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Oil/Acrylic Painting
in CE Courses by Medium/Discipline
Fundamentals of Oil Painting (Online)
with Susan Sullivan
Thursdays, 6 – 9 p.m. (Zoom with posted Canvas content)
Instructor: Susan Sullivan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Are you intimidated by the idea of oil painting? This course will help the beginning painter gain confidence in a variety of techniques including direct and indirect painting; color mixing; using mediums, solvents and additives; and painting with a brush and palette knife. Subject matter will include still life, portrait, interior spaces, landscape, and a master copy. Zoom class times will be comprised of group lectures and demonstrations, as well as studio painting time where the instructor will work one-on-one to guide students toward successful compositions. Drawing experience required.
Image: Susan Sullivan, Malibu, Oil on panel, 16 x 16 in.
Register by: July 5
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
All About Acrylics (In-Person)
with Frederic Kaplan
Fridays, 9 a.m - 12 p.m.
Instructor: Frederic Kaplan
Six-Week Short Course (18 Hours)
Credit: Non-Credit Only
This complete acrylic painting course covers basics to advanced methods. Learn to use quick-drying acrylics expertly in thin, transparent layers as well as thicker, more opaque applications that produce textural and impasto effects. Materials like fluid mediums, gels, and pastes will be demonstrated, along with both brush and palette knife techniques. Several different color palettes will be introduced as students work from still life subjects. This course is ideal for students looking for a non-toxic, flexible painting medium, as well as anyone seeking to explore acrylics’ excellent potential for representational and abstract work. Drawing experience is recommended.
Image: Fred Kaplan.
Register by: July 5
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Figure Painting: The Extended Pose (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
Paint from a life model in a single pose for the entire course. Extended time with a single subject allows students to work with the instructor to tailor exercises that address their individual interests, including the development of one large image or several smaller studies. The first session will include time for gestural and thumbnail drawings in preparation for the model’s final placement. 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, disrupted realism, and open- versus closed-form painting. All levels welcome. Students are welcome to draw-only, or use other appropriate media, if they wish. Note: Tuition includes a $35 models fee.
Image: David Wilson.
Register by: July 5
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Alla Prima Portrait Drawing and Painting (Online)
with Al Gury
Sundays, 3 – 4 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)
Al Gury, Professor of Painting and Drawing at PAFA and noted author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing, presents this in-depth approach to the skills, materials, colors, history, and techniques of alla prima portrait painting and drawing. Working from photographs, masterworks, or available models, learn concepts that will not only improve your portrait painting and drawing, but also grow your confidence in your artistic practice. Video demonstrations, images, and written instructions on the online learning platform Canvas will be supplemented by critiques and weekly discussions. Oil painting will be the primary focus, but all media are welcome as well as all levels of experience. Class meetings will be held on Zoom, and Canvas will be used for assignments and class content.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Image: Al Gury, Beatrice, Oil on panel, 8 x 10 in.
Register by: July 8
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Composition in Drawing and Painting (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)
An in-depth approach to understanding and using composition by Al Gury, Professor of Painting and Drawing at PAFA, and noted author of Alla Prima, Color for Painters, and Foundations of Drawing. This class presents practical skills and strategies for making strong compositions. Composition, the arrangement of images, shapes, forms, colors, values to form visual balance and strength within the pictorial frame of an artwork, will be explored through projects using still life, interiors, portraits, and landscapes. Each class will contain explanations of the visual compositional strategies in both historic and contemporary art, and extensive tactics for problem-solving and solutions, as well as a weekly assignment and critique of personal work. Class meetings will be held on Zoom, and Canvas will be used for assignments and class content. All media and levels of experience are welcome.
Optional: This course is available for 1.0 undergraduate credit for $595. Select credit option with price adjustment when registering.
Image: Al Gury, Still Life with Crazy Quilt, 2022, 20 x 16 in.
Register by: July 8
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies
Information for PAFA CE Online Courses
Spontaneous Abstraction (In-Person)
with Kassem Amoudi
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Instructor: Kassem Amoudi
Weekend Workshop
Credit: Non-Credit Only
Many artists can feel frustrated in front of a blank canvas, unsure of how to start and what to paint. This workshop offers a step-by-step technique which will enable you to paint with confidence by tapping into your intuitive process and finding inspiration more easily. Experienced instruction and advice from the instructor will push students to take chances and explore unexpected directions and accidental marks as a means of achieving artistic discoveries. Demonstration of different drawing and painting techniques will enhance your knowledge of the process of painting. Students will utilize line, color and space, as well as the possibilities of editing, to create busy/calm areas and focal points in their paintings. Painting experience recommended.
Image: Kassem Amoudi, Windows and Doors 25, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 in.
Register by: August 2
Materials List
Summer 2024 CE Policy Guide, including withdrawal/refund policies