The McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) and the
Unless otherwise noted, the following short courses are open to adults and teens age 16 and older.
Drawing Workshop
Charcoal Explore the versatility, fluidity, texture and power of this medium, favored by Leonardo and Michelangelo. Students create sketches as well as finished drawings from still life and the model. Topics to be covered include the different effects of charcoal pencils and charcoal sticks on tinted and textured paper, value or chiaroscuro, balance, dramatic contrast and proper handling and preservation of work. Students at all levels are welcome.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
6 3-hr. lessons
$230/$200 McLean district residents
6231.280 M, 9/22-11/3, 7-10 p.m.
No lesson on 10/13.
New! Drawing Workshop
Pastels In this workshop, students work from still life and the figure using this beautiful, versatile medium. Analyzing the work of artists who have used pastels to capture light, students uncover ideas that may be applied to their own work. The class emphasizes color as a means of expression with attention paid to composition, drawing and color theory.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
6 3-hr. lessons
$230/$200 McLean district residents
6232.280 M, 11/10-12/15, 7-10 p.m.
Introduction to Drawing
For beginners and students who want to improve their skills, this course emphasizes gesture, line, proportion, perspective, mass, volume, value, tone and shading.Working with a variety of drawing media, students will study the figure, still life and subjects of individual choice. Students will be provided with a strong foundation for more advanced courses.
Instructor: Marise Riddell
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6233.280 W, 9/24-12/3, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
No lesson on 11/26.
Drawing Studio
For all skill levels. Beginning students will learn the basics, and more advanced students will progress on an individual basis. Students will study the figure, still life and subjects of individual choice while exploring a variety of drawing materials.
Instructor: David Carlson
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6234.280 W, 9/24-12/3 7-10 p.m.
No lesson on 11/26.
New! Rendering for Designers
This class strengthens the visual communication skills of designers (and would-be designers) of clothing, jewelry, furniture and residential interiors.Working from specialized still life set-ups and clothed models, students learn basic drawing, pen and ink and watercolor techniques. Topics covered include light and shadow, perspective, representing interiors and human figures within them, rendering texture and the expressive use of color. As a final assignment, each student creates a fully developed rendering of one of his or her own designs.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6235.280 M, 9/22-12/8 1-4 p.m.
No lesson on 10/6 and 10/13.
New! Painting Workshop The Figure
Working from live models, students begin with figure drawing and then learn to capture the human form—skeletal structure, musculature and the colors and textures of skin—in paint. More advanced students are encouraged to move away from a strictly representational style. Oil or acrylic paint may be used.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
6 3-hr. lessons
$230/$200 McLean district residents
6236.280 M, 9/22-11/3 9.15 a.m. - 12.15 p.m.
No lesson on 10/13.
New! Painting Workshop: The Portrait
Students practice portrait drawing, learning how to organize contours, proportions and planes in two dimensions to convey the structure and form of a head. Painting techniques are then introduced, allowing students to bring color and textural effects to bear as they seek to capture a likeness and express personality. Oil or acrylic paint may be used.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
6 3-hr. lessons
$230/$200 McLean district residents
6237.280 M, 11/10-12/15 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Open Studio
Open drawing sessions with models. You receive three free sessions when you register for the series!
12 2.5-hr. sessions
$72/$65 McLean district residents
Individual sessions $8
6244.280 Tu, 9/23-12/16 7-9:30 p.m.
No session on 11/11.
10 3-hr. sessions
$70/$63 McLean district residents
Individual sessions $9
6245.280 Th, 9/25-12/18 1-4 p.m.
No session on 11/6, 11/27 and 12/4.
Open Painting Studio
Open painting sessions without models.
9 5-hr. sessions
$20/$15 McLean district residents
6246.280 F, 9/26-12/19 4-9 p.m.
No session on 10/3, 11/7, 11/28 & 12/5.
Painting with Acrylics
For all skill levels. Beginning students will learn the basics of acrylic painting; more advanced students will progress on an individual basis. This course covers composition, color theory and thematic development. Prior drawing experience is recommended.
Instructor: Julie Lansaw
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6238.280 Th, 9/25–12/4 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
No lesson on 11/27.
Abstract Painting
Previous painting or drawing experience is recommended for this course. Drawing on nature and the visible world, personal experience and the history of abstract painting, this class will explore the concepts and meanings of abstraction and its relevance to today’s world. The class aims to free representational painters from painting what they see.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6239.280 F, 9/26-12/19 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
No lesson on 11/7, 11/28 and 12/5.
Mixed Media Painting
Projects are designed to meet the needs of both beginning and advanced students. In this course, you will explore the formal and expressive aspects of painting through projects that involve a variety of media and techniques. Emphasis will be placed on mixing dry media (pencil, charcoal, pastel) and wet media (acrylic, oil, watercolor, ink) in order to learn to recognize and interpret relationships between line, tone and color as they appear in still life and portraits.
Instructor: Corcoran Faculty
8 2.5-hr. lessons
$260/$225 McLean district residents
6240.280 Th, 9/25-11/20 7-9:30 p.m.
No lesson on 11/6.
New! Art in a Series
For intermediate and advanced students interested in producing a coherent body of work. Through visual and written exercises, students will identify core themes in their work that can provide a foundation for a series of paintings, drawings or mixed-media work. Students receive guidance in refining drawing and painting skills, while developing focus and organizing their efforts toward a coherent artistic vision. Class critiques will play an important role in maintaining focus and energy and in the identification of areas of interest, leading to a sustained body of work.
Instructor: Marise Riddell
10 3-hr. lessons $390/$335 McLean district residents
6241.280 W, 9/24-12/3 1-4 p.m.
No lesson on 11/26.
Watercolor—Beginning
This course is an introduction to the basics of color mixing, brush techniques, value and composition. The importance of materials in watercolor will be stressed. Each class will begin with a demonstration of the subject, ranging from still life to landscape to the figure.
Instructor: Barbara Januskiewicz
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6242.280 Tu, 9/23-12/2 1-4 p.m.
No lesson on 11/11.
Watercolor—Continuing
This course is for students who have completed a beginning watercolor class.Working from still life, live models and the landscape, students will explore a variety of subjects and styles with an emphasis on developing one’s personal style. Techniques such as wet into wet, drybrush and glazing will be explored with particular emphasis on color and composition.
Instructor: Barbara Januskiewicz
10 3-hr. lessons
$390/$335 McLean district residents
6243.280 Tu, 9/23-12/2 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
No lesson on 11/11.