Bring your art to a new level
Whether you are new to art, looking to build a foundation in a specific medium, or looking to advance you skills in multiple areas, our curated class offerings will set you on the road to success.
Expand the classes below to see full descriptions.
Beginner Classes
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Have you ever wanted to learn to draw or paint, but didn’t know where to start? At Two Bridges Art Academy we believe there is an artist within all of us, and we have created the perfect onramp to launch you onto your creative journey. Welcome to Intro to Drawing and Painting! This is a no pressure, hands on class where you will learn the basics of both drawing and painting. The focus for each class will be in the practice, not the outcome. We will start off discussing basic drawing tools and vocabulary. Things like drawing lines and shapes, pencil pressure, shading and blending will be reviewed. We will render a simple still life and landscape with the tools we have learned. Our focus will then move into the basics of painting, learning about the types of paint, surfaces, and brushes. We will have plenty of hands-on exploration by putting brush to paper with simple shapes, eventually rendering a simple still life. Throughout the class there will be a lot of dialogue and practice to develop skills, muscle memory, and comfort level. If you want to learn art in a supportive and fun environment, this is the class for you!
When Intro to Drawing and Painting is over you will be ready to take on any one of our Bridge I classes listed below.
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Have you ever wanted to try watercolors but were afraid to jump in too quickly? Our Beginner Watercolors class is the perfect place for you. In this class, we welcome you to the world of watercolor painting as we focus on the process, not the outcome. We will teach you the basic skills that, over time, will level up your control of painting with water. We will experiment with different brushes and learn about how water, pigment, paper, and drying time all impact your results. In this class we will be working from a limited palette which will help build your confidence with the medium. Our main subjects will be simple still-life and landscape projects. This class will be about experimenting and learning together each week in a supportive and judgement free environment.
We encourage you to give Beginner Watercolors a try. We are confident that you will love this medium and will be signing up for our next class in this series, Watercolor Fundamentals.
Drawing Classes
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Bridge I
Open to beginners and artist of all levels. If you’re new to drawing or looking to strengthen your understanding of good rendering skills this fun and informative class is for you. Learn foundational drawing skills in this fast paced, no pressure session such as linear drawing 2-D, form drawing 3-D rotation, vanishing points, spatial distance, textures, values and negative space. In-session drawing prompts include still life, portraits, landscapes, the human form, animals and more. Instruction is done by verbal, written and instructor demonstration. Each three-hour class concludes with a homework prompt. The highlight of our classes has become group review critique, an inclusive no pressure, supportive teaching style.
Check out our overview video https://youtu.be/4HNNx0gRjW8
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Bridge I
If you’re looking for a class in which you’ll be putting extra details into your drawing, this is the one for you. Start off with still life prompts with one or two pieces and work your way to multiple objects in your composition. Learn cast and form shadows. Learn new ways to shade and layer. Work with various textures and reflective surfaces. Illustrate with only lines and implement techniques to build mass and volume in your renderings. The majority of the exercises will use graphite, but we’ll also introduce charcoal and maybe even a few colored pencils!
This class will help you to build a strong foundation for your still life drawings, allowing you to take your drawings and paintings to the next level.
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Bridge I
In this class, students will continue to develop skills introduced to them in Two Bridges Art Academy drawing classes. New students are welcome but some basic drawing skills coming into the class will be assumed.
This landscape sketching class will focus on specific techniques that will set you up for success when rendering landscapes, whether your end result is a drawing or a painting. Each week we will focus on a new element and will explore how that element impacts the overall outcome. We will learn to simplify complex landscapes into basic shapes and then turn those shapes into a realistic drawing. We will work on tonal values, understanding how the elements of foregrounds and backgrounds present themselves and how to render for maximum impact. Light and shadow will be discussed along with how to best handle textures and details in your work. We will dive into different types of perspectives and will study various composition techniques. Color is not the focus of this class, although we will introduce color during a few of the exercises. The main mediums used will be graphite and charcoal. Come join us and bring your landscapes to the next level!
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Bridge II
This class offers an opportunity to learn numerous techniques for sketching animal forms, ranging from the anatomy of a horse to the unique proportions of a penguin. We will cover everything from an expressive chimpanzee face to the dexterity of raccoon paws; no animal and their mesmerizing movements are off-limits. Fundamental drawing class skills will be expected coming into this course. We’ll conclude with a final project in which students render a more detailed portrait of their own pet or favorite animal.
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Bridge II
Open to anyone who has taken Drawing Fundamentals or has worked with Scott/Lisa in a previous class. In this session we’ll sharpen everything we’ve previously covered and then guide you to the next level. The pace of the class slows a bit as we start to develop more complex images and dive deeper into good drafting skills. In addition to verbal, written and instructional demonstrations we will start to learn about the history of artists especially proficient in the techniques we are studying. In this class you will develop your understanding of shadows and light. Learn why composition plays such an important role in your drawings. Continue developing your portrait skills and work on capturing a likeness. Learn the art of multi view rendering. Develop multi point perspectives and scale (drawing on small then a larger canvas.) In-session drawing prompts include, muscular and skeletal drawing, a variety of portrait positions, detailed still life, landscape/seascape and new perspective challenges. When Intermediate Drawing is complete, we believe you’ll now be prepared take any advanced class we offer.
Figure & Portrait Classes
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Bridge I
In this limited palette portrait class students will continue to develop skills originally introduced to them in Two Bridges Art Academy Fundamental and Next Level Drawing classes. Students who have not been in the TBAA program are welcome, but some basic drawing skills coming into the class will be assumed.
Starting with graphite and vine charcoal, students will revisit how to use their spatial distance, blocking, facial plane and value skills. We’ll then move to using tonal paper and a contrasting color with our pencils and charcoal mediums. Don’t be surprised if we also sketch with a ball point pen. Anything to keep the process fun while challenging your comfort levels. In the closing weeks a soft tipped foam palette knife will be introduced as well as your paint brushes. Singular and two pigment acrylic and watercolor efforts will close out the session. This class will always revolve around staying loose and working fast. Filling your sketchbook with variety and spontaneity! More detailed portrait efforts will be saved for the upcoming “Detailed Portraiture” class. Sound like useful tools for your artistic toolbox? Come join us.
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Bridge II
This course on focuses on rendering the human form via the study of the skeleton, muscles and tendons. We’ll then place a particular emphasis on the joints and their connectivity with body masses. This allows artists to better understand the body surface landmarks we see in figure movement and their weight displacement. Participants in this class will practice using model photos, medical resources and some video. The drawing medium will be graphite, vine charcoal, a light and dark colored pencil and ink. When the class concludes, you’ll be better prepared to add more dynamic figures into your drawings and paintings and will be more knowledgeable of facial planes in your portraits.
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Bridge I
In this relaxed portrait and figure drawing course, students will continue to develop skills originally introduced to them in Two Bridges Art Academy fundamental and next level drawing classes. Students who have not been in the TBAA program are welcome but some basic drawing skills coming into the class will be assumed. A typical sketching session will have students working flat AND on an easel. We’ll cover rendering planes, spatial distances, cast and form shadows, blending techniques and hard blocking. Each week we’ll try our hand at time limit thumbnails and larger pieces that take longer. Every two weeks our sketching schedule will switch between working on the face and then the body. The idea behind this is finding total body likenesses not just in facial features but how people present themselves via their natural postures. Sketching will be done in graphite, vine charcoal, pan pastel, white chalk/colored pencil and conte crayons. Color is not the focus in this session, but we will introduce two color sketching when our light and dark efforts are best represented on toned paper. Finally, portraits
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Bridge II
This class is a continuation of the Two Bridges Art Academy portrait drawing series. Please note that students who have not taken our Limited Palette Portrait class are still encouraged to participate in this informative and helpful class, but some basic drawing skills coming into the class will be assumed. The eight-week session will focus on strengthening the spatial facial feature skills we practiced in the first class. Additionally, we’ll focus on facial planes, contrasting values and finding a harmonious balance to our portraits. While the Limited Palette Portrait class focuses more on quick likenesses, this session allocates more time to refining finishing details. Participants will work with graphite, vine and white charcoal on various drawing surfaces. When the class concludes participants will have increased confidence in their portrait drawing capabilities and portfolio.
Colored Pencil Classes
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Bridge I
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to use Colored Pencils and Watercolor Pencils, this class is for you. The session is broken into three different segments with equal time spent on the different mediums listed. It’s informational and experimental. FUN! Learn about wax and oil based colored pencils. Understand layering and pressure techniques to achieve a “painterly look”. Experience the usability and versatility of watercolor pencils and create a watercolor painting that stands alone or introduce the effects of inking lines too enhanced details. When this class is over, we think you’ll be inspired to dive further into each one of these mediums or combine them to create a unique style all your own. This is part of a 4-class series focused on different formats of colored pencils.
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Bridge I
This Two Bridges Art Academy class will focus on being illustrative with your colors. Using some of the same techniques students learned in the Colored Pencil and Watercolor Pencil class we will explore the intense water-soluble colors found in Inktense pencils. Due to the more time intensive layering, burnishing and glazing techniques found in these pencil-based mediums we’ll focus our attention more on details. Some instructional efforts might take more than one class to complete based on the scale of our canvas or the “up close” complexities in the assignments. This session is open to all students but it’s beneficial if you have had previous drawing and or painting classes. The basics of drawing will be assumed as we dive deeper into the richness of these painterly pencils. This is part of a 4-class series focused on different formats of colored pencils.
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Bridge I
Drawing pencils come in many shapes, forms, and colors. In this session, we will explore the earthy, muted tones of water-soluble graphite and compare them with the vibrant shades of watercolor pencils. While both are water-activated, these two mediums behave very differently. Subject studies for this course will include landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and still life. This class is beginner-friendly, and advanced students will enjoy exploring the unique illustrative qualities these pencils can achieve. This is part of a 4-class series focused on different formats of colored pencils.
Watercolor Classes
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Bridge I
This is a great class for both beginners and those who have taken other Two Bridges watercolor classes. For those new to watercolor, you will learn the fundamentals in a open and friendly environment. For more experienced artists this class is a great opportunity to revisit the basics. From how various watercolor paints work to a multitude of brush techniques. We will start working with one color where we will focus on values, eventually moving to working with a limited color palette. Learn about paper and how you can paint on dry or wet surfaces. Learn what’s important in your paintings and whats not. We’ll even cover how to best draw your image before we add any paint. There is so much to learn. This session is always fun and never any pressure. We just love the medium. When the class is over, you’ll have a solid understanding of how watercolors work and will be ready to join our other Watercolor classes with confidence.
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Bridge I
This watercolor class is open to artists at all levels. Each week we will focus on a new technique that will help to build your understanding of this fun and challenging medium. We'll work with a variety of color schemes, learning about how different color combinations can impact a painting. Various paint applications like wet into wet, glazing, and the right water to pigment ratio will be reviewed. You’ll learn about paint opacity and how/when you can best showcase these mixtures in your work. And all of this will be done in a supportive and fun environment. This is a class that you can take multiple times as we are always changing the techniques taught.
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Bridge II
This second class in our watercolor series is open to any student who has taken Watercolor Fundamentals or a student who is already familiar with each of the techniques listed its description. In this Watercolor Next Level class we’ll learn when it’s best to use multiple transparent washes throughout your work. We’ll challenge you with gray scale painting and working with only the primary colors. We’ll learn more about adding texture with granular paint and how to showcase light and shadow. We’ll work fast and loose and we’ll slow things down and allowing you to add more detail. Landscapes, still life, figure painting and portrait will be used as inspiration as we learn many of these techniques.
When Watercolor Next Level concludes we hope your portfolio of knowledge is well rounded and you never stop having fun painting. We encourage you to take this class multiple times or move to our Watercolor Continued class.
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Bridge II
In the previous Two Bridge Art Academy watercolor classes (Fundamentals and Next Level) we focused our attention on learning specific techniques and rendering projects that best represent that specific skill. The emphasis in Watercolor Continued will be on the artist putting ALL of those skills to work, thinking through what skill is needed and how it can best be utilized. A “think tank” discussion kicks things off each week and we’ll then do quick color thumbnail before we proceed. Gaining confidence in your ability and developing an action plan is the focus. Landscapes, still life, portraits and figures will be the primarily subjects but be prepared for random surprises. Open to students who have taken our Watercolor Next Level Class or students who are well versed in the medium are looking to join a supportive group of returning students. This class is not designed to have an ending rather a place for students who love watercolor to always call home!
Opaque Painting Classes
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Bridge I
This class is open to both novice acrylic painters and those with some experience with the medium. In Acrylic Studies we will explore the key concepts for working with acrylics. We’ll start with color mixing and will experiment with how to use underpaintings to provide depth to our paintings. We will then move on to layering and using expressive brush strokes to create movement and visual appeal. We will also explore the importance of using bold color choices and strong values in our paintings. Ever painted with just a palette knife? We’ll be experimenting with this technique as well. Our subjects will include both landscapes and still life studies. This will be an opportunity for you to learn some new techniques or further build upon techniques learned in prior classes. It will be helpful if you have taken our Drawing Fundamentals class or have basic drawing skills before taking this class.
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Bridge I
This class is open to anyone wanting to explore the fun of gouache. Whether you are new to gouache or have been using the medium, this class will challenge you in new ways! In this class our subjects will vary from landscapes to still lifes to everyday scenes.
Gouache is such an accessible medium that can produce amazing results once you learn how to use it. We will provide you with a complete understanding of the properties of gouache and will focus our exercises on different techniques so that you can feel confident in your ability to use this medium. We will explore how to effectively layer to create dimension and depth. Brush strokes and expressive mark making will be reviewed along with the impact of underpaintings. We will also review the concepts of color, light, and values in your paintings.
Our goal will be to practice these approaches as much as possible, so our work will be kept small (8x10 or smaller). To help us catalogue our learnings, we will be building a gouache workbook for our studies. This is a great way to keep all of our studies in one place with reference notes.
When this class concludes, you will have a full book of paintings and moreover, will have specific notes that you can refer back to as you work through other pieces.
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Bridge II
In this class, students will continue to develop skills originally introduced to them in Two Bridges Art Academy classes that used gouache (Acrylic & Gouache Class, Gouache Fundamentals and Studio Invitational). Students who have not been introduced to gouache at Two Bridges are welcome, but a basic understanding of gouache will be assumed.
We will revisit some of the concepts like layering, dry brushing, and underpaintings as we focus solely on landscapes as our subject matter. We will dive into more challenging subjects like shadows, reflections, rendering snow and water. Our goal will be to practice and get as many learning cycles as we can, so we will be working small. To help us catalogue our learnings, we will be building a gouache workbook for our studies. This is a great way to keep all of our studies in one place with reference notes.
When this class concludes, you will have a full book of paintings and moreover, will have specific notes that you can refer back to as you work through other pieces. We look forward to seeing you in class!
Pastel Classes
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Bridge I
Pastels are often underrated, but they are a very powerful medium that every artist should have in their portfolio. After all, Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt loved them! And you will too after taking this class. Paper texture and the hardness of pastels have a great influence on the outcome of a pastel painting, and in this class, we will review and experiment with both. We will discuss how to build a painting through multiple layers and how to blend colors to get the effect you want. We will also learn how to make expressive marks that convey emotion in your painting. And we will have fun! Our focus for this class will be mainly still life and landscapes.
At the end of Introduction to Pastel, you will feel comfortable with the fundamentals and will have many finished pieces to prove it. And because you loved the class so much, you’ll be ready to sign up for Pastel Next Level!
Check out our overview video https://youtu.be/bkgxjvy8TSA
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Bridge I
At Two Bridges, we love pastels but understand they can be messy and create dust which can be problematic for some. With PanPastels, that problem is solved! PanPastels are ultra-soft pastels compressed into pans that allow for a dry, paint-like application using sponges. They are highly pigmented and produce minimal dust, making them ideal for blending, layering, and making beautiful pieces. And they are so fun to use!
In this class we will start by understanding how to apply PanPastels using different tools and will also learn how to effectively blend colors. Although there are over 140 colors of PanPastels to choose from, you can make any painting using just 5 colors. Once we get comfortable with how to apply PanPastels, we will begin to add pastel pencils to our work. The great thing about PanPastels is that they can be used alone or combined with pastel pencils or regular soft pastels. With the addition of pencils, we can render more detail into our work. Starting with still lifes, we will move on to landscapes as we learn how to effectively render shadows and light. In the last few weeks, we will move on to more complex subjects like animals and portraits.
This class is open to all students. However, the basics of drawing will be assumed so it will be beneficial if you have taken a previous drawing and/or painting class.
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Bridge I
This Oil Pastel class is open to anyone looking to explore the playful and fun nature of oil pastels. This class is designed to unlock the vibrant, painterly potential of this unique medium. Students will explore the creamy, expressive nature of oil pastels, moving from basic mark-making to complex, layered compositions that mimic the rich textures of oil paint. The buttery consistency of oil pastels makes them a dust-free alternative to soft pastels.
In this class our subjects will be primarily landscapes and still lifes. We will learn to blend like a painter, using your fingers, blending stumps, and other tools to create smooth gradations and atmospheric effects. We will also explore how to build impasto textures, applying heavy, sculptural layers of pastel to create three-dimensional depth on the page. And we’ll explore techniques such as sgraffito, utilizing tools to carve details and textures into heavy layers of color.
You will absolutely fall in love with oil pastels after taking this class! And for those that have considered learning oil paints, this is a great entry point into that medium.
Ink Classes
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Bridge I
Artists often use a ballpoint pen to scribble and sketch for fun but then forget about this versatile tool when they take on a new art project. In this session, students will rediscover the fun of working with a ballpoint pen. We’ll then move on to rendering with drafting pens (Microns), dipping pens and finally a brush. In this class learn a wide variety of textural effects, shading, contouring, line width and diluted ink value washes. We’ll render landscapes, animals, portraits, still life and more. You’ll work at a furious pace where the emphasis is on capturing spontaneous energy and emotion. We’ll then slow it down and focus on creating intricate controlled detail in our efforts.
When this session is over, we believe you’ll have a new passion for ink, and it might become your favorite medium!
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Bridge I
This continuation of our Explorations in Ink class is open to anyone interested in exploring this fun medium. In this class we continue to implement different ways of applying ink that create textures, high contrast and strong visual interest. We will illustrate in high detail with a pen, play with loosely spattered diluted ink, and use different tools like brushes and sponges. We will combine multiple techniques in the same piece and push this medium to new places.
When the class is complete, you’ll have a number of strong pieces for your portfolio or the student art show. Most importantly we believe you’ll leave with a better understanding of how versatile and fun inking can be.
Mixed Media Classes
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Bridge I
In this fun class we’ll draw ocean waves, seaside rocks, sand fences, dramatic clouds, piers, boats, the human figure and so much more. We’ll then introduce monochrome watercolor, ink with wash, watercolor graphite and one-color acrylic paint blocking. This will not be a full color palette painting class. The focus will be on using either a pencil or brush to create mood and emotion in your seascapes.
When the session is over, we hope you’ll be better prepared for the challenges of drawing and painting en plein air (outside) and feel more confident with your composition skills.
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Bridge I
At Two Bridge Art Academy we believe good drawing skills are the backbone to good painting results. We also believe that learning how to paint helps you draw better. What if there was a single class that focused on both needs? Introducing DRAWING and PAINTING.
In this fun eight-week session your first challenge could be rendering a still life. The following week you return and learn how to paint that same still life as a separate standalone effort. Each week we’ll rotate back and forth covering additional subjects such as landscape, portraits, animals and the human form. Four individual weeks drawing and four individual weeks painting. Please check the supply list but be prepared to have graphite, charcoal and acrylic paint available. We look forward to seeing you in this fun and relaxed class.
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Bridge II
As a pre-requisite for this class, you will have taken at least one Bridge I class and have a comfort level with different mediums in order for you to hit the ground running in this more advanced session. Studio Invitational is a chance for artists to explore different mediums and techniques. We will deep dive into different artists and study their techniques to better understand how we can transform our practice.
This class will require you to have a lot of different supplies on hand. We will use a variety of different mediums and surfaces, depending upon the instructors’ choice. A general list of materials will be sent out prior to class, but things like acrylics, gauche, pastels, ink, etc. are the types of mediums that will be used, along with miscellaneous different household items. You never know what to expect. This class is about learning, pushing the boundaries of your artistic expression, and having fun!
Check out our overview video https://youtu.be/J79OR1237O0