Department of Art
Explore Painting, Color and Composition
Explore Painting Courses
Through hands-on studio work, critiques, and exhibitions, painting students experiment with materials, explore concepts, and develop their own artistic voice.
View thesis projects that showcase the creativity, research and artistic vision of students in UAF's BFA and MFA programs.
Discover how UAF's annual juried student exhibition provides emerging artists with valuable exhibition experience and professional feedback.
Through painting, printmaking, and installation, I explore the shapes and forms of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s waterways, plants, and animals. I visually merge them together to express the contemporary environmental impacts we face and highlight the destructive beauty of a changing climate while communicating its threat to the environment and the wildlife that depend on it.Susan Andrews '24 M.F.A., Art (Painting)
The BFA painting program facilities include a dedicated space set aside for each student in the program to be able to work on multiple pieces throughout the semester, standard tools to create work such as drills, saws, clamps, gesso, and other materials commonly associated with making work, a computer and a large flat screen TV monitor to view artwork, video, and other digital resources to assist in research and the generation of new work.
The MFA painting program facilities are located in the Graduate Studio Building, where the all graduate students have allocated individual spaces to create their work. Students also have access to all other Art Dept. studios and tools as needed, such as the main Painting Studio and Sculpture Studio.
Painting students learn from faculty and adjunct instructors who maintain active creative practices and contribute to the field through exhibitions, publications, commissions and community engagement. Drawing on their professional experience, instructors guide students through the technical, conceptual and creative challenges of contemporary painting while encouraging experimentation, critical inquiry and artistic growth. Through mentorship, critique and studio instruction, students refine their artistic vision, strengthen their technical skills and develop a deeper understanding of contemporary art-making.
Painting students regularly share their work through exhibitions, critiques and special projects that connect them with audiences beyond the classroom. From course showcases to the annual Student Invitational Exhibition and Juried Student Exhibition, students gain valuable experience presenting their work, receiving feedback and participating in the broader artistic community.
3 Credits Offered Fall, Spring and Summer
This is an introductory class that introduces students to fundamental drawing concepts, materials, techniques, vocabulary, functions, and range of visual aesthetics. No prior experience with drawing is required or expected.
Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req, UAF GER Arts Req
3 Credits Offered Fall and Spring
Fundamentals of pictorial form, color principles and interactions. Emphasis on traditional art media rendered two dimensionally on paper. This course is recommended for students becoming B.A., B.F.A. Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking majors.
Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
This course will address painting techniques in a variety of mediums. Emphasis will be placed on composition, painting materials and hazardous waste procedures. The techniques covered in this course will prepare students for future study in upper division courses and help them develop a professional portfolio of work.
Prerequisites: ART F105X; ART F162. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
3 Credits Offered As Demand Warrants
This class is designed for beginner students who are serious about learning to paint in translucent watercolor medium. No previous experience in watercolor painting is required. Emphasis will be placed on technical proficiency and creative expression. Students will engage with fundamental watercolor techniques, color theory, and composition.
Prerequisites: ART F105X. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
1 Credit Offered As Demand Warrants
This introductory course combines painting at outdoor locations with supporting lectures and indoor studios. Students will use drawings and small painted studies to produce finished oil/acrylic paintings. Concepts of space, light, color, composition, scale and elements of landscape paintings such as reflections, aerial and linear perspective will be addressed.
Prerequisites: Recommended: ART F105X; ART F213. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
Continued development of expressive skills in painting in any media. Emphasis on pictorial and conceptual problems.
Prerequisites: ART F213. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
Individual experimentation and technical/conceptual development in painting. Can be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.
Prerequisites: ART F313. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
This course promotes individual exploration through watercolor painting. Students develop a cohesive body of work to expand technical skills, experiment conceptually, and refine their artistic voice. Each student creates a proposal that challenges their abilities and collaborates with the professor to establish a clear plan of action.
Prerequisites: ART F223.
Study of field artists and their work, from explorer artists of yesteryear to today's field artists using varieties of traditional and contemporary media in their creations. Students will conceive and conduct their own study projects, producing a body of work that will demonstrate the principles and practice of field artists.
Prerequisites: ART F105X; a studio art course (ART F161, ART F162, ART F163, ART F205, ART F211, ART F213 or ART F283); COM F131X or COM F141X. Cross-listed with ACNS F424. Stacked with ART F624; ACNS F624. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
This advanced course combines painting at outdoor locations with supporting lectures and indoor studios. Students will use drawings and small painted studies to produce finished oil/acrylic paintings. Concepts of space, light, color, composition, scale and elements of landscape paintings such as reflections, aerial and linear perspective will be addressed.
Prerequisites: ART F313, ART F333. Attributes: UAF Degree Humanities Req
3 Credits Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
This class provides a foundation of practical information for students as they begin to consider various career options in the visual arts. Topics include documentation, websites, promotion and description, exhibit installation methods, marketing, developing application materials for residencies and grants, as well as issues of health and safety.
Prerequisites: Junior standing. Stacked with ART F688.
1-6 Credits Offered Fall and Spring
Exploration of selected topics in painting with lectures, demonstrations, independent research and production of painting at a level commensurate with graduate standing. May be repeated for credit.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Sasha Bitzer
Assistant Professor of Printmaking & Painting
Ready to create? Apply to UAF and develop your artistic practice while working alongside faculty and fellow artists.
Have questions about the program? Connect with our department and learn more about degree options, studio concentrations and opportunities for emerging artists.
Explore scholarships and funding opportunities available to art students.
