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Human Figure/Anatomy
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Fifteen-Week Extended Studio: Painting the Figure, FY 118 (In-Person)
with Douglas Martenson
Mondays, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM*
Instructor: Douglas Martenson
Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Course (45 – 90 Hours)
Note: No class on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, or during Spring Break, March 2 – 8.
PAFA’s Extended Studio Courses offer fifteen-weeks of comprehensive instruction taught by PAFA's core faculty for an immersive fine arts experience. PAFA's selection of Continuing Education traditional-length and short courses will be coming soon!
Oil medium will be used throughout this course to produce a series of achromatic, monochromatic, limited color and full color studies of the figure in simple spatial situations. Paint application will be direct, although indirect approaches and optical color will be addressed. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of hue, value and chroma to describe form and levels of space. Poses and environments will initially be kept simple to allow for the development of small, rapid studies. Time spent on each pose will then expand throughout the semester to explore a more complex treatment of form, color, surface, and design.
*Optional: This course is also available for full-day attendance (morning, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. and afternoon, 1 - 4 p.m.) for $2,800. Select length with tuition adjustment during checkout.
Image: Douglas Martenson
Register by: January 2
Materials will be addressed via PAFA’s Canvas online platform (if applicable) or on the first day of class.
Please review the CE Winter/Spring Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Notes: Extended Studio Courses are not eligible for PAFA membership or promotional discounts. A minimum 10% fee applies to withdrawals, including same-day – students are advised to confirm their schedules before registering.
Fifteen-Week Extended Studio: Figure Modeling, FY 117 (In-Person)
with John Horn
Wednesdays, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM*
Instructor: John Horn
Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Course (45 – 90 Hours)
Note: No class during Spring Break, March 2 – 8.
PAFA’s Extended Studio Courses offer fifteen-weeks of comprehensive instruction taught by PAFA's core faculty for an immersive fine arts experience. PAFA's selection of Continuing Education traditional-length and short courses will be coming soon!
Figure Modeling is a comprehensive figure modeling course for first year students. The class will focus on geometry, anatomy, and proportion, as well as the crucial elements of gesture, rhythm, spontaneity, and spirit of form making.Students will be encouraged to work in a variety of sizes. Outside projects should be expected. Independent study and experimentation are always encouraged. Broader topics/discussions, such as the nature, history and philosophy of figurative art will also be discussed. Course Modality: in-person.
*Optional: This course is also available for full-day attendance (morning, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. and afternoon, 1 - 4 p.m.) for $2,800. Select length with tuition adjustment during checkout.
Image: John Horn
Register by: January 2
Materials will be addressed via PAFA’s Canvas online platform (if applicable) or on the first day of class.
Please review the CE Winter/Spring Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Notes: Extended Studio Courses are not eligible for PAFA membership or promotional discounts. A minimum 10% fee applies to withdrawals, including same-day – students are advised to confirm their schedules before registering.
Fifteen-Week Extended Studio: Figurative Open Studio, SC 203 (In-Person)
with John Horn
Thursdays, 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM*
Instructor: John Horn
Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Course (45 – 90 Hours)
Note: No class during Spring Break, March 2 – 8.
PAFA’s Extended Studio Courses offer fifteen-weeks of comprehensive instruction taught by PAFA's core faculty for an immersive fine arts experience. PAFA's selection of Continuing Education traditional-length and short courses will be coming soon!
Open Studio is a comprehensive clay figure modeling class. The class will continue the study of the figure, with afocus on anatomy and proportion, but will also emphasize the crucial elements of gesture and rhythm, spontaneity, and spirit. Students will be encouraged to work in a variety of sizes and outside projects should be expected. Independent study and experiment is always encouraged. Issues concerningadvanced students will be discussed on an individual basis. Broader topics/discussions, such as the nature and philosophy of art and the artist will also be introduced. Course Modality: in-person.
*Optional: This course is also available for full-day attendance (morning, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., and afternoon, 1 - 4 p.m.) for $2,800. Select length with tuition adjustment during checkout.
Image: John Horn
Register by: January 2
Materials will be addressed via PAFA’s Canvas online platform (if applicable) or on the first day of class.
Please review the CE Winter/Spring Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Notes: Extended Studio Courses are not eligible for PAFA membership or promotional discounts. A minimum 10% fee applies to withdrawals, including same-day – students are advised to confirm their schedules before registering.
Figure Drawing: Intuition and Analysis (In-Person)
with Carolyn Pyfrom
Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Carolyn Pyfrom
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)
Note: No class during Spring Break, March 2 - 8.
Register by December 15 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2026 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Fall 2025 courses, studio rental programs, Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Courses (special programs), gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
This class will offer useful strategies for representational life drawing to artists at any level of practice. Instruction will address gesture, rhythm, continuity, volume, and what artists most often refer to as “accuracy.” An important theme will be the ways in which gestural and analytical tactics are used together to make expressive and compelling drawings. The class will utilize both short and long poses to strengthen observational skills and to deepen understanding of how the figure moves and occupies space. By way of demonstration, the instructor will work alongside students in every class in addition to giving individual critiques.
This course is excellent paired with Comprehensive Figure Painting for students seeking intensive full-day figure study.
Image: Carolyn Pyfrom
Register by: January 15
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Comprehensive Figure Painting (In-Person)
with Peter Van Dyck
Thursdays, 1 - 4 p.m.
Instructor: Peter Van Dyck
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)
Note: No class during Spring Break, March 2 - 8.
Register by December 15 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2026 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Fall 2025 courses, studio rental programs, Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Courses (special programs), gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
This course will focus on creating paintings of the human figure from poses ranging from one to five days. It will provide an opportunity to explore the development of a figure painting over multiple sessions, emphasizing the accurate drawing of large forms and gestures, the translation of those forms into structured color relationships, and the depiction of the color of light that defines the environment. Through the extended duration of the poses, students will have the time to refine their observations, deepen their understanding of structure, and build more nuanced and cohesive paintings. Technical topics such as oil paint handling, surface preparation, and color organization will also be addressed. Students will leave the class with an enhanced ability to construct complex figure paintings that are both formally sound and personally expressive.
This course is excellent paired with Figure Drawing: Intuition and Analysis for students seeking intensive full-day figure study.
Image: Peter Van Dyck
Register by: January 15
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
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)
Register by December 15 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2026 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Fall 2025 courses, studio rental programs, Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Courses (special 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: January 16
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Terracotta Figure Sculpture (In-Person)
with Morgan Dummitt
Wednesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Morgan Dummitt
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Register by December 15 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2026 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Fall 2025 courses, studio rental programs, Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Courses (special programs), gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
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: January 28
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.
Fast and Unfussed Oil Painting (In-Person)
with Roger Chavez
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Roger Chavez
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
Register by December 15 for a 10% Early Bird Discount! Enter promo code EARLYBIRDSPRING2026 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 Winter/Spring classes and workshops only. Fall 2025 courses, studio rental programs, Fifteen-Week Extended Studio Courses (special programs), gift certificates, membership purchases, and lockers are ineligible.
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 $25 models fee.
Image: Roger Chavez
Register by: February 24
Materials List - Coming Soon
Please review CE's Winter/Spring 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.