Pre-Academy – PRECAD (AM & PM Sessions)

Pre-academy (PRECAD), offers classical training/art lessons in drawing and painting for children between the ages of 7 and 14. Rigorous training combined with creative compositional projects ensure that your child will leave our program with a strong base in both drawing and painting skills. This program is not designed to send children home with completed complex artworks each session – it is designed specifically to ensure that your child learns the skills necessary to be able to express themselves articulately and accurately through visual language and art vocabulary.

In PRECAD explore constructive drawing thoroughly, while also experimenting with color theory through various painting projects based in master copies, small exercises and compositions from life. We will have discussions about artworks from the mesolithic period to contemporary times and discuss how the elements of composition apply to all styles and eras of fine art.

Through art history we will “travel” the globe together and learn how societies that developed entirely separate of each other are connected through art-making.

Our goal is to nurture your child’s creativity and mind with the exploration of all aspects of art. All supplies are included in the tuition price. Students will use the following: Graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, sepia pencils, sanguine pencils, soft pastel, gouache paint and oil paint (depending on age). Projects are tailored specifically to your child’s age and skill level. Each day PRECAD students begin with a “warm-up” then move into our longer term project which can either be a more completed drawing, or a painting.

We also hope to have a MET museum trip this year for the kids as the Princeton University Art Museum will be closed! We will also likely re-visit the Morven Museum & Garden a few times as well. Museum visits are vital to a child’s understanding of art, and how they connect themselves to art history so we take every opportunity we can to take the children on self-led tours, in addition to docent-led tours.

Join our Pre-academy program today and allow your child to grow through their art lessons.