Continuing Education at PAFA

Image: Al Gury.

Full Course

Color for Painters (Online)

$375

with Al Gury

Current session started Jan 22, 2023 at 4:30 pm, runs for 10 weeks

Sundays, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

An in-depth approach to understanding and mixing color for oil painting from the Chair of PAFA’s Painting Department and noted author of Color for Painters: A Guide to Traditions and Practice. Explore history, palettes, mixing and application for still life, portrait, interior spaces and landscape through a series of studio paintings. Includes videos, lectures and assignments with regular instructor feedback, and weekly Zoom meetings.

Learning Objectives

Students will gain an understanding of the history and evolution of color in painting
Students will gain an understanding of theoretical and critical approaches to color
Students will gain an understanding of the practical applications of color mixing, gradations, temperature and palettes
Students will learn color application through studio projects using the major aesthetics of color
Students will learn to understand the use of color in a variety of masterworks

This course does not meet during Spring Break, March 6 – 12.

NOTE: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $575.

Register by: January 6

Image: Al Gury.

The Pennsylvania Landscape Tradition (Online)

$375

with Joseph Sweeney

Current session started Jan 24, 2023 at 10 am, runs for 10 weeks

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Keep your plein air skills warm during the colder months by joining Joe Sweeney, online inside his studio, to hone your landscape painting practice indoors! Work from instructor-provided reference photographs of the New Hope countryside, the area made famous by Daniel Garber, Edward Redfield, Fern Coppedge, and other masters of Pennsylvania Impressionism. Topics will include creating a strong composition, identifying what to leave in and what to leave out, color mixing, capturing the effects of light, painting techniques, and learning how to use photographs effectively to prepare for or supplement outdoor work. Instruction is geared toward oil/acrylic painting, but experienced watercolorists are welcome. Ideal for all levels, including beginning painters.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $575. Select credit option when registering.

Image: Joseph Sweeney, Farm on New Road, Pastel.

Register by: January 13

Zoom Technical Requirements - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION

Registration Unavailable

Color Workout: Exercises in Color Theory and Practice (In-Person)

$425

with Alicia Mino

Tuesdays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

How do we see and perceive color? How does color function in, and strengthen, composition? Learn about the principles of color and its terminology, including descriptions such as primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and concepts such as temperature, chroma and hue, in this creative and fun class. Instruction will utilize collage and mixed-media techniques to explore the physical and psychological properties of color, with a goal of enabling students to recognize, understand, and apply color to any type of artistic media.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $575. Select credit option when registering.

Please note:  All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.

Image: Alicia Mino

Register by: January 13

CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION

Painting Over the Line (Online)

$375

with Kassem Amoudi

Current session started Jan 25, 2023 at 1 pm, runs for 10 weeks

Wednesdays, 1 – 4 p.m.

Take your work to the next level under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi in this live Zoom class. Expert instruction and advice will push you to explore new possibilities and work more intuitively, allowing unplanned marks and passages to become artistic breakthroughs. Paint from personal subject matter to find your own visual language, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Painting experience recommended. Kassem will begin each class with a slide presentation/lecture focusing on how master artists through history have addressed color, harmony, focal points, space, mark making, paint application, and more, and how to apply these concepts to your own work.

Image: Kassem Amoudi

Register by: January 13

Registration Unavailable

Portrait Sculpture (In-Person)

$450

with Morgan Dummitt

Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Learn to sculpt a life-size portrait in clay on an armature from direct observation. Working from models, sculpt the head and neck structure with accuracy based on volume, proportion, and anatomy, developing the portrait from deep geometric structure to surface form. Capture likeness and expression through measuring practices and study of the facial features. Instruction will cover armature construction, clay modeling, and tool usage. This sensitive and immersive practice is excellent for both sculptors and drawing/painting portraitists seeking to inform their work through the exploration of three-dimensional form. All levels welcome. Note: Course tuition includes a $25 model fee.

Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $600 (including model fee). Select credit option when registering.

Please note:  All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.

Image: Morgan Dummitt, Cooper Portrait.

Register by: January 20

CE Proof of Vaccination/Booster Form - SUBMISSION REQUIRED AT TIME OF REGISTRATION

Editorial Illustration (Online)

$375

with James Heimer

Current session started Jan 26, 2023 at 6 pm, runs for 10 weeks

Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.

Explore image making as a means of communication. This is an intermediate class geared toward artists who wish to express narrative themes in their work as well as graphic designers interested in a pictorial approach to visual communication. Students will learn to analyze current news and opinion writing to create imagery with a message. Concept development methods including written brainstorming, thumbnails, and preliminary sketches will be introduced. Techniques combining traditional and digital media will be explored. This is an ideal opportunity for newcomers to digital media and will bridge the gap between the page and screen.

This course will utilize the online learning platform Canvas, and includes video demonstrations, lectures, and assignments. Weekly group discussions and individual critiques will be conducted via Zoom. Access to a scanner and Adobe Photoshop or other raster graphics software is required for the completion of assignments.

Image: James Heimer

Register by: January 20

Materials List

In-Depth Watercolor, Section 1 (In-Person)

$625

with James Toogood

Current session started Jan 27, 2023 at 9 am, runs for 10 weeks

Fridays, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

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 course is available for 1.5 undergraduate credits for $995. Select credit option when registering.

Please note:  All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and at least one additional booster upon registration. Registrations lacking vaccine documentation or approved medical exemption one week after submission are subject to withdrawal. Requests for medical or religious exemptions must be approved by PAFA’s head of security. Withdrawals for noncompliance will result in fees. See CE Policy Guide for complete COVID safety requirements and policies.

Image: James Toogood

Register by: January 20