Megan Mary Kalmes

This advanced camp invites students with prior drawing experience to explore various materials and techniques that will expand their artistic abilities. While continuing to develop their technical skills, students will focus on using drawing to organize their thoughts and feelings and express their ideas. Students will work with various materials, including pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink, and mixed media. Visiting the Art Institute of Chicago will allow campers to observe and sketch from a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, and other objects to inspire their studio work. Students will explore endless possibilities in a supportive environment that fosters growth and artistic confidence¿whether experimenting with innovative processes or refining their unique style.

This advanced camp invites students with prior drawing experience to explore various materials and techniques that will expand their artistic abilities. While continuing to develop their technical skills, students will focus on using drawing to organize their thoughts and feelings and express their ideas. Students will work with various materials, including pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink, and mixed media. Visiting the Art Institute of Chicago will allow campers to observe and sketch from a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, and other objects to inspire their studio work. Students will explore endless possibilities in a supportive environment that fosters growth and artistic confidence¿whether experimenting with innovative processes or refining their unique style.

In this dynamic course, you'll explore drawing as a powerful way to express your thoughts, feelings, and unique ideas. Whether new to the medium or looking to sharpen your skills, you'll investigate contemporary themes and subjects while developing essential techniques like line, perspective, tone, proportion, composition, value, gesture, and contour. Get hands-on with various traditional and modern drawing materials, experimenting with everything from charcoal and graphite to ink and vibrant water-based paints. You'll also visit the Art Institute of Chicago, interact with professional artists, and take virtual tours of museums when available¿all designed to inspire your artistic journey. This course emphasizes personal expression and creative exploration, making it the perfect space for beginners and experienced artists to discover their artistic voice. Note: Figure Drawing and Figure Painting use nude models hired by the School. Other painting and drawing classes may use them to a lesser degree.

In this course students will focus interests and refine their skills to create strong, portfolio-quality work. This advanced course is intended for students with previous drawing and/or painting experience who are ready to experiment, take risks, and push their skills to the next level. The organization of ideas and development of self-directed work is emphasized with instructor guidance and peer support. Students explore contemporary artistic practices through interdisciplinary approaches that cultivate material exploration, image making strategies, and traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques. Lead by their individual projects and goals, students may choose to work in a variety of media, such as water-based paint, oil paint, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media. Trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, contemporary artist presentations, group critiques, daily writing exercises, and class discussions supplement the studio experience.

*NOTE* Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independent of specific assignments required. Students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects. Note: Figure Drawing, Figure Painting, Painting, and Drawing courses may use nude models hired by the School. Other classes may use them to a lesser degree.