that has been part of PAFA’s curriculum for over 200 years. Master the drawing elements of gesture, proportion, volume, anatomy, tone, and composition with charcoal and colored chalk on toned paper. Progress to oil painting materials and techniques using a limited palette. Ideal for all levels, with options to draw- or paint-only based on experience.
 
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Shushana Rucker
Cost: $425
Sponsor: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Website, email, 215-972-7632

Most people can name a specific moment in their lives when something changed it forever. For artists and writers, we agree that learning and creating in community has enriched our lives in so many different ways. We have experienced fun, personal, mental and emotional life-changing growth. Around the world, we explore adding Zentangle to our mixed media art and use it as an opening exercise in our writing practice. It is intentional, abstract art and a safe place to create, even when you aren’t an artist. Conscious Creations Art Studio, in Exton, is the home of Philly Area Zentangle® (2012) This retreat weekend promises to enlighten, broaden skills, and enhance your creative spirit.
 
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Cost: $500.00
Sponsor: Conscious Creations Art Studio
Website, email, 484-889-8668

I have a “go for the essentials and make every stroke count” approach to painting, no matter the medium. I believe this lends a sense of freshness and clarity to the work, especially watercolor. Emphasis in this workshop will be on helping students find the essential elements and qualities in the subject matter, and through demonstrations and group critiques show how to present them in a simple, direct way. The object is to eliminate extraneous information and details, and simplify the subject. Students will be encouraged to look beyond the representational aspect of the subject to the dynamics of contrast, light, movement, space; elements which help make paintings come alive. Students will work from their own photos or sketches.
 
Location: Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Instructor: Bill Vrscak
Cost: $375
Sponsor: Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Website, email, 4127414405