For Summer 2024, we are offering two week-long sessions: one in June, and one in August!

June Program: June 10 – 14, 2024 
August Program: August 5 - 9, 2024

Students are welcome to sign up for just one session, or both! The June curriculum is repeated in August, so if your student registers for both programs, we recommend choosing two different studios.

Animation

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Learn how to animate this summer! Students in this all-day hybrid studio explore a number of different animation techniques such as flip books, hand drawn morphing, cut outs, 3D claymation stop-motion animation, and 2D digital techniques in Adobe Animate.

Cartoon viewing and discussions will draw inspiration for young artists to create their own reel with music and sound effects! Students will learn how to create and storyboard their ideas, draw characters to animate, and create instant stop-motion masterpieces. Students will also collaborate with group projects to make more complex animations. All animations will be screened during the program exhibition for families to see.

Architecture & Interior Design

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Chances are that your child’s first drawing of a house was a square with a triangle-shaped roof, two windows, a door, and a chimney. This studio allows participants to explore the world of architecture and interior design through form and space.

In the morning, this studio explores what constitutes a space and how we can define it using different mediums. Through a range of mini-projects, students learn how to bring their imagined spaces into reality, building 3D models with their hands, and then create an architectural project of their own design. Mini projects involve sketching, model making with a variety of materials, storytelling, and writing. We will also exercise our speaking and listening skills as students explain their ideas to others!

In the afternoon students begin with looking at a variety of interior designs for inspiration, learning how to take measurements within the classroom, and considering some of the issues around creating a built space for people and activities.

Our young designers then embark on designing their own floor plan of an imagined cafe/gallery, retail, or play space in San Francisco. Students create a vision board with materials, fabric, furniture, colors to accompany their floor plan. They also do a little bit of role playing to see what it is like to be a client or to work for a client.

Ceramics & Drawing

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In this exciting and hands-on studio, students will have the opportunity to explore both 3D and 2D concepts through ceramics and drawing.

In the morning studio, our young artists work with their instructor to explore the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing. A number of sessions focus on drawing from a clothed/costumed model, while others investigate both traditional and nontraditional approaches to various subjects, including drawing from observation, nature, architecture, and abstraction. Students will develop the ability to see and then translate visual experience into drawing, using pencil, charcoal, pastel, and other media.

In the afternoon sessions students experiment with the expressive potential of clay through a variety of hand building (coil, slab, and pinching techniques). Color, line, shape, form, and texture will be investigated as students develop their personal visions with clay.

Comics & Visual Storytelling

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POW! ZIF! BAM! Cartoon drawing students learn the language of comics in this exciting studio, exploring everything from superheroes and manga to the Sunday funnies.

In this studio, students flex their creative muscles, learning how to design memorable iconic characters, cinematic composition, and advanced comic storytelling techniques.

From informal concept sketches to more finished storyboards, visual storytelling explores how to tell a story through sequential pictures. This skill is important for all kinds of artists, including animators, filmmakers, comic makers, illustrators, painters, and writers.

The studio looks at live-action movie and animation clips as well as graphic novels to learn the basics of telling a story through visual means, including the significance of different points of view, close ups, and far shots. Students may work with a variety of mediums, including pencil, pens, collage, and photographs to convey their own ideas.

Graphic Design

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Graphic Design is everywhere! This hybrid 2D studio introduces students to the broad field and practice of graphic design through hand lettering and digital design.

Following a brief survey of the history of graphic design, the morning class examines contemporary design practice, including typography, color, layout, grid systems, symbol & identity, print and digital design.

Participants execute several projects, including creating their own logo with a design process used by many professional designers that includes sketching with tracing paper and hand lettering and coloring techniques.

In the afternoon our young designers will input their designs into Adobe Illustrator for further refinement and personalization. This includes adapting their logos to create unique avatars, products, or a comprehensive brand. No prior Adobe Illustrator experience needed as the foundations and most popular techniques will be taught. Given the varied making practices in graphic design and illustration, this studio will alternate meeting in a classroom and computer lab.

Fashion Design & Illustration

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Think like a fashion designer.

Focusing on drawing and design thinking in equal measure, students explore what it means to be a fashion designer, learning how to communicate their ideas while designing their own fashion collection.

Working with drawing, collage, textile design, and basic draping techniques, students investigate how to express color, pattern and movement through fashion.

Students also learn about fashion trends and how fashion designers get inspiration for their designs.

Film & Photography

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Let's make a movie! Let’s take pictures! In this digital based studio, young artists will learn the fundamentals of film and photography as creative art forms, both magical and inspiring.

In the morning class, students dive immediately into filmmaking. Working in teams, every student has the opportunity to experience the many roles on set -- from writing to directing to acting, cinematography, editing, art department, and more. Working with film language, digital cameras, lighting, sound recorders, script writing, and editing software, students immerse themselves in the conceptual and technical fundamentals of narrative and non-narrative filmmaking. The final short film, which students can upload online, will be screened at the closing exhibition.

The afternoon studio provides the opportunity for students to create visually exciting digital photographs using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to produce professional quality prints. In addition to print production, the class explores alternative approaches and uses of photography through the scanning of images, production of handmade books and 'zines, and using the internet as a medium for exhibition and publication.

Required equipment: Must provide your own digital camera.*

*We can work with students who do not have digital cameras to use CCA equipment while on campus.

Illustration & Drawing

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Illustrators are the visual storytellers of our time.

From children’s books to magazine covers, movie storyboards, web images, posters, and pattern design, the world sees the art of an illustrator everywhere.

In the morning studio, students explore the art of illustration working with both dry and wet media to convey their ideas. Discussions of different illustrators and techniques will further their understanding of the different creative paths that a professional illustrator may take.

In the afternoon studio, our young artists work with their instructor to explore the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing. A number of sessions focus on drawing from a clothed/costumed model, while others investigate both traditional and nontraditional approaches to various subjects, including drawing from observation, nature, architecture, and abstraction.

Students will develop the ability to see and then translate visual experience into drawing, using pencil, charcoal, pastel, and other media.

Jewelry Making & Metal Arts

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This immersive studio explores the many methods of creating both jewelry and small-scale sculptures. After watching demonstrations of riveting, forming, metal fabrication, and other techniques, students begin their own experiments using non-precious materials such as copper and brass.

Participants develop unique combinations of elements, and have the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry and small-scale sculptures in sterling silver or another material.

Students are encouraged to bring in old chains, nuts, bolts, washers, small toys, and costume jewelry to use in their new creations.

Painting & Drawing

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Cave paintings dating back 25,000 years testify to the human urge to create images. Students explore the expressive medium of painting through a variety of subjects, working both from observation and imagination.

In the morning, students explore the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing.

In the afternoon session participants experiment with composition, content, color, and scale, while learning the technical aspects of using acrylic paint.

The focus of this studio is developing the ability to see and then translate visual experience, through investigations of both traditional and nontraditional approaches to various subjects, including nature, architecture, abstraction, and the figure.

Printmaking & Mixed Media

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Have you ever wished you could make multiple copies of a favorite drawing? Printmaking, one of the first methods of mass communication, allows artists to do just that. In ancient times, some people even thought magic was involved.

In this exciting studio, students create their own original prints using techniques such as monoprint, relief, and basic screenprinting. In learning these various printmaking techniques, students will explore infinite opportunities of mark making, achieving various motivations of creating printed works and to support the development of amplifying one’s artistic interests and understanding each print process.

Students will gain knowledge in handling inks, plate preparation, paper, registration, presses, and other basic equipment of the medium. 

An afternoon session dedicated to mixed media techniques will introduce young artists to experimenting with mixing and matching painting, drawing and collage techniques to create mixed media works. Students will learn how to create layers and textures with wet materials (such as paint and ink) and dry materials (such as pencil and oil pastels). All will be encouraged to take chances emphasizing the creative process of experimentation for developing personal style.

Sculpture & Drawing

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In this studio, students explore drawing beyond the frame. Sculpture enables artists to break free of the flat page and express ideas in three dimensions. The emphasis is on concept, design, and fun in generating new ideas. Group activities fuel the creative process.

Particular emphasis during the morning session is given to drawing as discovery, experimenting with line, tone, texture, scale and composition, and developing a range of new skills by working with different subjects. Students will explore the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing working from the figure, landscape, and more.

Students are introduced to alternative methods of drawing, alongside experimenting with charcoal and graphite, pastels, ink and mixed media.

During the afternoon session the work is transformed by moving from drawings to 3D. They will experiment with clay techniques and art expression through a series of introductory clay hand building projects.  Color, line, shape, form, and texture will be investigated as students develop their personal visions with sculptural material including clay, wire, paper maché, and cardboard. Projects will deepen the student's ability to use imagination and creativity to think like an artist.

Office of Youth Programs and Continuing Education

Contact us at Youth Programs and Continuing Education

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Youth Program Scholarship Donations

Help make it possible for a young person with financial need to have a meaningful art experience at CCA.

Scholarship donations in any amount go toward our summer youth programs.

Contact us at Youth Programs and Continuing Education