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Marks of sumi ink wash can range from the boldest slash to the subtlest intimation. Explore the interactive nature of drawing with ink and water on paper, creating a wide range of mark-making and tonal effects through techniques of movement and angle of hand and arm; mixing on palette or direction paper; and experimenting with type, size and degree of dryness of the brush, as well as types of paper.  Subjects matter includes still life and interior spaces, memory and the non-objective.  The class will visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art to view prints and drawings from the collection to learn some of the long history of brush painting in China and Japan.  Full-day only.

Register by:  May 13

This course focuses on metal sculpture fabrication and construction, gas and arc welding, brazing, and forging.  Basic equipment will be provided, and specific techniques will be demonstrated.  All levels welcome.

Register by: May 18

Investigate the structure of the human head through drawings and painted studies.  Progress to finished paintings and address issues of likeness, composition, space and texture.  Learn to better see and understand color to mix it more successfully – a useful skill for painting all subject matter.   Full- or half-day.

Register by: May 18

Paint and draw the landscape at various locations in Fairmount Park, including the Horticulture Center and Valley Green on Wissahickon Creek.  Students will develop their work through traditional methods of sight-observation, spatial development, and color in oil, acrylic, watercolor, or pastel.  Transportation from PAFA provided.  Full- or half-day.

Register by: May 18

Drawing in charcoal from casts of antique sculptures is a traditional and effective way to learn to draw accurately from observation.  Learn to simplify and translate complex three-dimensional forms onto a two-dimensional surface and organize values to create a sense of light, atmosphere, and volume.  Ideal for beginning or advanced students interested in acquiring or sharpening their skills for representational drawing and painting. 

Please note: The July 4 class will be rescheduled between faculty and students.

Register by: May 18

Printing from a drawing carved into wood or a linoleum block is the oldest and most straightforward form of printmaking.  Its beauty and expressive power can be seen in the work of Albrecht Dürer and the German Expressionists.  All aspects of the process will be covered, including drawing on the block, carving your design and black-and-white and color printing techniques.

Please note: The July 4 class will be rescheduled between faculty and students.

Register by: May 18

Explore the possibilities of stone carving by using traditional and nontraditional methods.  All processes from rough carving to polishing will be covered, and various tools and techniques will be demonstrated.

Please note: The July 4 class will be rescheduled between faculty and students.

Register by: May 18

This course will explore contemporary viewpoints and aspects of figurative realism, emphasizing design, proportion, and space.  Various painting materials will be discussed and demonstrated.   Students will work from a model, with two long poses to develop two finished paintings. Individualized instruction and group critiques will be given throughout the session.  For intermediate and advanced students.  Full- or half-day.

Register by: May 18

Please note: The July 4 class will be rescheduled between faculty and students.

Advance beyond confined lines and hard edges to a more liberated way of painting.  Paint from observation and imagination to find your own visual language.  Work more intuitively and view unforeseen occurrences as opportunities to discover new possibilities.  Explore new processes in brushwork and color layering, as well as Post-Impressionist, Abstract, and Abstract Expressionist styles.  Examples from contemporary and modern art will serve to broaden your understanding of innovative painting.  Painting experience recommended.  Full-or half-day.

Register by: May 18

Please note: The July 4 class will be rescheduled between faculty and students.

Develop a solid background in drawing the human head and features.  Learn first the structure of the head – planar structure, axial relationships, proportions and foreshortening – and progress to anatomy and the features.  Work with a variety of materials including charcoal, conté crayon, pencil, and silverpoint.

Register by: May 18

An in-depth, structured approach to figure painting.  Students will use grisaille and limited palettes to model the human form through broad mass relationships, toward gradually fleshing out volume and surface details.  Instruction will focus on preparatory sketches and the use of shape, volume and temperature to define form and content.  Full- or half-day.

Register by: May 18

Is portrait only a study of a human face?  Broaden the scope of portraiture to include pose, gesture and costume.  Explore portraiture as head studies, half-figure and full-figure poses. Examine how the structure of the head as well as the posture and pose of the figure all contribute to an individual personality.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding anatomical structure and the rhythm between the head and body.  A variety of media will be introduced and explored.  Examples of master drawings will be discussed.  Beginning to advanced students welcome.

Register by: May 18

Immerse yourself in a three-day intensive with critically acclaimed painter, Stuart Shils.  Painting outdoors in the city, the class will examine crucial aspects of the direct visual encounter, emphasizing discriminating observation, perceptual hierarchy and a deeper understanding of color and drawing. The class will begin with a slideshow of master works from past and present to illuminate different artists’ approaches to active looking, emphasizing the relationship of perception and composition through the graphic languages of painting, drawing and photography.  Additional focus will be place on the practice of drawing.  Note:  For intermediate/advanced painters.

Stuart Shils, a PAFA alumnus and faculty member, has painted the landscape for over 25 years and his work has been presented in solo shows in Philadelphia, New York, Tel Aviv, Boston, San Francisco and Cork, Ireland.  Critical review and commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Art in America, The New Yorker, American Artist and numerous other publications.  Grants and awards include an Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant and an Academy Award in Art from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  An annual visiting critic at the Vermont Studio Center, Shils teaches painting across the country and abroad. 

The invention of perspective and the introduction of paper in Europe in the 13^th century ushered in the heights of Renaissance drawing.  Draw from PAFA’s renowned cast collection and from the costumed model and learn techniques specifically developed to describe three-dimensional form.   Work in charcoal, conté crayon and chalks, as well as pen-and-ink wash on toned paper.  Schematic and perspective drawings, including compositional drawings for fresco, panel and canvas painting, will also be discussed.  Full-day or morning-only.

Register by: May 18

This workshop will present a straightforward, step-by-step approach to one-, two- and three-point perspective and the principles of atmospheric perspective.  Learn how to incorporate your new knowledge to freehand drawing from observation or imagination.

Register by:  May 25