Courses

Summer 2023 Registration is Open!

Online classes take place Monday through Friday in Central Time. Times will be adjusted for international students outside of the U.S. to ensure meeting times work for your time zone. On average, students will join their peers in a virtual classroom and will navigate the virtual resource library and work on studio projects on a schedule that works best for them. Faculty will work with each student to determine a one-on-one advising schedule and assist students as they work in a more self-driven way on their projects. Virtual classroom meetings and critiques will be complemented by visiting artist lectures, workshops, admissions presentations, and portfolio reviews. Note that faculty will have office hours and will be available to assist students during designated independent studio work time and will help students make meaningful connections with peers. See our program brochure to learn more.

Summer 2023 Session Dates:
Session 1:
2 weeks, June 20-June 30
Session 2: 2 weeks, July 3-14

Summer 2023 Courses Include:

  • Online: 2D Animation*
  • Online: Advanced Drawing and Painting Projects
  • Online: Animation and Video Projects*
  • Online: Design Projects (Topic: Architecture)*
  • Online: Drawing/Painting/Comics and Graphic Novels
  • Online: Fashion Design
  • Online: Painting Intensive
  • Online: Portfolio Prep Studio
  • Online: Visual Communication Design

View all courses and register now!

Note: Students are required to have their own computer. If enrolled in Animation and Video Projects, Design Projects, 2D Animation, or Visual Communication Design, you will be provided with an Adobe Creative Cloud License for the duration of the course. We recommend that you have a laptop that meets the minimum requirements for Adobe Creative Cloud.


Online: 2D Animation

Session 2: M-F, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. CT, July 03-14, Course #1011

Work alongside our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars to continue to refine your work in this intensive course, intended for students who want to dive deep into the concepts and processes utilized in the production of 2D animation. You'll learn to turn your drawings into moving images using compositing, layering, collaging, and will build skills in Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and other programs. The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs.

 

Student drawing

Online: Advanced Drawing and Painting Projects

Session 1: M-F, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. CT, June 20-June 30, Course #1006

Work alongside our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars to continue to refine your work in this advanced-level course, intended for students with previous drawing and/ or painting experience. You'll learn new ways to push your skills to the level by experimenting, taking risks, and deepening your research and ideas. You will explore contemporary artistic practices in a variety of media—water-based paint, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media. The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs. This course is highly recommended following 3-week Drawing/Painting/Comics and Graphic Novels. Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independent of specific assignments required.

Student holds up art project

Online: Animation and Video Projects

Session 1: M-F, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. CT, June 20-June 30, Course #1004

You bring your creative interests—2D animation, 3D animation, video, and more—and our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars will work one-on-one with you to push your skills to the next level. You will build skills using software programs such as Adobe (Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects), and be introduced to both concepts and processes to storyboard and develop narratives. The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs.

ecposi animatino 2

Online: Design Projects (Topic: Architecture)

Session 1: M-F, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CT, June 20-June 30, Course #1002

You bring your creative interests—Architecture, Interior Architecture, Designed Objects, and Visual Communication Design—and our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars will work one-on-one with you to push your skills to the next level. You will learn about contemporary designers and build design skills from drawing, drafting, researching, and ideation. We will introduce you to both traditional materials as well as software such as Adobe (Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop). The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll be introduced to both concepts and processes to storyboard and develop narratives. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs.

Student works on project

Online: Drawing / Painting / Comics and Graphic Novels

Session 1: M-F, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CT, June 20-June 30, Course #1003

Session 2: M-F 1 p.m.-4 p.m., July 03-July 14, Course #1008

You bring your creative interests—traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques, comics and graphic novels, and more—and our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars will work one-on-one with you to push your skills to the next level. You may choose to work in a variety of media- wet and dry media, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, observational drawing, storyboarding, or a combination of different materials. The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs.

Student Painting with Green Paint

Online: Fashion Design

Session 1: M-F, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. CT, June 20-June 30, Course #1005

Work alongside our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars to continue to refine your work in this intensive course, intended for students interested in exploring contemporary fashion design methods and materials rather than constructing specific garments. You'll develop skills in illustrating the fashion figure, styling, draping, and fabric selection. Additionally, you'll be introduced to the history of fashion design and new research and documentation methods; and are exposed to contemporary designers and design practices. The course will include online demonstrations geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs. Previous drawing experience required.

Online: Painting Intensive

Session 2: M-F, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CT, July 03-14, Course #1009

You bring your creative interests and drive to dive deep into traditional and non-traditional painting techniques—and our incredible faculty of artists, designers, and scholars will work one-on-one with you to push your skills to the next level. You may choose to work in a variety of media—acrylic, watercolor, gouache, oil sticks, paint makers, or a combination of different materials. Basic painting fundamentals such as temperature, contrast, color theory, surface, texture, glazing, canvas stretching and grounds, alternative tools, and working with both additive and subtractive methods are explored and expanded upon. The course will include online demonstrations of techniques geared to your passions, visiting artist presentations, online museum resources, as well as time for self-directed work and comprehensive faculty advising. You'll engage in discussions and critiques with a vibrant online community of other students from throughout the country and around the world, create portfolio-quality work, and receive comprehensive guidance on developing competitive applications for college admissions to art and design programs.

ecposi material manipulation

Online: Portfolio Prep Studio

Session 2: M-F, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CT, July 03-14, Course #1057

In this hands-on course, students will not only develop new works of art to round out their portfolios for upcoming college applications but they will also select, revise, and edit their existing works. Through dynamic workshops with SAIC faculty and admissions staff, students will discover the most effective way to document and organize their work and represent their unique points-of-views as artists to the colleges of their choice. This course also places emphasis on studio time and support from faculty to create one final project that will enhance the student's overall portfolio presentation.

ecposi painting intensive

Online: Visual Communication Design

Session 2: M-F, 1-4 p.m. CT, July 03-July 14, Course #1007

This course covers the elements and principles of graphic design and provides students with the technical and conceptual tools to develop effective design strategies. Students expand their understanding of what surrounds them and learn how to look at and evaluate products, graphics, architecture, advertisements, and more. Class discussions challenge students to consider the world of design through a contemporary art lens, drawing upon the work of Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Paula Scher, and others. In addition to using traditional materials like sketchbooks, students use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop, and output work using high quality digital printers. Students can expect to create portfolio-quality works that explore symbols, logos, typography, layout, image and text integration, and sequential design. *NOTE* Basic computer experience required.