Art Classes in Fort Collins

This is an Academy-style art course that teaches the foundations of art with essential drawing skills and techniques. Learn the basics of drawing and “how to see” objects through structured classes with targeted drawing lessons. The class explores contour drawing, positive and negative shapes, and shading techniques. These lessons help develop a toolset for drawing and visually communicating with line and shape.

Drawing II is designed to advance your technical skills and deepen your expressive potential as an artist. This course is designed to refine your technical abilities while expanding your creative vision. We guide you through mastering volume via hatching, understanding spatial planes, rendering textures with finesse, and culminating in a masterpiece that speaks your unique voice. We recommend completing Drawing I prior to this course, but it is not required.

Drawing III is the final course in our Foundations in Art series design to introduce artists to advanced mediums and techniques for expression with drawing. Students refine their skills with graphite, ink, pastels, and colored pencils, tackling classical sculpture fragments, intricate still lifes, evocative landscapes, and narrative portraits. This course empowers you with the skill to create compelling artworks that resonate with your unique vision, preparing you for advanced artistic exploration or portfolio development.

Painting I is a foundational art course that teaches the foundations of art with essential painting skills and techniques. Learn the basics of painting and “how to control” the medium of oil paint with structured classes with targeted painting lessons. The class explores oil painting tools and mediums, monochromatic shading, use of complementary colors, basic abstraction, composition and final critiques. These lessons help develop a toolset for visually communicating through painting.

Painting II is an intermediate art course that deepening your mastery of oil painting through more sophisticated techniques and diverse creative explorations. Learn to refine your control of oil paint with structured classes featuring targeted lessons in classical landscape techniques, expressive portraiture, evocative narrative storytelling, and vibrant pop art compositions.

Get ready to turn found objects and even trash into treasure in this electrifying mosaic art class! You’ll craft a one-of-a-kind mosaic art using unexpected gems—think broken glass, quirky jewelry, rugged rocks, or chipped pottery—blended with a modern twist and rotating themes. Perfect for beginners or anyone who loves art that’s vivid, tactile, and bursting with personality, this hands-on adventure starts with a quick dive into mosaic history, from ancient wonders to today’s daring designs.

Enjoy the art of capturing the tranquil beauty of sunsets with watercolors in our Sunset Serenity class. Expand your creativity and ability in watercolor painting as we work from the beautiful hues of the waning sunsets. Create deep washes using the purple shades of twilight and the vibrant colors of dusk. Join us to master watercolor techniques that bring sunset skies to life and experience the serene magic of creating your own breathtaking sunsets.

Introduction to Figure Drawing is a six-week intensive course designed to equip artists with the essential skills for capturing the human form through observation and drawing. This class demystifies the complexities of the figure by starting with dynamic gesture drawing to capture motion and life, progressing through understanding proportions, anatomy, and culminating in detailed studies of hands, feet, and the human head. This course builds a robust foundation for Life Drawing.

Immerse yourself in the art of oil painting with our Master Course in Landscape Painting at 3 Square Art Center in Fort Collins. Over four transformative weeks, participants will work side-by-side with under the expert direction of professional artist Craig A. McKee creating a single, breathtaking landscape masterpiece on a professionally crafted panel. Each weekly session unveils essential oil painting techniques, from mastering harmonized color palettes to refining dynamic brushstrokes that capture the soul of nature’s beauty.

Step into the grand tradition of Baroque artistry with the Master Course in Classical Painting at 3 Square Art in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over four immersive classes, you’ll create a single, breathtaking oil painting under the guidance of our expert instructor, inspired by the dramatic genius of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Rubens. Using time-honored techniques like grisaille and glazing, this course is tailored for intermediate painters eager to harness chiaroscuro, luminous depth, and vibrant composition.

Flow into the vibrant, fluid world of watercolors at 3 Square Art in Fort Collins, Colorado in this 4-Class course designed for beginners and intermediate artists alike. Discover the magic of translucent hues, master essential techniques, and unleash your creativity as you transform blank pages into stunning works of art. From brushstrokes to color blending, this course offers a hands-on introduction to the timeless beauty of watercolor painting.

This figurative life drawing open session features a live, nude model posing for quick gestural and long-term poses and is open to the public (nude model session participants must be 18 years or older). The Figure Drawing Open Session is an excellent class to practice and hone your figurative drawing and painting skills.

This self-instructed portrait drawing/painting group session (no instructor) is excellent for those looking to brush up on their portrait and figurative drawing skills and to meet up with other artists in Fort Collins, Colorado. Artists of all skill levels and media are welcome to join our self-instructed group sessions! Walk-in’s are welcome but we recommend buying a full course, a pack of tickets, or a drop-in ticket to reserve your spot since space is limited.