Studio Classes
Expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert instructors. Over multiple weeks, learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.
Fall 2026 Course Catalog
Tuesdays, August 25–September 15
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Through engaging demonstrations, observational exercises, and guided studio projects, you’ll build a strong foundation in the essential skills of drawing while exploring a variety of materials and techniques.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, August 25–September 15
4 Weeks | 6–8:30 p.m.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Through engaging demonstrations, observational exercises, and guided studio projects, you’ll build a strong foundation in the essential skills of drawing while exploring a variety of materials and techniques.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, August 25–September 15
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Georgia Birds: Painting in Watercolor and Gouache
In this introduction to watercolor painting, use still life materials and photo references to capture the structure, energy, and attitude of various Georgia birds, including cardinals, barred owls, and red-tailed hawks.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Larkin Ford
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, August 25–September 15
4 Weeks | 6–8:30 p.m.
Georgia Birds: Painting in Watercolor and Gouache
In this introduction to watercolor painting, use still life materials and photo references to capture the structure, energy, and attitude of various Georgia birds, including cardinals, barred owls, and red-tailed hawks.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Larkin Ford
Level: Introductory
Thursdays, August 27–September 17
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Introduction to Painting: Fundamentals of Color
Using color is a central skill in painting. This class will teach you how to mix colors and define hue, value, and saturation using a primary color wheel.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Daniel Mantilla
Level: Introductory
Thursdays, August 27–September 17
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Staging the Sublime: Composition, Storytelling, and Intentional Image-Making
Inspired by Amy Sherald’s thoughtful approach to image-making, this course explores how artists use composition, staging, objects, and space to construct meaningful visual narratives.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Introductory
Thursdays, August 27–September 17
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Quilting Without Rules: A Beginner’s Guide to Improv
New to using a sewing machine? Hesitant to cut into fabric without a pattern? This is the class for you!
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Loi Laing
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, October 6–27
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Introduction to Mixed Media Printing
Explore collagraphs, monoprints, and relief prints in this introductory printmaking class.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Daniel Mantilla
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, October 6–November 10
6 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Painting Without a Brush: Soft Chalk and Oil Pastels
Curious about pastels but not sure where to begin? Discover the vibrant world of pastel painting and explore new possibilities for color, texture, and expression.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, October 6–November 10
6 Weeks | 6–8:30 p.m.
Painting Without a Brush: Soft Chalk and Oil Pastels
Curious about pastels but not sure where to begin? Discover the vibrant world of pastel painting and explore new possibilities for color, texture, and expression.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, October 6–November 10
6 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Fundamentals of Figure Drawing
In this introductory figure drawing class, practice drawing from museum objects, anatomy props, and live models.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Larkin Ford
Level: Introductory
Tuesdays, October 6–November 10
6 Weeks | 6–8:30 p.m.
Fundamentals of Figure Drawing
In this introductory figure drawing class, practice drawing from museum objects, anatomy props, and live models.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Larkin Ford
Level: Introductory
Thursdays, October 8–29
4 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Composition Through Collage
In this introductory figure drawing class, practice drawing from museum objects, anatomy props, and live models.
Price: Members: $220 | Not-Yet-Members: $275
Instructor: Daniel Mantilla
Level: Introductory
Thursdays, October 8–November 12
6 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Painting as Process: Alla Prima and Expressive Brushwork
Working primarily from observation, learn to paint wet-into-wet (alla prima), developing paintings in a single session and strengthening your ability to see color, value, edges, and form.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Jaffia Royes
Level: Intermediate
Thursdays, October 8–November 12
6 Weeks | 1:30–4 p.m.
Introduction to Bookbinding
Make books by hand: discover creative structures and binding techniques for creating your own books. Explore how books can become expressive works of art while experimenting with paper, textiles, and surface design. Draw inspiration from color, composition, and design across the museum’s collection as you create a unique series of handcrafted books that reflect your personal interests and creative voice.
Price: Members: $300 | Not-Yet-Members: $355
Instructor: Loi Laing
Level: Introductory
Meet Our Instructors
Daniel Mantilla (he/him) is a Colombian-born artist with over a decade of experience teaching young people, families, and adults. In his paintings, drawing-collages, and cutouts, Mantilla explores ideas of transition and instability. He previously lived in New York City, where he recorded instructional videos for public television. His art has been exhibited across the United States and internationally. He has studied paintings in museum collections in Spain, conducted research on cadmium-free acrylic paint, and holds an MFA from Hunter College.
Jaffia Royes (she/her) is a multidisciplinary visual artist and educator with more than 17 years of experience in arts education (and more than two decades of studio practice). Originally based in New York and now working in Georgia, Jaffia’s art has been exhibited nationally. Art instruction remains a vital extension of her studio practice, and she works with learners of all ages and experience levels, providing instruction that spans drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Balancing technical rigor with creative exploration, Jaffia supports learners in developing both their skills and authentic visual voices. Through artist-led creative experiences, she encourages adults to engage with artmaking as an ongoing practice of discovery. Royes holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a concentration in painting from Florida State University, and she maintains an active practice across multiple disciplines while specializing in oil painting.
Loi Laing (she/her) is a visual artist and educator working in textiles, natural dyes, and earth pigments. Her studio practice draws on locally sourced, ecologically responsible materials and moves between ancient dye traditions and contemporary methods, including plant-based color, hand-stitching, quilting, shibori, sashiko, and slow, process-driven making. In her workshops, she guides participants through hands-on encounters, using material process as a way into deeper creative and reflective engagement. She also brings a background in law to her work with artists, writing and speaking about intellectual property and the practical realities of protecting creative work. Her writing appears in This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection (2021) by Jen Hewett, and in Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions (2011) by Lori Deschene.
Larkin Ford (he/him) is a painter and muralist whose studio is located at Echo Contemporary Art. Ford grew up in rural North Carolina, an experience that continues to inform narratives he weaves into his artwork. Beyond painting murals for the City of Atlanta, Ford has exhibited art across the city, as well as internationally in Ireland, Japan, and Belarus. He looks forward to displaying a new body of work in an upcoming exhibition at Swan Coach House Gallery in January 2027. He received his BFA from UNC Asheville and his MFA from Georgia State University, and in addition to teaching at the High Museum of Art, he serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Emory University.
Learn More
Registration
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
Class size is limited to facilitate individual instruction. Registration is first come, first served. Members receive a discount.
Materials
All materials are included in your registration fee. There is no fee for additional materials, and students are not expected to provide their own materials.
Location
Studio Classes are held in the Greene Family Education Center, which is located in the Lower Level of the Stent Family Wing. Most classes also include guided tours of the museum’s world-class art and architecture.
Open Studio
Current class registrants are invited to join Open Studio on Friday afternoons. Enjoy access to the museum’s galleries, as well as class materials, unstructured time to hone your skills and further your projects, and casual exchange with other class participants.
Refund Policy
To receive a refund, students must submit their request by email or phone no later than one week before the first class. No refunds or transfers will be offered after this time. The museum is not responsible for classes missed due to student absences.
Cancelation Policy
All classes require a minimum enrollment to proceed. The High Museum of Art reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or combine classes; change instructors; and change classroom assignments when necessary. Any cancellation or change made to a scheduled class will be made a minimum of one week prior to the first class. Students will be notified via the email or phone number they provided at registration. Full refunds will be issued for classes canceled due to under-enrollment before the session begins.
For questions or to register, email culturecollective@high.org or call 404-733-5034.