Open Studies Course Registration

In this course, students will use both traditional and contemporary techniques to explore the role of color in drawing. They will work with a range of media, including pastels, watercolor pencils, applied both wet and dry and conté crayon. Through demonstrations, guided practice, and open-ended experimentation, students will develop pastel techniques that span from traditional blended surfaces to impasto and subtractive methods such as sgraffito. Along the way, they will consider the properties of wet and dry media, approaches to mark-making, and principles of composition. Students will also create customized toned paper to enhance their drawings. Core exercises will introduce the fundamentals of color theory, including color schemes, value range, and palette organization. Finally, students will observe how color interacts in nature and practice establishing strong color relationships in their compositions through layering, blending, and other strategies.

This online, self-directed studio course supports illustrators of all skill levels working in both traditional and digital media. While pursuing their own projects, participants will receive feedback on artistic challenges and professional practices, such as collaborating with clients. Through critiques, peer exchange, and faculty guidance, the course emphasizes community, connection, and individualized support to help illustrators grow their practice.

Explore historical and experimental photographic techniques including lumen prints, cyanotype, kallitype, pinhole photography and more! Students will also learn to create digital negatives using inkjet printers, and blend analog & digital methods to produce handcrafted images. Projects will include personalized items like tote bags, and the development of a unique portfolio, all supported by MICA’s state-of-the-art analog and digital facilities. Experimentation and creative exploration are encouraged throughout as students explore various techniques outside of the photographic norms.

Discover the freedom of artistic expression in our self-guided printmaking studio. Dive into relief, intaglio, or monotype printmaking projects at your own pace, receiving expert guidance and thematic suggestions or demonstrations when needed. Embrace material exploration, engage in critique sessions, and refine your work in a flexible and supportive environment. Join us to unleash your creativity with the perfect blend of independence, community, and instructor support. Participants should have experience with relief, intaglio, or monotype printmaking, but all levels from beginner to advanced are welcome.

This course is the sequel to Painterly Painting. It is designed for the inquisitive student who wants to incorporate more spontaneity and freshness in their painting. Painterly Painting II will dig deeper into exploring your personal signature as we investigate instinctive decision-making, and the mark-making potential and expressionist range of oil painting. Grounded in the fundamentals, assignments will extend focus on representational painting across the genres of still life, figurative, and landscape painting. Class objectives will revolve around an expanded development and study of surfaces and layering, grounds and supports, and color interaction and mixing. The course goal revolves around student-driven self-fulfillment and the innovative results that spring from spontaneous discovery and intuitive decision-making. Formal demonstrations and slide discussions will be used throughout the class. Through open dialogue and supportive group critiques, students will be encouraged to generate a personal direction for their work. This class provides an opportunity to improve technically while gaining a fluid, unconstrained skillset, as we explore the medium’s many expressive possibilities. Students of all levels and experience are welcome.

In this workshop students will work through a progression of drawings that explore how different approaches to the figure can address mood, spirit, intensity, viewpoints, and emotion. Students will learn how to successfully portray the human body with dramatic form, mass, volume and tonality. While investigating the human form, students will use charcoal, conte crayon graphite and ink to produce a portfolio of figure drawings that range in style from traditional to more contemporary and conceptual approaches.

Sessions are offered for those who want to draw or paint from a live model with no guided instruction. Each section includes a live model for a combination of long and quick poses for independent studio work. A class coordinator will ensure the quality of each session.

Sessions are offered for those who want to draw or paint from a live model with no guided instruction. Each section includes a live model for long poses for independent studio work. A class coordinator will ensure the quality of each session.

Sessions are offered for those who want to draw or paint from a live model with no guided instruction. Each section includes a live model for quick poses for independent studio work. A class coordinator will ensure the quality of each session.

This workshop supports artists in developing skills to create depth and dimension in their drawings. While pursuing their own projects, participants will explore linear and atmospheric perspective, foreshortening, and spatial composition. Through demonstrations, peer exchange, and faculty guidance, this course emphasizes appropriate use of practical drawing tools and individualized support to strengthen each artist’s approach to space and perspective.

This studio workshop invites students to immerse themselves in the practices of the Impressionists, studying the innovative approaches of artists like Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro. Through guided exercises and personal projects, participants will experiment with color harmony, expressive brushwork, and the capture of natural light and atmosphere. Alongside painting practice, the course provides historical and artistic context, allowing students to see how Impressionism reshaped the visual arts and continues to influence painting today. Formal demonstrations and slide discussions will be used throughout the class. Through open dialogue and supportive group critiques, students will be encouraged to generate a personal direction for their work. This class provides an opportunity to improve technically while gaining a fluid skillset grounded in the expressive possibilities of an Impressionistic approach. Students of all levels and experience are welcome.

This workshop focuses on the art of composition and the role of design in creating powerful paintings. Students will explore how line, shape, form, color, value, and texture, intersect with the design principles to create expressive and compelling orchestrations in oil painting. Through structured exercises and independent projects, participants will learn strategies for painting dynamic compositions that distill visual impact and guide the viewer’s eye. Students will investigate and develop paintings that visually communicate with clarity and resonance an organic, artistic statement. Emphasizing both experimentation and refinement, the course will help artists explore a personal signature by embedding deliberate, design-driven decisions in their painting practice. Formal demonstrations and slide discussions will be used throughout the class. Through open dialogue and supportive group critiques, students will be encouraged to generate a personal direction for their work. This is ideal for those seeking to invigorate their understanding of painting as a thoughtful, intentional process. Students of all levels and experience are welcome.