Frequently Asked Questions & Studio Policy
FAQs and Studio Policy
Please make sure to read our Terms and Conditions before purchasing our classes.
Classes
I can’t find class start dates. Can I start attending class at any time?
The classes run in 4 week patterns. Go to my Calendar Page to find specific dates. Ideally you enter at the beginning of each pattern, but anytime is fine too. Each 4 Week Pattern begins with the Zoom session. It works like a gym or yoga class and is ongoing.
Are the Month Subscriptions like punch card entries? Am I supposed to attend all the sessions I subscribed for consecutively?
The classes are designed to be taken consecutively (i.e. with no breaks in between). We don’t offer punch card type classes. This is to avoid running into under or over-booking issues, as there are limited spots.
Can I reserve a spot a few weeks/months from now?
I offer pre-enrollment for classes starting the next 4 week session. It is not possible to book spots further in the future than that.
Can I start painting from the start, or do I have to draw first?
This depends on your level and experience. Firstly I believe that painting and drawing are not separate. They intertwine and support one another. To make better paintings one needs to make better drawings. That’s why I want you to build upon strong foundations.
If you are a beginner, in my classes you must begin with drawing, as all good art education does.
For students who are advanced and already have down the basic principles, exceptions can certainly be made according to your goals that you have. We can talk more on this over email!
I can’t find my question I want to ask here on the FAQ, how do I ask?
No Problem! Send us an email to info@onlinefineartstudio.com and we will get back to you. We might even include it on our FAQ for others to find!
What are the Assignments/Projects like?
For beginner/Intermediate Students: You can choose a Primary subject, Figure, Cast & Still Life, or Master Study. You start with graphite. After you complete several graphite drawings, you can move more complex mediums. Which are charcoal, sepia and white chalk. After that you will start working in oil, in black and white. Then you will move to full color in oil.
Projects take as long as necessary to finish them. Students should NOT move onto the next piece until I have given a passing mark to the piece. This is to ensure the student is learning all they can from each piece. This could mean two weeks or two months or more of work. Depending on the complexity of the project and the amount of time and focus you can dedicate to it. Simply put, work at your own pace.
For Intermediate/Advanced Student’s: You can work on your own paintings, whatever you want, starting them and finishing them at your own time with no need for “passing” from me. For students in this category I will be focused more on the “Artist” part of it than the basic techniques, aiming to help push you to increase your level and professionalism.
How long do the Programs themselves take to complete?
This will depend a lot on the individual as the Programs are project based. This also changes depending on how much time a student can dedicated to their classes. A student who dedicates 30 minutes a week and a student who dedicates 3 or more hours a week, will go at different speed.
This will also vary on skill level and learning speed. Some learn very quickly while other more slowly taking time to absorb things. Both are totally fine and normal! Everyone is different.
So all in all it can take anywhere from 2-4 years roughly. My lessons are based on the Atelier training which is traditionally 3-5 years long. My classes are similar to guitar or piano lessons in that they are ongoing.
What Time is Sketch Along?
Saturdays at 10am Mountain Time. This is not live and the recording will be sent to you on Saturdays.
Experience Level
I have never drawn before. Is this too advanced for me?
Absolutely not!
Now is never too late to get started having art in your life! This is not to say that it will not be challenging and requires patience and calmness. But keep in mind that it is challenging no matter your level! It is extremely rewarding to be able to visually understand our universe and to be able to recreate it.
Think of my classes as if you were to sign up for guitar lessons on a weekly basis.
If it is your first drawing, prepare yourself to experience many mistakes! Luckily mistakes are completely necessary! We need them to learn. Working through our mistakes with a teacher is the best way to improve.
We also suggest looking into the Charles Bargue Drawing Course. You can find a free PDF online. It’s a good way to get an idea of what the lessons will be like. While I do not teach directly from the book, we do still use some of the images and the techniques.
Is the 4 Week Pattern a workshop?
No, it is a continuous and ongoing class with a 4 week renewing subscription, like a gym membership.
Do you have workshops or shorter classes? Can I just take one month of the classes and stop after that?
Currently I do not have workshops planned, but I have had many in the past and hope to have them again in the future. Make sure you subscribe to our mailing list!
I really don’t recommend just taking one month. It is not how the lessons are designed so you will not learn in the most efficient way. Also I spend most of the first month with students getting to know them and their work and how I can help. The true lessons begin once we have worked on establishing goals and designing the best project fit for the individual student.
I am a professional / experienced artist. What can you offer me?
I love working with all levels and I’d love to work with you!
We can focus on improving the skills you have as well as learning new ones. We can focus on specific mediums, on specific subjects, or even work together toward art business goals. If you are looking for an extra set of eyes to “double check” your artwork before it ships off to a client, I can happily help with that! If you are looking for a routine, or a connection to an artistic community my classes can offer that as well. I can help you with finding inspiration and new ideas as well.
I always cater my critiques based on my student’s individual needs. I do teach particular methods and techniques, but I can adjust to your particular style or method too.
Let me know what your goals are and what I can help you with!
Style of Classes
I like abstract art best, are your classes right for me?
I would have to say most likely not, it’s not what I do and you would benefit by going to someone who specialized in that.
What kind of style are your classes? And do you expect me to paint just like that too?
My classes are in a style that has many names, Realism, Traditional Classical Painting, Naturalistic, Classical Painting, and many more. Generally I call it Classical Realism. For some idea of what I cover look at the following organizations.
The Art Renewal Center, The Portrait Society, Arcadia Gallery, Era Contemporary, MEAM in Barcelona, and Mod Portrait.
I do not expect you to follow in this style 100%, but you will have a better time the more in line your style is in line with the above.
I like the portraits that are hyper realistic where you can see every pore, wrinkle, hair, and eyelash. Is this what you do?
It’s not really what I do or teach. That style is Photorealism. It is most often done via projector or tracing of photographs with a strong focus on details and perfect copying. While I do use photo references, I treat them as if they were live models we were viewing from life.
This means I am teaching how to see as you might from life rather than just from a photo.
My goal is not to copy a photograph as closely as possible, but instead is to show that something alive and real on the canvas just as though you were to see it in person.
How do I set up my home studio?
I will have tips for this coming soon. For basic supplies you need a dedicated space, an easel of some kind, a light/lamp, storage for art supplies, and access to a good printer.
Will I be working from life or photographs?
While for traditional academic training working from life with natural light is the norm, this is not accessible to everyone at all times.
Students will work from photos shot with controlled lighting, master studies, or from life in their own home studio. Make sure any printed references are high quality prints. They don’t need to be professional ( those can be pricey!) but they need to be good enough for you to be able to see really well. It is worth while to get a few various prints made with varying exposure. It can also be helpful to have some printed in color and others in black and while. Have some prints of the whole image and some of details. This will all help to understand and interpret the subject better.
You can also use a tablet, like Lenovo, for working from.
For print sizes you will need to refer to your assignment requirement discussed in class.
I will have tips on works from life in your home studio soon.
How Long is the Zoom Meeting for? When are Zoom spots available?
The Zoom meeting lasts for one hour.
Currently all my hours are in Mountain Time. Thursday 9am-12pm Friday 9am-12pm Saturday 9am-12pm
Spots are limited, we will send you an email with the hours available for you to choose from.
When is my Homework/Assignment due?
Students should send in their work to the Forum by Thursday midnight at the latest. Any day in fine to send in, in fact the earlier you send it in the longer time I have to look at it and think about it!
I have an immediate question about something in the Video Feedback, how do I ask it?
If it is a question of immediate importance, ie. My cat rubbed up against my oil painting and there’s fur everywhere, help! I will try my best to answer you during the week. Just write on the forum and perhaps a photo of said furry painting.
If it a question of less immediate importance, I encourage you to really think about it first, before asking the question.
Often it is a question in regards to a topic we have covered before, so it might be in your notes. It may have been answered in a difference context, so you will need to think about how to reapply it. Most importantly I want you to do you best to answer it and to do your best and try. If still you don’t know how to approach the task in question, write to me on the forum. I will either discuss it into our next Zoom meeting or our next Video Feedback. We may even address it in the Sketch Along if we feel it is a topic suited for more students, or if I see other students struggling with the same task.
How do I receive my Video Critique, and is public for everyone to see?
I send to you on a unlisted YouTube link. This means that only only who is given the link has access to the video. I will only share this link with you.
I am a busy person, are your classes right for me?
It depends on what kind of busy you are. As long as you can spend at least my suggested 2 hours a week minimum on your artwork then you will be fine. If you can only get in ten minutes of work consistently and it is done frantically, it might be best to either wait until you have a more freed up schedule.
Calmness, dedication, focus, time, and patience are required for my classes. Often the act of drawing and painting in this manner can increase your patience level. This all varies from person to person.
Where are you located?
I am an American living in Southern Europe. My US base is Missoula Montana. I used to have a physical studio there with my husband and I occasionally go back to visit (happily!). My husband is Italian and so we spend time both here in Europe and in the US. Currently all of my students reside in the US but this is not a requirement.
What materials do I need to have with me for Sketch Along?
If a specific project has been announced, students should PRINT the image so they have a good reference to work from. Try not use the tiny reference from the screen on the Zoom meeting! Unless materials are specifically specified, just bring some paper and a drawing board, a sketchbook, a pencil, and an eraser.
When are your Holidays/What about extra weeks in the month?
Please refer to the calendar for specific dates. I will pause class for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Summer breaks. When there is a 5th week in the month the 5th week will be suspended after the 4 week pattern is complete. Zoom, Recorded Video Critique, Sketch Along, & Recorded Video Critique.
What is the 4 Week Pattern of the class schedule?
Week1. Zoom, Week 2 Recorded Video Critique, Week 3 Sketch Along, & Week 4 Recorded Video Critique.If the month has a 5th week this will be skipped.
When do I have to send in my images for critiques? Can I also send in questions/comments?
Send in your images by Thursday midnight Mountain Time. This allows me to work on the critiques over Friday and have them ready for you by the weekend.
Yes, please send in your questions!
What happens if I send my pictures in early or late?
Send in your images the day before your class, and ideally no later than Thursday. Early is always welcome! The earlier I get the images the more time I have to consider them.
If you send them after Thursday midnight I will not have as much time to look at them and think about how best to help you on the works so keep that in mind!
What happens if I didn’t have time to do any work one week? Or I got confused/stuck and didn’t want to move forward without your help?
Of course I encourage you to do your best to have the work done by the next class, but life happens!! I understand. Let me know by the same hour you usually send in your images (Thurs Midnight) that you weren’t able to do the work that week. Instead, choose between a demo, critique of a work work from a past week, or a critique about a subject of your choice, etc. Ex. “I was out of town this week and couldn’t do any work. I would like an additional critique on how to adjust the eyes on my portrait.” or “I got swamped with work and couldn’t draw/paint at all this week! I know what to do on all my homework, so please send me in a demo on designing shadow shapes since we talked about that a while ago and I would like a refresher! I am here to help! In theory, you can do this for as many weeks as you need to.
I will record that and send it to you.
If you got stuck and feel you can’t move forward with out some help (it can happen!!) let me know as soon as you feel that way by writing in the forum.
I Have A Question About Something You Said in The Video Critique.
First I encourage you to re-watch the last video critique and go over your notes to see if the answer could be there.
Then try to spend some serious time trying to answer the question yourself. Look at it from different angles!
I may have given you an answer to your question in the past, under a different context.
If still you are just stuck, then write your question/why you feel you got stuck in the forum along with a picture if needed. It is also helpful if I hear how you tried to answer the question yourself, this will help me to see where you went wrong.
I cannot guarantee that you will receive an answer outside of your normal class sessions, but I always keep an eye on the forum and try to answer any questions as soon as I can.
We will also have time to cover questions extensively in the Zoom meeting on Week1, and of course during your video critiques.
Are the recorded video critiques on Zoom?
No, they are not on Zoom. You send in the images and I record the video on my end. I have designed this to give you the most focused and clear critique that I can.
This allows me to think about how to best show you and explain what I need to. The Zoom session on Week 1 allows you to interact with me and ask questions directly/live, while the recorded critiques allow me to explain things in a more lecture based way.
When do I receive my video critique? How do I receive it?
Your recorded critique will be ready by the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday. It will be posted in your forum via a private youtube link.
Are the video critiques just for me and my artworks? Or are they also visible for other people? Will other people see my work?
The video critiques are completely private between you and me. You will receive a link to a private Youtube portal with your video. If you want to share your video with someone you can by sending them the link. I will not share the link with anyone other than you.
I am not tech savvy, I don’t think I can do this…
Not to worry! I do my best to make things as easy as possible and thankfully my husband is very tech savvy so he helps out with any issues! If something just doesn’t work for you we will find a different solution that works best for you.
What is covered in the Sketch Along? Is it live?
This class is no longer live, but it is now 2 hours long. This allows me to cover topics we talk about in class to a greater detail. This class is general, meaning it is recorded and sent out to all of my students. It is not individually tailored. However, I always take what I talk about in my lessons with you all as inspiration for topics for my next Sketch Alongs. I cover various topics, mediums, subjects, and levels. So for beginners some days will be easier and others harder.
Studio Policy
Subscriptions
I charge on a monthly basis per 4 classes. This is not a 4 week workshop. This is a continuous subscription, like a gym. It is a continuous activity. Drawing and Painting is a lifelong activity and I want to help my students have it in their lives on a regular basis.
How it works: I bill your card automatically once a month for the Program that you signed up for. Since it is automatic, you only have to do it once! This may be done with most card types.
If you have any questions please email them to info@onlinefineartstudio.com
Can I pay for multiple month subscriptions?
Yes! You can pay up to 3 months in advance with card or Paypal. You can choose to have this be automatically renewed, or to be billed via invoice. Please note that once your class has reached 24hrs before your first day of the class subscription, no refund will be available for any reason. So make sure you can truly attend the full 2 or 3 month subscription.
Makeups, I can’t attend a class or a few classes, can I have the class another day instead?
No makeups are offered. I can offer you a pre recorded lesson instead if it is for the Zoom meeting that you have to miss. Then you can watch it in your own time. Please let me know the day before a Zoom call that you will not be able to attend. If you have to miss this day, send in what you have along with any questions and I’ll use that in the recorded critique.
Cancellations
I cannot attend the next whole month of class can I pause the class? If you need to miss the following entire month, I can put your subscription on pause for one month. After that you can reenter your slot or cancel your subscription. If no action is made I will need to open the slot up to the public again. In that case there will be no guarantee your spot will be available when you want to come back.
Check Payment Option
No check option available.
Class or Event Cancellations Made by The Online Fine Art Studio
If I become ill, or am unable to teach class or lead an event, I will notify you as soon as possible. A credit will be issued to the student’s account OR a make up class on another day will be provided.
Waiting List
If there isn’t a space for you immediately, I can put your name on a waiting list. We will contact you if another student forfeits their spot or should another class open. Please email me to let us know, at info@onlinefineartstudio.com
Privacy
The Online Fine Art Studio respects your privacy, and considers the responsible use of personal information. I will not share your personal information with other entities.
Illness
Refunds/credits or make-ups are not offered for missed classes for any reason.
Children/Teens
Our age limit is 16. My classes are quite difficult and are meant for dedicated students. If your child is serious about learning and art then I are very happy to help them!
Punctuality
Please arrive at the Zoom meeting on time. Extra time will not be given for late attendance as there are students I need to attend to next.