Blog

ONLINE: Watercolor Your Home

April 19, 2021

This class is for watercolor beginners. In this class you will learn basic drawing techniques that will enable you to draw your home or another building. We’ll dive into our watercolor paints and bring your drawing to life. Learn multiple watercolor techniques as we paint together each week!

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ONLINE: Pen + Ink Drawing

April 19, 2021

Learn how to draw using black India ink, a dip pen and brush. We’ll cover techniques such as cross-hatching and stippling. You’ll learn the ins and outs of using a dip pen and brush, then we’ll go over drawing fundamentals such as value, perspective and line. We’ll also study the history of ink drawing by […]

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ONLINE: Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner

April 19, 2021

This class is for watercolor beginners. Learn the art of watercolor painting as we explore basic painting techniques such as layering color and creating texture. As we build on these techniques, we’ll create several pieces of artwork including a one point perspective city scape, an abstract ocean scene and a still-life plant study.

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ONLINE: An Afternoon in Adobe InDesign: Learn the Basics

April 19, 2021

Learn the basics of Adobe InDesign to create, revise and update documents. Using your own Mac or PC computers and software, share files from the instructor, and work with your classmaters on several projects. We’ll go over the basics of using tools, and create a simple document “from the ground up.”

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ONLINE: Journaling for Artists, Writers + Photographers

April 19, 2021

This two-hour studio course is designed for anyone interested in the techniques and development of visual journaling. We’ll review the contributions of visual diarists such as Dan Eldon and Frida Kahlo. Each session will begin with a short presentation on a visual diarist, technique or significant artist with follow up time for guidance, feedback and […]

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ONLINE: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator + InDesign for Beginners

April 19, 2021

Students will learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in order to create, revise and update documents. Using their own Mac or PC computers and software, students will share files from the instructor, and work together on several projects. Photoshop: We’ll select, adjust and work with photos. Illustrator: We’ll build a shape-based graphic […]

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ONSITE: Introduction to Woodblock Printing

April 19, 2021

Explore woodblock printing, humanity’s oldest printmaking process. You’ll learn to design and transfer an image onto the block and cut the block to produce a relief image. Then, we’ll cover how to transfer the image to paper, both printing it by hand and by press.

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ONSITE: Poetry + Art: Discovering Ekphrasis

April 19, 2021

Are you a poet who’s inspired by art? In this course, we’ll learn about the tradition of ekphrasis and how contemporary poets write about all of the things that move us, including the visual arts, film and music. Each week students will be asked to bring a poem in response to a writing prompt and […]

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ONSITE: Linocut Portraits

April 19, 2021

In this class, we’ll focus on carving and drawing techniques to help you create compelling portrait prints. We’ll practice white line and black line approaches to hatching and crosshatching to create subtle gradients of tone. Each student can expect to leave class with two small editions of linocut portraits!

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ONSITE: Introduction to Screen Printing (B)

April 19, 2021

Explore screen printing, a process that allows artists to create hand-printed multiples of the same image. Translate your graphic design, photography, or drawings into vibrant, layered compositions. Learn a variety of ways to create screens that can be used to print onto fabric, paper or wood.

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ONSITE: Solarplate Photogravure

April 19, 2021

Learn to work with Solarplate polymer plates to create intaglio prints from your digital photography. You’ll optimize your images with Adobe Photoshop and print onto transparent film. Then you’ll expose the film to the Solarplate with UV light and develop in ordinary tap water. With a classic Charles Brand etching press, you’ll create heirloom quality […]

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ONSITE: Screen Print a Shirt

April 19, 2021

Learn how to print a design on a t-shirt! This class will cover basic screen printing techiniques (exposure, squeegee use, etc.), graphic design sizes for different areas of a garment, placement of the shirt on the printing pallet, and design registration on the garment. Students will be able to draw their own design to print […]

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ONSITE: Reductive Color Woodcut

April 19, 2021

Create multicolored relief prints from a single block using the magic of reductive woodcut! We’ll learn how to plan and carve a reductive print, and then crank them out in the VisArts letterpress studio. We’ll make two different prints (one smaller, one larger).

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ONSITE: Mastering Multicolor Screen Printing

April 19, 2021

Learn how to create multicolor screen prints of your own design. This class will expand on the registration techniques learnt in intro classes, focusing on adding layers/colors to create more complex images. We will look at how to break apart an image by hand and in the computer. Color theory will be discussed through the […]

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ONSITE: Introduction to Screen Printing (A)

April 19, 2021

Explore screen printing, a process that allows artists to create hand-printed multiples of the same image. Translate your graphic design, photography, or drawings into vibrant, layered compositions. Learn a variety of ways to create screens that can be used to print onto fabric, paper or wood.

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ONSITE: Buttonhole Books

April 19, 2021

Buttonhole books open flat. They can be made with pockets, inclusions and decorative spines and are perfect sketchbooks, journals, albums or scrapbooks. Learn to make this elegant and versatile book with a partially exposed spine using a buttonhole stitch binding. You’ll leave class with your own handmade book, knowledge to make more and ways to […]

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ONSITE: Tiny Books, Big Charm

April 19, 2021

Small is beautiful! We’ll make hands full of tiny books in three styles (accordion, dragon, wrap-around cover), all under three inches square. Not only are tiny books adorable, working at this reduced scale allows us to work easily and quickly and to think about how scale changes our experience. No prior bookbinding experience is required. […]

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ONSITE: Tintype Photography (B)

April 19, 2021

Use one of the earliest forms of photography to create tintypes, which are direct positives printed on an aluminum sheet using large format cameras. Learn the basics of this 19th century process, including how to pour and sensitize collodion, properly expose and develop plates, and apply a protective varnish. Plan to walk away with two […]

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ONSITE: Intermediate Digital Photography

April 19, 2021

Take your photographs to the next level! You know how to use your digital camera, but have creative ennui. In this class, students are encouraged to discover their personal style with weekly assignments. We will discuss portraiture, night photography, still life and documenting daily trivia (at home). Students have the opportunity to share and discuss […]

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ONSITE: Van Dyke Brown Printing

April 19, 2021

Discover the 19th century photographic process of Van Dyke Brown printing. Create beautiful, brown-toned images using digital negatives or scavaged items. We’ll be printing on a variety of different experimental surfaces such as watercolor paper, cloth and more.

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ONSITE: Selective Development Photography

April 19, 2021

Discover new ways to apply developer in the darkroom. Using tools such as brushes and spray bottles, we’ll apply paper developer in creative ways, ultimately creating beautiful, partially developed photographs. All levels are welcome.

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ONSITE: Editing the Digital Photograph in Adobe Lightroom

April 19, 2021

Adobe Lightroom is a powerful program that allows you to catalog and enhance your digital photographs. We will cover its most useful features like importing, making collections, fix exposure and color, applying local adjustments, using graduated filters, creating fun presets and converting images to black and white. Each week, students have the opportunity to practice […]

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ONSITE: Darkroom Photography (B)

April 19, 2021

Learn to take photographs using 35mm film, process the film, and print photographs in a darkroom. Enjoy lots of technical guidance and aesthetic feedback, whether you’re just getting started or expanding your portfolio and skill set.

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ONSITE: Tintype Photography (A)

April 19, 2021

Use one of the earliest forms of photography to create tintypes, which are direct positives printed on an aluminum sheet using large format cameras. Learn the basics of this 19th century process, including how to pour and sensitize collodion, properly expose and develop plates, and apply a protective varnish. Plan to walk away with two […]

read more

ONSITE: Introduction to Digital Photography (A)

April 19, 2021

Learn what all the buttons on your digital camera actually do. You’ll learn about things like white balance, resolution and megapixels. We’ll discuss how to capture an image, ensure proper exposure and create an effective composition. Weekly assignments coupled with in-class discussions will help you troubleshoot problems and develop a creative eye.

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