In Progress: Beginning Acrylic Painting

This class is designed for advanced watercolor students interested in learning new techniques such as combining watercolor with gouache, soft chalk pastel, and lifting techniques that instructor Robin Scholl has developed and taught for many years at PAL.

Whether you prefer oil, acrylic, or pastel, this class offers a hands-on journey into traditional painting techniques and the vibrant world of impressionistic color application.

This class will cover the basics of painting and drawing with soft pastels. Students will learn the various types of strokes and approaches to successful paintings which include composition, use of color, and use of value.

Are you ready to unleash your inner artist? Our Introduction to Oil Painting class with Ria Krishnan is the perfect opportunity to learn about the mesmerizing world of oil painting! In this class, you will gain expertise on various materials such as brushes, canvas, mediums, and how to work with them. Explore the different brush strokes, techniques, and how to mix colors to create your own unique style.

In this class, we will explore and capture the beauty of various locations on the San Francisco Peninsula and just across Dunbarton Bridge using soft pastels.

Unlock your creativity and immerse yourself in the magical world of watercolor painting with our comprehensive 6-week introduction class. Whether you're an aspiring artist or someone seeking a new artistic outlet, this course will provide you with the foundational skills and techniques necessary to express yourself through the captivating medium of watercolors.

Welcome to the wonderful world of hot wax painting! Encaustic painting is one of the oldest forms of painting, in this class you will learn the fundamentals of the encaustic studio with a modern twist incorporating encaustic skins, found objects and ephemera.

Unlock your creativity and dive into the vibrant world of colored pencils in this engaging 6-week class! Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this course is designed to teach you essential techniques, inspire your artistic voice, and build your confidence with this versatile medium.

In this class, students will explore the foundational techniques of painting a portrait using oil paints, working from reference photos and a live model. Whether you are a beginner looking to develop fundamental skills or an experienced artist seeking to refine your technique, this course offers a structured yet creative environment for all skill levels.

Whether you prefer oil, acrylic, or pastel, this class offers a hands-on journey into traditional painting techniques and the vibrant world of impressionistic color application.

Students will start by learning core techniques such as washes, gradients, and the difference between wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry, building confidence in brush control and how the paint behaves.

In this engaging workshop, students will explore one of the most essential skills in figure drawing—the gesture. Gesture captures the energy, movement, and emotion of the human form, breathing life into your drawings.

This 6-week class invites artists of all levels to explore how water and pigment interact to create soft transitions, luminous layers, and unexpected textures. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your skills, this class will help you gain confidence and freedom in your painting process.

In this class, students will work from a live model as we move step-by-step through the essential process of creating a portrait. We will break the session into four foundational stages: Gesture and Proportion, Unified Shadow Shapes, Cast Shadow vs. Form Shadow, & Details, Light, and Accents.

This class provides the tools to unlock your creativity and build confidence in artistic expression.

This two-day workshop guides artists through studio exercises and plein air painting at Stanford University to build strong watercolor foundations, sharpen observation skills, and confidently capture light, atmosphere, and a sense of place in the landscape.

This workshop will provide a sequence of easy exercises designed to save you months of trial and error frustration. Capitalizing on the spontaneous characteristic of watercolor, this sequence of easy exercises will give you the confidence to continue on your own. During this day, you will:

Join award-winning artist Claudia Gray for a special workshop inspired by the fresh, luminous qualities of spring light.

Participants will learn how to plan basic shapes for precise facial proportions, employ tonal values for depth and dimension, apply light for contrast, and how to mix colors.

This engaging three-hour workshop is designed to introduce teens to the foundational skills of drawing in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Through guided demonstrations and hands-on exercises, students will learn how to map and memorize the key rhythms that organize the face and head.

We will be exploring safe carving techniques, accurate registration systems, ink modifiers, tips on composition, drawing and design relating your image to a successful reduction cut relief project, a look back at the history of relief printing, plus hands-on demos and personal support along the way.

Unlock your creativity and build a strong foundation in drawing with this engaging 6-week course designed for beginners! Whether you’re picking up a pencil for the first time or looking to refine your basic skills, this class will introduce you to essential techniques, including line work, shading, perspective, and composition.

The class is designed for students who want to strengthen their drawing skills while continuing to work in watercolor.

This workshop is designed to help you confidently approach plein air painting by focusing on observation, simplification, and strategy.

This class explores the exciting and direct process of painting portraits alla prima—meaning “at first attempt”—teaching students how to complete a portrait in a single sitting while capturing the immediacy, energy, and expression of the subject.

This 6-week course introduces students to the essentials of painting expressive portraits in watercolor. Through a combination of guided demonstrations and hands-on practice, students will build skills progressively each week, gaining confidence in both technique and observation.

This 3-hour workshop offers a relaxed introduction to watercolor painting, perfect for beginners. We’ll cover essential foundations such as brush control, color mixing, and wet-on-wet techniques, with guided demonstrations to help you create soft, flowing backgrounds and simple, expressive petal shapes.

Designed for all experience levels, this workshop encourages curiosity, play, and freedom from perfection. Whether you’re new to abstraction or looking to expand your practice, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of mixed media techniques and a finished piece that reflects your unique artistic voice.