Fine Arts, Art History and Italian language courses in Florence

Advanced Drawing and Painting techniques

A syllabus of Art for advanced students

This one-year programme was designed for students who are determined to further their own creative development as well as to undertake greater artistic challenges through the practice of sustained art-making involving more complex compositional, technical, and conceptual problems.

At the beginning of the course our Art instructor will evaluate the students’ skills and help them to establish their objectives. While producing a breadth of media during their classes, students will increase technical skills, develop a more sophisticated approach to process and subject matter, as well as create a portfolio of individual work.

Students will also develop mastery of a variety of materials and techniques; they will learn to show a range of successful and purposeful image development strategies stemming from observation, memory, and fantasy sources; they will practice a selection of drawing methods to include point, weighted line, contour, continuous line, wash and tone/value.

As for the painting techniques, students  will experiment with a variety of mediums, including acrylics, oils, fresco and mixed media on paper, canvas, panels and non-traditional surfaces.

Emphasis will be on personal exploration of ideas, materials, concepts and solutions to design problems.

Topics

Here are some of the main topics that you can choose to tackle:

  • still life, depicting several kinds of objects such as food, flowers, animals, plants, rocks, shells, drinking glasses, books, vases, jewelry, coins, pipes, etc.
  • portrait, study of face expressions, hands, eyes both using drawing and painting techniques (acrylic or oil);
  • écorché/anatomy. Students will learn to sketch, draw and paint the human body and the feet in its different positions;
  • illustration. Participants will be taught to decorate, interprete or visually explain a text or even a concept. They will learn to conceive and design posters, covers, and any other illustration that can be used in published media.
  • realism/photorealism/hyperrealism. Study of advanced and sophisticated oil painting techniques aiming at resembling a high-resolution photograph.
  • abstract and conceptual art. Students will be introduced to this artistic galaxy where they will have the opportunity to explore different ways of depicting imagery, sensations and ideas.
  • plein-air landscape. This class will only take place over a certain period during the spring and the summer.
  • perspective drawing and urban sketching. Students will learn how to capture the scenes they witness and catch the essence of the places they live and where they travel.
  • graphic and fashion design. This class has been conceived to those graphic and fashion designers who need to improve their freehand artistic skills by focusing on sketching abilities as well as on the mastering of colors (mainly through the use of acrylic and Pantone markers).

Techniques

Here are some of the techniques that students will be able to hone up: charcoal, sanguine, dry pastel, oil pastel, pen and ink, watercolour, gouache, graphite, acrylic painting, oil painting, tempera, fresco, sculpture with clay.

 

Duration

The entire course has a duration of one academic year (36 weeks). Students are however welcome to attend specific parts of the course (minimum 4 weeks). Two programmes are availble: 20 hours of tuition per week and 14 hours of tuition per week. Every week Art classes will be inclusive of at least 2 hours of living models.

Maximum number of students per class: 10.

Price and details

Price

14 hours per week

1 unit, 4 weeks, 56 hours €715
2 units, 8 weeks, 112 hours €1375
3 units, 12 weeks, 168 hours €2025
6 units, 24 weeks, 336 hours €3875
9 units, 36 weeks, 504 hours €5765
Enrolment fee €45

20 hours per week

1 unit, 4 weeks, 80 hours €975
2 units, 8 weeks, 160 hours €1795
3 units, 12 weeks, 240 hours €2685
6 units, 24 weeks, 480 hours €5195
9 units, 36 weeks, 720 hours €7795
Enrolment fee €45

Course price includes

Basic Art material: normal paper, pencils…
A certificate at the end of the course.

Schedule

  • Intensive courses of advanced Art techniques (20 hours per week) take place from 11.30am to 1pm and  from 1.30pm to 5pmMonday through Thursday.
  • Courses of advanced Art techniques (14 hours per week) take place from 1.30pm to 5pm, Monday through Thursday.

Every morning from 9.30am and on Friday afternoon (until 2pm) students will be welcome to work and train their art skills in the studio, as long as the school does not need the studio for a special course/lecture.

Payment

On demand it is possible to pay for the tuition fees by 3-month instalments: for further details please contact the school registry.

Entry dates

Classes usually start on the first Monday of each month and they are held both in Italian and in English.

Holydays

A period of school leave or holiday can be arranged directly with the school management upon enrolling or with a 4 weeks’ warning. In case students are not able to attend part of the course owing to medical problems or to private reasons, they can ask to have their lessons rescheduled in the next classes, provided they can present a valid proof for their absence.

Requirements

Upon registration applicants are requested to produce 4 example of their artworks as it follows:

  1. still life drawing, either pencil or charcoal;
  2. figure drawing, either pencil or charcoal;
  3. landscape or cityscape drawing, either pencil or pastels;
  4. a painting in one of the following technique: oil, acrylic, watercolour.
Annunciazione-detail

The programme

What will I study?

Here is an example of how a one-year programme of advanced Art techniques can be arranged:

visual education, 14-20 hrs;
plein air landscape, 16-22 hrs;
drawing techniques, 30-60 hrs;
life drawing techniques, 56-96 hrs;
volumes and perspective, 56-96 hrs;
art graphics, 56-96 hrs;
painting techniques, 56-96 hrs;
set design, 36-56 hrs;
decoration, 36-56 hrs;
illustration, 56-56 hrs;
fresco, 36-56 hrs;
gilding techniques with tempera, 12-18 hours;
gilding techniques with oil, 12-18 hours;
elements and techniques of sculpture, 56-96 hours.

Total amount of hours: 504-720

Please note: the above program can be tailored to your artistic skills, experience and interests.

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Contact us

  • I really don't know how to explain how much this place is special. It was my home for the last two years, the people, teachers, Lorenzo, Cecilia and Roberto - absolutely amazing! If you serching for a small and professional place- Accademia del Giglio! My personal improvement - incredible!
    Noa W.