Learn about SVA Continuing Education’s Fall Courses and Events
Are you looking to revamp your artistic drive after a tough year? This fall, SVA Continuing Education offers a trove of virtual and in-person courses in the many visual arts disciplines that can help expand your perspectives and renew your creativity. Whether you're a novice looking to explore new interests or a professional wishing to fine-tune a specific skill, you are sure to find a class to satisfy your desire to learn and grow. With weekly courses available on evenings, weekends and online, CE’s offerings are conveniently tailored for those with busy schedules. Check out some highlighted courses below, and browse the entire course catalog at sva.edu/ce.
Unsure about a weekly commitment? CE also offers one-off workshops and thought-provoking events throughout the year for free. On August 30, join them for Introduction to the Magic of Watercolor with instructor Andrew Chang; and on September 7, learn about Photography Lighting Basics with instructor Joseph Sinnott. You can also join their information session on September 8 about CE’s Visual Narrative course offerings.
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30pm
September 20 – November 29 (10 sessions)
Online
Instructor: Tom Motley, Cartoonist
Comics is a medium that continues to evolve: one can easily list several things that have never been done in a comic before. Taking a think-tank approach, in this course, students will brainstorm and develop prototypes for new forms; many unusual comics will be examined and an array of challenges will be attempted. This is a fun course for doodlers, tinkerers and brainiacs of every stripe. Students will look at comics that read upside down, with pictures made of words, unfolded to reveal surprises, and many more experiments.
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 10:00pm
September 20 – November 29 (10 sessions)
Online
Instructor: Steve Brodner, Illustrator, satirical artist, commentator
Celebrated Illustrator Steve Brodner opens up the creative process for students who will very quickly have the keys to creating the greatest storytelling pictures of their life. Gone will be all the distractions and misconceptions that may have gotten in the way. This is a one-on-one course where students are given personal guidance at every stage in the process. They will be aided by Steve's help during the week, between class sessions, working together and understanding the goals and problems to clear the way to finish portfolio pieces. Every week will feature a quick project as well as long-term assignments. The assignments will be tailored to each student’s stories and style.
Fridays, 6:30 – 9:30pm
September 23 – November 11 (8 sessions)
Location TBA
Instructor: Federico Muelas Romero, New media artist
This course situates contemporary installation and the projected image. It will examine 3D video mapping techniques through geometric shapes and architectural facades. Students will create projects that explore how to combine real objects with projection. Techniques covered include spatial scanning, multi-projector systems, projecting on moving objects, Kinect-based augmented-reality installations, colossal outdoor video projections and multiplatform performance environments.
Thursdays, 6:30 – 10:00pm
September 22 – December 1 (10 sessions)
Online
Instructor: Martin Abrahams
Conducted as a creative workshop, this course is designed for students from all disciplines and all drawing abilities who want to explore the dynamic medium of animation while finding their personal style and vision. Discover how to make your drawings move and have fun in the process. Traditional animation principles such as storyboard, layout, extreme poses, timing, weight, squash-and-stretch, overlapping action, arcs and walk cycles will be explored through hands-on exercises and making animated GIFs. While basic animation concepts and techniques will be covered, the emphasis will be placed on innovation, invention and experimentation. How to animate in Adobe Photoshop will be included, and mixed-media projects will be introduced.
Drawing Workshop: Between the Lines
Fridays, 9:00am – 12:00pm
September 23 – Dec 2 (10 sessions)
Location TBA
Instructor: Stephen Gaffney
Drawing is a way to examine, explore and express life. The human body provides simple, unifying form principles found in all visual arts and design. In this intense class, students will explore the structural aspect of the body and ways to depict the rhythms and forms inherent to our bodies. Students will develop a language of line that connects them to the earliest known and most sophisticated drawings made by humans. One focus will be creating a knowledge-seeking path about drawing, seeing through the history of drawing and allowing for personal expression with meaning. The series of exercises will enhance students’ drawing skills no matter what their ability level. The pencil and brush will be the primary tools to make effective line drawings that show structural anatomy, rhythm and archetypes of form, working primarily from short poses with nude and clothed, male and female models. To see examples of student work, please visit drawingmatters.tumblr.com.
Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30pm
September 19 – November 7 (8 sessions)
335 West 16th Street
Instructor: Judith Solodkin
Digital embroidery transforms handcrafted couture into a fine arts medium. Just like a tattoo, where an image is created with color and needles, the embroidered fabric or paper is needle-stitched in colored threads. The image is a sewing file that can be saved and re-sewn as a multiple or repeat pattern. While working on Brother and Husqvarna Viking designer sewing machines with oversized hoops, students will use Brother software to sew out their original designs on fabric, garments, or paper. Techniques related to both fashion and the fine arts will be explored.
Brand Identity - Creating an Image
Tuesdays, 7:00 – 9:30pm
September 20 – November 29 (10 sessions)
Online
Instructor: Anita Zeppetelli
What is a brand? This course will examine the basic principles of corporate identity and develop a clear understanding of how to design brands. Emphasis will be placed on the steps needed for a consistent brand, such as identifying a company's personality; designing a logo; creating the visual elements that support the new brand; and developing and designing its visual voice for multiple uses, including print and packaging. Students will complete design projects that explore a range of applications through exercises, group critiques, research and presentations.
Artist as Philosopher: Art-Making at the Source of Ideas
Mondays, 6:30 – 7:30 (6 sessions)
October 3 – November 7
Online
Instructor: Keren Moscovitch
In this course, students will explore a wide variety of contemporary philosophical ideas through reading, discussion and art production. We will begin with the turn from modernism to postmodernism, and an overview of the ontological and existential questions that accompanied the two world wars; we then follow up with explorations of language, identity and activism in the history of art and ideas. With a particular emphasis on poetics, poststructuralism, critical theory and the postcolonial and feminist contributions of the 20th and 21st centuries, this course will reveal the workings of language and its deconstruction in creative practice. Through online lectures presented in various media, guest speakers, film screenings, interactive portfolio critiques and chat room discussions, each student's work will be reviewed and discussed in relation to texts by a range of artists and philosophers. Artists are invited to participate using the artistic media of their choice, from traditional to new media. All levels are welcome. No prior experience with philosophy is necessary for success in this course.