Mondays, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. 
Instructor: Richard Estell 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Explore the painting techniques of the masters who pioneered the 19th and 20th century American watercolor movement, including Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Charles Demuth. Characterized by bright color and bold handling that includes accents of opaque watercolor and loose washes, work in this tradition captures subject matter with dazzling light-filled effects. Practice these classic methods and learn to incorporate them into your own artwork to achieve a greater freedom of expression as well as adaptability and control in the way that you paint. Demonstrations and art historical discussions will be combined with short and more extensive still life and self-portrait exercises. This course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels.

Image: Richard Estell, Watercress, 2011, watercolor, 30 x 22 in.

Register by: March 2 
Materials List
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Tuesdays, 6 - 9 p.m. 
Instructor: Phyllis Laver 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

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.

Note: Optional Part 1 Drawing Fundamentals: Line and Form offers preliminary instruction but is not required as a prerequisite to Cast and Figure.

Image: Phyllis Laver

Register by: March 5  
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  (Zoom meetings supplemented by Canvas content)
Instructor:  Roberto Osti 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

The human body is one of the most fascinating and inspiring subjects for artists, but many are intimidated by its complexity. Join Roberto Osti, artist, teacher and author of Basic Human Anatomy: An Essential Visual Guide, to draw the human figure with confidence through an understanding its basic shapes and underlying anatomy. Study the human form from a structural point of view to become familiar with its basic landmarks, essential volumes, main muscle groups, and proportional relationships. Supplement this anatomical knowledge with classical rendering methods using graphite, charcoal, and chalk on on white and toned papers, including the trois crayons technique, to produce beautiful figure drawings. The online structure allows for an optimal overhead view of the instructor’s demonstration drawings and a focused but conversational community environment as students draw alongside the instructor and complete in-class work together. 

Image:  Roberto Osti, Katal Huyuk Venus, 2006, red eath colored pencil on paper, 13.75x17.75 

Register by: March 6  
Materials List 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering. 
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m. 
Instructor: Shushana Rucker 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Explore the possibilities of palette knife painting in this six-week course led by artist Shushana Rucker. Designed for painters of all levels, the course introduces students to a range of knife techniques for applying oil paint to create bold lines and strong texture. Through demonstrations, guided exercises, and individual feedback, students will learn how to mix bold color and use texture to heighten expression and atmosphere. Working from observation and reference imagery, participants will complete several finished paintings and develop a personal approach to working with the knife. No prior palette knife experience required.

Image: Shushana Rucker, View from I-76, oil on panel, 6 x 12 in.

Register by: March 5 
Materials List 
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Fridays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Zoom meetings supplemented by Canvas content)
Instructor:  Colleen O'Donnell 
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent) 

Unlock your creative voice through the art of assemblage. Learn how to build a cohesive body of mixed-media work by exploring themes, motifs, and the power of working in a series. Through discussion, material exploration, and supportive critique, develop your visual language while experimenting with found objects and personal materials. By the end of the course, each participant will complete a meaningful 3–6 piece assemblage mini-series that expresses their unique story and artistic perspective.

Image: Student Patti Rosenberg.

Register by: March 6 
Materials List
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 

Paint from a life model in a multi-week-pose format to develop and refine your figure painting compositions.  Extended poses will allow students to adjust and resolve issues of surface, color, and composition. Instruction will cover a variety of topics including glazing, broken color, surface texture, composition and design, the relationship of the figure to the environment, the creation of atmosphere and color harmony, disrupted realism, and open- versus closed-form painting. All levels welcome. Instruction will be geared toward oil, but students are welcome to draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.

Image: David Wilson

Register by: March 6 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (*Includes a visit to the PAFA archives on Wednesday, April 8.) 
Instructor: Morgan Dummitt 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
No class on April 5 

William Rush was the first major American sculptor, a master of woodcarving as well as terracotta and bronze. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ cast collection houses several of Rush’s portraits and figures, and this class offers the rare opportunity to closely study these masterpieces. Students will copy a sculpture by Rush, learning both the particularities of the master’s technique and the basic principles of terracotta figure modeling. All levels are welcome for this exciting opportunity to closely study Rush’s sculpture in anticipation of the PAFA Museum's landmark exhibition, A Nation of Artists. 

Student Learning Outcomes

• Gain a basic understanding of the osteology, myology, and anatomy of the human portrait and figure
• Learn from William Rush’s techniques for organizing the body into simplified sculptural forms
• Carry out best practices for modeling and maintaining water-based clay sculpture
• Understand best practices for creating ceramic sculpture

*Note: This course includes a visit to the PAFA archives for a behind-the-scenes look at William Rush works on Wednesday, April 8, (time TBA) as well as an invitation to exhibition opening events.

Optional: Add a PAFA Dual Plus Membership to your registration to receive member privileges just in time for A Nation of Artists and 10% off this course instantly, as well as 10% off all other regular CE classes* during your one-year membership -- select membership add-on option with price adjustment during checkout! (*CE member discounts limited to Dual Plus/Friend and above levels and apply to regular CE courses and workshops only -- special programs such as Extended Studio Courses and studio rentals are ineligible for tuition deductions.)

Image: William Rush, Self-Portrait, ca. 1822, terracotta, 15 1/2 x 18 x 11 in. Collection of the PAFA Museum.  Accession # 1849.1.

Register by: March 9 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Sundays, 3 - 4 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings) 
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
No class on April 5 

Explore ways to improve your use of color and enhance your personal style and expression with Al Gury, noted professor and author of Alla Prima,Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. Great colorists such as Velasquez, Manet, Matisse, and Diebenkorn among others will provide the focus for weekly explorations of how to improve color in your work. Visual histories and examples, materials, problem solving, and color theories will be presented through live Zoom meetings and recorded video demonstrations, with a goal of helping each student find their own color voice. Instruction includes a weekly painting project to guide the participants through understanding and improving color choices in their work and subject matter. Assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform, and critiqued by the instructor for helpful feedback. Open to all levels of experience and all media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel.

Image: Al Gury.

Register by: March 9 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.  
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses