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Drawing
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City Landscape Drawing and Painting (Outdoor)
with Larry Francis
Sundays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Larry Francis
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Rain Date: May 31
Capture the small-town beauty Manayunk's hilly streets, rowhomes, and storefronts. Learn to create a convincing sense of space, light and time of day while depicting streetscapes, trees, water and sky. Color mixing and painting techniques for oils will be demonstrated, but all drawing/painting media are welcome. Located just 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, Manayunk offers engaging urban and riverside neighborhood subjects with parking, shade, provisions and facilities available. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.
Image: Larry Francis, Hill Town Paintings - View from Fleming, 2024, gouache on blue grey paper, 18 x 24 in.
Register by: April 6
Materials List
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Figure Painting: Alla Prima and the Limited Palette
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
No class on May 23
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
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: May 15
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Methods of the Masters: More Great Women Painters (ONLINE)
with Al Gury
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 May 24
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Explore the methods of some of the greatest painters in recent art history with Al Gury, noted professor and author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. Notable women artists including Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cecilia Beaux, Gwenn John, Jane Freilicher, Elaine de Kooning, and Vanessa Bell will provide the basis for weekly painting projects. Learn from, and gain an increased appreciation for, these masters through an examination of their materials, color palettes, working methods, and histories through visual examples, discussions, video demonstrations, and tailored painting projects that will be critiqued by the instructor for helpful feedback. Class meetings will be held on Zoom, and assignments and asynchronous class content will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Open to all levels of experience and all media: oil, acrylic, watercolor, and pastel.
Note: This course is a continuation of the Spring 2026 course, Methods of the Masters: Great Women Painters, but students need not have taken the first course to participate in this class. This course will present new material to students who enrolled in the earlier class.
Image: Coxcomb by Georgia O'Keeffe, Partial gift and bequest of Bernice McIIhenny Wintersteen at PAFA, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Register by: May 11
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Essential Drawing Techniques
with Roger Chavez
Mondays, 1 - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
No class on May 25
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Draw what you see competently and with confidence. Drawing is not only the basis for other creative endeavors like painting and sculpting, but also a powerful means of describing the world around you and expressing yourself. Instruction will address fundamental concepts including line, shape, perspective, value, and composition. Draw from still life objects, the life model, and more while learning the proper use of drawing materials, sight-measuring methods to accurately gauge proportions and space, shading techniques to develop three-dimensional form and contrast, and means of developing personal expression. Ideal for beginners and those in need of a refresher. Tuition includes a $20 models fee.
Image: Roger Chavez
Register by: May 11
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Figure and Portrait Drawing: Foundational Techniques (ONLINE)
with Roberto Osti
Mondays, 5 - 8 p.m. (Primarily Zoom, with supplemental Canvas content)
Instructor: Roberto Osti
Six-Week Short Course (18-Hour Equivalent)
No class on May 25
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Practice a variety of fundamental figure drawing approaches while working from photographic references. Media and techniques include graphite on white paper, charcoal on white paper, charcoal and chalk on toned paper, reduction methods, and the trois crayons technique. Proportions and methods of measuring will be emphasized. Students will gain confidence in their representation of the human form and handling of materials as they draw alongside the instructor during live Zoom sessions. The online structure allows for an optimal overhead view of the instructor’s demonstration drawings and a focused but conversational community environment as students engage with the instructor and complete in-class work together.
Image: Roberto Osti
Register by: May 11
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Portrait Drawing and Anatomy
with Jill A. Rupinski
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Jill A. Rupinski
Six-Week Condensed Course (36 Hours)
*Note: This course has been updated with adjusted information and dates.
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Develop a solid background in drawing the human head and features. Learn first the structure of the head – planar structure, axial relationships, proportions and foreshortening – and progress to anatomy and the features. Work with a variety of materials including graphite, charcoal, and chalk (conté crayon and pencil). Extended poses will promote strengthening of observational abilities and drawing techniques toward achieving both a likeness and aesthetic effect. Historical and contemporary examples of master portrait drawings will provide inspiration and insight. All levels are welcome. Note: Course tuition includes a $75 models fee.
Image: Jill A. Rupinski, David (detail), pastel on toned paper.
Register by: May 14
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Portrait Drawing: An Introduction
with RA Friedman
Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: RA Friedman
Six-Week Short Course
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
Whether you are a fine artist, illustrator, comic book creator, or simply enjoy drawing people, this fascinating course will prompt you to expand how you envision the human head and face. Learn methods of working that lead to accuracy and animated likeness. Starting with geometric solids in space, instruction will focus largely on structure and form as you understand volumes and ways of defining the foundation of the head. The course also examines the construction of facial features and how to handle light and shade. Students will work from a variety of references including three sessions with a live model. Tuition includes a $20 models fee.
Image: RA Friedman
Register by: May 14
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Landscape Revisited (INDOOR)
with Shushana Rucker
Tuesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Shushana Rucker
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
No class on July 7
Register by April 27 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2026 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Dual Plus or Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Spring 2026 courses, Summer Studio-Critique/studio rental programs, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
This extended course explores landscape drawing and painting in the studio using reference photos and sketches. Students will learn how to create effective reference materials through photography, sketching, and observation, and how to translate these references into compelling compositions. Instruction will focus on principles of design, including balance, value structure, and spatial organization, alongside an in-depth exploration of color relationships, atmosphere, and light. Through a series of projects and critiques, students will develop technical skills and a personal approach to interpreting the landscape.
Image: Shushana Rucker, The Schuylkill, oil on panel, 10 x 20 in.
Register by: May 19
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.