Portfolio Prep + Drawing Skills

white 13 year old girl with long fingernails drawing a fantastical hamburger with it cartoonish eyes and the bottom bun open so it looks like a mouth with cheese dripping. she's drawing with a graphite pencil.

Edie working on her “Fantastical Sandwich” drawing, age 13

CONGRATULATIONS! to ALL of the 2023 P.A.W. Portfolio Program graduates for getting into these top NYC Art High Schools: LaGuardia, Sinatra, Art & Design, Murrow, and Brooklyn High School of the Arts!!!

REGISTER NOW for summer, and fall programs.

Build a winning portfolio while learning to draw from life in a kind and rigorous program, or just come to learn observational drawing.

SUMMER:

AUGUST: Observational Drawing 101*  August 29th & 30th

Take this intensive as a pre-requisite for my fall portfolio programs. If you feel your young artist does not need this course then please email me images of their observational drawing and I may be able to wave the prerequisite. peppitoartworkshop@gmail.com

FALL:

In PAW’s Figure Drawing + Fantastical Sandwich Portfolio afterschool program we will focus on beginning and completing these two very important required portfolio pieces. If artists also still need to get support completing or starting their self portraits or still life drawings I can help with those pieces. But, the primary focus will be on the Figure Drawing and Fantastical Sandwich.

Figure Drawing + Fantastical Sandwich (Tuesdays)

10 weeks: Sept 10, 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov 12, 19, 4 - 6pm

*Prerequisite: AUGUST: Drawing 101 intensive or Portfolio 1 - or email me to see if you qualify without prerequisite

Figure Drawing + Fantastical Sandwich (Wednesdays)

10 weeks:  Sept 11, 18, 25, Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov 13, 20, 4 - 6pm

*Prerequisite: AUGUST: Drawing 101 intensive or Portfolio 1 - or email me to see if you qualify without prerequisite

About Portfolio Prep

NY artist Julie Peppito teaches 6th, 7th and 8th graders skills to develop their artwork and create winning portfolios and in the process they learn how to draw from observation. Her Portfolio Programs are also open to those who just want to learn how to draw from observation but are not interested or aren’t sure if they want to build a portfolio. All of her programs “require students to first take an Observational Drawing 101 Intensive unless otherwise approved. Alumni of PAW’s Portfolio Prep have gone on to highly ranked art programs across the city including La Guardia, Murrow, Art & Design, Sinatra, and Brooklyn High School of the Arts. *Julie can wave this requirement if she thinks the artist will be able to keep up in the other portfolio classes without it. If you would like her to review their work to see if it can be waved then please email here at peppitoartworkshop@gmail.com. But, they will be much better prepared to create their portfolios if they can take this workshop.

Over the course of the program artists will create the four primary requirements for portfolios: still life, self portrait, figure drawing and the “fantastical sandwich”. Perhaps more importantly teens will learn the skill of observational drawing that will change the way they see the world and enrich their lives. In addition to acting as a teacher, coach, cheerleader, and skill builder, Peppito creates a supportive environment where students grow bonds through their shared interest in art, while being held accountable to their goals. SCROLL DOWN to see how it works.

How it Works

Please start in 6th or 7th grade, or the summer of 7th grade - it is stressful it is for parents and artists to begin in the fall of their 8th grade year. Portfolios are due in early December of 8th grade. It is very hard for students to hone their observational drawings skills and make all of the required pieces in such a short amount of time. They are trying to balance so much: studying for SHSAT, attending open houses, homework and portfolio prep.

Please Note: Drawing 101 is a prerequisite for still life, self portrait, figure drawing, and fantastical sandwich portfolio programs. It can be waved with approval from Julie. Email her at peppitoartworkshop@gmail.com.

Supplies: ALL SUPPLIES ARE INCLUDED
Dates /Hours (school year): 4pm - 6pm , Tuesdays & Wednesdays

Dates /Hours (summer): they vary, see registration page
Location: Kensington, BK (near PS130/MS 839)
Ages: 6th, 7th and 8th graders
Class size: 8 - 10* artists (requires minimum 6)

If you are unable to pay the full amount due to financial hardship please email: peppitoartworkshop@gmail.com

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Observational Drawing 101

Pre-requisite for all other portfolio classes.

In this class artists learn the foundational skills to draw from observation, and graphite pencil skills (most pieces are required to be drawn in pencil). Since this is the basic skill needed for most of the required portfolio pieces students need it to be able to dive into learning how to make a still life, self portrait and figure drawing.

P1: Still Life Drawing

In this class artists learn the foundational skills to draw from observation, graphite and colored pencil skills (most pieces are required to be drawn in pencil).

*Observational Drawing 101 is a prerequisite

P2: Self Portraits*

Students will learn about facial proportions, how to draw eyes, noses and mouths from observation and then put them together into a portrait of themselves.

*Observational Drawing 101 is a prerequisite.

P3: Figure Drawing + Fantastical Sandwich*

Artists learn the basic proportions of the human body and how to draw a friend or family member by breaking the figure down into simple shapes and then building up layers of detail. They will also create the only imagination based piece required for some portfolios, a “fantastical sandwich”. They will research reference images that inspire them and learn what makes something dreamlike. Artists will study realism and surrealism and discuss what the differences are and how they can use design and compositional elements such as scale, contrast and balance to make stand out portfolio pieces.

*Observational Drawing 101 is a prerequisite.

a very realistically rendered figure drawing in graphite or a woman sitting in an leather arm chair, her legs are crossed and her elbow is resting on the arm of the chair. she's looking pensively to her right, her chin is lightly resting on her hand.

Marlo’s figure drawing, age 13

“Julie’s art program was incredibly helpful in my art portfolio creation journey. The classes improved my art technique substantially, and Julie is a very kind teacher who always gave great advice. Without her classes, I wouldn’t have had the proper work schedule and motivation I needed to create my portfolio. I couldn’t have gotten into LaGuardia without her, and I am so grateful I had her as my teacher.”  

-Marlo, LaGuardia student

Lilith’s Fantastical Sandwich, age 13

portrait of a 13 year old girl with long dark hair drawn in graphite pencil very realistically. She is looking straight ahead with her eyes, her head is slightly turned to her left.

Mauve’s self portrait, age 13

graphite pencil still life drawing of a mug with an abstract Chinese floral pattern on it, an apple on top of the cup, a bottle with a sculpted hand decorating it leans tilted onto the side of the cup. it is very realistically rendered in detail.

Ozali’s still life drawing, age 13

a boy with long curly brownish blond hair looks down while he draws in pencil. A girl with long browish blond hair looking up at the camera has both of her thumbs up and an exuberant mouth open mocking smile.

Elijah and Fern just completed their portfolios!