Take a look at this section-by-section outline of the FAS Course for Talented Young People
Take a look at what the FAS Course for Young People offers:
You learn to use the basic tools of the artist
From the days of the earliest cave drawings, the artist has used tools and materials to make a personal mark upon the world. In this section, you will find new and exciting ways to use familiar tools such as pencils, pen, and ink. You will explore other commonplace media: discover new ways to create with erasers, sponges, and sandpaper. You will see how to work in ink, pencil, and artist’s crayon.
You discover how the artist looks at the world
Everyone looks at his or her surroundings, but the artist sees. In this section, you learn how to sharpen your powers of observation; to find delight in the shape and feel of simple things, even in a broken leaf; and use your new awareness to express how you feel in your artwork. You learn how to convey different moods in your pictures.
You learn to compose pictures effectively
Composition—the art of planning—is necessary for effective expression. In this section, you are given clear, step-by-step directions for composing pictures so they reflect your feelings. You are shown the value of pattern and unity, how to bring out the most important element, and how to handle the “blank” sections of your picture. You learn how to rearrange the elements in nature to make a more vital composition.
You use color skillfully
Can you imagine a world without color, a world seen only in dull shades of gray? The color that surrounds us is one of the things that make our lives more meaningful. Here you learn how to work with color; how different colors and values affect eachother. You learn how to use color to emphasize mood and emotion and you find out how to use colors and combinations of colors to make your paintings more exciting. You learn how to paint a watercolor, following step-by-step instructions and drawings.
You learn how to paint in watercolor and oil
Famous Artists School introduces you to the media of the masters. You paint a watercolor, learn how to mix oil colors, try different ways to paint the same subject. You discover why all the great artists—from Rembrandt to Picasso—delighted in watercolors and oils. You find out how to make monoprints, new ways to use old media, which brushes and strokes to use. Includes text and show-how illustrations.
You give form to your ideas
A basketball, an ocean liner, a horse, a sculpture all have these things in common: height, width, and depth. In this section, you discover that everything has form. You learn how to search out the “spirit,” the “gesture” of each object you draw. You learn how to create depth and the feeling of space in your artwork. You discover how to draw shapes and textures. This section includes examples by the masters including Picasso, Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, and Miró.
You draw the human figure expressively
Few subjects have fascinated the artist as much as the human figure. Here you learn to put life into your paintings by drawing real human beings. Starting with gestures, you are shown how to build up the solid form of the body. You master the principles of proportion; how to make your figures move and breathe; how clothing and drapery affect character and pose. Examples from the works of FAS Guiding Faculty members are provided.
You draw heads, hands, and faces
People have emotions: they laugh and they cry; they cheer, think, get angry and frightened. The way they react is obvious in their faces and in the way they stand, sit, walk, and gesture. In a full-color, step-by-step demonstration, you learn the procedures for painting portraits that say positive things about people. You learn how to draw the human hand, give expression to faces, and draw people moving and turning their heads.
You draw and paint animals
Thousands of years ago, the artist began painting animals on the walls of caves. Today, animals are used in art as symbols or decorations for everything from automobiles to men’s clothing. You’ll learn how to draw many members of the animal kingdom—dogs, horses, elephants, giraffes, lions, cats—both realistically and as abstract designs.
You learn to paint landscapes
Your art training will make you more sensitive, more aware, more responsive to the great variety of images nature provides. This section shows you how to paint scenes around you in a wide variety of moods and styles. You learn to depict the changing face of nature, how to put weather into your pictures, how to paint sunlight and snow. Sketches and text by famous landscape artists demonstrate their approaches to painting landscapes.
ENROLL IN THE FAS COURSE FOR TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE
