Classical art & Digital design program
FALL INTAKE
29 September 2025 - 5 June 2026
This Three-Year program is providing students with the best of both worlds in art training – analog & digital. The program is offered in partnership with the Arts Atelier 146, USA and is a perfect academic fusion for those who are aiming for a career in the entertainment industry.
The first year of the three years is following the standard curriculum of the Foundation Year program with the FCAA to provide solid academic foundation in painting, drawing, anatomy and composition and could be taken both online, in-studio or in hybrid format.
In the second and the third years, the students will still continue to undergo the analog training with the FCAA according to the Three-Year Program curriculum. See the full list of classes here: https://www.artac.org/diploma-in-visual-arts
Additionally to that, the students will have an option of taking online classes with our partner institution focusing on digital art aspects that will prepare them for careers in fields such as illustration, environment design, creature design, character animation, storyboard, game design, modeling, and more.
The digital art classes will be held entirely remotely with a clear and constant feedback system from various professors of the Arts Atelier 146. The online segment of the program will have an additional cost. All tuition fees can be viewed directly at the website of Arts Atelier 146: https://www.artsatelier146.org/
Fcaa figurative art curriculum:
- painting
- drawing
- artistic anatomy
- technique and technology of painting
- color science
- art history (for offline option)
- museum practice (for offline option)
- copy old master (for offline option)
- plein-air
- composition
- sketches
Arts Atelier 146 Digital Art Classes (2nd and 3rd year):
Photoshop Basics
This free course takes students through the basics of Adobe Photoshop. Students will start with learning how to set up a print-ready document and be familiarized with the general workspace and palettes for digital painting. Lessons will cover many of the basic tools, various types of layers, blending modes, channels, masks, and even how to create custom brushes.
Digital Rendering
This course takes students through the foundational concepts of texture and lighting. It is taught with digital artists in mind; however, the principles discussed in this course are beneficial across any medium. The course begins with the basics of chiaroscuro and the relationship of light and shadow before advancing into more complicated lighting situations such as reflection and refraction. The knowledge presented in this course will be most beneficial to artists such as illustrators, concept artists, or painters looking to get more realism in their work.
Creature Design
In this course, students will learn how to design compelling, imaginary creatures based around the concept of form and function. By first studying animal anatomy from the real world, students will learn how to design creatures that suspend disbelief. They will start with the basic forms of invertebrates before tackling more complex skeletal and muscular studies.
Modeling Hero Props
The Hero Props course is designed to teach students how to develop 3D high polygon hero props for use in 3D animations and games. Students will use Autodesk’s Maya, Substance Painter, and Photoshop to create their hero props. This course will also dive into the theory of creating practical and functional hero props. The standards of this course are indicative or above the standards found in a 3D graphics industry.
Texture and Lighting for 3D Environments
In this course, students are equipped with the knowledge and techniques to create “hand painted” textures with proper lighting conditions using Photoshop. These textures are applied to a 3D model. This course helps students understand how to apply lighting concepts to a 2D texture while considering 3D application.
3D Environment Modeling
In this course, students learn the necessary skills to build assets and design 3D environments for use in various 3D mediums. Skills learned include 3D modeling using Autodesk Maya, texturing in Substance Painter, and building and lighting an environment in Unreal Engine 4. The course focuses on development and building a work pipeline similar to what students will encounter in the industry.
Each course is developed by professional artists to offer students a rigorous creative curriculum based on foundational concepts dating back to the Renaissance. These concepts provide the building blocks to properly prepare students for the entertainment industry. Students will be able to use this knowledge and skill to springboard their career in fields such as illustration, environment design, creature design, character animation, storyboard, game design, modeling, and more.
This program is available for anyone desiring to develop their artistic skills whether they are just starting on their artistic journey or already have some professional experience. The program is built on the system of workshops and goes on for 3 years with a diploma from Florence Classical Arts Academy. The Arts Atelier 146 provides a Certificate of Completition for each digital segment accomplished.
*Winter Intensive Intake is the One-Year program which covers the same curriculum and the same amount of academic hours, but in a shorter and more compact time frame. During certain months, apart from normal daily classes, the student takes some evening classes included in the curriculum. The number of academic hours equals to the One-Year program starting in October.
**Hybrid Program is the Foundation Year program split in two segments:
Online Segment (Self-Paced) 4 months: January through April with weekly assignments and weekly feedback from the professors. Once a month a Zoom meeting is held to debrief with the professor and whole group.
The online curriculum covers essential techniques and foundational skills necessary to prepare you for advanced studies.
In-Person Segment 3 months (Intensive): May through July.
After completing the online portion, the student joins for three months of intensive, hands-on in-studio training. This segment focuses on more complex aspects of classical painting, including portrait drawing and painting with live model, composition, anatomy, copying old masters and plein-air.
All subjects are taught in English.
Tuition and Fees for the FCAA segment: https://www.artac.org/tuition-fees-deadlines
Tuition and fee for Arts Atelier 146 for the digital segment: https://www.artsatelier146.org/our-courses/
for more info contact us at admissions@artac.org