Courses & Workshops

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.

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!

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 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!

Learn how to operate a DSLR camera like a pro. Gain a deeper understanding of camera controls, exposure, composition, and lighting to create photographs with purpose.

Share your knowledge and ideas to support Marwen’s community of students, families, and staff. Join SAB! You will receive a $20 stipend per meeting.

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.

Create your own fantasy landscapes and creatures like robots, spaceships, dragons, or unicorns with laser eyes! Learn drawing and illustration techniques to explore character development and fantasy design.

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.

Marwen Lab is a 2-term program that gives you the opportunity to work with an experienced teaching artist and your peers to develop your own art-making techniques and concepts. You will have access to all of Marwen's studios and art-making resources to help you complete projects for your portfolio. Your work will also be featured in a special exhibition! Marwen Lab is open to students who will be in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in the 2019-2020 school-year.

Explore oil painting in all its glory! Develop your painting skills and learn the basics of color theory to create bold, colorful canvases. Work with natural objects or the body, or paint an imagined landscape. Great for first-time painters!

Become a street artist! Work with stencils, stickers, and spray paint to create your own graffiti designs. Gain inspiration from murals, photography, printmaking, and graffiti to experiment with different types of street art.

Explore the many ways artists create ideas for artwork and develop your own artist practice. Experiment with pencils, pens, markers, and watercolors to explore personal stories, memory, and imagination to create abstract or realistic imagery.

Students will be hired and paid a $250 stipend to design and paint a large-scale mural for the Night Ministry, an organization supporting youth and adults experiencing homelessness. The project meets on Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm during Fall Term 2019 (October 5 - December 14). Open to current Marwen students in grades 9-12.