We have resumed some in-person classes. Check the schedule below for details. If you would like to get automatic updates about upcoming classes and events, subscribe to our website.
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Art Classes and Workshops Held via Zoom or
In-person
June through December
2024
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Click on this link to register:
https://peabody.yale.edu/education/adult-programs/nsi
Please register at least 10 days in advance.
Courses will meet on-line or in-person as noted in the course description. In-person courses will meet at the Museum in New Haven. Some courses have prerequisites or require permission of the instructor to participate. All 200 level courses require the successful completion of Drawing I (Course # 101) as a prerequisite.
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NSI105A: One Day Workshop: Field Sketching & Nature Journaling at the Marsh Botanical Gardens
Saturday, June 8, 10am to 1pm
Take this one-day workshop to add a session to Course 105 or on its own as a 3 hour opportunity to practice your observational drawing as you explore the greenhouses and gardens at the Marsh Botanical Gardens at Yale in New Haven. The focus will be on drawing practice with time for group critiques. This course meets in person.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
1 Session; 3 hours total
$60.00
NSI101X: Drawing I
Session A: Mondays, September 9 to October 28, 5 to 8pm
Session B: Saturdays, November 9 to January 11, 10am to 1pm (no class on 12/28)
Drawing I is the foundation course for all Natural Science Illustration courses taught at the Peabody Museum. Learn the necessary techniques to render light on form, value, texture, perspective, proportion, and composition. Students should expect to spend time outside of class working on weekly assignments and a final project. Drawing I is a prerequisite for many 200 level courses. Both sessions meet on-line.
Instructors:
Betsy Barry (Session A) (betsybarrydesigns@gmail.com)
Jan Prentice (Session B) (prenticestudio@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI103X: Field Sketching and Nature Journaling
Tuesdays, October 29 to November 19, 10am-12 noon
Learn the basics of observational drawing starting with simple objects so that you can sketch what you find outdoors as well as indoors. Students will be encouraged to carry their sketchbooks and journals wherever they go; and there will be a balance between presentations by the instructor with actual practice, followed by group critiques. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
6 Sessions; 12 hours total
$240.00
NSI105: Field Sketching & Nature Journaling at the Marsh Botanical Gardens
Session A: Thursdays, July 11 to August 15, 10am to 12 noon
Session B: Thursdays, September 12 to October 17, 10am to Noon
Practice your observational drawing in the green houses and outdoor gardens at the Marsh Botanical Gardens at Yale in New Haven. The focus will be on drawing practice with time for group critiques. This course meets in person.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
6 Sessions; 12 hours total
$240.00
NSI109X: Shells and Corals in Gouache
Mondays, July 8 to August 12, 7 to 9pm
Using the growth patterns of these undersea creatures to guide us, we'll create watercolor illustrations based on these oceanic wonders. We'll use gouache as our medium, perfect for capturing the subtle patterns of shells. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Rachel Rasfeld (rachelrasfeld@gmail.com)
6 Sessions; 12 hours total
$240.00
NSI114X: Mushrooms in Pencil & Watercolor
Sundays, September 15 to October 20, 7 to 9pm
The autumn season provides a bounty of mushrooms. Taking cues from the field journal illustrations of naturalists such as Japan's Minakata Kumagusu, we'll make our own collection of pencil and watercolor illustrations. The course meets on-line.
Instructor: Rachel Rasfeld (rachelrasfeld@gmail.com)
6 Sessions; 12 hours total
$240.00
NSI128X: Watercolor Workshop for Beginners
Tuesdays, October 1 to October 22, 10am to 12 noon
Explore the world of watercolor! The traditional approach to transparent watercolor painting will be taught, with the focus on limited palettes, mixing, layering, and glazing to create luminous, beautiful colors in this special medium. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
4 Sessions; 8 hours total
$160.00
NSI148: Insects in Colored Pencil
Wednesdays, October 16 to November 13, 2 to 5pm
Explore the intricate and diverse beauty of insects. Learn basic insect anatomy and colored pencil techniques to create detailed drawings of three insect orders: Coleoptera (beetles), Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). This class meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Kim Burris (kimburr@comcast.net)
5 Sessions; 15 hours total
$300.00
NSI151: Painting Feathers: One Day Workshop
Friday, September 20, 10am to 4pm
Students will be introduced to the beauty and complexity of feathers using the Peabody Museum's teaching collection. We will observe and study feather structure and render specimens in color using colored pencil and watercolor. Certificate students will present a final project. This class meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Dorie Petrochko (doripbird1@gmail.com)
1 Session; 6 hours total
$120.00
NSI157: Drawing from the Peabody Dioramas
Thursdays, October 24 to November 14, 2 to 4pm
Re-discover the Peabody’s amazing dioramas which portray Connecticut ecosystems and North American biomes. Learn the history of the dioramas and the artists who created them. Enjoy the opportunity to sketch from these iconic scenes where the animals stay still while you draw! This course meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
4 Sessions; 8 hours total
$160.00
NSI168: Nests in Pen and Ink
Saturdays, November 2 to November 23, 9am to 12 noon
The shadows and intricacies of bird nests lend themselves beautifully to the medium of pen and ink. This workshop will explore the process of drawing a nest from life in detail using a fine liner pen and applying the principles of natural science illustration. This course meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Jeanette Compton (jeanettecomptonart@gmail.com)
4 Sessions; 13 hours total
$260.00
NSI172X: Children’s Books: Science and Art
Tuesdays, July 9 to July 30, 10am to 12 noon
We will explore some of the wonderful new books out there and have the opportunity to have a dialogue with some authors and illustrators. We will also learn about the process of creating children’s books by journaling and creating storyboards for our own books! This course meets online.
Instructor: Linda Miller (lindaamiller@snet.net)
4 Sessions; 8 hours total
$160.00
NSI174X: Art of Natural History
Wednesdays, September 4 to October 23, 4 to 7 pm
This course combines art history with hands-on illustration projects. We'll examine the fascinating stories behind centuries of collecting and documenting the natural world, from Ancient Greece to the Enlightenment, with a special focus on arts and sciences of the Renaissance. Using some of the most beautiful and bizarre examples from the last centuries as inspiration, students will develop skills in color rendering through a series of demonstrations in mixed media. This course meets on-line.
Prerequisite: Drawing I or permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Kate Samworth (samworthkate@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI176: Invertebrate Fossils in Pen & Ink
Saturdays, July 6 to July 27, 9am to Noon
Using specimens from the Peabody collections, students will depict invertebrate fossils such as trilobites, ammonites and brachiopods in ink using fineliner pens on watercolor paper. Students will use natural science illustration techniques of line and stipple to render an object of their choice. This course meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Jeanette Compton (jeanettecomptonart@gmail.com)
4 Sessions; 13 hours total
$260.00
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NSI201X: Drawing II – Light on Form
Thursdays, September 5 to October 24, 5 to 8 pm
Developing a sensitivity and proficiency in toning with graphite and mechanical pencils is an important skill in natural science illustration. Building on Drawing 1 skills, emphasis will be on creating accurate observations and traditional renderings of botanical and natural science subjects with correct lighting, value, proportion, and scale. Special attention will be given to creating seamless transitions of graphite in toning objects. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Betsy Barry (betsybarrydesigns@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI204: Drawing and Painting Birds in Watercolor
Tuesdays, October 1 to November 5, 2-5pm
This in person course will introduce students to the fascinating world of drawing and painting birds. Learn avian anatomy and how to observe the structure, behavior and coloration of various bird species by sketching birds from live video-cams and specimens.
Prerequisite: Drawing I and experience in watercolor
Instructor: Dorie Petrochko doripbird1@gmail.com
6 Sessions, 18 hours total
$360.00
NSI205: Pen & Ink
Mondays, October 28 to December 16, 5-8pm (on-line)
Saturdays, September 7 to October 26, 9am to 12 noon (in person)
The beauty and clarity of natural science drawings in ink have been admired for centuries. Students will master the techniques of traditional scientific illustration using both crow quill and technical pens to depict the natural world in stipple and line. There are two sessions of this course: one meets on-line, the other in person.
Prerequisite: NSI201X: Drawing II
Instructors:
Kate Samworth (samworthkate@gmail.com) On-line
Jeanette Compton (jeanettecomptonart@gmail.com) In person
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI208X: Ferns and Mosses in Pen & Ink
Friday, July 12, 9am to 2pm
This will be a five-hour deep dive into pen & ink using #102 and #104 nib pens and micron pens. Students will collect interesting fern fronds and moss specimens for class, or opt for provided images. We will start out with black and white, exploring pen technique. Afterwards, working in color will be an option. We will aim to complete one piece by the end of class. This course is offered on-line.
Prerequisites: Drawing I
Instructor: Nina Petrochko (nina.petrochko@gmail.com)
1 Session; 5 hours total
$100.00
NSI241X: Colored Pencil I
Saturdays, September 7 to October 26, 10am to 1pm
Begin your exploration of color with this approachable medium. In the first few classes, students learn and practice key color concepts: primary and secondary color, local color, color temperature, hue, chroma and value. With this background, students will then learn techniques needed to create beautiful, detailed drawings on a variety of drawing surfaces. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Jan Prentice (prenticestudio@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI244X: Watercolor I
Fridays, October 4 to November 22, 10am to 1pm
Learn the basic techniques of watercolor painting including color theory, color mixing, washes, layering, dry versus wet, and achieving fine detail necessary for natural science objects. Students will learn how to plan a painting and develop it carefully in order to capture the beauty of the medium. This course meets in person at the Yale Peabody Museum.
Instructor: Dorie Petrochko (doripbird1@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI246X: Summer Leaves in Watercolor
Friday, July 26, 9am to 2pm
Take a deep dive into leaves turning in space, in watercolor. Students will provide a summer leaf or two they find interesting. We will work on making the leaves look pillowed using wet on wet techniques, and the option to experiment with maskoid. This course is offered on-line.
Prerequisites: Drawing I, Watercolor I
Instructor: Nina Petrochko (nina.petrochko@gmail.com)
1 Session; 5 hours total
$100.00
NSI 268X: Digital Techniques: Adobe Illustrator
Thursdays, October 3 to November 21, 1 to 4pm
Learn to create a vector-based illustration using shapes, curves, gradients, layers, masks, and more using Adobe Illustrator. The “foreign language” of Illustrator terms will be decoded, and students will learn to find and use tools to create a labeled illustration for publication and education. Many Adobe Illustrator tutorials are for graphic designers; this course is specifically tailored for illustrators to work in Illustrator. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Ikumi Kayama (ikumikayama@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI 282X: Nature Explorations in Colored Pencil
Tuesdays, November 12 to December 17, 5 to 7pm
Explore found nature objects and draw a new subject each week using graphite, pen and colored pencil. Working from life, explore different techniques to portray a variety of subjects in nature such as feathers, shells, driftwood and sticks. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Betsy Barry (betsybarrydesigns@gmail.com)
6 Sessions; 12 hours total
$240.00
NSI 294X: Marketing for Illustrators
Sundays, September 29 to November 17, 1 to 4 pm
Few artists and illustrators enjoy the business side of art and marketing. Fear comes from the unknown and the unfamiliar; let’s brush aside those barriers to take the first steps to start and maintain a successful art business. This course will guide students to break down the overwhelming business marketing principles, terminology, and approaches into something more manageable, fun, and exciting. This course meets on-line.
Instructor: Ikumi Kayama (ikumikayama@gmail.com)
8 Sessions; 24 hours total
$480.00
NSI 299X: Portfolio Development
This final course in the Certificate Program is for a student who has successfully completed all other required and elective courses. Sessions will focus on concept development, interim progress and achieving final portfolio goals. Session dates and times will be determined by the student and instructor.
Instructor: TBD (peabody.education@yale.edu)
3 Sessions; 3 hours total
$300.00
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