Course Information
At Orangerie Art Center, every student follows a creative path designed for their age, experience, interests, and goals. From a child’s first exploration of color and shape to advanced portfolio development, our programs combine technical instruction, imaginative projects, and individualized guidance.
Core Art Programs
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A joyful, hands-on introduction to art for young creators. Junior students build confidence through drawing, painting, mixed media, clay, collage, storytelling, and imaginative projects designed to make art feel exciting and accessible.
Each week introduces a new creative theme—such as animals, famous artists, character creation, color exploration, 3D art, animation, or visual storytelling—so students stay curious while developing essential early art skills
Students explore:
Drawing, coloring, painting, and mixed media
Basic shapes, forms, texture, and spatial awareness
Crayons, colored pencils, markers, watercolor, acrylic paint, and clay
Famous artists and age-appropriate art appreciation
Creative storytelling, characters, and imaginative worlds
Independent ideas, self-expression, and confidence
Even when students work from the same theme, every child is encouraged to create something uniquely their own.
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For students ready to move beyond basic art-making and build stronger technical skills. The Intermediate Art Program combines structured instruction with creative projects that help students develop observation, composition, color knowledge, visual storytelling, and a growing personal style.
Students work across traditional and contemporary subjects, including drawing, painting, still life, landscape, portraiture, character design, illustration, animation, digital art, and mixed-media projects. Lessons are adapted to each student’s pace, interests, and current skill level.
Students develop skills in:
Fundamental drawing: line, form, proportion, perspective, light, and shadow
Colored pencil, marker, watercolor, oil pastel, acrylic, and mixed-media techniques
Still life, landscape, portrait, and observational drawing
Color theory, color mixing, harmony, contrast, and visual balance
Character design, anime/stylized illustration, comics, and visual storytelling
Introductory digital illustration and animation
Sculpture, 3D design, and spatial thinking
Art history and artist-inspired projects
Ideal for students who want to:
Build a stronger artistic foundation, explore different materials, prepare for more advanced work, develop original ideas, or begin creating portfolio-quality projects.
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High School Students & Adults
The Advanced Art Program is for motivated high school students, adults, and experienced artists seeking deeper technical training, individualized critique, and more ambitious creative projects. Students develop work across a range of media while refining their artistic voice, visual communication, and portfolio quality.Instruction is personalized. Whether a student is focused on realistic drawing, painting, concept art, digital illustration, animation, college preparation, or competition-level work, lessons are tailored around their goals.
Advanced study may include:
Advanced drawing, composition, proportion, and perspective
Observational studies, live studies, and on-site sketching
Portraiture, figure drawing, human anatomy, and expressive rendering
Acrylic, watercolor, oil pastel, marker, colored pencil, and mixed media
Realistic landscapes, still life, and advanced color/value development
Character design, concept art, 3D visual development, and digital illustration
Animation projects and short visual narratives
Master studies, art history analysis, and contemporary reinterpretation
Original concept-driven projects and critique-based refinement
Ideal for:
High school students preparing for AP Art, art-school or college applications, competitions, exhibitions, or students and adults who want to pursue advanced studio practice.
Specialty Art Programs
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For High School Students
Personalized support for students enrolled in—or preparing for—AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, or AP Drawing. Students receive structured guidance that helps them create a cohesive portfolio while developing stronger technique, artistic inquiry, and original ideas.
Rather than simply completing isolated technical exercises, students learn how to develop a body of work that shows growth, creative decision-making, and a personal visual voice.
AP Art & Design support includes:
Portfolio planning and long-term project development
Help identifying and strengthening a sustained investigation or personal theme
Drawing, painting, 2-D design, 3-D design, and mixed-media support
Composition, color, craftsmanship, technique, and presentation feedback
Individual critique to refine ideas and improve artistic impact
Portfolio documentation, artwork selection, and submission preparation
Guidance on avoiding common portfolio issues, including repetitive work, imitation without personal interpretation, or weak visual connections between pieces
The goal is not to manufacture a portfolio—it is to help each student create thoughtful, original work that reflects genuine artistic growth.
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Middle School Through College Level
For students who want to prepare a competitive portfolio for art high schools, college applications, scholarships, contests, exhibitions, creative programs, or future art-related careers.
Portfolio instruction is tailored to each student’s stage. Younger students can begin building strong foundational work and artistic habits, while older students receive more focused guidance around original projects, presentation, competition entries, and college-level expectations.
Portfolio development may include:
Building a cohesive collection of original work
Creating concept-driven projects that show personal interests and artistic voice
Strengthening drawing, composition, color, technical execution, and visual storytelling
Developing 2-D, 3-D, drawing, digital, illustration, or mixed-media work
Choosing and refining the strongest pieces
Photographing and documenting artwork professionally
Preparing work for competitions, exhibitions, art-school applications, and college portfolios
One-on-one critique, goal setting, and artistic direction
Students may prepare for opportunities such as:
Art high school applications
College and art-school portfolios
AP Art & Design
Local, regional, national, and international art competitions
Scholarship opportunities
Exhibitions and student showcases
Creative careers in illustration, animation, design, fine art, and related fields
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Weekly Creative Themes - One-Week Sessions
Every week is a new creative adventure. Orangerie’s summer camps are designed as one-week experiences, allowing students to join the themes that excite them most or attend multiple weeks to explore a wide range of artistic skills.
Camp themes may include 3D Art Lab, Storytelling Studio, Character Creation, Paint the World, Animation Week, Game Designers, Express Yourself, Color Master Camp, and Masters & Masterpieces.
Each theme is adapted for different age levels so younger artists can explore through play and hands-on creation, while intermediate and advanced students develop more sophisticated techniques, concepts, and portfolio-ready work.
Summer camp experiences may include:
Drawing, painting, mixed media, clay, sculpture, and 3D design
Color theory, observation, composition, light, and shadow
Famous artist studies and creative reinterpretation
Character design, storytelling, comics, manga, and illustration
Game-world concept art, board-game design, and 3D modeling introductions
Flipbook animation, 2-D animation, and digital art projects
Landscape, portrait, still-life, and master-study projects
Individual feedback and age-appropriate artistic challenges
Portfolio-Focused Summer Intensives
For older students, selected summer weeks can be used as focused portfolio-development sessions. Students work intensively on original projects, receive structured critique, and make meaningful progress toward AP Art, college applications, art-school preparation, competitions, or long-term creative goals.
Portfolio intensive outcomes may include:
Developing several high-quality original pieces
Refining composition, color, concept, and technical execution
Building visual narratives and cohesive themes
Receiving individualized portfolio guidance and critique
Preparing work for future competitions, portfolio reviews, or applications
