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Practical Perspective (Online)
with Kate Samworth
Tuesdays, 1 – 2 p.m. (Zoom) with Asynchronous Canvas Content
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Six-Week Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Understanding the principles of one- and two-point perspective is essential to drawing and painting convincing forms in space. Master the fundamentals of this geometric system that was developed during the Renaissance and is used to this day. Instruction will break down sometimes-intimidating principles into basic concepts to provide practical methods for creating interior spaces, landscapes, and cityscapes, including elements of repeated patterns, arches, stairways, and more. Great for illustrators and artists of any media requiring a strong drawing framework.
Image: Kate Samworth
Late registration available through October 20 (recorded content available)
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Wood Studio (In-Person)
with John Greig
Wednesdays, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: John Greig
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Note: No class on November 26
This class will explore wood as a primary art-making medium, looking at its many types, techniques and uses. Students will develop a well-rounded foundation of wood-working skills including cutting, milling, laminating, joinery and safe use of wood-working tools. Contemporary, traditional and ancient art works made of wood will be presented for historical and contextual understanding. Students will be encouraged to find their own unique voice within the material while building skills. Tuition includes $30 materials fee.
Image: John Greig
Register by: October 22
Materials List - Coming Soon!
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Figure Painting: Developing Form and Finish (In-Person)
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Note: No class on November 29
Paint from a life model in long, multi-class poses 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: October 24
Materials List
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Painting + Printmaking (In-Person)
with Justine Ditto
Mondays, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Justine Ditto
Six-WeekShort Course (18 Hours)
Painting and printmaking go hand-in-hand, not only as adjacent mediums but in combination. This freeing and instructive course presents printmaking techniques as jumping off points to making mixed media work in spirit of experimentation and personal expression. Learn how to make monotypes, drypoints, and screenprints as a foundation for incorporating your choice of graphite, colored pencil, acrylic, watercolor, oil paint, and/or collage. Content includes technical advice from an artist-instructor ideally skilled in a variety of media as well as critiques to expand your creative boundaries. This class is perfect for painters/draftspeopleseeking to expand their processes, printmakers seeking to employ painterly and mixed media techniques, and anyone with love of color and experimentation. Open to all levels – no prior printmaking or painting experience required. Tuition includes a $20 materials fee.
Image: Justine Ditto
Registration still open!
Materials List
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
The Color of Light and Shadow in Acrylics (Online)
with Frederic Kaplan
Mondays, 1 – 2:30 p.m. (Zoom meetings supporting majority asynchronous content)
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Exploit the unique qualities of acrylics to create paintings infused with light and rich, transparent shadows. Through a combination of online videos and illustrated lessons plus live Zoom sessions, learn how to build your paintings in layers of radiant opaque and transparent colors. A variety of acrylic painting techniques will be addressed, including the tenebrism of Baroque master Caravaggio. A rich resource of information about the wide array of acrylic painting materials is also provided. This course is appropriate for students at all levels, including beginners, but drawing experience is recommended.
Image: Fred Kaplan
Register by: October 28
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Animals in Watercolor (Online)
with Michelle Oosterbaan
Mondays, 6 – 8 p.m. (Zoom) with Asynchronous Canvas Content
Instructor: Michelle Oosterbaan
Six-Week Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
Dogs, cats, and other animals at home or in nature have been depicted in master drawings and paintings throughout the centuries — as portrait subjects themselves or as a part of landscapes, domestic scenes, still lifes, and other genres. Find inspiration in the creatures of the great outdoors or those curled up on your own couch to make animals a meaningful part of your painting practice. Utilize sketches and photo references to explore ways of realistically and expressively depicting domestic or wild animals, to capture facial features, posture/gesture, and textural effects of fur, feathers and whiskers while learning sound visual principles and techniques in water-media. Content will include examples from historical and contemporary art, engaging homework assignments, and discussions about the role of animals in art and tactics for making them a special focus in your own work. Instruction will focus on drawing and watercolor or gouache painting, but students are welcome to work in other media.
Image: Honoré Desmond Sharrer, Study for "Two Dogs in a Still Life" (detail), mid 20th century, casein or gouache on paper, 11 x 14 in. Collection of PAFA, gift of Adam Zagorin and the late Perez Zagorin. Copyright © artist or artist’s estate.
Register by: October 27
Materials List
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Drawing Refresher (In-Person)
with Frederic Kaplan
Mondays, 6 – 9 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week ShortCourse (18 Hours)
If you haven’t drawn in a while, this course will help to rebuild your skills in translating the 3D world to the 2D surface of your paper. Hone your ability to interpret and define proportions, shapes, and value structure while working from observation from city views, interiors, and still-life objects. Content will address shading techniques, principles of perspective, and line quality in charcoal or pencil. Students will learn to:
- Reduce complex forms to simpler elements
- Gauge proportions and shapes using sighting techniques and other methods
- Use light and shadow to model form three-dimensionally
- Employ shading techniques
- Practice fundamental perspective principles and methods
Image: Fred Kaplan
Register by: October 27
Materials List
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Fast and Unfussed Oil Painting (In-Person)
with Roger Chavez
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Cultivate fluid mark-making and bold approaches to subject matter through rapid and loose painting studies. Tight and precise painting, especially in the early stages of an artwork, can sometimes lead to work that appears stiff and over-labored, or to locked-in compositions that are difficult to change or correct. Working from the still life, cityscapes, and the life model, utilize short, small painting exercises to learn new ways of starting paintings, keeping compositions open to adjustment, and both initiating and retaining a sense of freshness in your forms and brushstrokes. Instruction will address color mixing, painting materials and methodologies, and the importance of cultivating viablemethods for growth in your painting practice. Discover the beauty and freedom of loosening up your painting! Note: Tuition includes a $15 models fee.
Image: Roger Chavez
Register by: October 28
Materials List
Fall 2025 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies