Studio Arts: General Art Classes

In this combination course, students work from still life, architectural interiors, and landscape to translate the world of three dimensions to two through the arts of drawing and painting.

Through lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experimentation, students enhance their experience of color as they learn about the color wheel, the Munsell color chart, and the attributes of value, chroma, and hue. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

This class examines fundamental concepts of composition and their practical application in studio-art practice, offering participants tools to enrich their own work as well to analyze and appreciate visual art in general. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Through lectures and drawing exercises, learn how Renaissance artists used the Golden Ratio, the Rule of Thirds, three-point perspective, and the Fibonacci spiral—as well as how these elements can provide dynamic visual interest to your own compositions, no matter the medium. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Get a “behind-the-easel” perspective on masterworks at the National Gallery from Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts painting instructor Adrienne Wyman. Viewings address historical and social context, the artists’ lives, and demystifying the techniques and materials used to create the works. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Get a “behind-the-easel” perspective on masterworks at the National Gallery from Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts painting instructor Adrienne Wyman. Viewings address historical and social context, the artists’ lives, and demystifying the techniques and materials used to create the works. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Slow down and savor the experience of looking at art. Join Mary Hall Surface, founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, as you engage in detailed observations of works in the Freer’s collection and frame your reactions through descriptive writing and poetry.

If you’ve always wanted to be an artist but never had the chance to make it a reality, this workshop is made for you. Recapture the yearning to create as you let loose and produce your own original artwork, explore a variety of media, and have plenty of fun.