Courses & Workshops

Learn professional methods for drawing and hand-coloring comic books. Develop characters and give them a story to tell while learning penciling, inking, and coloring processes to create your own comic books!

Experiment with what photography can do to create your ideal version of Chicago! Work with an SLR camera and learn a variety of darkroom and digital photo processes to create a series of photo collages that envision an alternate universe of our city.

Learn hand building and wheel throwing techniques to create your own ceramic sculptures and pottery. Work with a variety of construction methods, surface design, and glazing techniques to create fantastic clay forms inspired from your own imagination.

Design your personal brand! Learn graphic design techniques, and design your own personal logo, resume, college or artist statement, portfolio documentation, and more. Take yourself to the next level!

Learn to digitally paint like a pro! Use iPads and the Procreate app to create clean sketches, bold paintings, and beautiful illustrations. Explore all the features Procreate has to offer to make instagram worthy artwork.

Learn to use analog black and white photography to influence change in your community. Create portraits of your family and fellow students to communicate stories about your lives and experiences while learning the ins and outs of the darkroom.

Learn about the history of tattoos and how to design your own using Adobe Illustrator. Explore how artists use their bodies as canvases, and create your own temporary tattoos for your body.

Learn the basics of 2D design. Use paper and found images to create analog collages by hand, then learn to make digital composites in Photoshop. Explore how to use line, shape, color, and more to make bold compositions that reflect your personal identity.

Build a fantasy world of your own creation and bring your imagination to life. Design your own adventurer; make a world for them to explore; and learn drawing, printmaking, and painting techniques along the way!

Take inspiration from Hollywood films, both old and new, to create your own photographic mystery narrative. Learn to use a 35mm SLR camera, studio lights, and props to create dramatic images on location, then develop them in the darkroom.

Learn a variety of fiber processes that will allow you to “draw” on fabric. Experiment with different approaches such as shibori dyeing, block printing, and embroidery to discover new ways to create pattern and design and bring your drawings to cloth!

Make your character drawings and designs come off the paper and into your hands! Learn to use 3D computer modeling programs to give your drawings and sketches dimension, then print them using 3D printers.

Learn drawing, construction, and assemblage techniques to create original hanging sculptures with found and recycled materials. Explore themes of social change and personal growth while learning new artmaking processes.

Create papier-mâché masks using your face as a form. Build on the mask to make designs inspired by your culture and the urban environment. Then decorate the masks using paint to express your personal identity.

Make larger-than-life versions of your favorite everyday objects, like a gummy bear as big as your head or a giant pencil that you have to hug in order to draw with! Learn how to use paper-maché, plaster, and paint to create realistic 3D sculptures.

Create beautiful portraits of your friends and family while learning the ins and outs of digital photography. Learn to use DSLR cameras and manipulate light to compose compelling images.

Learn the basics of working with clay to create your own ceramic creatures. Working with a variety of handbuilding and wheel throwing techniques, replicate your favorite animal or creature or invent a new one using your imagination.

Create one-of-a-kind clothing using a combination of draping, altering, and hand- and machine-sewing skills! Use paper, pre-existing garments, fabric yardage, found objects, and more to explore fit and fashion to make your own wearable garments.

Ready to advance your comics skills? Gain a deeper understanding of storyboarding, narrative, and comic drawing and digital techniques to create your own comics or graphic novels. Prerequisite: Must have taken 2 drawing courses at Marwen.