School of Fine Art

Painting

Vases, jars, and bottles on a table, with a cloth partially hanging on the right.

You begin by trying everything, oils, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal, pencil applied through both traditional and contemporary styles. Still life, portraiture, head studies, landscape, cityscape—refined realism through impressionism. Then shift gears: abstraction, non-objective work, mixed media. Whether you lean toward realism or dissolve into layers of mixed media, you’ll find the language that feels like yours.

    A colorful striped cloth, a reflective metal vase, and two oranges with leaves.

    Still Life

    You will train your eye and hand through direct observation of still life forms: solid, reflective, transparent, glass. You’ll explore how pattern, fabric, and light interact—composing not just with color, but with clarity and contrast, in oils and acrylics.

    A girl in a school uniform sitting on the floor, looking contemplative, with her reflection in a mirror.

    Figurative Drawing

    This is the body—studied, seen, and translated through gesture, proportion, and paint. You will train in figure drawing and painting technique, nude and clothed, with an athlete’s attention to anatomy and alignment. Charcoal sketches capture motion. Oils and acrylics define form, lighting, colors and intent.

    Portrait of a young man with dark hair, beard, and mustache, looking to the side with a serious expression.

    Portraiture

    You will sharpen your focus on proportion, structure, and the subtle choreography of color and value. From head studies to full portraiture, you’ll capture not just what’s seen, but what’s felt in oils, and acrylics.

    Snow-covered banks and houses along a winding river on a clear winter day.

    Landscapes and Cityscapes

    Built environments. Open vistas. You will take on both—on-site and in-studio—through the lens of composition, light, color, value and form. Whether plein air or studio, you’ll translate landscape and cityscape into momentum on canvas.

    Abstract landscape with blue sky, black and red buildings, and yellow ground.

    Abstract

    This is abstraction with intent. You will train in translating subject—or pure sensation—into dynamic, objective and non-objective works. Design, color, texture and composition aren’t just elements—they’re engines. Whether rooted in reality or launched from instinct, each piece builds tension, rhythm, release.

    A woman with long multicolored hair in shades of pink, purple, and blue gazes to the side amidst vibrant abstract patterns.

    Mixed Media

    This is where boundaries break. You will explore the friction—and fusion—of mixed media: dry meets wet, paint meets print, silkscreen meets monotype. It’s not just about combining materials, but understanding their chemistry, their longevity, their edge. Archival quality meets experimental force. One surface. Infinite outcomes.

    Student Work

    See More Student Work
    Grapevines and leaves illuminated by warm orange light on a dark background.
    A woman with braided hair reclines on a sofa with a lilac background.
    A woman with long dark hair relaxes in traditional green patterned clothing and jewelry.

    Facility Highlights

      A man sketches a portrait of a woman holding a bouquet of flowers at an indoor art event.

      Painting Studio

      Our painting facilities include full-time anatomy studios and a full-time multimedia room. All classrooms and studios are equipped with easels, tabourets, model stands, spotlights, cleaning stations, and painting storage racks to accommodate any style of painting. The prop room is well stocked with over 100 fabrics and over 2500 different props for your reference. We also have a dedicated room for framing and photographing art.

      A woman in a burgundy top is working on abstract paintings in a brightly lit studio with colorful artwork and supplies around her.

      Private Studios

      Our private studios offer on-site Fine Art majors dedicated creative spaces designed to support focused, uninterrupted work. Each studio features a locking door for security, natural light from a window, and essential equipment, including an easel and a taboret. The studios are on the third floor of the Cannery building at 2801 Leavenworth, where many of our painting classrooms are. Several studios also include balconies with beautiful views of the city, creating an inspiring setting for your work.

      A woman wearing a paint-stained apron works with a machine in a workshop, adjusting its frame.

      Framing Shop

      Frame It Right. Your work. Professionally finished.

      The Framing Shop is open to all students—equipped for works on paper, paintings, and more.

      Supervised sessions available by appointment only.