Painting and Drawing

Overview

Painting and drawing programs teach people to express ideas and feelings using paint and drawing tools.

This program includes topics such as:

Color and color mixing
Canvas preparation
Composition
Watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting
Hand eye coordination
Drawing techniques including line, value, shape, and perspective
Figure and still life drawing
Drawing mediums including pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, pastel, and brush
Art history

Concentrations

After these foundation courses, typically students focus on a specific medium, including:

Oil painting
Pen and ink drawing
Watercolor

Portfolio

Students begin to develop their professional portfolio during college. This includes samples of work from team projects and independent projects. Projects completed during their senior year and internship are important to their portfolio.

Schools

A few community colleges and independent arts schools offer associate degree programs in painting and drawing. An associate degree program usually takes two years to complete.

Many independent art schools, colleges, and universities offer Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in painting and drawing. A BFA usually takes about four to five years of full-time study.

Many universities offer Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in painting and drawing. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

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Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Many programs require you to submit separate application materials in addition to your general college application. Usually you have to complete preliminary art courses, write a personal statement, and submit a portfolio of your work.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Anatomy and Physiology
Art
Art Appreciation
Art History
Art Portfolio
Computer Graphics
Computer-assisted Art
Drawing and Painting
Printmaking and Graphics
Visual Art, Independent Study

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
Undergraduate degree or significant course work in painting or drawing
Letters of recommendation
Portfolio or exhibit review
Personal interview

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Anatomy and Physiology
Art History
Color Theory
Drawing
Frames and Framing
Kinesiology and Body Mechanics
Life Drawing
Oils and Acrylics
Painting
Pastels
Photography
Sketching
Studio
Visual Theory
Watercolors

Graduate Program Courses

Graduate programs in painting and drawing typically require:

Required courses
Thesis and portfolio of finished work (master's degree)
Preliminary exam (doctoral degree)
Dissertation (doctoral degree)

Things to Know

Students who major in painting and drawing are responsible for purchasing some of their own tools and supplies. These include brushes, pens, pencils, canvases, and specialty papers.

Many programs offer personal studio space to BFA art students.

In some programs, painting and drawing are offered as separate specializations.