Fall class schedule posted August 1st.
Both our Fall Drawing class schedule and Online registration page will be updated and posted online on August 1st. Online registrations will be accepted immediately once the page is active. If you have any questions please email info@actonart.com.
SUMMER DRAWING CLASSES
These are our regular late day drawing classes in a summertime mode. Six weeks of classes, one day per week. We have a lot of adults signing up this year! Maybe it's a good time for you to try a class too?
SUMMER StudioWorks
Four-Day, Half-Day, A.M/P.M. Programs - These are our morning/afternoon/evening programs that run for 4 days* each week. *Figure Drawing is a 3-Day program.
Please use our dedicated summer registration page for online registration. (Note that our past Spring Trimester registration page does not contain the summer schedule.)
Figure Drawing—an Instructed Class (summer eves.)
We've long noted that many Figure Drawing classes are simply scheduled opportunities to draw live models. Occasionally there will be a critique and some skilled guidance from an instructor but even at the college level most classes represent drawing time. Our approach is a bit different. We believe students need a bit more "structure" both in the way the class is organized and in the information presented about the human body. Our Figure Drawing Workshop is presented in 3 days.
DAY ONE covers the skeleton, the way the torso and extremities are joined together and how joints relate to the whole construction. Learning about the foundation of the human body is not only important but absolutely necessary.
DAY TWO touches on hands and skulls, then gives students approximately one hour of live model drawing time.
DAY THREE provides a full two-hour block of live model drawing and observation with instructed guidance.
This is a great way to begin really learning how to draw the human form. Capturing the complexity and beauty of the body is for many artists a highly desirable accomplishment. If you're attracted to drawing people but have been frustrated in your attempts this class will help you move forward. This class is ideal for high school students or adults.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR SUMMER CLASSES/PROGRAMS
2010 Student Art Show.
This year our Annual Student Art Show was held on Sunday, June 6. The turn out was great as more than 500 people toured the studio during the day long show. 152 students participated this year. Click the image below to view a small gallery of photos and see how impressive this display of fine artwork has become.
ActonArt is now on Facebook.
We now have a facebook page for ActonArt. If you have a Facebook account please consider becoming a Fan of Actonart. It's a great way to ask questions, post comments and feedback, make suggestions and see lots of new art being produced daily in the studio. We hope to develop multiple galleries of student work and we'd love to have a large audience to view it.
Manga students rise to the challenge.
AS AN ART FORM, Manga hasn't always gotten a fair evaluation. This is partly due to old-school art snobbery and partly from the somewhat seedy reputation it received due to the "adult" nature of some genres of Manga. Despite these issues Manga is a fantastic way to engage kids in drawing and art as well as encouraging them to write and develop their creative voice.
Manga can be split into a number of genres that are appealing to elementary age, pre-teen and teenage kids. Among these are Chibi which refers to cartoon-like characters and anthropomorphized creatures very popular with younger kids in the six to twelve year range. Shoju/Shonen style appeals to pre-and teenage kids by gender with Shoujo attracting girls and Shonen grabbing the boys. This Manga web page contains more information.
Our teaching approach with Manga has always been to present basic drawing concepts with the characters being the primary subject matter. Our projects include lines & edges, tone, light & shadow, texture, negative/positive space, perspective, proportion, color and naturally, bodies and faces. The exception here is that Manga characters typically have highly stylized faces but their bodies are drawn with a high degree of realism. If your child is a "manga-kid" this might be the kind of drawing class they've been waiting for.
Faery-girl by Carly F., age 10 — Stop-girl by Neha K., age 11, both Manga 1 students.
Join our email list to receive pre-registration reminders.
JOIN OUR Registration Reminder email list! You'll receive four messages
per year just prior to registration periods for fall, winter and spring trimesters, plus the summer session of classes and programs. That's it. No spam, no more. This is an opt-in subscription which means you'll need to confirm joining by clicking a link in our reply message. You can also remove your name from the list at any time with a couple of clicks. ActonArt does not, and will not sell or share our student/family names or email addresses. Read our privacy statement for more information.
One Thousand Portraits.
Many of you know Roxanne Vanslette who teaches drawing classes at ActonArt. Roxanne is also a private commission artist specializing in portraiture. Recently she began a personal artistic challenge to draw 1000 portraits. The Goal? Personal development and satisfaction. If you have a photo portrait of someone that you think is remarkable, Roxanne would like to see it. There are no guarantees whose images will be used for her series but your's could be one. The samples above are from Roxanne's first ten days of work. Click any image to see an enlarged version. Contact Roxanne via email.
Drawing class offered at Acton Senior Center
ActonArt is currently offering a series of six drawing classes at the Acton Senior Center, 50 Audubon Drive, Acton. Classes focus on developing core drawing skills and applying them to independent activities outside of the class. This program is funded by the Acton Council on Aging. Participants pay a $10 materials fee only. Any Acton resident age 60 or over is eligible to participate. Class size is limited. Classes run weekly on Thursdays from January 21 to February 25. Future sessions may be offered. For more information contact Chris Chirokas, Program Coordinator, Acton Council on Aging, 978-264-9643.
IN A STUDY initiated by the National Endowment for the Arts (2001) older adults with an average age of 80 who participated in fine art programs were found to maintain or even improve physical health, mental health and social functioning. A separate control group who did not participate in arts programs showed declines.
ActonArt supports the concept of "lifelong learning" to maintain a healthy mind and body. Drawing classes offer new opportunities for older adults to learn core drawing skills and apply them to their personal creative expressions. Since a majority of adults consider themselves to be non-artists, learning to draw represents a new experience that both challenges the mind from a conceptual point of view and requires practice to master. Both of these attributes are recognized to be necessary to stimulate and maintain healthy brain function by developing new neural networks. And, what's equally important—most people find drawing to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience!
Last fall (2008), ActonArt offered a series of drawing instruction classes at the Acton Senior Center. Approximately one dozen seniors attended the bi-weekly classes. If you would like to learn more about classes for senior citizens or any interested group of adults, call 978-266-1600. Classes can be arranged at your location or at ActonArt studios.
