COURSE DESCRIPTION
Level 1: Drawing & Observation Studio
It is a structured, instructional course in which students are actively taught the fundamental principles and techniques of drawing. This is not a drop-in, free-draw studio class where students independently choose what they would like to create.
The course prioritizes skill-building over project-making. Each lesson is part of a thoughtfully structured progression, allowing students to build upon what they learned previously. Rather than completing unrelated projects each week, students gradually develop a connected set of foundational drawing skills.
Parents may notice that students bring home fewer finished artworks than they would in a typical craft-based or recreational art class. However, each drawing will reflect meaningful learning, careful observation, and the development of skills that will remain with the student for years to come.
The purpose of this course is to give your child more than a collection of projects. It is to provide them with the technical foundation, visual understanding, discipline, and confidence needed to draw independently.
What Students Will Learn
• Observational drawing techniques
• Line, shape, and proportion
• Light, shadow, and value
• Basic perspective concepts
• Texture and mark-making
• Composition and visual balance
• Translating observation into creative expression
Level 2: Painting & Color Studio
Prerequisite: Level 1 recommended (or prior drawing experience)
This foundational painting course teaches students the essential skills needed to understand and control paint with confidence.
This is not a drop-in or free-paint studio class. It is a structured, instructional course with teacher demonstrations, guided exercises, planned assignments, and individual feedback.
Students will learn color theory, color mixing, value, contrast, composition, layering, and brush control. They will explore how brush size, pressure, direction, paint consistency, and the amount of paint on the brush affect the marks they create.
Through painting from observation and imaginative prompts, students will learn how to simplify complex subjects, identify basic shapes and values, and gradually develop a painting from its initial structure to its final details.
Rather than simply copying step-by-step projects, students will understand the artistic decisions involved in creating a painting. Some projects may take more than one class to complete, helping students develop patience, focus, problem-solving skills, and confidence.
What Students Will Learn
• Color theory and color relationships
• Mixing colors, tints, shades, and values
• Warm and cool colors
• Brush handling and control of brushmarks
• Paint consistency, blending, and layering
• Light, shadow, value, and contrast
• Composition, balance, and focal point
• Painting from observation
• Texture and paint application techniques
• Creative decision-making and personal expression
CLASS TIMINGS
North Location- In Person Saturdays
Level 1: 9-10am
Level 2: 10:30-11:30am
Online & Or Hybrid Options available
FEES STRUCTURE
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Level 1: Drawing & Observation Studio (in-person group)
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Ages 6-9
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$180/Month
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$675/Term
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Materials Fee - $25
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Level 2: Painting & Color Studio (in-person group)
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Ages 9 and up
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$180/Month
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$675/Term
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Materials Fee - $40
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Prerequisite: Level 1 recommended (or prior drawing experience)
Level 1 materials fee - $25 Level 2 materials fee - $40 A class material kit will be available for purchase from the class teacher.
Monica mohnot
Monica Mohnot is a professional artist and university educator based in Austin, Texas. She holds a BFA in Painting from Texas State University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the most respected art schools in the country. She currently serves as a Lecturer in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University and has taught and mentored students across university classrooms, private studios, and youth art programs.
Her classes offer a level of technical instruction and artistic depth that is rarely available in children’s art programs. Drawing from her university teaching experience and professional studio practice, Monica introduces students to the same foundational principles taught in formal art education, carefully adapted for younger learners.
Each class includes demonstrations, guided exercises, individual feedback, and carefully planned assignments. Students build a body of work over the term and gain a strong foundation for future artistic study. Students are expected to participate in the lesson and practice the specific skill being introduced.
At Samspra Academy, all registered students will have the opportunity to showcase their skills at least twice a year, during the Winter Performance and Annual Performance Day.
Additionally, students can participate in optional seasonal performances through the Samspra community outreach programs at various events and festivals. To take part in these outreach opportunities, students should inform their class teacher in advance.