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All CE Summer 2024 In-Person and Online Courses
Certificate of Art (CA) Application: Core Curriculum
This is the registration/application portion only to enroll in the Core Curriculum Certificate of Art.
If you're new to art, interested in taking classes but unsure of your direction, or returning to art after a long absence, the Core Curriculum Certificate of Art (CA) is designed for you! Composed of 8 CE courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking, including electives in your areas of interest, this structured curriculum provides a firm foundation across fine arts disciplines and direction for future studies or personal practice. Discover your creative voice and move forward in your art-making by developing your observational skills, exploring a variety of materials and techniques, and cultivating personal expression.
Program and Enrollment Instructions:
- Review the complete Core Corriculum CA description and policies before registering.
- To be accepted to the Core Curriculum Certificate, students must first enroll via this application portal.
- Students must enroll in courses within CE’s catalog to meet their certificate requirements.
- Students must register for at least one credit-bearing Continuing Education course at the time of application.
- Students may keep track of their own progress using PAFA's CA Course List.
- Certificate Application Deadline: Rolling. See course descriptions for individual class registration deadlines.
Additional Information:
- Please note that Certificate application fees are non-refundable. Courses taken within the program are subject to CE’s standard withdrawal/refund policies. See Procedures and Policies information or the Policy Guide included at the bottom of each course description.
- For course selection, please review Certificate course requirements before enrolling to ensure application to the program. Be sure to select the credit option for credit-bearing courses or to gain approval for non-credit courses. For questions or course advice, contact PAFA’s Continuing Education Programs Office at 215-972-2029 or continuinged@pafa.edu.
- Students are not required to enroll in Certificate programs to register for individual CE classes: members of the public are welcome to study on a course-by-course basis, for credit or non-credit, as their time and interests allow, for personal enrichment and enjoyment. However, only students who are registered for a certificate program, and are completing credit course requirements, are eligible to earn a certificate credential upon completion.
- Certificates of Art do not constitute official academic undergraduate or graduate degrees (such as college associate's, bachelor's, or master's degrees).
- By enrolling in this program, students agree to abide by the policies and regulations detailed on PAFA's Certificate website.
Learn More About PAFA's Part-Time Certificate Programs:
Certificate of Art (CA) Application: Drawing and Painting Online Studies
This is the registration/application portion only to enroll in the Drawing and Painting Online Studies Certificate of Art.
For students seeking to gain a firm foundation for their drawing and painting practice through the convenience of online learning, PAFA now presents the Drawing and Painting Online Studies Certificate of Art (CA) Program. Comprised of 6 online Continuing Education courses focusing on drawing and painting in a variety of media, with options to include illustration topics, this concise curriculum is designed to provide an introduction or refresher to observational drawing techniques, sound painting practices in oil/acrylic or watercolor, compositional concerns, perspective, color, and abstract concepts. This program is ideal for students who wish to take advantage of PAFA's exceptional instruction but cannot attend on-campus courses due to distance, scheduling, or a variety personal concerns.
Program and Enrollment Instructions:
- Review the complete Drawing and Painting Online Studies CA description and policies before registering.
- To be accepted to the Drawing and Painting Online Studies Certificate, students must first enroll via this application portal.
- Students must enroll in courses within CE’s catalog to meet their certificate requirements.
- Students must register for at least one credit-bearing Continuing Education course at the time of application.
- Students may keep track of their own progress using PAFA's CA Drawing and Painting Online Studies Course List.
- Certificate Application Deadline: Rolling. See course descriptions for individual class registration deadlines.
Additional Information:
- Please note that Certificate application fees are non-refundable. Courses taken within the program are subject to CE’s standard withdrawal/refund policies. See Procedures and Policies information or the Policy Guide included at the bottom of each course description.
- For course selection, please review Certificate course requirements before enrolling to ensure application to the program. Be sure to select the credit option for credit-bearing courses or to gain approval for non-credit courses. For questions or course advice, contact PAFA’s Continuing Education Programs Office at 215-972-2029 or continuinged@pafa.edu.
- Students are not required to enroll in Certificate programs to register for individual CE classes: members of the public are welcome to study on a course-by-course basis, for credit or non-credit, as their time and interests allow, for personal enrichment and enjoyment. However, only students who are registered for a certificate program, and are completing credit course requirements, are eligible to earn a certificate credential upon completion.
- Certificates of Art do not constitute official academic undergraduate or graduate degrees (such as college associate's, bachelor's, or master's degrees).
- By enrolling in this program, students agree to abide by the policies and regulations detailed on PAFA's Certificate website.
Learn More About PAFA's Part-Time Certificate Programs:
Certificate of Art (CA) Application: Figure Studies
This is the registration/application portion only to enroll in the Figure Studies Certificate of Art.
The Figure Studies Certificate of Art (CA) is designed for students who want to embrace the PAFA figurative tradition as the core of their artistic practice. Comprised of 8 required Continuing Education courses in drawing, painting, and sculpture, this curriculum provides students with a structured approach to exploring the proportions, anatomy, and expressive possibilities of the human figure with an emphasis on observational practices. This program is ideal for students with an interest in improving their understanding and rendering of the human form for academic anatomy study, portfolio building, or personal studio practice.
Program and Enrollment Instructions:
- Review the complete Figure Studies CA description and policies before registering.
- To be accepted to the Figure Studies Certificate, students must first enroll via this application portal.
- Students must enroll in courses within CE’s catalog to meet their certificate requirements.
- Students must register for at least one credit-bearing Continuing Education course at the time of application.
- Students may keep track of their own progress using PAFA's CA Figure Studies Course List.
- Certificate Application Deadline: Rolling. See course descriptions for individual class registration deadlines.
Additional Information:
- Please note that Certificate application fees are non-refundable. Courses taken within the program are subject to CE’s standard withdrawal/refund policies. See Procedures and Policies information or the Policy Guide included at the bottom of each course description.
- For course selection, please review Certificate course requirements before enrolling to ensure application to the program. Be sure to select the credit option for credit-bearing courses or to gain approval for non-credit courses. For questions or course advice, contact PAFA’s Continuing Education Programs Office at 215-972-2029 or continuinged@pafa.edu.
- Students are not required to enroll in Certificate programs to register for individual CE classes: members of the public are welcome to study on a course-by-course basis, for credit or non-credit, as their time and interests allow, for personal enrichment and enjoyment. However, only students who are registered for a certificate program, and are completing credit course requirements, are eligible to earn a certificate credential upon completion.
- Certificates of Art do not constitute official academic undergraduate or graduate degrees (such as college associate's, bachelor's, or master's degrees).
- By enrolling in this program, students agree to abide by the policies and regulations detailed on PAFA's Certificate website.
Learn More About PAFA's Part-Time Certificate Programs:
Oil Painting: Core Techniques (In-Person)
with Frederic Kaplan
Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.*
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Whether you are new or returning to oil painting, learn its materials and techniques and how to apply them effectively in this comprehensive foundational course. Instruction will discuss and demonstrate a range of colors, paint brands, and painting mediums and demystify painting conventions such as “fat over lean” and “thick over thin.” Working from still-life subject matter, begin with simple “direct” alla prima sketches, and then advance to “indirect” layering approaches of building upon a tonal underpainting – first with a limited selection of transparent and opaque colors, and later with a more extended palette. Develop methodologies for the process of making a painting, including managing color and value, and constructing an engaging composition. Previous drawing experience recommended.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
*Note: No class on June 19 for Juneteenth holiday.
Image: Fred Kaplan, Despina, 2019, Acrylic on panel, 12 x 12 in.
Register by: May 10
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
In-Depth Watercolor, Session 1 (In-Person)
with James Toogood
Fridays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Instructor: James Toogood
Six-Week Condensed Course (42 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.5 Undergraduate Credits (See Below)
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. Open to watercolorists of all levels and to acrylic/oil painters looking to broaden their skills.
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn about color theory as applied to watercolor.
- Students will receive a comprehensive explanation of watercolor materials and tools, with particular focus will be paid to the properties of paint and pigments as they interact with the paintbrushes and paper.
- Through both discussions and demonstrations, first time participants and beginners will learn a variety of techniques that are fundamental to watercolor, presented in a systematic step by step method. Participants can expect to have regular individual instruction, given at their current skill level.
- Focus also will be paid on acquiring the skills needed to achieve a richness of color and a feeling of light.
- Participants will work from direct observations from the still life and model, as well as from one’s own source materials.
- Those not taking the class for credit will have the option to work on landscape, still life, portrait and figure or abstraction, as they wish.
- Participants will be exposed to a variety of watercolor styles and encouraged to discover one’s own personal aesthetic.
- The course is ultimately designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to make accomplished, personally rewarding watercolor paintings.
Optional: This Condensed Course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $995. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Image: James Toogood, Bermuda.
Register by: May 10
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide including withdrawal/refund policies
Figure Painting: Alla Prima and the Limited Palette (In-Person)
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10 a.m - 1 p.m.*
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
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 the valuable opportunity for more advanced students to continue to hone their skills 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. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
Note: No class on May 25 for Memorial Day Weekend.
Image: David Wilson.
Register by: May 10
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Traditions in Landscape Painting (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 3 – 4 p.m.* (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
In this visually rich and interactive class, students will be guided through the development of the color and styles of contemporary landscape painting from its beginnings in the 16th century to the modern era, with a focus on historical Dutch landscape painting, the English and French plein air painters, the Impressionist landscape, and early modern forms of personal expression in the genre. Each class will include a visual history of the topic, color palettes, the materials and techniques of each approach, and a video demonstration by the instructor. Working from master copies and photos, as well as observational painting, will be addressed. Weekly project assignments will be critiqued by the instructor. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the development of landscape painting while developing individualized painting approaches and personal style.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
* No class on May 26 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Register by: May 10
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Foundations of Art 101 (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.* (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Al Gury, Professor of Painting and Drawing at PAFA, and noted author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing, presents the foundational basics of art making. This course is designed for individuals who are new to or just beginning to study art, or for those desiring a refresher in the basic elements, with a goal of imparting a solid and practical understanding of essential topics and practices. As a survey course, each week will focus on a specific topic and a project assignment. Topics will include the materials of drawing and painting, drawing shapes, measuring, forms, perspective, depth, use of line, understanding light and shade, and composition. Exercises will include the basics of charcoal and pencil drawing, use of pastel, color concepts, and how oil paints work. Subjects will include still lifes, interior spaces, portraits, and life drawing through the use of masterworks. Course content and assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Weekly Zoom meetings will provide opportunities for Q&A, art history discussion and references, illustrations of key concepts, and explanations of the weekly project by the instructor.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
* No class on May 26 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Register by: May 10
Image: Al Gury.
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies