In the Sessions College Certificate in Fine Arts program, students gain a foundation in art theory and artistic technique. Students enjoy a wide-ranging training in drawing and painting that instils a rigorous, traditional approach to representing still life and human figure subjects with attention to critical concepts of line, mass, form, perspective, value, and composition.

Designed for the busy adult learner, the Certificate in Fine Arts is a 360 clock hour program completed in nine months studying part time.

1. Drawing. Draw utilizing traditional media and classic techniques, demonstrating a command of proportion, perspective, value contrast, and the human figure.
2. Painting. Paint utilizing traditional media and classic techniques, demonstrating a command of proportion, perspective, value contrast, and the human figure.
3. Photography. Knowledgeably use your digital camera to create photographs applying effective framing, composition, perspective, distance, and lighting.
4. Art History and Practice. Discuss and apply fundamental concepts in art, drawing from art history and contemporary practice.

4803 Intro to Visual Arts

Develop an understanding of the visual arts by exploring your own artistic creativity. You'll explore paintings, sculptures, experimental pieces, and more, learning to critique their composition and decode their social or political purpose. You'll be introduced to the elements that make up a visual message and build a vocabulary of fundamental terms and compositional techniques.

4018 Intro To Drawing

Learn how to draw with proper techniques, learning how to represent what they see through studies in contour drawing, perspective, positive/negative space, and value. As you progress through this class, you will develop a better understanding of the forms you are observing and become more skillful in representing those forms.

4800 History of Art

Build a foundation in art history and gain a deep understanding of art and the artists who create it. Explore profound themes that have concerned artists for centuries: nature, the human body, society, religion, and politics. Through engaging lectures and projects, you’ll learn how to identify the mediums, materials, and techniques artists use and discuss the styles of important artists, art movements, and historical periods from antiquity through the mid-20th century.

4501 Drawing I

Learn how to analyze what you see in the world around you and communicate it on paper. Through hands-on projects, and guided by a professional artist, you will explore the critical concepts of line, mass, form, perspective, value, and composition, building a solid foundation for all your art and design work.

7002 Digital Photography I

Explore the interaction of photography techniques and environmental factors to create powerful digital images. Students learn the fundamentals of lighting, perspective, and set up and explore techniques for classic assignments: portraits, product shots, indoor and outdoor location shoots, and fast-action sports. Whether you’re a fine artist, graphic designer, or Web developer, a mastery of digital photography gives you creative control of the medium.

4502 Figure Drawing

Follow traditional methods to learn the standard measures and proportions artists use to achieve naturalistic and expressive figure drawings. Illustrations and activities guide students through the structure of the human skeleton and help them understand how the body’s anatomy shapes its external form. The course builds progressively from the fundamentals to the challenges of portraiture, three-dimensional form, composition, and expression.

4700 Painting I

After a thorough orientation to the painter’s materials (paint, canvas, brushes, and solvents), students study a systematic and time-honored approach to painting that enables them to capture proportion, perspective, and lighting. Students learn how to build a foundation with preparatory sketches and underpainting, then gain control over value through monochromatic painting and color studies.