Filter by Category
CE Summer Session 2 (July - August; Select Courses May Start Earlier)
in All CE Summer 2026 In-Person and Online Courses
Etching, Monoprints, and Monotypes
with Tony Rosati
Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: Tony Rosati
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Experience masterful instruction in PAFA’s spacious print facilities as you explore an array of basic intaglio and monotype printing techniques including monoprint, drypoint, etching, aquatint, collograph and polymer plate methods. Image embellishments will include embossing, chine collé, collage, paper plates and mixed media techniques. All levels welcome; experienced students may continue independent work. Note: Tuition includes $20 lab fee.
Image: Tony Rosati
Register by: June 30
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Fast and Unfussed Figure Painting
with Roger Chavez
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours)
Energize and open up your approach to figure painting through rapid, loose oil painting studies from the life model. Learn tactics to avoid the tendency toward tightness and over-attention to detail too early in the process that can lead to work that lacks liveliness in gesture or mark and is difficult to adjust or correct. Through short, small-scale painting exercises from the model in one-day poses, learn new ways of approaching life painting with an emphasis on keeping compositions fluid, capturing the gesture and character of the subject before getting locked into its contours, and both initiating and retaining a sense of freshness in your color and brushstrokes. Instruction will address color mixing, painting materials and methodologies, and the importance of cultivating sustainable methods for growth in your painting practice. Note: Tuition includes a $65 models fee.
Image: Roger Chavez
Register by: June 30
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Terracotta Figure Sculpture
with Morgan Dummitt
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Instructor: Morgan Dummitt
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours)
Modeling the figure in clay is the foundational skill of traditional sculpture. Working from a model, learn to sculpt in clay from initial gesture to surface finishing techniques. Topics of study will include proportion, composition, structure, and simplified sculptural form. Students will complete two sculptures in the course of the class. All work will be fired after class. Beginners welcome. Note: Tuition includes a $65 models fee.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Gain a basic understanding of the osteology, myology, and anatomy of the figure
- Analyze and organize the various elements of 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
Image: Morgan Dummitt, Brittany, terracotta.
Register by: June 30
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Anatomical Figure Drawing
with John Horn
Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: John Horn
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Develop your ability to render the human form through the time-honored combination of anatomical study and life drawing. Learn the methods and technical skills of traditional figure drawing, such as measuring, capturing gesture, anatomical structuring, and tonal rendering. Through lectures and demonstrations, and work from the life model, learn the structural aspects of the human form: bony landmarks, simplified volumes, and proportional relationships. Progress to the skeletal framework and superficial muscles to identify their surface effects and how they influence mass and movement. Incorporate your knowledge of figure anatomy to capture the fluidity, vitality, and subtleties of the human form while working from the life model in short and extended poses. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
Image: John Horn
Register by: July 1
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Creating Artist Books
with Rosae Reeder
Wednesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Rosae Reeder
Six-Week Short Course
An Artist Book is work of art in the form of a book and can encompass a wide variety of formats and sculptural qualities. If you are interested in making your own Artist Books and don’t know how to begin, or if you have bookmaking experience and want to learn more, this concise course will take you through the process from beginning to end. Starting with a discussion about the history, formats, and unique qualities of Artist Books, instruction will guide students through choosing the best book structure, creating mock-ups, and methods of finish to bring each participant's ideas to life. Ways to create imagery and various book forms will be addressed through discussion, demonstration, and individualized guidance.
Image: Rosae Reeder
Register by: July 1
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Oil Painting for All Levels (ONLINE)
with Frederic Kaplan
Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
This comprehensive oil painting class presents a wealth of information for students at all levels. Weekly instruction in the form of online video demonstrations, illustrated lessons, and live Zoom sessions is available in the student’s choice of beginner, intermediate, or advanced modules. Students can stay with a single level to progressively build their skills, or they can explore all the levels to pick-and-choose the lessons that best fit their interests or specific needs. The beginner’s module covers basics of alla prima and direct painting. Intermediate instruction focuses on color and the introduction of a wider range of painting methods. Advanced students learn to produce a tonal under-painting, glaze, scumble, and apply a velatura.
Register by: July 1
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
The Portrait in Oil
with Al Gury
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Al Gury
Five-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours)
No class on July 16
*Instructor and information for this course have been updated.
Explore the art of portrait painting through an in-depth approach from Al Gury, noted PAFA instructor and author of Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting and Color for Painters: A Guide to Traditions and Practice. Investigate the structure and basic anatomy of the human head through drawings and painted studies. Progress to finished paintings and address issues of likeness, composition, space and texture. Instruction will focus on alla prima (direct) painting techniques, practical use of materials, and color palettes for effective portrait painting. Learn to better see and understand color to mix it more successfully – a useful skill for painting any subject matter. All levels welcome. Note: Course tuition includes a $65 model fee.
Image: Al Gury
Register by: July 2
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Woodcut Printmaking
with Rebecca Gilbert
Thursdays, 1 - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Rebecca Gilbert
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Printing from a drawing carved into wood block is the oldest and most straightforward form of printmaking. Artists of all levels enjoy its potential for intricate detail and graphic impact. Learn the basics of relief printmaking, including carving techniques, care of tools, types of wood and paper, registration, and how to use mark-making to translate ideas into dynamic black and white images. Instruction will cover printing by hand and on an etching press, using oil-based inks. This workshop is most suitable for folks that have some experience with printmaking, but all levels are welcome. Tuition includes a $20 lab fee.
Image: Rebecca Gilbert
Register by: July 2
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.