Find the perfect session to advance your fine art training with our proven, step-by-step system. Academy of Realist Art's fine art workshops include drawing, painting, figure, portraiture, and landscape, as well as special art travel and tours. Scroll down to see the current workshops.Group sizes are kept quite small, so each participant gets lots of one-on-one attention from our superb instructors. ARA instructors teach year-round so, unlike many artists who offer summer/holiday workshops, our teachers are professional teachers as well as successful, award-winning artists.Workshop Hours & Schedules:Most workshops are scheduled five days per week, Monday to Friday. The hours are usually 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but will occasionally go to 5:00 p.m. If you are coming from out of town and need local accommodations, we have a list of inexpensive places to stay near the Studios.Workshop Fees (in Canadian dollars):One-Week Workshops: $600, 7 Day Workshops: $750, Two-Week Workshops: $975, with the early-registration discount. Full price for late bookings is $1,050, so please register as soon as you can confirm your plans.To enrol or get more info: click a link under your selected workshop to pay an immediate deposit (the best way to ensure you get a place!) or just get more information. Please note: registrations are not guaranteed until a deposit has been paid.

Workshop T11-02
March 28 - April 1, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: Juan Martinez

This new one-week workshop is designed for artists who want to learn the alla prima technique working from live models. Alla prima - which means "at once” - is a painting style that is done in a quickly-executed wet-into-wet fashion for faster results. Artists of all skill levels will have an opportunity to develop a good "vocabulary" for sketching from life, as well as delve into paint and brush handling for achieving a representational, realistic portrait in a more immediate way. Painters already using alla prima methods in other genres such as landscape, will also benefit from this workshop.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)
Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-06
July 4-15, 2011
Location: Toronto
Instructor: Fernando Freitas

Working directly from the nude figure, this two-week direct painting workshop teaches students the basics of gesture and proportion using a dry-brush application of oil paint. Time is also spent on basic drawing techniques, and the properties of oil paint and their mediums. Starting with execution of light and dark patterns, students then move on to working with a limited palette to apply the dominant colour notes, followed by big form modeling, small form modeling and final detailing. This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-09
August 20-26, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: Juan Martinez

This intensive, 7 day still life workshop explores the use of light, colour, and texture in a style similar to the Dutch and Flemish masters. As students learn to paint a beautiful still life using classic methods, they are introduced to valuable Old Master concepts such as massing of tonal values, chiaroscuro, "selective focus”, and layering to achieve a luminous picture.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-10
September 12-16, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructors: Juan Martinez

This five-day workshop explores the fundamental principles needed to execute a comprehensive landscape painting. Working Plein Air, students will create a number of small painted works, analyzing principles such as structure, colour, light, and movement. This workshop is recommended for individuals with at least some background in oil painting.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-12
October 15-21, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: Juan Martinez

Working with a live model, this 7 day workshop takes students step-by-step through a classic, wet-on-dry layering method to achieve a realistic portrait. Topics covered include composition, colour harmony, photography, studies, proportion, sketches, palettes and more. Much of what can be learned at this workshop can be applied to all areas of painting. A second Classical Portrait workshop will be offered in the winter. However, space is limited so reserve a place early. This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-13
November 7-11, 2011 
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: TBA

This very popular workshop explores the direct painting techniques of this 19th century painter.  While copying a chosen portrait, students will learn a systematic approach to painting in Sargent’s manner. During the course of the workshop, students learn brush techniques, paint application, and flesh tone palettes made simple while developing a strong "vocabulary" for sketching from life. The class is ideal for beginners or experienced alla prima artists who work in other genres and wish to pursue portrait painting in a direct manner. This workshop fills up quickly, so be sure to reserve a space early.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)
Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-14
November 21-December 2, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: Fernando Freitas

Academy Director and Senior Instructor Fernando Freitas takes students through the stages of academic oil painting in this two-week workshop. Working from a copy of an Old Master painting, participants will learn the specific step-by-step process to achieve an exact replica. This exercise helps them gain a clear understanding of the principles of oil painting, the best techniques, and which materials to use when.  This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience.

Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops

Workshop T11-15
December 5-9, 2011
Location:  Toronto
Instructor: Juan Martinez

This new one-week workshop is designed for artists who want to learn the alla prima technique working from live models. Alla prima - which means "at once” - is a painting style that is done in a quickly-executed wet-into-wet fashion for faster results. Artists of all skill levels will have an opportunity to develop a good "vocabulary" for sketching from life, as well as delve into paint and brush handling for achieving a representational, realistic portrait in a more immediate way. Painters already using alla prima methods in other genres such as landscape, will also benefit from this workshop

.Save Your Seat now for this art workshop (pay $200 deposit)

Not ready to register yet? Just find out more about our fine art workshops