Fall 2025
Instructor: Jerry Sumpter
 
Sept 15 -- Nov 17: (10-week Term)
Monday evenings: 5:30-8:30pm
 
Tuition includes any fees.
 
Rooted in the technical traditions of the 19th-century European academies and the observational discipline of the Renaissance, the curriculum at Sumpter Academy of Art emphasizes clarity, structure, and aesthetic strength. Drawing instruction focuses on the enduring genres of portraiture, landscape, and still life, encouraging both technical refinement and interpretive fluency. Development is supported through consistent attendance, critical dialogue, and a balance between rigorous foundation and artistic expression.
 
Course Description
This course provides guided and individualized instruction in drawing, with an emphasis on strong design, tonal organization, and expressive rendering techniques suited to both landscape and portrait subjects. Students engage with historical masterworks, antique casts, and life drawing, building practical skills that support confident image-making across media.
The course emphasizes structural suggestion, depth cues, and tonal clarity as primary tools for creating visual impact—favoring these over exhaustive detail. Students learn to prioritize form, rhythm, and compositional strength, developing a confident drawing practice that supports both representational clarity and expressive interpretation. Instruction prepares artists for seamless transitions into painting and other media.