The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey’s Studio School, located in Summit, NJ, offers classes and workshops for artists of all ages and skill levels. Taught by experienced teaching artists, our programs span painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and more—providing a supportive environment for learning, exploration, and creative growth.

SPRING SEMESTER 2026

Kid Painting & Drawing Classes

8445 Make Your Palette Pop! (ages 8-11)
Instructor: Alicia Cotter
Mondays, 4–5:30 PM
Explore color and grow your painting abilities in this class! Students will have the opportunity to use table easels, just like professional artists, and create masterpieces in both acrylic and watercolor. The instructor will provide step-by-step demonstrations on shape, color, line, form, and texture when capturing different subject matters. All materials provided.
8 session(s): 3/30–5/18
Tuition: member $265, non-member $295
Materials fee: $38

8449/8480 Drawn to Drawing: The Young Artist’s Sketchbook (ages 7-10)
Instructor: Katie Truk
8449 Mondays, 5:30–6:30 PM
8480 Tuesdays, 6:30–7:30 PM
Does your child draw all the time? Like a sport, drawing is a skill that improves with practice. This class will build upon basic drawing skills, such as contour lines and shading, to give students confidence in their abilities. In addition, at the beginning of the session, a sketchbook will be given to students for additional, although not mandatory, practice at home (fun and creativity are always the main priority!) to help reinforce lessons and develop skills learned in class.
8449 10 session(s): 3/30–6/8 (no class on 5/25)
8480 10 session(s): 3/31–6/2
Tuition: member $257, non-member $287
Materials fee: $42

8470 Draw Your Art Out! (ages 7-9)
Instructor: Alicia Cotter
Tuesdays, 4–5:30 PM
Dive into drawing in this fun and dynamic class! Explore new drawing techniques in a variety of black & white and color media such as pencil, charcoal, and pastel. Learn core principles like how to use light and shadow to make your drawings pop, proportions, blending colors, and more. New projects each session.
9 session(s): 3/31–5/26
Tuition: member $300, non-member $330
Materials fee: $43

8471 NEW! Watercolor Wonders (ages 9-12)
Instructor: Dawn Noonan
Tuesdays, 4–5:30 PM
Experiment with water and paint in this class! Students will dive into the joys of watercolor through quick practices and more prolonged studies over several sessions. The nature of the medium makes it easy to work on several projects at once since no one likes to watch paint dry! The quick practice pieces will be worked on both sides of the paper, and then these will be bound into small, colorful journals. The larger projects will be worked on over multiple weeks, gradually developing them through layering of different types of watercolors, including liquid, pencil, tube, and gouache.
10 session(s): 3/31–6/2
Tuition: member $335, non-member $365
Materials fee: $46

8473/8474 Introduction to Drawing & Painting (ages 6-9)
Instructor: Katie Truk
8473 Tuesdays, 5–6 PM
8474 Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 PM
Is your child fascinated by drawing and painting? We teach the fundamentals of composition and perspective through still lifes and photographic sources, while broadening techniques and creativity. Explore color, shading, texture, and most importantly, imagination! Repeat students are welcome.
8473 10 session(s): 3/31–6/2
8474 10 session(s): 4/8–6/10
Tuition: member $257, non-member $287
Materials fee: $40

8496 Inspired by the Masters (ages 5-6)
Instructor: Alicia Cotter
Wednesdays, 4–5:30 PM
Each week, students will learn about an artist from history and step into their shoes to create different kinds of artwork. From drawing to painting, the instructor will introduce the following artists based on their unique art style, such as Kusama dots, Rousseau animals, Warhol flowers, Matisse shapes, and more! All materials included. New projects each session.
8 session(s): 4/8–5/27
Tuition: member $265, non-member $295
Materials fee: $38

8501 Fantasy Genre Drawing (ages 9-16)
Instructor: Doug Baron
Wednesdays, 6–8 PM
Are you a fan of fantasy fiction, films, and anime? Join Doug Baron on a fantastic journey with popular characters from Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more. Learn how to draw fantasy classics such as dragons, unicorns, and other mythical creatures. Students will work in a variety of media such as acrylic paint, India ink, charcoal, and pastel.
10 session(s): 4/8–6/10
Tuition: member $357, non-member $387
Materials fee: $50

8525 Paint Your Art Out! (ages 7-9)
Instructor: Alicia Cotter
Thursdays, 4–5:30 PM
Dive into painting in this fun and dynamic class! Explore new techniques and subject matters in both acrylic and watercolor paints. Learn about the color wheel, light and shadow, blending colors, and more!
9 session(s): 4/2–5/28
Tuition: member $300, non-member $330
Materials fee: $42

8541 Comics, Cartoons & Anime Drawing (ages 9-16)
Instructor: Doug Baron
Fridays, 4–5:30 PM
Calling all comics, cartoons, and anime lovers! Explore drawing popular characters and work on simple and effective techniques for creating your own character concepts. Master a unique style of creating cartoon, anime, and comic art—and have fun!
10 session(s): 4/3–6/5
Tuition: member $335, non-member $365
Materials fee: $46

8550 Drawing & Painting (ages 9-12)
Instructor: Dawn Noonan
Saturdays, 10–11:30 PM
Raise the bar and reach the next level! Refine drawing and painting skills using charcoal, pastel, paint, and more through demonstrations, discussions, and individual attention. Explore the fundamentals of drawing and painting combined with imagination.
10 session(s): 4/4–6/13 (no class on 5/23)
Tuition: member $335, non-member $365
Materials fee: $46

8549 Cartoons & Anime Drawing (ages 7-10)
Instructor: Doug Baron
Saturdays, 10–11:30 AM
Are you a cartoon/anime/manga-lover? Create characters! Explore comic book and manga-style drawing from dynamic perspectives to classic anime/manga facial features. We draw popular characters and work on simple and effective techniques for drawing and creating concepts. Master a unique style of creating cartoon, anime, and comic art—and have fun!
9 session(s): 4/4–6/6 (no class on 5/23)
Tuition: member $300, non-member $330
Materials fee: $42

8553 Draw, Paint & Create! (ages 6-9)
Instructor: Vanessa Lopez
Saturdays, 12–1:30 PM
If your child loves to draw and paint, this class is perfect for them! Students will create several artworks during the duration of the class. In addition to a main art project, every week students will keep and work in a sketchbook. Students will be exposed to a variety of materials such as pencil, acrylic paint, watercolor, ink, papier-mâché, and more.
9 session(s): 4/4–6/13 (no class on 4/11)
Tuition: member $300, non-member $330
Materials fee: $42