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Human Figure/Anatomy
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Holistic Figure Drawing
with John Horn
Wednesdays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Instructor: John Horn
Twelve-Week Course (36 Hours)
Develop your ability to render the human form through the time-honored combination of anatomical study and life drawing. Learn the methods and technical skills of traditional figure drawing, such as measuring, capturing gesture, anatomical structuring, and tonal rendering. Through lectures and demonstrations, and work from the life model, learn the structural aspects of the human form: bony landmarks, simplified volumes, and proportional relationships. Progress to the skeletal framework and superficial muscles to identify their surface effects and how they influence mass and movement. Incorporate your knowledge of figure anatomy to capture the fluidity, vitality, and subtleties of the human form while working from the life model in short and extended poses. This course is ideal for anyone interested in strengthening their figure drawing, painting, or sculpture skills, as well as for those interested in future medical illustration. Note: Tuition includes a $75 models fee.
Registration Still Open!
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.
Figure Painting: Alla Prima and the Limited Palette
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (21 Hours)
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 $40 models fee.
Registration Still Open!
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.
Drawing from PAFA's Historic Casts
with Phyllis Laver
Tuesdays, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Instructor: Phyllis Laver
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours)
PAFA’s breathtaking Cast Hall is back! Following renovations to PAFA's Historic Landmark Building, this unique resource is again available to offer enrolled students opportunities to work from copies of Greco-Roman and Renaissance sculpture, including the Winged Victory, the Venus de Milo, and the staggering life-size Michelangelo’s David, among other notable works. Students may also work from select casts on display in additional PAFA exhibition areas. Cast Drawing was one of the first courses established in the founding of the Academy and has remained a core part of PAFA’s fine arts curriculum for over 200 years. Become a part of this long and rich artistic tradition as you learn to draw accurately from observation, explore line and shape, describe form through light and shadow, and gain an appreciation for some of history’s most beautiful sculptural artworks. This course is an excellent introduction to drawing techniques and materials and is appropriate to all levels.
Read a History of PAFA’s Cast Hall by Al Gury here.
Image: Daniel Garber, [Cast drawing: female torso (4th century, Greece)] (detail), ca. 1899-1905, charcoal on cream paper, 24 1/4 x 18 3/4 in. Collection of the PAFA Museum. Accession # 1945.14.4. Gift of the artist.
Registration Still Open!
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.
Oil Painting: Portrait from the Masters (ONLINE)
with Roberto Osti
Fridays, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Instructor: Roberto Osti
Six-Week Online Short Course (Zoom + Asynchronous Content; 18-Hour Equivalent)
No class on November 27 (Thanksgiving Break)
Copying from masterworks is a time-honored form of artistic instruction and an excellent means of studying the art of portraiture in particular. Hone your oil painting skills using both alla prima (direct painting) techniques and indirect methods of building form and color through layers. Master painting references from artists such as Paxton, DeCosta, and Manet will be carefully selected to cover foundational paint-handling techniques, composition, color theory, and mixing flesh tones using a limited palette, as well as painterly methods for depicting the structure of the head, facial features, and hair. This class offers a fascinating way to internalize the techniques and aesthetic decisions of successful artists and incorporate them into your own artistic expression.
Register by: October 23
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.
Painting the Portrait and Clothed Figure
with David Wilson
Saturdays, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Instructor: David Wilson
Six-Week Short Course (21 Hours)
No class on November 28 (Thanksgiving Break)
Paint from a clothed model to advance your skills in portraiture and figure painting. Explore the proportions and anatomy of the head and neck structures, the definition of features, and how to capture expression and likeness, as well as conveying the gesture and construction of the figure with the incorporation of drapery/clothing. 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, 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 $40 models fee.
Image: David Wilson
Register by: October 23
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.
The Figure in Clay Workshop
with Colleen O'Donnell
Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Instructor: Colleen O'Donnell
Weekend Workshop
Learn the techniques and tools of figure sculpture through demonstration and hands-on sculpting from the model. Explore anatomy, proportion, gesture, and design through the versatility of clay. Personal expression will be emphasized though representational and abstract approaches. Open to all levels and perfect for beginners. Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
Register by: October 30
Materials List
Please review CE’s Fall 2026 Policy Guide, including Withdrawal/Refund Policies, prior to registering.