Short-term Classes in Austin

At Atelier Dojo, we are dedicated to fostering the next generation of artists. We offer 6-week classes led by nationally recognized artists in an intimate and welcoming environment in Austin. We believe art education should be accessible to everyone which is why we offer classes to all skill levels with evening and weekend flexibility! Our immersive adult art classes focus on the fundamentals and classical skills of realism art through drawing and painting. From figure drawing and painting to portrait painting, our art classes in Austin can help artists discover their artistic potential and learn valuable skills. Explore our upcoming classes below and register today! 

Have any questions about our classes? Get in touch with us for more information!

Intro to Portrait Painting

Sundays 9 am — 12:30 pm (3.5 Hours)

6 classes: $475 (includes model fees)

Starts April 6, 2025

INSTRUCTOR:

Denise M. Fulton

Prerequisites:

Experience drawing from life is recommended and it helps if you have experience painting in oils.

Class Description:

This course is will introduce students to creating portraits in oil. There is a different model for each class, so you’ll get to paint a variety of faces.

Each class begins with a short instructor demo (~25 minutes), then the students start painting. The instructor works with students, as needed, throughout the class. There are group critiques at the half-way point and at the end of each class.  

In the first class, we do 2-color paintings and then more colors are introduced over the course of the session.

Supply List:

• Canvas boards/panels/canvas paper.

  • (6) 9"x12"s or 12"x16"s

• Palette & Palette Holder

• Steel palette knife (3" trowel)

• Odorless mineral spirits (no smelly solvents). Gamsol and Turpenoid Natural are good less toxic solvents

• Container for your mineral spirits

• Paper towels (Viva brand is good) or rags

• Small container of linseed or walnut oil

• Brushes – assorted. Try hog and synthetic blend

  • Filbert 2, 4, 6, 8

  • Flat 2, 4, 6, 8

  • Round 2, 4, 6

• Oil colors (please use professional grade)

  • Titanium white

  • Naples Yellow

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Cadmium Red Light

  • Manganese Blue

  • Ultramarine blue

  • Transparent oxide red (sometimes called Transparent Earth Red)

  • Payne’s Grey

Essentials of Figure Painting

Tuesdays 6:00 - 10:00 pm (4 hours)

6 classes: $575 (includes model fees)

Starts April 15, 2025

Instructor:

Karen Offutt

Prerequisites:

Students must be experienced in both drawing and painting from life. 

Class Description:

In our efforts to understand painting as a visual language it is important to see what we will paint as an abstract form.  To eliminate our preconceived assumptions of what we see and break them down into parts.  These essential elements will give us the foundation to understand what we see and allows for a more intuitive paint application.  The goal is to achieve a 3 dimensional likeness with a simple block-in of the larger shapes and then to build on that by carving out the smaller shapes.   Along the way she will discuss, in more detail, the use of value, color and temperature as well as how to adjust edges to create a sense of atmosphere within the painting.

Supply List:

• 2-3 canvas boards or gessoed panels approximately 11"x14" to 12"x16"

• odorless mineral spirits such as gamsol or turpenoid

• silicoil or metal containers for the mineral spirits

• Viva paper towels or rags

• Some kind of palette holder or platform for palette. If you don't have one, you can use a Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette.

• Pocket mirror or the MVP - (Mirror Value Planner) by Peggi Kroll Roberts. I personally LOVE this product! This can be purchased here.

• Small container of linseed or poppy oil

• Steel palette knife

• Brushes - 5 - 6 filbert brushes ranging from size 0 - 8

• Oil colors (Gamblin is an inexpensive brand with low toxic paints)

  • Titanium White

  • Cadmium Yellow

  • Yellow Ochre

  • Cadmium Red

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Transparent Oxide Red

  • Cerulian Blue

  • Ultramarine Blue

  • Viridian

  • Burnt Sienna

  • Burnt Umber

  • Ivory Black

Still-Life Painting in Oils

Mondays 6:30 - 9:30 pm (3 hours)

6 classes: $450

Starts April 21st

Instructor:

Nate Seay

Class Description:

We’ll start our class studying basic forms in black and white, and move into color with a limited palette, then a full palette. The class will cover basic drawing and composition principles, oil painting materials and preparations, and how to mix and apply paint in an effective way. Nate will discuss and demonstrate how to block in a painting and bring it to a finish, how to paint different materials like glass and metals, and how to tackle more complex subjects like flowers and bundles of fruits.

SUPPLY LIST:

• Brushes: Filbert sizes 2 to 8

• Palette knife

• New Wave 11x16 Neutral grey paper palette or similar palette surface.

• Masterson Sta-Wet Artist Palette Seal 12"x16" with blue cover.

• Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits and Silicoil Brush Cleaner Tank 12oz. No toxic solvents allowed!

• Refined linseed oil and a small oil container.

• 3 11x14 linen panels or primed panels. Centurion and Ampersand brands recommended.

• Paper towels.

• Oil paints:

  • Titanium White

  • Cad Yellow Medium

  • Yellow Ochre

  • Cadmium Red Medium

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Transparent Oxide Red

  • Ultramarine Blue

  • Ivory black

Constructive Figure Drawing

Wednesdays 6:30-9:30 pm (3 hours)

6 classes: $450 (includes model fees)

Starts April 23, 2025

INSTRUCTOR:

Pedro Cardoso

Prerequisites:

None

Class Description:

In this class we will cover many different aspects of Figure Drawing such as Gesture, Structure, Composition, Value, Line Drawing, Mass Drawing, and Anatomy.

We will discuss and practice Gesture as movement, with lines that follow the direction of the contour describing Gesture. Structure complements the gesture, and lines and marks made against the contour will give volume to our drawings, as well as simplify the form into geometric or graphic shapes. Both of these aspects come together when Composing a page, a long pose drawing or a personal project. We will talk about using value to describe form with light and shadow, as well as limiting the value range in our compositions. We will cover Line Drawing and Mass Drawing, and how both can be combined for expressive purposes, either making a drawing more graphic or more naturalistic. Throughout these topics we will investigate the Anatomy of the human body, and familiarize ourselves with muscles, bones and landmarks of the figure.

The goal of learning these topics is to understand drawing as a tool for expression, and how to conceptualize an image and bring it together on paper with marks that will be lively and thoughtful.

Supply List:

• 18x24 newsprint drawing paper

• 18x24 drawing paper Strathmore 400 series

• vine charcoal, and compressed charcoal

• charcoal pencils General’s 2b and HB 

• drawing stumps

• kneaded eraser

• sand paper and a exacto knife.

Figure Drawing

Thursdays 6:30 - 9:30 pm

6 classes: $450 (includes model fees)

Starts May 1, 2025

INSTRUCTOR:

Danny Grant

Prerequisites:

None

Class Description:

This class is designed to teach students a step-by-step process for approaching every figure drawing. We'll learn to take our drawings from a series of simple, flat, two-dimensional shapes to clean, organic line drawings and, ultimately, to fully rendered three-dimensional figure drawings. We'll use tools like comparative measuring, and learn to judge relationships better by focusing on points, tilts, and shapes. Students will also learn to judge value relationships better by studying the nature of the various forms of the figure and how they relate in space to the light source.

Supply List:

• Graphite pencils - 2B, B, HB, H, 2H (more HB than the others)

• Strathmore 400 Medium Drawing Paper 18 x 24 (Brown cover)

• Kneaded eraser

• Pencil sharpener