The art supplies listed below can be purchased as a kit at the art supply store Wet Paint, 1684 Grand Ave., St. Paul, at a discounted rate.
If you are unable to purchase all the art supplies listed below by the first class, don’t worry. The instructor can loan your child supplies for that lesson.
We encourage students to use these supplies outside of class as much as possible!
Manga and Superheroes Drawing Supplies
• Elite Synthetic Kolinsky Watercolor Round Brush, #2
• Elite Synthetic Kolinsky Watercolor Round Brush, #3
• Pelican Tusche A Drawing Ink
• Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud
Household Items
• Shoebox or Tackle box to hold art supplies
• Roll of Paper Towels (to be left at classroom). Continuing students need to bring a new roll every session
The art supplies listed below can be purchased as a kit at the art supply store Wet Paint, 1684 Grand Ave., St. Paul, at a discounted rate.
If you are unable to purchase all the art supplies listed below by the first class, don’t worry. The instructor can loan your child supplies for that lesson.
We encourage students to use these supplies outside of class as much as possible!
Comic and Graphic Novel Development Supplies
• Speedball Penholder, Black
• Nikko G-Pen Nib, 3-pack
• Dr. Ph Martin's Black Star Hicarb waterproof India ink
• 500 Bristol 11”x17” Pad, Plate Finish
• How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, by John Buscema and Stan Lee
Household Items
• Shoebox or Tackle box to hold art supplies
• Roll of Paper Towels (to be left at classroom). Continuing students need to bring a new roll every session
We are offering a general in-person adult class at various times each week. This wide-ranging class will allow students to continue their training in specific areas of interest as they receive instruction on a one-on-one project basis.
Choose one of these times when registering:
Mon 7:00pm-9:00pm Tue 6:00pm-8:00pm Wed 6:00pm-8:00pm Thu 10:00am-12:00pm Thu 2:00pm-4:00pm Sat 1:00pm-3:00pm Sat 3:30pm-5:30pm
All participants will be asked to follow safety guidelines for preventing the spread of this virus following the CDC, Minnesota, and St. Paul guidelines.
"I am not interested in art as a means of making a living, but I am interested in art as a means of living a life." -Robert Henri (1865-1929)
This class is designed specifically for students wishing to develop their drawing and painting abilities in a relaxed, casual environment, yet its structure still provides ample opportunity for artists to master basic to advanced traditional skills through systematic, formal instruction.
Students begin by improving their drawing abilities and then progress into painting by working through a series of introductory exercises, most often incorporating the mediums of pencil, pen and ink and watercolor. Having gained a basic understanding of shape, line and value, and having increased their color sensitivity and perception, students then proceed to develop a personal aesthetic based upon advanced artistic seeing. What follows is a greater flexibility in choice of projects and mediums, including watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, charcoal, pastel, tempera, and oil. Instruction is sequential from term to term to ensure steady growth.
Renaissance Drawing and Painting Techniques and Beyond
SPRING 2024 UPDATE
We are offering a general in-person adult class at various times each week. This wide-ranging class will allow students to continue their training in specific areas of interest as they receive instruction on a one-on-one project basis.
Choose one of these times when registering:
Mon 7:00pm-9:00pm Tue 6:00pm-8:00pm Wed 6:00pm-8:00pm Thu 10:00am-12:00pm Thu 2:00pm-4:00pm Sat 1:00pm-3:00pm Sat 3:30pm-5:30pm
All participants will be asked to follow safety guidelines for preventing the spread of this virus following the CDC, Minnesota, and St. Paul guidelines.
"The supreme misfortune is when theory outstrips performance." Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
Students develop drawing and painting skills through a structured program of individual exercises based on time honored methods.
Using historical models of traditional training as a guide, our course begins with an in-depth overview of drawing based on Renaissance Principles. Students learn how to improve their draftsmanship through methods of shape simplification, shape comparison and shape isolation. From there we advance to the study of line. Value and mass are considered next, followed by an exploration of edge relationships. Students then advance into oil painting to learn underpainting and glazing techniques perfected during the 15th thru 19th centuries. They may also choose to experience the direct painting methods popularized by the Naturalist and Impressionist movements of the late 1800’s.
In this class the importance of finish is emphasized. All lessons are taught from as accurate, historical perspective as possible. The development of a personal aesthetic based upon reliable historic references and advanced artistic seeing is the ultimate goal. Instruction is sequential from term to term to ensure steady growth. By exposing students to the full vocabulary of Western Art we find they are better prepared to make creative choices in their personal work.
"If a man is to become a good painter he must study the works of good artists until he has acquired the ability to draw easily." -Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528)
Students seeking a focused and personalized learning experience may choose private lessons with one of our senior instructors. Although our regular classes are small, having only about 4-6 students per teacher, private lessons provide ideal learning conditions. We tailor lessons and projects to each individual’s needs and goals. This approach honors our core belief that practice builds skills which in turn fosters creativity. Each of our senior instructors have taught hundreds of students, and all are skilled artists themselves.
Children and Teens
Children and Teens often flourish under one-on-one instruction. In private lessons, students use all of the traditional materials: pencil, pen and ink, watercolor and oils. They may copy from master works to build skills. Many also work from life — drawing and painting still lifes, interiors, and landscapes. Another popular option is portrait-making, using oneself, a friend or family member, or even a pet as a subject!
Teens applying to art college will benefit greatly from private lessons. They will build and improve their portfolios under our careful guidance. We have experienced the application process ourselves, as both students and admission reviewers, and we understand what it takes to build an exceptional body of work.
Adults
For adults, there are many reasons to choose private lessons. Some students who follow our established curriculum simply prefer a more individual experience when compared to a classroom setting. Others request to focus intensively on mastering one particular drawing or painting medium.
Another advantage of private lessons is that students may seek guidance and honest critique in the development of their personal artwork. Most private lessons for experienced painters begin with a review. We discuss the individual’s goals, look at materials and their use, and finish by agreeing upon a plan of action for future private sessions.
Private Lessons are $50 per hour at our location.
Travel to your home or studio may be possible at an additional cost.
Please contact us at 651-699-1573 to schedule lessons.
We are offering a general in-person class for ages 14-18 at various times each week. This wide-ranging class will allow students to continue their training in specific areas of interest as they receive instruction on a one-on-one project basis.
Choose one of these times when registering:
Wed 6:00pm-8:00pm
Thu 6:00pm-8:00pm Sat 10:00am-12:00pm
Sat 1:00pm-3:00pm Sat 3:30pm-5:30pm
All participants will be asked to follow safety guidelines for preventing the spread of this virus following the CDC, Minnesota, and St. Paul guidelines.
If you have any questions, please call us (651) 699-1573.
"I hope my work has inspired young artists. I have always tried to maintain my freedom as an artist and I feel it is one of the main reasons I have been successful." -Frank Frazetta (1928-2010)
The Fantasy Painting Class is designed to correlate with our Drawing and Painting Fundamentals and Drawing Manga, Superheroes and Fantasy Figures programs. Students may take the three classes together to learn complimentary information, thereby accelerating their skill development considerably. However, it can be taken on its own, and there is no prerequisite.
This course provides students with a traditional step-by-step process to create Fantasy, Science Fiction, or other original work in pencil, ink and paint. The core focus is on developing the student’s rough, initial concept into a complete and finished work through the practical use of sketching, references, and incremental studies. Concepts of design, line quality, value and color harmonies will be stressed to ensure each student’s final products are both conceptually and aesthetically engaging.
Initially, students will select inspirational master works to copy and use to study traditional techniques. While developing these essential skills, students will be encouraged to maintain a sketchbook and create original ideas for narratives, subjects, character designs, and settings. With the aid of the instructor, students will then select their best concepts to develop further using anatomical studies, photographic reference and compositional exercises. Each student will explore methods to achieve their unique goals. Advanced students will culminate their learning experience in a finished, fully realized, original painting.
"The first merit of a picture is to be a feast for the eyes." -Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
Our Homeschool classes follow the progression of our Drawing and Painting Fundamentals program. Students begin with black and white drawing exercises in pencil and pen and ink. After basic skills are learned, children advance to color in watercolor and oil. All levels of study, from beginning to advanced students are accepted.
Throughout history, drawing has always been considered an artist's most prized possession. It is the foundation upon which all other aspects of art are formed. This is true whether an artist chooses to be expressive in a realistic or abstract style. That is why we give the craft of drawing special attention at The Art Academy.
Drawing in Pen and Ink
In our Homechool program, special emphasis is placed on teaching the fundamentals of drawing logically and simply. Our methods promote refined draftsmanship, which dramatically improves a student's drawing abilities. With continued practice children can then achieve higher levels of understanding and success.
Many of our initial drawing exercises are executed in pen and ink so students become familiar with the expressive qualities of line. This improves a student’s eye/hand coordination and focus.
Madeline Sorenson, Age 15 Pen and Ink
Students continue to advance their drawing skills when they move on to painting.
After students have demonstrated a basic understanding of drawing they begin painting in watercolor. While we emphasize line in drawing, painting is a medium devoted to the understanding of mass and color. Watercolor is a great medium to learn these concepts.
As with drawing, we approach the study of color in a systematic way. This helps prevent students from spending months or years mixing colors that interact on paper or canvas in an unpleasant, unintentional manner.
Alice Shea, Age 15 Watercolor
By following revered principles of color theory and color mixing, children create fresh, lively pictures the first time they paint without experiencing any undue frustration.
There is much to learn about painting; and watercolor methods easily translate to other forms of painting and color mediums. Students build upon these skills when they advance into oil painting.
By the time students are ready for oil painting they have thoroughly grasped the refined drawing, watercolor and design principles that will directly translate into the oil medium.
Often considered the most challenging form of painting, oils are introduced to students after they've developed a firm understanding of drawing and color mixing.
Our first objective is to pass safe studio methods on to students. We ensure a solvent-free environment where health and safety come first. After learning clean painting procedures students begin to advance their artistic vision by exploring the fascinating world of oil painting techniques.
At The Art Academy we teach several methods of oil painting. This approach allows students to receive a well-rounded education that promotes development of a personal aesthetic based upon time-honored principles of art history.
Indirect Painting and Glazing
Indirect Painting and Glazing are methods of working in oils that were commonly practiced from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. They have proven to be extremely durable techniques. At The Art Academy we teach several variations of glazing and underpainting, including grisaille, verdaccio, bistre, local color underpainting and the mixed tempera-oil technique.
Direct Painting
Direct Painting is a method of working in oils popularized during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is the technique of nineteenth century Impressionism. One of the hallmarks of direct painting is color mixing through clear observation. It is an excellent way to improve a student's sensitivity to color.
Practical Anatomy, Figure Drawing and Painting without the Need for a Model
SPRING 2024 UPDATE
We are offering a general in-person adult class at various times each week. This wide-ranging class will allow students to continue their training in specific areas of interest as they receive instruction on a one-on-one project basis.
Choose one of these times when registering:
Mon 7:00pm-9:00pm Tue 6:00pm-8:00pm Wed 6:00pm-8:00pm Thu 10:00am-12:00pm Thu 2:00pm-4:00pm Sat 1:00pm-3:00pm Sat 3:30pm-5:30pm
All participants will be asked to follow safety guidelines for preventing the spread of this virus following the CDC, Minnesota, and St. Paul guidelines.
"I have always tried to express the inner feeling by the mobility of the muscles … Pass over useless details and seize only upon the truth of the whole." -Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
Historically, fine artists were capable of drawing and painting the human figure independently of a live model or photographic reference, allowing them to compose innovative works using nothing other than their imaginations. Such knowledge allowed a freedom of thought and expression often lacking in today’s figurative works. This class is designed specifically to teach students how to draw anatomically correct figures without the use of a live model and teaches students how to paint the figure using historical painting methods.
Our Practical Anatomy, Figure Drawing and Painting course starts students off with a set of easily remembered proportions, builds shapes and boxes around those proportions, introduces drawing techniques and strategies for conveying action, and ends with informative lectures on artistic anatomy. Each lesson is designed to dramatically improve imaginative or life drawing skills. The instructor supplies master drawings, photographic references and casts to help students grasp each concept. Handouts from classic anatomy texts and the instructor’s own notebooks are given to supplement lectures. As anatomy and figure construction becomes more intuitive, students are encouraged to develop works of pure imagination. Whether your goal is to compose master works, improve your life drawings, or get an absolutely solid introduction to the figure, this course will not disappoint. Typically, each session is a great mixture of beginners and experienced students.
The Drawing Fundamentals class for teens emphasizes the basics of drawing simply and logically. Our methods promote sound draftsmanship, which dramatically improves a student’s drawing abilities, both in class and on independent projects.
Our Drawing and Painting Fundamentals class begins with black and white drawing exercises in pencil and pen and ink. After students learn these basic skills, children advance to color using watercolor, and finally oil paints.
** Class Begins Apr 9th ** - Our Online Drawing and Painting Fundamentals follows the curriculum of our Fundamentals classes for pre-teens and teens. It begins with black and white drawing exercises in pencil and pen and ink. After basic skills are learned, children advance to color in watercolor and oil.
** Class Begins Apr 11th ** If your teen has taken in-person classes at The Art Academy and has reached the level of advanced watercolor, this is the class you should consider.
A popular class that focuses on character design and visual storytelling. Students may take it as part of the core curriculum, or as an independent class.
Learn the tools to draw and paint the figure well - proportion, gesture, anatomy and much more. Gain the knowledge to arrange a figure in a composition.
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