Fine Art Academy Classes
Foundations of Fine Art 1 for Young Students
(recommended ages are 7-14)
Students won't simply complete art projects—they'll learn to think, observe, and create like artists.
Course Overview
Foundations of Fine Art 1 (Semester 1) is a 16-week instructor-led fine arts course designed to teach students how artists observe, think, and create. Rather than focusing on copying finished artwork, students develop foundational drawing and painting skills through instruction, observation, experimentation, and guided practice.
Throughout the semester, students learn to see the world through an artist's eyes while building confidence with professional art materials and age-appropriate techniques. Instruction emphasizes creative problem-solving, artistic decision-making, and the development of technical skills that provide a strong foundation for future artistic study.
Each student receives a personal Artist Toolkit valued at $150 to use throughout the semester and take home at the conclusion of the course. Instruction includes demonstrations, guided practice, independent projects, sketchbook exercises, class discussions, and constructive reflection.
Enrollment is intentionally limited to small groups to provide individualized instruction, personalized feedback, demonstrations, and one-on-one guidance throughout each class. Within each student’s professional Artist Toolkit, they will work with a variety of high-quality studio & art materials while completing guided projects and developing an independent portfolio of artwork. The program emphasizes artistic growth, critical thinking, craftsmanship, and creative expression in a supportive studio environment.
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
Observe objects with increased accuracy and attention to detail.
Recognize and use lines, shapes, and contour drawing techniques.
Apply light and shadow to create the illusion of three-dimensional form.
Demonstrate an understanding of perspective and depth.
Mix and use color intentionally through foundational color theory.
Explore watercolor, acrylic painting, and mixed media techniques.
Create original artwork using planning, composition, and artistic decision-making.
Reflect on their own creative process and confidently discuss their artwork.
Semester Outline
Weeks 1–3: Learning to See
Students learn that artists observe differently by exploring line quality, contour drawing, shapes, observation skills, and visual awareness. Activities include blind contour drawing, observational drawing, expressive lines, shape construction, and creative drawing exercises that strengthen hand-eye coordination and confidence.
Weeks 4–5: Light & Shadow
Students discover how artists create realistic, three-dimensional drawings by studying highlights, shadows, shading, value, and form. Through observation of real objects, students learn to identify light sources and create realistic forms using graphite and other drawing media.
Weeks 6–8: Perspective & Depth
Students learn how artists create the illusion of space through foreground, middle ground, background, horizon lines, overlap, scale, and introductory one-point perspective. Projects focus on landscapes, observation, and creating depth within original artwork.
Weeks 9–10: Color Theory
Students explore the science and emotion of color through primary and secondary colors, color mixing, warm and cool colors, tints, shades, contrast, and color relationships. Students apply these concepts in expressive painting projects that encourage experimentation and artistic confidence.
Weeks 11–13: Medium Exploration
Students gain experience working with watercolor, acrylic paint, and mixed media while learning how different materials create different artistic effects. Emphasis is placed on experimentation, texture, layering, brush control, and thoughtful material selection.
Weeks 14–16: Independent Final Project
Students apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout the semester to plan, create, revise, and present an original work of art.
The semester concludes with an artist showcase where students reflect on their artistic growth and share their completed artwork with classmates, family and friends at the studio.
Instructional Methods
Instruction includes:
Teacher demonstrations
Guided practice
Sketchbook exercises
Weekly practice and vocabulary worksheets
Observation activities
Individual and collaborative discussions
Hands-on studio projects
Creative problem-solving
Artistic reflection and critique
Independent project development
What Your Child Will Learn
Students completing Semester 1 will possess a strong foundation in observational drawing, composition, color theory, perspective, light and shadow, and mixed media techniques. These skills prepare students for Foundations of Fine Art: Semester 2, which expands upon these concepts through more advanced painting, composition, artistic techniques, and creative expression.
Founding Artist Rate (Fall 2026)
Tuition: $560
Professional Artist Toolkit & Studio Materials: $150
Total: $710
Includes a professionally curated take-home artist toolkit and unlimited use of our studio's premium art materials throughout the semester.
Founding Artist pricing is available for Fall 2026 only. Future semesters may reflect standard tuition rates.
🍎 Fall 2026
Now Enrolling:
Foundations of Fine Art I – Homeschool Edition
Mondays
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
16 week semester
Maximum 9 students
No class Thanksgiving week
Foundations of Fine Art I – After School Edition
Tuesdays
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
16 week semester
Maximum 9 students
No class Thanksgiving week
Additional sections will be added as enrollment grows.
PEP Families: Our provider application is in progress! We're currently waiting on the wheels of bureaucracy to turn so families can use their PEP Scholarship funds for this program. As soon as we're approved, we'll shout it from the rooftops (and probably post it on every social media platform we own).
Coming Soon:
Foundations of Fine Art II (second semester)
Teen Academy
Adult Academy
Summer Intensives
Portfolio Prep
Homeschool Academy