1-Year Accredited Drawing Certificate (Distance Learning).

Earn an Online Drawing Certificate with LAAFA!

We are thrilled to introduce our fully Online Drawing Certificate program! Inspired by the esteemed academic traditions of France, Italy, and Russia, this program offers a distinctive and rewarding learning journey. This is not just a regular program, but a unique blend of time-proven techniques and modern teaching methods.

The beauty of our Online Drawing program lies in its distance learning format, providing you with the utmost flexibility. Whether you are balancing work, family, or other commitments, you can always find time to master your drawing skills. Our dedicated faculty are there to guide you every step of the way, helping you hone robust technical abilities in drawing. The Online Drawing program is designed specifically for committed learners like you, who are enthusiastic about enhancing their drawing skills.

Interest Form Curriculum Portfolio Tuition

1-Year Online Drawing Certificate (Non-Degree)

Our Online Drawing Certificate curriculum is well-structured and comprehensive, ensuring you make significant strides in your creative journey. By the end of the program, you will see a marked improvement in your skills and a deeper understanding of the art of drawing.

The required credits are comprised of the following:
Studio Core Classes – 49
Art History – 3

YEAR 1 QUARTER 1 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DW1010 Drawing 1

3.00 credits

This course is an introduction to realistic form drawing. Students will be introduced to composing images using various hierarchies such as the hierarchy of focus or hierarchy of accents and highlights, an introduction to tonal drawing and the emphasis of light and shadow as the driving force behind how we see form and space. The class will start with rendering the standard primitives, the cube, cone, sphere, and cylinder. We will then move on to complex organic forms such as the features of the face, that use the edge emphasis we learned while studying the basic forms. We will finish out the course studying the complex plane structure of the human head, emphasizing the subtle transitions that sit between the major planar surfaces.

DW2010 Figure Construction 1

3.00 credits

Gesture drawing is the emphasis of this quarter, using the gesture as a foundation for proportion, posture, balance, and weight distribution. We will break the figure down into simple geometric shapes and volumes that will lead to more complex geometry in later quarters.  Through repetition of many quick studies, the student will learn to understand the idea of rhythm, flow, fluidity, and the basic proportions of forms of the human figure.  Students will also learn to see gesture drawing as a planning stage for more elaborate drawings made later in the curriculum.

DS1080 Perspective 1

2.00 credits

In an introductory drawing course with an emphasis on linear perspective, students will learn how to draw three-dimensional objects in one, two, and three-point perspective, gaining a thorough understanding of the principles, theories, and applications of perspective techniques.

Use of geometric techniques for division and duplication of shapes in scale. Introduction to camera angles for setting views and creating basic layouts for scenes with properly scaled elements such as buildings with figures properly sized.

SC1310 Anatomy 1

2.00 credits

Students will analyze the important muscles needed to create convincing figures and will also learn about the surface anatomy, such as the fat distribution and the fasciae that surrounds every inch of the living form. Students will better understand the living form of the model and create more easily from the imagination, but most importantly to have the confidence to edit the living model and therefore interpret more poetically what he/she sees and make the drawing or painting more personal.

DS3010 Composition 1

2.00 credits

Composition 1 will teach the student the difference between drawing what they see and organizing the elements of design within a picture plane. Principles of contrast, balance and imbalance, tension and release, harmony, placement, and division of the frame for aesthetics, dynamism, reading order, and innate psychological effects of design are the main emphases. Students will be introduced to the primary and secondary elements of design and begin to understand how to use them to fluently move their audience’s gaze around a piece and orchestrate meaning.

LAB010 Drawing Lab: Quick Sketch

1.00 credit

In this class students will concentrate on the fundamentals of quick sketch drawing. In the beginning students will learn how to capture movement of the pose with linear drawing, concentrating on proportions of major masses. Later, tone will be introduced to accentuate volume and separation of light from shadow. Students will work from life, videos, digital references, art history examples and modern academic drawings.

YEAR 1 QUARTER 2 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DW1020 Drawing 2

3.00 credits

This course will provide continued examination of Light Logic Theory and the process/technique of rendering form. More complex ideas about composition, relationship of focal points, rendering three-dimensional form will be discussed. Using challenging subject matter such as a human skull, a variety of classical casts, and a live model, students will learn to measure using comparative and observational techniques and will begin to hone their ability to master composition using visual tools such as value hierarchy depicting light and shadow, control of edges, and application of the materials through textures. Lectures will focus on the structure of the features as derived from classical Greco/Roman aesthetics, and how to utilize their structures in decoding/understanding more naturalized forms as observed on the life model using the Classic Academic block-in technique.
.

DW2020 Figure Construction 2

3.00 credits

Figure Construction 2 will solidify students’ understanding of the geometric conception of the human figure. Students will understand the human form as a series of interlocking cylinders, cones, spheres, cubes, rectilinear solids, ovoid masses, as well as complex, hybrid geometric volumes. This course will also introduce the student to anatomical construction of muscle and bone groups, including discussions of Bony Landmarks. There will also be strong emphasis on the usage of an established proportion system, selected by the instructor, to be utilized throughout the term. Emphasis of this course will fall on natural linear drawing of the form as opposed to tonal development of the form. Line quality/variation will also play an integral role in this course, as well as the continued use of Gesture drawing as a building block form the previous course, Figure Construction 1.

SC1320 Anatomy 2

2.00 credits

Anatomy/Écorché is the second of two classes that are intended to give students a thorough understanding of the superficial anatomy of the human form. Students will sculpt both the bones and muscles of the entire figure. Through a series of rigorous weekly lectures, the student will be able to understand the movements, proportions, and form of individual muscles and bones as well as the human figure in its entirety. The knowledge gained in this class will be applicable to any media or style.

DS3020 Composition 2

2.00 credits

Composition 2 will teach the students how to key values and use alternative points of view to create emotive states and conceptual settings within a piece. This class will also teach the student the various degrees of the illusion of depth and how they contribute to mood and meaning.

DW4010 Short Pose Analytical Life Drawing

2.00 credits

This course will develop the student’s ability to create convincing, volumetric drawings of the figure within a small-time frame. By analyzing the construction and mechanics of the body, students will gain a solid grounding that will allow them to begin drawing figures from imagination. Students will also be encouraged to develop their own unique style of drawing, an invaluable trait in the Entertainment Art field. Individual critiques will address strengths and weaknesses of drawing technique.

LAB020 Drawing Lab: Gesture Drawing

1.00 credit

Gesture Drawing – This class will focus on the accuracy of capturing gestures of figurative poses. Students will focus on movement and proportions of the pose using line and tone. Later in the class concepts of anatomical hierarchy will be introduced using tone and masses of light and shadow. Students will work from life, videos, digital references, art history examples and modern academic drawings.

YEAR 1 QUARTER 3 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DW1030 Drawing 3

3.00 credits

This course will require the completion of a mid-sized/large rendering of the full human figure demonstrating an advanced understanding of form and light. Emphasis will be on moving from the planning stages of the drawing, through studies of the pose, and into the final execution of a finished piece. Final presentation must demonstrate fine craftsmanship in the drawing practice and may also include matting and framing. The emphasis of this course is on the rendering of the human form itself, and not of background elements or the figure as a spatial element, which will occur in Drawing 4.

DW2030 Figure Construction 3

3.00 credits

Figure Construction 3 will solidify understanding of anatomical construction and will synthesize students’ experience of drawing the figure with additional studies in anatomy. Students will learn the construction of all bone and muscle groups and how these relate to one other and the human form in its entirety. This course is intended as a continued study in anatomy and provides the opportunity to apply and deepen knowledge of the Musculoskeletal System through a series of lectures.  Students will also have an opportunity to draw the figure with an emphasis on anatomical drawing, form, and construction.

DS3030 Composition 3

2.00 credits

The focus of this quarter is color, shifting from the value study to the color/value study. Students will learn ways to harmonize color and control saturation, utilize it to influence the hierarchy of focal points, affect the sense of depth, and begin to employ color to affect mood and meaning. The students will also be introduced to chroma shifting, limited color schemes, and color formulas that are more specifically directed towards the mood and emotional content of the piece. We will end the semester learning to assemble complex images from multiple sources and reference points.

DS2080 Perspective 2

2.00 credits

This course will expand on the Perspective 1 class with more advanced techniques for detailing architecture in views. Students will learn perspective techniques for sketching as well as accurate drawing. More focus on the Thumbnail, Rough Layout and Finished layout. In depth layout techniques to set camera angles and create good composition.  Emphasis on placing figures in scale accurately within close-up views, as well as overall views. Approaches for problem-solving, lighting, shadows, and landscape drawing. View types studied to include eyelevel, ground shots, up shots, and down shots.

LAB030 Drawing Lab: Short Pose

1.00 credit

This class will focus on short pose drawing. Students will be introduced to the concepts of line weight and edge used to prioritize anatomical forms, create volume and sense of depth. Later in the class, students will focus on graphic separation of light and shadow to capture action or drama in the figurative pose. Students will work from life, videos, digital references, art history examples and modern academic drawings.

YEAR 1 QUARTER 4 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

DW1040 Drawing 4

4.00 credits

Using the knowledge learned from all previous drawing courses as well studies in perspective, composition, figure construction, and anatomy, students will learn how to convincingly place a figure within a spatial environment and will be expected to complete an ambitious drawing of such. Emphasis of this course is on drawing with respect to the composition. Figure drawing is a great way to explore composition in variety of ways, relationships of different interest points, variety in treatment light vs shadow, form vs background. This course will also cover theory of Atmospheric Perspective, which will stress changes in value, edge quality, contrast, line quality, detail, and texture to achieve the illusion of space.

DW2040 Figure Construction 4

3.00 credits

Will synthesize the act of drawing the figure with the study of anatomy. Students will learn how to utilize knowledge gained from previous figure construction and anatomy classes to demonstrate understanding of the human figure in 3 stages: 

The structure of the skeleton; students will draw the bones of the model in a natural pose with accuracy and precision. 
The muscular system: students will carefully draw the muscular system, while remaining faithful to the depiction of the model’s pose. 
The Form: students will create a finished drawing of the figure that portrays how light reveals the deeper layers of form.

Anatomical and proportional accuracy will take priority over observation. 

DS3040 Composition 4

2.00 credits

In Composition 4, the students must complete the picture-making process with original compositions and subject matter.  The challenge will be to produce images with multiple figures interacting, solving the pictorial problems of character hierarchy, action, repose, rhetoric, and decoration/design (interior/exterior). The students will be given two generic themes to help them explore the message of the composition in their own creative way. The students will use the skills they have learned from the previous quarters to develop production worthy imagery that has a clear focus and intent through shape, color, spatial, figurative design, and sound visual story telling using the proper steps to create a well-informed collection of reference points to use for the finished works.

DW4020 Head, Hands, Costume Drawing

2.00 credits

The aim of this class is to facilitate a student’s ability to accurately sketch heads, hands, and drapery without the use of direct observation. Rather than focusing on the rendering of form, this class will give students a thorough understanding of construction, proportions, and anatomy of the human head and hands, as well as fold characteristics of certain fabrics.

AH1900 Art History Survey

3.00 credits

This art history survey will cover much of the history of western art, focusing on the major art historical movements from Ancient Greece to the present. It is being presented chronologically in a 10-week session. Each class consists of a three-hour class meeting of lecture and discussion. Course work will include readings, a test, a five-page paper, and additional assignments. The goal is to understand works of art in their historical and cultural contexts, to compare styles and to recognize and understand them and their development.

LAB040 Drawing Lab: Long Pose

1.00 credit

Long Pose – This class will focus on long pose drawing. Students will work with tone and full value range to capture fully rendered drawings. There will be a lot more emphasis on revealing anatomy and volume. Concepts of composition, light logic, values, and edges will be mastered in this class. Students will work from life, videos, digital references, art history examples and modern academic drawings.

YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO FINISHED AND READY TO UPLOAD PRIOR TO FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION.

IMPORTANT: You must name your images in this format Last Name_First Name_ Number 1 through 8.

1. One required finished drawing of a glass and egg (actual scale) that attempts to show technical abilities of shadow, light, tone within any type of composition.
2. Several short observational sketches FROM LIFE or MASTER COPY. A short sketch should take about 5-15 minutes, conveying gesture and form. A single page may have multiple images.
3. One longer more studied piece FROM LIFE OR MASTER COPY either taken to a finish or demonstrating an attempt at finish. Finished means an image that you would consider a complete, toned and shaded study of the subject.
4. One sketchbook page that shows multiple images of your best work.
5. One Master Copy piece.
6. One Cast Drawing Piece.
7. One Self-Portrait.
8. One piece that you are most proud of.

In building your portfolio, embody realism and personal relevance in your choices. Prioritize selectivity, kicking off and ending with your strongest pieces, while showcasing your passion and commitment. Align your work with your professional aspirations, be it traditional or animation. Include realistic representations of observed objects/scenes, using any drawing medium to display your skills, diversity, and willingness to learn. Composition matters, ensure your elements are well-planned and your overall image well-arranged. Demonstrate your ability to capture shape, proportion, tone, perspective, surface qualities, detail, space and form.

Tuition & Fees

Program Description	Quarterly Tuition Cost	Program Tuition Cost
1-Calendar Year Drawing Certificate (Distance Learning)	$3750.00	$15,000.00

Tuition rates are at the same cost to Domestic and International students.

Fees	Cost	Description & Notes
Application Fee	$25.00	One-time fee when applying to any program of instruction.
Registration Fee	$250.00	One-time deposit to be applied towards the 2nd quarter payment and is non-refundable. This deposit is required to secure your spot.
Administrative Fee	$100.00	Recurring, quarterly fee.
STRF Fee	$0.00	Recurring, quarterly fee. Non-refundable $0.00 per thousand dollars of tuition paid by student (not paid by a third-party/lender). See Page 97 for STRF explanation.
Late Payment Fee	$50.00	Two maximum fees per quarter for outstanding tuition balances.
Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) Check Fee	$35.00	If your check is returned for non-sufficient funds (NSF), you must pay this fee plus the original amount of the check in the form of a cashier’s check or money order before your next class meets again.
Supplies and Equipment Cost	$300.00-$1500.00	Costs vary by quarter and by program. Covers additional books, supplies and material needed for the program. Students are responsible for the purchase of all class material and supplies. Students will not be required to purchase any supplies directly from LAAFA.
Transcript Fee (The first 2 transcripts in any given calendar year are free.)	$5.00-$20.00	A $5 fee is charged for each additional copy. Transcripts will be processed within seven (7) to ten (10) working days. Rush transcripts are charged at an additional $5.00 fee per transcript. Rush transcripts are processed within 24 hours of the request. Transcripts sent to an address outside the U.S. and Canada is $15.00 each. Express service is available for an additional charge per address.

Total Program Cost

Program

Application Fee

(non-refundable)

Registration Fee

(non-refundable deposit)

Administrative Fee

(non-refundable)

STRF Fee (maximum, non-refundable)

Estimated Tuition Cost

(Effective Fall 2024)

Estimated Total Program Cost

1-Calendar Year Drawing Certificate (Distance Learning)

$25.00

(one-time fee)

$250.00

(one-time fee, applied to 2^nd quarter)

$400.00

$0.00

$14,600.00

(includes Registration Fee)

$15,025.00

(includes Application Fee)

Want to sharpen your skills before you apply? Check out our streaming art lessons on ArtSchoolVideos.com or have a look at our schedule of online and on-campus Extension Classes.

1-Year Accredited Drawing Certificate (Distance Learning).

Tuition & Fees

Total Program Cost

Information

Campus Address

Business Hours