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Drawing
Portrait & Figure Drawing DR 609E2
with Phyllis Laver
Drawing from the portrait and life model is one of the most time-honored methods of art training at PAFA. Improve your observation-based drawing skills as you work in charcoal, graphite and ink with reed pen and brush. Models will take varied poses, short and long, to enable students to explore gesture, proportions, anatomy and expression. All levels welcome.
Learning Objectives
- Students will stretch the traditional definitions of portrait and life drawing to merge the two into personal statements.
- Students will work with clothed and unclothed/life models who are diverse individuals.
- Students will acquire a working knowledge of varied drawing materials, including charcoal, graphite and ink.
- Students will acquire a working knowledge of form and structure in the body.
- Students will develop the ability to better see the model rather than rely on schema.
- Students will acquire knowledge of diverse artists and their ways of working.
NOTE: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $625.
Important: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination (or documentation for a medical/religious exemption request) at time of registration. During checkout, be sure to open the Agreement form to upload an image of your vaccination card or exemption documentation. Registration for any on-campus course is pending without vaccination documentation or exemption approval. See the CE Policy Guide below for complete
Materials List: Laver DR 609E2
Online registration is now closed. Call 215-972-2029 or email continuinged@pafa.edu to inquire about late registration availability. Due to the time needed to process safety/access requirements, PAFA may not be able to accommodate registration requests with less than 24-hours notice for students to attend the first class. Tuition cannot be prorated for late registration.
Drawing Fundamentals DR 600EB
with Phyllis Laver
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. Study the still life, interior spaces, and human figure to master the drawing elements – shape, contour line, composition, light and shadow, texture and perspective.
NOTE: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $625.
Important: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination (or documentation for a medical/religious exemption request) at time of registration. During checkout, be sure to open the Agreement form to upload an image of your vaccination card or exemption documentation. Registration for any on-campus course is pending without vaccination documentation or exemption approval. See the CE Policy Guide below for complete COVID-19 safety requirements.
Materials List: Laver DR 600EB
Online registration is now closed. Call 215-972-2029 or email continuinged@pafa.edu to inquire about late registration availability. Due to the time needed to process safety/access requirements, PAFA may not be able to accommodate registration requests with less than 24-hours notice for students to attend the first class. Tuition cannot be prorated for late registration.
Observational Perspective Drawing (ONLINE) DR 716OP_ON
with Frederic Kaplan
Perspective is at the heart of good drawing and painting, allowing us to translate the observable world into believable two-dimensional images and create invented spaces. Learn the fundamentals of linear perspective in clear, easy to-understand language, and apply these principles to still life, interiors and cityscape views. This course will utilize the online learning platform, Canvas, and include videos, lectures and assignments with regular instructor feedback, plus weekly live sessions via Zoom. Basic drawing experience recommended.
Learning Objectives
• Improve observational and interpretive skills, including the ability to gauge proportions, orientations, and relative positions of objects and their parts.
• Achieve understanding of the core principles of linear perspective.
• Develop skill in applying the principles of linear perspective to real-world situations.
Note: This course is also available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $525
Register by: September 10
Materials List: Kaplan DR 716OP_ON
Image:
Thomas Eakins (1844-1916), “Drawing 1 (The Law of Perspective),” ca. 1884-87, Pen and ink over graphite on cream wove paper, 15 1/2 x 22 1/4 in. (39.37 x 56.515 cm.), Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, ACCESSION #1985.68.3.1, Charles Bregler's Thomas Eakins Collection, purchased with the partial support of the Pew Memorial Trust and the John S. Phillips Fund
Portrait & Figurative Painting (ONLINE) PT 600E_ON
with Fred Danziger
Join renowned realist painter and PAFA alum Fred Danziger from his studio via Zoom for this live portrait and figurative painting course! Whether working from good photo sources or a live model, the essential elements of figurative realism remain the same: composition, color, and accurate representations of light, form, and space. Demonstrations will address effective set up of workspace, palette, and lighting; choosing a good photo source; and both grisaille underpainting and alla prima painting techniques. Students will work independently from a willing family member model or photo references, with individual critiques from the instructor. Aspects of the portrait will be emphasized – such as hair, hands, and obtaining a good likeness – but a variety of figure-based themes, additional subjects, and conceptual interests may be pursued. Additional resources will be available through the Canvas, including art historical examples, technical advice addressing the use of black and white grounds, using a grid with transparent overlays for working with photo references, and more.
Course Schedule
Project 1 (3 weeks): Indirect Painting
- Photographs provided by the instructor.
- Creating linear underdrawing.
- Applying a base layer of paint with monochrome washes.
- Applying finish color using glazes, opaque, and semi-opaque (velatura) layers.
Project 2 (2 weeks): Tonal Painting
- Students choose their own subject.
- Developing a painting using a wipe-out technique from an imprimatura base.
Project 3 (5-weeks): Experimental Media & Independent Projects
- Media such as gouache, casein, egg tempera, monotype and cold will be demonstrated.
- Students may try the media or continue with traditional oil.
- A variety of approaches will be presented from pure realist to post-impressionist, within the context of figurative and portrait subjects.
NOTE: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $525.
Register by: September 10
Materials List: Danziger PT 600E_ON
Mindful Art-Making in Challenging Times (ONLINE - Session 1) IN 750EH_ON
with Dona Duncan
Some believe the artist’s ecstasy is a state in which the ego expands its boundaries, consciousness relinquishes its ties to reality, and the work being done is experienced as an extension of one’s own person. -- Su Tung-Po, Chinese poet, born 1036
During the pandemic, you may have experienced anxiety and sadness due to being sick, having lost a loved one, or from the non-stop news coverage of daily death tolls, political unrest, and social upheaval. You may have experienced feelings which you were not aware of that have surprised you. You are not alone. Learn to work through your feelings and the anxiety we are all carrying through art-making.
Cultivating mindfulness, or wakefulness, allows you to be fully present and aware of your actions, without feeling distracted and overwhelmed by other thoughts or outside influences. Art-making is a natural way of practicing mindfulness, and is especially important in these challenging times. Mindful art-making has been shown not only to reduce stress and improve communication skills, but also benefits those suffering from memory loss, depression, or PTSD. Discover how creativity can enrich your daily life under the guidance of Dona Duncan, registered art therapist and practicing artist, in this live Zoom class.
Dona will guide you and a small group through light mediation and relaxation techniques to cultivate mindfulness, and help you express your thoughts and feelings through drawing and painting projects in a supportive and fun atmosphere, supplemented by music and poetry. In addition to working together in class, projects will be assigned in each class and discussed the following week. No artistic experience necessary – just compassion, and an open mind and heart.
Register by: September 10
Materials List: Duncan IN 750EH_ON 1
Image: Dona Duncan
Plein Air in the Park (OUTDOOR) DR 605WP
with Keith Leitner
Capture the colors of summer en plein air through vibrant watercolor and pastel. Become comfortable and confident with the practice of working outdoors, using either or both mediums, at picturesque Lemon Hill and other select locations around the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fairmount Park. Instruction will cover means of accurately and expressively depicting outdoor sites, pastel drawing and layering methods, watercolor painting techniques, mixed media applications, color mixing, and the history and capabilities of each medium. All levels welcome. Health-safety measures, including masking and social-distancing, will be practiced. Learning Objectives: Learn to observe and depict landscape and cityscape en plein air with attendant materials and set up; Learn color mixing and application of each medium; Study of pigment history and development; Learn about watercolor/pastel history via short discussions of painters and their motifs.
Register by: September 22
Materials List: Leitner DR 605WP
Image:
Thomas P. Anshutz (1851-1912) Landscape with Trees, n.d., Watercolor on paper, 6 5/8 x 10 in., collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, accession # 1971.8.58, Gift of Mrs. Edward R. Anshutz
Classical Design for the Contemporary Artist DR 700ED
with Charles Muldowney
Design is the application of the formal elements of aesthetics to an artwork to enhance its strengths. This class will explain these formal elements of design: composition, space, value, light, color, line, texture and pattern. Course content will include art historical discussions using artists past and present to exemplify these design principles. The classes will also include demonstrations of the applications of each principle, and time to experiment and apply what you learned to your own work. The course will include visits to the PAFA museum and also the archives, to see rarely exhibited works on paper.
Course Topics:
Composition – This class will discuss the arrangement of forms, rhythms, colors, values, and lines in a work to create an interesting image. Principles like the Golden Ratio and other concepts will be made simple. Students will be able to identify these elements in the work of classical and contemporary artists. The works of Hopper, Bartlett, Vermeer, Millet, Poussin, and others will be discussed.
Space – This class will investigate the creating of a sense of depth in a work using size, position of forms, value, saturation, edge and perspective.
Perspective - atmospheric perspective, linear perspective, intuitive perspective will be discussed and demonstrated. The class will look at the work of Alberti, Masaccio, Durer, Leonardo DaVinci, Giacometti and others.
Value and Light – This class will examine the creating of a range of dark and light in a work. High key and low-key value will be discussed and demonstrated. We will study how to manipulate the value to create a sense of illumination and drama. The class will look at work of Prud’hon, Lorrain, Rigaud, Hassam, Degas, Seurat, Rembrandt, Hopper, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Whistler.
Color – This class will examine how color works and principles of color in art to create mood, space and harmony. Artists studied: Van Gogh, Matisse, Piper, Diebenkorn, Rothko and others.
Line – This class will explore the use of line in creating planes, volume, mass, and space. Line weight, gesture, accent and passage will also be discussed. The class will look at the work of Van Gogh, Klee, Rembrandt, Kline and others.
Texture and Pattern – this class will look at creating a rich visually interesting surface that provides contrast, variety, and decoration. Artists studied: Escher, Close, Mondrian, Pollock, Klimt, Essaydi and Fish.
Learning Objectives:
- Students will recognize and apply the seven basic elements of classical design.
- Students will become familiar with several important art historical figures, and their influence on design.
- Students will experiment with a variety of techniques and materials to gain an understanding of how mark making influences design.
- Students will develop and discuss concepts and image development in the form of structured critique.
- Students will gain confidence in their ability to create interesting design within their own artwork.
NOTE: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $525.
Important: All students enrolling in on-campus courses must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination (or documentation for a medical/religious exemption request) at time of registration. During checkout, be sure to open the Agreement form to upload an image of your vaccination card or exemption documentation. Registration for any on-campus course is pending without vaccination documentation or exemption approval. See the CE Policy Guide below for complete COVID-19 safety requirements.
Register by: September 17
Materials List: Muldowney DR 700ED
Image: Charles Muldowney, The Diagonal in the Golden Section
Plein Air Painting at Ardrossan Estate PT 605AA
with Joseph Sweeney
Paint on location at beautiful Fern Valley Farm, part of the Ardrossan Estate, the 850-acre family seat of the Montgomery/Scott/Wheeler extended family, made famous in the movie The Philadelphia Story with Kathryn Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.
Built by Horace Trumbauer in 1911, the 50-room, 33,000-square-foot Georgian Revival manor home in Villanova has interior decorations by White, Allom & Co. (who worked on Buckingham Palace) and a treasure trove of art by Augustus John, Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, Thomas Sully, Sir John Lavery, and Charles Willson Peale. It is the last remaining gem of the old Main Line.
Landscape painting topics will include color mixing to achieve a sense of light and air, capturing time of day, compositional fundamentals, and sound painting practices. Painting outdoors can be a daunting experience for the newcomer. When learning the intricacies of this art it pays to learn from someone who has over 20 years' experience in the field. In this class, Joseph Sweeney will be your guide.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the basics of working outdoors including finding locations suitable for painting with a flat surface to stand on; orienting yourself to the sun; how to shelter from wind and rain; assessing the time of day and ascertaining how much time is left before the sun continues its course across the sky.
- Learn how to set up, use and care for a field easel.
- Learn about the working properties of various painting surfaces including linen, canvas, paper, wood, prepared panel, and Masonite.
- Learn to draw an effective landscape composition.
- Learn how to select paint colors and related materials for successful outdoor painting.
- Learn to mix color to portray the season, atmosphere and temperature.
- Learn to make quick field sketches and develop them to full completion, creating a sense of place Learn how to transport wet paintings to and from home without damaging your car.
- Learn to properly present, photograph and frame a plein air painting.
Register by: September 24
Materials List: Sweeney PT 605AA (1)