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Book + Paper Arts | Ceramics | Drawing | Glass | Illustration | Jewelry + Metal Arts | Painting | Photography | Printmaking | Woodworking |

Bryson Dean

Sharon Pollock

Expand upon the possibilities of clay as a creative medium. The open-studio format of this course offers students with previous experience in ceramics the opportunity to further their technical skills and develop their expressive abilities in clay. Instructor and student work together to define individual projects, whether functional or sculptural, that enable students to refine skills while pursuing creative ideas. Come to the first class with ideas and/or items such as photographs or special objects for inspiration.
Prerequisite: Previous experience in ceramics

Sharon Pollock

Explore the alchemy of clay and glazes melding together to create surfaces that transcend both materials. Ceramic surfaces offer exciting possibilities for color and texture. In this hands-on studio format, ceramists of all experience levels come together for a common exploration. The course covers various techniques for application, a basic overview of the different families of glazes, how to mix a glaze, and an introduction to glaze testing and development. Beginning students make and work on basic tiles, while more experienced students are welcome to expand on previous work.

Debora Aldo

From ancient Roman palazzos to Byzantine churches, architectural mosaics have adorned the floors, walls and fountains of grand homes and buildings for centuries. This class offers a comprehensive hands-on introduction to creating mosaics for specific sites and surfaces, including home interiors, exteriors and other architectural structures. The process begins with developing imagery and planning the design of the mosaic for a designated site. Both traditional and contemporary techniques of making mosaics using stone, glass, ceramic, found objects, broken china, metal and other recycled materials -- by themselves or in combination -- are explored. Students use simple tools to cut the materials into small cubes known as tessera, which are then assembled into the design. While students work in small format to gain technical experience, the logistics of working on a much larger scale are discussed, including possible on-site installation in your own home or beyond.

Robin Wiseman

Capturing a likeness of the human face has intrigued artists throughout history. Explore this fascinating process by learning to translate your observations of structure, proportion and the relationships among visual elements onto the two-dimensional page. Students also examine how the artist reveals personality traits while capturing the physical likeness on paper. The course bases its investigation of technique and approach on the work of both Old Masters and contemporary artists. Both composition and expressiveness are emphasized, and students are encouraged to develop their own personal style.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DI-E, DS-E, NS-E

Robin Wiseman

Capturing a likeness of the human face has intrigued artists throughout history. Explore this fascinating process by learning to translate your observations of structure, proportion and the relationships among visual elements onto the two-dimensional page. Students also examine how the artist reveals personality traits while capturing the physical likeness on paper. The course bases its investigation of technique and approach on the work of both Old Masters and contemporary artists. Both composition and expressiveness are emphasized, and students are encouraged to develop their own personal style.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DI-E, DS-E, NS-E

Marc Torick

This course provides many tools for the artist who wishes to depict the human form with confidence and precision. We use various conceptual models that allow for the presentation of the figure from any point of view, combining structural and muscular systems into a dynamic whole. By coding the movements of the joints, plotting anatomical landmarks on the volumes of the figure, establishing a proportional system, and uniting exterior contour with interior anatomical structures, students develop a set of figurative principles that can be applied to any figure in any position. Working from live models, students arrive at a fusion of the conceptual figurative model with observations from life. Artists at all levels of experience stand to benefit from this course.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DS-E, NS-E, SA-E

Bill Riker

The art of glass blowing is enjoying a lively revival in specialized facilities throughout the country. Join us at a professional glassblower's studio to learn the basics of working molten glass, and see how this transparent medium both accommodates and challenges the imagination. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students explore contemporary glass-working techniques under the guidance of a skilled artisan, with historic and modern examples of glass works providing inspiration and perspective. As the course progresses, students are encouraged to experiment as far as their newly acquired skills take them. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Bill Riker

The art of glass blowing is enjoying a lively revival in specialized facilities throughout the country. Join us at a professional glassblower's studio to learn the basics of working molten glass, and see how this transparent medium both accommodates and challenges the imagination. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students explore contemporary glass-working techniques under the guidance of a skilled artisan, with historic and modern examples of glass works providing inspiration and perspective. As the course progresses, students are encouraged to experiment as far as their newly acquired skills take them. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Bill Riker

The art of glass blowing is enjoying a lively revival in specialized facilities throughout the country. Join us at a professional glassblower's studio to learn the basics of working molten glass, and see how this transparent medium both accommodates and challenges the imagination. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students explore contemporary glass-working techniques under the guidance of a skilled artisan, with historic and modern examples of glass works providing inspiration and perspective. As the course progresses, students are encouraged to experiment as far as their newly acquired skills take them. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Bill Riker

Less daunting than glass blowing, the traditional kiln-forming techniques of fusing, slumping and casting offer a wide variety of interesting possibilities. We explore glass fusing, in which flat glass, powdered glass and glass stringers are melted into flat sheets to create fused glass panels or tiles. We also review slumping techniques, heating glass into molds to create dimension in form for bowls or other vessels. Finally, we experiment with glass casting, which involves making an original sculpture in clay and then using such techniques as hot pad and pate de verre to create a glass form. Various cold working techniques are also addressed in the studio, including cutting, grinding, polishing and sandblasting. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Bill Riker

Nothing quite captures holiday sparkle more than a dazzling, individually crafted glass ornament. Beauty fuses with functionality in this unprecedented all-day workshop, as students learn the intricacies of the glass medium through demonstrations and hands-on experience. Under the guidance of a skilled artisan, students master the basics of glass and are quickly able to make many samples and experiment with color, size and pattern, or students may prefer to develop a series of ornaments around a single concept -- for example, all clear, all textured or all red-striped. Either way, the end results make keepsake gifts or sparkly elements in a personal collection. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Bill Riker

Nothing quite captures holiday sparkle more than a dazzling, individually crafted glass ornament. Beauty fuses with functionality in this unprecedented all-day workshop, as students learn the intricacies of the glass medium through demonstrations and hands-on experience. Under the guidance of a skilled artisan, students master the basics of glass and are quickly able to make many samples and experiment with color, size and pattern, or students may prefer to develop a series of ornaments around a single concept -- for example, all clear, all textured or all red-striped. Either way, the end results make keepsake gifts or sparkly elements in a personal collection. Note: Space is limited in this course, which meets at an off-campus studio, so early registration is encouraged. Directions are sent to registered participants.

Christopher McInerney

All graphic artists need to accept the undeniable role that digital technology has assumed in the creation and delivery of illustrated works. Although never intended to replace pencil, ink, paper and paint, technology can introduce workflow options that complement those traditional tools. The Apple computer, scanner and printer are the primary components in this course in which students learn how a graphite drawing in a sketchbook can be transformed -- with the deliberate use of Adobe Photoshop -- into a dependable and transportable file. As the discussion of workflow unfolds, students are acquainted with the editorial judgments made by supervising art directors and publishers. It is a peek into both the technical process and the business decision-making needed by anyone accepting a contract to deliver a digital image.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): AD-E, AN-E, CB-E, DI-E, NS-E, PD-E, SA-R, VE-E, WE-E

Susannah Strong

Brilliant people seemingly pull ideas out of thin air. Most people, however, need tools. This course helps to illuminate the structure, play and complexity of the creative process. Methods of generating, collecting and elaborating on ideas are developed through exercises and projects, both individual and group, so as to forge new connections in patterns of work and thought. Students first work in a sketchbook to research, catalog and collect ideas with media exploration to include drawing, painting, collage, etc. Examples and selected readings on how various well-known artists and thinkers generate their ideas are provided for further insight. Ultimately, students discover that ideas do not materialize from thin air and that there are strategies they can develop to sustain idea development as an ongoing process.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DS-E, NS-E

Ariel Bordeaux

Not all comic book stories are spun around alien invasions and radioactive spiders. The autobiographical comic book, in the tradition of the literary memoir, tells tales of the artist's heartbreak, celebrations and unanticipated victories. The instructor, herself a published comic book artist, introduces students to the work of comic book memoir creators including Lynda Barry, Seth, Alison Bechdel, Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Robert Crumb. Students practice fundamental cartooning skills -- storytelling, character design and page layout -- and are given guidance on publication options as they develop and complete a short comic book memoir. By the end of the course, students will have gone through the invaluable discovery process of looking within for stories both astonishing and mundane.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): AN-E, CB-E, SA-E, VE-E

Amy Bartlett Wright

Students in this course learn to illustrate with the microscope, using insect specimens as intriguingly complex subject matter. Instruction includes basic methods of drawing accurately, proper use of microscopes, handling pinned specimens, and the fundamentals of insect anatomy. The instructor also demonstrates how to generate a symmetrical image and how to "repair" a damaged specimen through illustration. Students may choose to illustrate their chosen insect in the classic overhead posture (as seen in traditional scientific illustration) or to position it in a more lifelike stance. Preliminary drawings are done in pencil and serve as a basis for final color rendering in a medium of the student's choice: colored pencil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic or a combination. Note: Specimens are provided in class.
Prerequisite: Previous experience with realistic drawing
Applies to the following certificate program (18 contact hours): NS-E

Allison Cole

Illustrators go through a lot of trial and error searching for the medium that best suits their style -- often learning a technique, but not connecting it to a narrative or idea. This course allows you to do both, by harnessing the graphic power of printmaking to tell visually compelling stories. Low-tech water-based processes are demonstrated and explored, including relief methods involving styrofoam and linoleum, as well as silkscreen techniques using paper stencils. Course work and assignments focus on creating images with meaning and discovering how a particular medium can help. Students work on spot illustrations or develop a series of images based on an established story or one of their own. They quickly see that these easy-to-work-with printmaking methods create exciting results and make them a must for all artists' repertoires.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DS-E, NS-E

Jennaca Davies

Be dazzled by the engaging process of designing and making jewelry with beads. In this hands-on course, students receive step-by-step instruction in using predominantly seed beads while employing off-loom stringing methods. Projects develop from the simple to the complex -- with issues of design, process, style, color and texture all considered -- as students develop individual ways of working with and creating unique beaded jewelry. Experimentation and play are encouraged, as students gain confidence with various stitches and techniques, including pearl knotting and wire wrapping. For added inspiration, the course includes demonstration and implementation of various traditional and cultural styles of beadwork. Information on bead sources and suppliers is provided, allowing students to continue making necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more -- long after the class is over.

Douglas Borkman

Sculpture has traditionally been a medium where art and industry intersect -- sometimes in a combustible fashion, given the nature of the materials employed. Therefore, we welcome artists and all other interested parties to join us in the RISD Sculpture Department foundry for this rare opportunity to explore the fundamentals of metal casting. Using the ceramic shell method, students create objects cast in silicon bronze. The workshop's intensive format enables students to learn a precise series of casting processes, including direct wax working, gating and spruing, investment, pouring, chasing, metal texturing and finishing. Note: Lab fee covers equipment and consumables supplied in the studio. Students should plan to spend approximately $65 in addition for bronze and other materials.

Jennaca Davies

From Chinese cloisonne objects to precious Faberge eggs, the classic art of enameling -- fusing glass to metal -- has resulted in some of the great masterpieces of jewelers' art. This course offers the unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of a process that has changed little since its ancient Egyptian origins. Emphasis is placed on exploration and experimentation using traditional and non-traditional enameling techniques including sifting, layering, stencils, wet packing, basic cloisonne and decals. Demonstrations of each method are given, including an introduction to the proper preparation of the metal and ways of working using non-lead bearing enamels. Students make tile samples using the various techniques, and ultimately select one technique to design and develop a final project. Note: Students are expected to purchase an enameling kit from the RISD Store 3D for approximately $60.

Harley Bartlett

Capturing the sea's many moods and responding to its beauty and mystery are just two of the many visual challenges this dynamic subject poses for an artist. Well-known landscape and maritime artist Harley Bartlett reveals step-by-step methods for beginning and then developing a seascape painting. Demonstrations and lectures focus on using the palette as a tool by pre-mixing colors -- anticipating a gradated range to facilitate working. Once the palette is set up, the paint is applied in layers to create a sense of depth through atmospheric effects. Using photo sources, students learn to extract essential information, as well as establish an all-important point of view. This total immersion workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to a fascinating subject with techniques that can be applied to all painting genres. Note: Students may use oil or acrylic paints.

Applies to the following certificate programs (12 contact hours): CB-E, DS-E, NS-E

Susan Fossati

The natural beauty, spectacular colors and graceful forms of flowers have inspired artists throughout history. Think of Vincent van Gogh's energetic blooms and Georgia O'Keeffe's startling floral close-ups. This hands-on course gives beginning and experienced artists alike a unique opportunity to strengthen their powers of observation while developing their own styles of expression. With flowers as subject, students explore acrylics, oils, or other media of their choice. Numerous techniques are demonstrated and practiced, including glazing (application of thin layers) to help capture the translucence of petals, and the use of additives to help recreate leaf texture. Master artworks are studied and the elements of composition are discussed, with a wide selection of flowers provided to work from in class. Note: Previous painting experience is helpful.

Applies to the following certificate program (18 contact hours): DS-E

Keith Fox

Matisse and his cohort of early 20th-century French artists were known as les fauves, or the wild beasts, for the vibrant way they reconciled exhilarating, arbitrary color with simplified and flattened shapes to push their work beyond the descriptive and towards abstraction. Later, American painter Milton Avery was inspired to investigate fauvist ideas in familiar subject matter: beach scenes, pastimes and landscapes. Through discussion and assignments, both beginning and experienced painters in this studio course are inspired by Avery's investigations as they learn to depict recognizable imagery through a semi-abstract mode of expression. Students learn how to place more emphasis on form than on content, and using their choice of acrylics or oils, create works that are startling, colorful and bold.
Prerequisite: Basic drawing skills
Applies to the following certificate program (18 contact hours): DS-E

Anna Mogilevsky

It is essential for artists of all levels to have both knowledge of and familiarity with the materials and techniques specific to oil painting in order to fully perfect their craft. Through demonstrations, lectures and hands-on practice, topics covered include stretching canvas and preparing surfaces (cardboard, masonite, wood) for painting supports, paints and paint application, brushes, developing a color palette, and solvents and varnishes. Tonal techniques, direct painting, underpainting and glazing, and use of a palette knife are also explored. Emphasis is on skill building rather than on specific image making so the student is free to experiment. Please note that the course is appropriate for artists of all levels.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DS-R, NS-E, SA-E

Julie Gearan

This oil painting course reviews many of the techniques and approaches discussed and practiced in Painting I: The Transition from Drawing to Painting, with a special focus on the figure. Students are instructed in practical figure painting techniques, including strategies for capturing movement, building a palette specifically for skin and flesh tones, color mixing, brushwork and modeling form. Compositional considerations -- including the all-important and interdependent relationship of the figure to ground/space -- are discussed, as students gain confidence in developing a painting comprehensively. Additionally, examples of figure painting, past and present, augment and inform the painting experience. Please note: While Painting I: The Transition from Drawing to Painting is not a prerequisite, some knowledge of oil painting basics is recommended.

Applies to the following certificate program (18 contact hours): DS-E

Rob Colclaser

Shooting on location with handheld strobes and portable lighting kits can be unnerving -- it takes a lot of practice to use, control and enhance light, especially when you're on the client's clock. In this course, an experienced location photographer guides students through a series of improvised lighting scenarios that will challenge the photographer's eye. The class meets in four local on-site locations that present common exposure problems, including reflective surfaces, transient shadows and vast spaces. Students become skilled at using the underappreciated camera-top strobe, learn techniques for improving their efficiency, and practice lighting interiors for shots routinely sought by realtors, art directors and fashion merchandisers. Classroom discussions also focus on the lighting needs of photojournalists and fine art photographers. By the end of the course, students will have learned to effectively and efficiently problem-solve a variety of on-location lighting conditions -- indispensable skills for the professional photographer.
Prerequisite: Photographic Lighting I
Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): AD-E, AN-E, DI-E, PD-E, SA-E, VE-E, WE-E

John Hames

Lindsay Elgin

Roland Gutierrez

Jennifer Doumato

Boudoir photography entices both photographers and models alike, as they peek through the keyhole at the career of a working photographer who has embraced this lucrative market. More sensual than the base images that appear in magazines and on the Internet, the boudoir photograph has established itself as an intimate expression between lovers or as a personal exercise for celebrating one's own beauty or identity. Your presenter reveals the secrets of lighting, filter and lens technique, along with the aesthetic choices such as set-dressing, hair and makeup that demonstrate the true complexity of this specialized realm of photography.

Paul Visconti

While each food stylist's tool kit may be different -- from basic cooking equipment to brushes and spray bottles -- the goal is the same: to keep the food as fresh-looking as it did when it was first prepared, and to allow the photographer to shoot it as soon as possible. In this workshop, learn from a professional food stylist the role that styling plays in commercial food photography for advertising campaigns, stock agencies and cookbooks. We start with the visualization process to solve problems of composition, scale and color, and then move on to considerations of preserving, reflectivity and chemistry. The lessons learned -- including secrets such as how to keep ice from melting or the soda fizzy -- should prove valuable for photographers considering a career in food photography.

David Fleurant

Roland Gutierrez

Whether building a photography business, planning a gallery show or creating a multimedia presentation, photographers are wise to consider the project planning process. To succeed at having your images recognized, you need a deliberate plan that takes into account such aspects of photography as budgeting, rights and permissions, not to mention getting your gear transported for location shooting. In this course, the instructor acts as your director or curator, giving you honest feedback while your self-defined project progresses from raw thumbnails to its unveiling six weeks later. The editing process is emphasized throughout as you learn to examine your shots with a more discerning critical eye, making the course a dress rehearsal for the challenges presented in Final Projects: Digital Photography.
Prerequisite: Photography: An Introduction or Digital Photography I
Applies to the following certificate program (18 contact hours): DI-E

Amanda Lebel

Van Gogh, Monet and countless other artists have been influenced by Japanese Woodblock prints, a printmaking method which, distinct from Western techniques, doesn't require a press or use oil-based inks. This traditional thousand-year-old process combines ink or paint and nori (rice paste) with hand-pressing techniques to create prints. Students begin by practicing both carving techniques and printing with sumi ink. More advanced applications of color follow, including color gradation (bokashi) and making multiple block prints. Registration and numbering the prints are also discussed. To be true to the classic art form, design and composition are integral considerations in the development of individual imagery. An overview and brief history of the ancient craft, combined with actual practice, ultimately provide students with rare insight into this timeless and elegant tradition.

Applies to the following certificate programs (18 contact hours): CB-E, DS-E, NS-E

Christine Enos

Designing and building a chair is one of the more challenging tasks a furniture designer can pursue, but the simple beauty of the finished product is its own reward. This course engages students in each step of the process of designing and constructing a handcrafted chair. As the class moves deliberately from drawings and models to the completed piece, students gain an intuitive understanding of basic ergonomics, material selection and chair joinery as they form, shape and finish their pieces. While participants begin working with the occasional chair as their basic form, they are encouraged to challenge themselves and bring their own style and design aesthetic to their projects. Note: The course is intended for those with some experience in furniture design, particularly a basic knowledge of woodworking.
Prerequisite: Woodworking I or equivalent experience