Capturing the Figure in Color

Wednesday AM Class • Level 2

  • In This Class, You'll Learn:

    Explore the figure from life through both drawing and painting.

    This San Diego art class combines quick poses for gesture and movement with longer studies for exploring color, value, light, and shadow.

    Work with brushes, paint, ink, pastels, and other painterly materials while learning to capture the human form with greater confidence and expression.

    Students will create several studies of each week’s live model at Art on 30th (each week’s model will be nude).

    Topics Covered

    • Quick gesture sketches as well as longer painted studies
    • Simplifying the figure into gesture, shape, and form
    • Mixing color from observation
    • Using light, shadow, and value to create dimension
    • Building form with loose, expressive brushwork
    • Exploring washes, dry brush, and layered marks
    • Developing a painting while keeping it fresh and spontaneous


    Students will leave with a collection of figure studies—plus new ways to bring life drawing into your painting practice.


    Build confidence while working in a variety of mediums, mixing color from observation, capturing light and form, and painting the figure with looser, more expressive marks.

  • Supply List for Students to Bring:

    This is a studio class and students will be using their supplies on the first week.

    • 18x24 mixed media pad (90-140 lb)
    • acrylic or oil paints in various colors
    • inks in 1-3 colors in earth/skin tones
    • soft pastels in various colors; half sticks
    • any water soluble drawing materials
    • Drawing Board with Clips (large enough to fit your newsprint pad plus extra clip to keep it stable)
    • $65 one-time fee per student to cover model fees for all 5 weeks, payable to Art on 30th on first week

  • WED AM Class Info:

    • Next session: Oct 14 - Nov 11
    • Instructor: Theo Osborn
    • Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm
    • Cost: Last time @ $199 (5 classes)
    • Max 10 students
    • ​Level: 2 (intermediate)
    • Age level: adult (18 & up)
    • Parking Info

  • Who Should Take This Class:

    • those who want to prepare to paint figures
    • those who love drawing people and gestures
    • those who want to learn to draw from life
    • adults who are 18 years and older lookin to learn the human anatomy

Register Online

Cancellations & Refund Policies

But It's Not Dead Yet...

Our 5-week class price will increase from $199 to $225 starting on January 1, 2027.

Register now for our remaining Fall 2026 sessions before $199 is a thing of the past.

About the Instructor

Theo Osborn

Theo was born in Japan in 2003, and raised in downtown Sacramento. He was surrounded by many talented emerging artists, and dedicated his life to painting. He specializes in acrylic and oil realism, and is set to graduate with a Bachelors in Fine Arts from Chico State in May of 2025.

For the past seven years, I have been honing my craft, as a professional and individual. I have sold and shown work all over the California area. I paint reproductions of collaged tapestries by combining internet based images. Through this exploration, I seek to evoke conversation about the effects of the internet via the imagery that I collage. In each piece, I push to represent the iconography and digital processes only seen within digital landscapes, allowing for a more in-depth consideration by utilizing traditional media such as painting.

Instructor Website

You May Also Like...

Buy a Gift Card Online

& Give the Gift of Art This Year

How the Gift Card Works

  • Choose which amount you want to gift, when you want to send it, and checkout! Then, you'll receive a unique code that you can give to your recipient.

  • To redeem online, simply type the unique code into Eventbrite's ticket box at checkout to redeem (where you enter a Promo Code).

  • Recipients can also redeem in person with our front desk staff. To find the right class for you, browse our Calendar page to see upcoming art classes and art workshops.
Visit Our Calendar Page