CLASSES
WINTER/SPRING
2026
Beginning this January, we will begin having a variety of classes and workshops here at the Studio School taught by myself and several area art instructors.
We are particularly excited to announce that Ver Ikeseh, a third-year graduate student at JMU will be offering several classes here beginning this January. Ver is a dynamic contemporary artist and wonderful instructor, so stay tuned for that as these offerings will be posted soon.
As for myself, I will be spending the fall season continuing with painting the Unity in Diversity mural in downtown Harrisonburg. But as winter sets in, I am excited to be resuming my own painting practice here at the Studio, as well as offering some exciting new classes as we move into the new year. Stay tuned!
- David
Click the image to learn more about the Unity in Diversity mural.
BEGINNING DRAWING
FRIDAYS 1/16; 1/23; 1/30; 2/6; 2/13; 2/20 9am - 12 noon
Would you love to be able to draw but you don’t know where to begin? In this class, you will acquire the necessary skills to be able to draw anything with joy and confidence. This is a comprehensive beginning drawing class where we will cover all the fundamentals of drawing in the centuries-old realist tradition.
We will go over all the various drawing tools and materials available today - graphite pencils, charcoal, conté, various kinds of paper, etc. We will focus on identifying shapes and recording them accurately, recognizing value relationships, how to ‘key’ a drawing using a limited value range, hard vs. soft edges, transitional shading to achieve lifelike, 3 dimensional forms, and much more. We will also cover 2 and 3-point perspective.
While this is a class primarily for beginners, it is always a good practice for more experienced artists to occasionally revisit the fundamentals of drawing- so this class is quite valuable for artists at any level.
I will provide all the materials that you will use in this class and these are all included in the class fee. However, you are free to bring any of your own supplies to class if you wish.
CLASS INSTRUCTOR: David Draime
CLASS FEE: $285
BEGINNING OIL PAINTING
THURSDAYS 1/15; 1/22; 1/29; 2/5; 2/12; 2/19 2 - 5pm
Have you been wanting to paint in oils but feel a bit confused or intimidated by all the various approaches and theories - as well as the abundance of technical knowledge out there? Join David as he breaks the process down into manageable concepts, and shows you what a truly marvelous, versatile and endlessly forgiving medium this really is.
Every class session will begin with a demonstration by David of the various techniques and concepts that we will be exploring. Through various exercises, you will learn fundamental techniques such as color mixing, brushwork, blocking in, layering and blending, working ‘alla prima,’ concepts like color theory, composition, importance of values, atmospheric perspective, stages of a painting, and much more. In short, this class is designed to get you comfortable with using oil paint and to help you understand how to see and think like a painter.
A materials list will be sent out to each participant several weeks prior to the class beginning.
CLASS INSTRUCTOR: David Draime
CLASS FEE: $285
Arianne - Charcoal on toned paper by David Draime
DRAWING THE PORTRAIT
FRIDAYS - 1/16; 1/23; 1/30; 2/6; 2/13; 2/20 9am - 12 noon
Have you ever tried drawing a portrait and it just did not look like the person you wanted to portray? Or… it did not even look like a person? 😜 Or maybe sometimes you came close to a good likeness, but something was off and you did not know how to fix it? Well, this class is for you! Join David, an award-winning portrait artist with decades of experience, as he breaks down the essential elements and ‘best practices’ necessary to creating lifelike, beautiful portraits in pencil and charcoal.
In this class, we will explore various concepts and methods as they relate to head construction, feature placement and proportions, the importance of proper lighting (reflective light, core shadows) classifying values and value massing, and much more.
While this class is mainly for beginners, artists and students who are more advanced will also benefit from the important lessons, techniques and concepts we will explore.
I will provide all the materials that you will use in this class and these are all included in the class fee. However, you are free to bring any of your own supplies to class if you wish.
CLASS INSTRUCTOR: David Draime
CLASS FEE: $285