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CE Six- and Eight-Week Short Courses
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Drawing Fundamentals: Line and Form (In-Person)
with Phyllis Laver
Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
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 simple forms, still life arrangements, and interior and exterior spaces to master the drawing elements: shape, contour line, composition, light and dark, texture and perspective. Instruction will guide students through sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, gauging value, and ways of defining form and space. This course is excellent as a foundation for future study, as a precursor to more advanced drawing study or to painting and other disciplines. Note: This part 1 course does not include work from models.
This class is part 1 of an optional 2-part course! See also Drawing Fundamentals: Cast and Figure for continued instruction. Students are welcome to enroll in either or both parts; Line and Form is not required as a prerequisite to Cast and Figure but is recommended for students with little or no drawing experience.
*No class on October 3 for Rosh Hashanah.
Image: Ellen R. Warren, Begonia, ca. 1880, pen and black ink on white wove paper, 2 x 3 1/4 in. Collection of PAFA.
Register by: September 6
Materials List
Fall 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.
Image: David Wilson.
Register by: September 13
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Oil Painting for Busy Beginners (Online)
with Susan Sullivan
Thursdays, 6 – 8 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Do you want to learn how to paint in oils but aren’t sure if you have the time to fit it into your busy schedule? Gain an introduction to the basic materials, techniques, and aesthetics of painting in this accessible, energizing, and convenient short online course! Explore direct (wet-on-wet) and indirect (layered) painting techniques; color mixing; how to use mediums, solvents and additives; and application methods with a brush and palette knife. Subject matter will include still life, portrait, interior spaces, landscape, and a master copy. Zoom class times will comprise group lectures and demonstrations and studio painting time with one-on-one instruction. Live instruction will be supplemented by helpful content on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Drawing experience required.
Image: Susan Sullivan.
Register by: September 20
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Introduction to Sculpture (In-Person)
with Steve Nocella
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Steve Nocella
Eight-Week Course (24 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
This class focuses on the essential processes of sculpture and provides a comprehensive foundation for creating three-dimensional art. Explore and experiment with fundamental techniques such as modeling, carving, and construction. Gain a greater understanding of form and space by exploring a variety of additive and subtractive processes. Instruction will cover the methods and techniques for working in clay, plaster, wood and metal. Content will emphasize both aesthetic concepts and the safe use of sculpture shop equipment. This experience will create a sound point of departure for advanced and dynamic sculpture study. Note: Tuition includes $40 lab fee.
Image: Steve Nocella, Bust with Helmet and Facemask, No. 4, 2024, mixed media, 30 x 30 in.
Register by: October 11
Materials List
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Lithography (In-Person)
with Justine Ditto
Wednesdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Justine Ditto
Eight-Week Course (24 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Lithography is a versatile printmaking process that allows for a complete range of drawing effects: contour line, hatching/cross-hatching, painterly wash applications, expressive mark-making, and reductive techniques. Learn all aspects of the lithographic process through step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on practice: preparing a traditional stone or lightweight aluminum plate; creating your own drawing from observation, imagination or photographic transfer using a range of drawing materials; selecting paper; printing in black-and-white and color; and editioning your prints. Note: Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.
Learning Objectives
- Students will gain a basic understanding of the lithography printing process.
- Students will acquire technical experience in preparing stones, plates, & ink.
- Students will learn basic stone & plate drawing, etching and processing techniques.
- Students will acquire technical expertise by way of proofing and printing their stones & plates, including learned skills in roller use & litho press operation.
- Students will learn printmaking professionalism including printing editions on clean registered printmaking paper, signing and numbering editions appropriately.
- Students will learn the importance of image development through individual reviews and by exploring various possibilities with the process.
- Students will develop critical visual and verbal skills through individual discussions with the instructor and their peers.
- Students will advance their individual art concepts and expand their artistic territory through new techniques & material uses.
Image: Justine Ditto.
Register by: October 18
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Color Matters (Online)
with Kassem Amoudi
Tuesdays, 1 - 4 p.m. (Live Zoom Only)
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Elevate the role of color and learn how to incorporate it both strategically and intuitively into your paintings under the guidance of artist/critic/mentor Kassem Amoudi. Examine concepts of temperature, value, saturation, and harmony/contrast through color relationships. Explore color’s role in creating focal points, suggesting space, influencing mark, and promoting personal expression. Work from personal subject matter (objects, images, emotions, or ideas) to develop your personal style, informed by examples from contemporary and modern art. Zoom sessions feature open painting time, supported by critiques and advice from the instructor as he works one-on-one with each student to guide them toward their goals. This course is excellent for students seeking to promote their use of color in abstract/nonobjective imagery and anyone seeking knowledgeable feedback within a focused community painting environment. Painting experience recommended.
Image: Kassem Amoudi.
Register by: October 25
Materials List
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Abstract Drawing/Mixed-Media: 10 Rules for Art Students (In-Person)
with Keith Leitner
Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.*
Instructor: Keith Leitner
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Artist, philosopher, and influential 20th-century composer John Cage, along with artist and educator Sister Corita Kent, developed a set of 10 Rules for Students and Teachers to encourage artistic production. Learn to apply these valuable guidelines to your own creative processes to find useful and meaningful ways of generating ideas, moving past ruts or stumbling blocks, and maintaining a steady and productive studio practice. This hands-on drawing/mixed-media class will utilize engaging exercises to challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone and find inspiration in chance, impediments, and everyday objects. Work on paper in your choice of media from imagination or prompts to explore means of building abstract imagery through personal means of mark-making and layering. Instruction will be supplemented by discussions of the artists who encouraged Cage and those who were influenced by him. This class is geared toward students with some prior art-making experience but is perfect for those who are launching their artistic career/studies, artists returning to the studio after an absence, and anyone seeking inspiration and stimulation for their art-making practice.
*No classes during Thanksgiving Break, November 28 – December 1.
Image: Keith Leitner.
Register by: October 25
Fall 204 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Drawing Fundamentals: Cast and Figure (In-Person)
with Phyllis Laver
Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
For students seeking to expand their beginning drawing skills or those new to working from the figure, this class will focus on applying drawing’s basic elements to the human form. Starting from Antique and Classical sculpture from PAFA’s cast collection and progressing to work from the life model in short and long poses, work in charcoal and graphite to explore figure-based concepts of gesture, proportions, anatomy, and expression. Instruction will cover sight-drawing and measuring techniques, use of materials, gauging value, and ways of defining form and space. This course is excellent as a foundation for future study in any discipline or for more advanced figure-based work. Note: This part 2 course includes the use of nude models. Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
This class is part 2 of an optional 2-part course! See also Drawing Fundamentals: Line and Form for more foundational instruction. Students are welcome to enroll in either or both parts; Line and Form is not required as a prerequisite to Cast and Figure but is recommended for students with little or no drawing experience.
*No classes during Thanksgiving Break, November 28 – December 1.
Image: Doug Brown, Roberta, 2022, charcoal on paper, 20 x 26.5 in.
Register by: October 25
Fall 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies