Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Instructor: Al Gury 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours) 

This in-person/on-campus studio class presents a structured approach to painting the figure in oils from life. Topics include drawing methods, gesture, figure structure, basic anatomy, palettes, and various paint application techniques for layering and alla prima approaches. Includes instructor demonstrations and generous individualized guidance/feedback.

Image: Al Gury

Registration still open!  
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Fridays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours) 
No class on June 19 

This painting-essentials course presents an in-depth and practical examination of the role of color in oil and acrylic painting. Instruction will explore mixing strategies and the effects of color choices and relationships upon depth, atmosphere, and luminosity. A variety of painting methods will be addressed, with a focus on how to exploit glazing, scumbling, and velatura layering techniques to achieve richer and more lively color. The still-life subject matter is appropriate for painters of all experience levels, although those with prior experience will benefit most from the color-emphasis in content.

Image: Frederic Kaplan

Registration still open!  
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
Instructor: David Wilson 
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours) 
No class on May 23 

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

Registration still open!
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

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 

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: Cecilia Beaux, Head of a French Peasant Woman, late nineteenth century, oil on cardboard, 16 1/16 x 12 7/8 in.  Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Registration still open!
Materials List  
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering. 
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

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)  
No class on May 24 

Explore the creative and expressive possibilities that can enhance your traditional and observational artwork. Each week the class on Zoom will begin with a traditional subject: still lifes, landscapes, portraits, interiors and figures and master works with a goal of exploring and bringing greater expression and creativity to the subject. Content will include Q&A about materials and processes that students might struggle with, the visual history of the creative diversity and variety of the subject in art history, color, style and compositional possibilities, richly informative materials posted in Canvas and video demos by the instructor. A weekly project will be assigned with a goal of incorporating creative possibilities in each subject with critiques on Canvas by the Instructor. Each class will be recorded for review and sent to students weekly. The class learning goal for students is an enriched toolbox of creative ideas, and possibilities for the artistic process. Open to all media.

Registration still open! 
Materials List  
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering. 
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Instructor: Roger Chavez 
Five-Week Short Course (20 Hours) 
Rain Date: June 23 

The oil sketch is a traditional way for painters to execute preparatory ideas and quickly capture initial impressions – perfect for plein air painting! Learn useful techniques for rapidly encapsulating color and form while working directly from observation. Locations with shade and restrooms include Bartram’s Garden and other sites along the Schuylkill River. Note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to painting locations.

Image: Roger Chavez

Registration still open!  
Materials List 
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.

Tuesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.  
Instructor: Shushana Rucker 
Ten-Week Course (30 Hours) 
No class on July 7 

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.

Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
Instructor: Roger Chavez 
Six-Week Condensed Course (30 Hours) 

Energize and open up your approach to figure painting through rapid, loose oil painting studies from the life model. Learn tactics to avoid the tendency toward tightness and over-attention to detail too early in the process that can lead to work that lacks liveliness in gesture or mark and is difficult to adjust or correct. Through short, small-scale painting exercises from the model in one-day poses, learn new ways of approaching life painting with an emphasis on keeping compositions fluid, capturing the gesture and character of the subject before getting locked into its contours, and both initiating and retaining a sense of freshness in your color and brushstrokes. Instruction will address color mixing, painting materials and methodologies, and the importance of cultivating sustainable methods for growth in your painting practice. Note: Tuition includes a $65 models fee.

Image: Roger Chavez

Register by: June 30
Materials List
Please review CE's Summer 2026 Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies, prior to registering.