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Drawing
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Sketch-on-the-Go (Outdoor)
with Frederic Kaplan
Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
RAIN DATE: May 4*
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Capture the active life of the city and its rich architecture. This is an excellent workshop for anyone who wants to learn to sketch on the bus or train, in cafés and public parks, or while traveling abroad. Topics include perspective, gauging proportions by eye, gesture figure drawing, and methods for simplifying form. All levels welcome.
* Rain Date: May 4. Please plan on the rain date when registering – regular withdrawal policies apply, dated by the original workshop date, for students unable to attend the rescheduled date. See policy guide, below.
Learning Objectives
- Gesture figure drawing methods
- Basic perspective as applied to architecture
- Simplification of complex subjects
Image: Sybille Zeldin, Turkey Mart. Courtesy of the student.
Register by: April 19
Materials List
Winter/Spring 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Figure Painting: Alla Prima and the Limited Palette (In-Person)
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10 a.m - 1 p.m.*
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, 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.
Note: No class on May 25 for Memorial Day Weekend.
Image: David Wilson.
Register by: May 10
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Foundations of Art 101 (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.* (Interactive asynchronous Canvas content supported by weekly Zoom meetings)
Instructor: Al Gury
Six-Week Condensed Course (30-Hour Equivalent)
Credit: Non-Credit or 1.0 Undergraduate Credit (See Below)
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
Al Gury, Professor of Painting and Drawing at PAFA, and noted author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing, presents the foundational basics of art making. This course is designed for individuals who are new to or just beginning to study art, or for those desiring a refresher in the basic elements, with a goal of imparting a solid and practical understanding of essential topics and practices. As a survey course, each week will focus on a specific topic and a project assignment. Topics will include the materials of drawing and painting, drawing shapes, measuring, forms, perspective, depth, use of line, understanding light and shade, and composition. Exercises will include the basics of charcoal and pencil drawing, use of pastel, color concepts, and how oil paints work. Subjects will include still lifes, interior spaces, portraits, and life drawing through the use of masterworks. Course content and assignments will be posted on Canvas, PAFA’s online learning platform. Weekly Zoom meetings will provide opportunities for Q&A, art history discussion and references, illustrations of key concepts, and explanations of the weekly project by the instructor.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
* No class on May 26 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Register by: May 10
Image: Al Gury.
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Observational Drawing Practices (In-Person)
with John Horn
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: John Horn
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
Strengthen and hone your foundational drawing skills through a series of one- and two-day projects. Topics of concern will be design, structure of space, perspective, and light and shade. Subjects will include interior space, single objects and still life arrangements, and the life model. All levels from beginner to advanced are welcome. Note: Tuition includes a $15 models fee.
Image: Hobson Lafayette Pittman, [Still life: bottles and fruit], mid 20th century, Pastel on brown wove paper, 13 3/4 x 25 3/4 in. Collection of PAFA, Accession #1972.18.37, Bequest of the artist, © artist or artist’s estate.
Register by: May 17
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Figurative Open Studio: 2D (In-Person)
with John Horn
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: John Horn
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
This comprehensive figure-focused class offers an open atelier structure in which students of all levels may pursue personal work from models in their choice of drawing or painting media. Concepts of proportion, anatomy, gesture, and light and shade will be discussed and critiqued individually, depending on the student’s experience. Model set-ups will range from croquis (short poses) to extended poses. All media are welcome for students with prior experience; drawing recommended for beginners. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
Image: John Horn.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Narrative Painting for Fine Art and Illustration (Water-Media) (Online)
with Kate Samworth
Thursdays, 3 - 5 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Kate Samworth
Six-Week Short Course (18 hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
Develop your artistic voice through a series of drawing and painting projects with artist and award-winning illustrator, Kate Samworth. Work from observation, memory, and imagination to learn to clearly communicate your ideas through pictures. Content includes demonstrations in perspective drawing, working from reference materials, and developing the palette best suited to the intention of each work of art. Weekly feedback from instructor and group conversations/critiques will cultivate new ideas and promote understanding of course concepts. Students will work in drawing materials and the water-based color media of their choice. Learning Objectives:
- Use new approaches to conveying ideas and emotions
- Deepen your understanding of perspective to create a convincing sense of space and atmosphere
- Develop a personal sense of color harmony through color mixing exercises
- Learn the most effective ways to work from reference materials and avoid the pitfalls of using photographic references
- Examine historical and contemporary narrative works as a means of developing your voice
Image: Kate Samworth, Pollinators.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Urban Landscape Drawing (Outdoor)
with Frederic Kaplan
Fridays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
Capture Philadelphia’s picturesque historic and commercial architecture, using fundamental observational drawing techniques. Learn simple methods for applying the principles of linear and atmospheric perspective to your drawings, giving them dimension and depth. Students at all experience levels are welcome, with instruction designed to appeal both to those who enjoy portraying landscape subjects in the open air and to students seeking to hone their basic drawing skills. This course takes place in easy-to-access Central Philadelphia and University City locations. Restrooms are available near all sites. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to drawing locations.
Image: Student artwork.
Register by: May 17
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Painless Perspective Workshop (In-Person)
with Frederic Kaplan
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Register by April 22 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSUMMER2024 at checkout (and click “+” to add the discount). PAFA members at the Friend level and above receive an additional 10% off. (Discount applies to CE regular adult Summer Session 1 and 2 classes and workshops only. Summer Studio/Critique Program, CA Certificate registration, gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.)
Perspective is at the heart of good drawing. It allows us to transform the 3D world into a believable 2D image, and it need not be difficult to understand. With still life and interiors as subject matter, learn basic principles and simple methods presented in clear language and without the need for special tools or complex geometry. This workshop serves as a good foundation for further study in drawing. A modest amount of previous drawing experience is recommended.
Image: Fred Kaplan.
Register by: June 14
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies