Diploma in Decorative and Visual Arts
Three-Year Diploma Program
DECORATIVE, PAINTING and DRAWING
FALL INTAKE
29 September 2025 - 5 June 2026
A combination of traditional and contemporary techniques in decorative and applied arts.
This Three-Year program is providing students with the best art training including the decorative field. The program is offered by the FCAA and the sister school New Renaissance, US.
The FCAA provides solid academic foundation in painting, drawing, anatomy and composition and its 1st year could be taken both in-studio or in hybrid format.
Specifics on the decorative subjects:
Watercolor: Experience the lightness and transparency of watercolor painting. Learn "wet-on-wet" and "dry-on-dry" techniques, glazing, and impasto strokes. Refine your watercolor painting skills, experiment with different styles and genres, and study the technique of layering. Capturing Light and Atmosphere: Learn to translate the unique light and ambiance of Florence onto paper.
Plein Air: Experience the joy of painting outdoors, capturing the essence of iconic Florentine scenes. Inspiring Location: Florence, with its rich artistic heritage and stunning scenery, provides endless inspiration.
Introduction to Decorative Techniques: Your first encounter with batik and glass, learning about basic materials and tools.
Batik: Immerse yourself in the magical world of fabric painting. Master hot, cold, and tie-dye batik, and learn to create unique patterns and compositions on silk and cotton.
Glass: Explore the versatility of working with glass. Begin with the basics of stained glass art, fusing, and glass painting, creating vibrant and original objects.
Alfrein painting: Discover the ancient technique of monumental painting on wet plaster. Learn the fundamentals of surface preparation, pigment application, and creating durable artworks.
Composition and Color: Deepen your knowledge in the field of composition and color harmony, and learn to create expressive and balanced works.
Individual Projects: Focus on creating your artistic projects, combining the techniques you've learned and developing your unique style. Receive guidance to nurture your individual artistic voice.
Specialisation: In-depth study of one or more selected techniques (batik, glass, watercolor, fresco) under the guidance of experienced masters.
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 the Florence Classical Arts Academy. The New Renaissance provides a Certificate of Completion for each decorative art 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 into 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 the 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.
We encourage students to meet tuition payment deadlines. However, applications entering after official deadlines will be considered as long as space is available. An additional charge of 300 euro will be applied to the tuition payments coming past the deadline.
Full-time students enrolled in a program of a minimum length of one year are entitled to 50 % discount for any workshop during the time of their enrollment in the course.
Tuition Fees:
Fall Intake: DIPLOMA DECORATIVE AND VISUAL ARTS 2025 - 2026
Early Bird enrollment: 17.000 euro (deadline 15/03/2025)
Standard enrollment: 18.000 euro (deadline 15/06/2026)
Hybrid format: DIPLOMA DECORATIVE AND VISUAL ARTS 2026
Early Bird enrollment: 17.000 euro (deadline 15/09/2025)
Standard enrollment: 18.000 euro (deadline 15/12/2025)
Winter intake: DIPLOMA DECORATIVE AND VISUAL ARTS 2026
Early Bird enrollment: 17.000 euro (deadline 15/09/2025)
Standard enrollment: 18.000 euro (deadline 15/12/2025)
The Florence Classical Arts Academy reserves the right to make changes in schedule, teaching staff, or studio location when necessary.