Peru Academy of Art

The Peru Academy of Art was founded in 2024, and was created to provide a full-time and part-time academic art program in Peru. Local artists in Peru and neighboring countries no longer have to travel across continents to pursue a technically proficient realist art education. This gives the South American people without the means necessary to move great distances to learn classical art. Likewise, this gives international students the chance to gain a proper art education while immersing themselves in the rich historical and cultural aspects of Peru. 

In ancient Incan culture, Wiracocha is known as the god of the universe and of all creation. This Peruvian god is the official logo of The Peru Academy of Art, as a tribute to our ancestry, and a reminder that we are all capable of making great creations in this world.

In the 19th century, Peruvian artists often traveled to Europe to study and learn from the Great Masters, as there were no educational resources in their home countries. Upon returning to Peru, they faced numerous challenges, including a lack of exhibition spaces and overall opportunities. As a result, many classically trained Peruvian artists during this time fled the country in search for better opportunities, and to have a higher likelihood of making a living as a traditional artist. The Peru Academy of Art directly addresses the concern of artists from past centuries in Peru, creating more opportunities for local artists (as well as foreign artists) to have a proper classical art education. The Peru Academy will also provide career advice, networking opportunities and will have a gallery space, futher allowing our graduates to establish themselves in this country. 

In the 21st century, we welcome all academic artists from around the world to Peru. The Peru Academy of Art will provide local Peruvians with the opportunity to learn from top-level artists in the comfort of their own country, and allow them to interact with international artists around the world.

Year 1: Drawing

 Description:

During the first year, students will focus on learning how to draw using a thorough process, emphasizing strong observational skills and technical accuracy. In the mornings, students will be drawing from plaster casts from life to learn how to master the block-in process and render form. In the afternoons, we will be drawing and rendering the figure from life. The sight-size and comparative method will be used throughout the course of this year for all drawings.

Sculpture is also an integral part of the First Year. Students will deepen their understanding of three-dimensional structure and spatial relationships using clay. In-depth lectures will also be provided over the year. Topics will include art history, perspective and anatomy, and will equip students with the knowledge and understanding necessary to thrive as a successful artist.

All student levels are welcome for the First Year Core Program.

Year 2: Painting

 Description:

The Second Year is designed to help students successfully transition from drawing to painting. To make this shift as intuitive as possible, students will transition from graphite to charcoal, a medium that requires drawing using a painterly approach. Students will begin working on toned paper with charcoal and white chalk as well, allowing them to build both light and dark values in tandem. This will prepare students for painting with lights and darks.

Students will paint casts against colored backgrounds and drapery. While the casts are largely monochromatic, they subtly reflect the surrounding hues, which gently introduces students to the complexities of color relationships. Students will also create master copies using limited palettes, focusing on the Zorn Palette and the three double-primary palettes. These copies will allow students to study color mixing in a controlled environment before working from life.

Year 3: Painting and Composing

 Description:

In the Third Year, students will be building upon their foundational knowledge from the first and second year, and will begin exploring Still Life Composition and Advanced Sculpture. 

Students will begin working in an extended color palette this year. They will be painting 4-week figures from life, and complete personalized still life compositions in their own individual spaces. They will also be completing quick Alla Prima portraits to supplement their long-pose studies, and to be more well-rounded painters. 

The Ecorche will be introduced this year in the Advanced Sculpture program. This crucial component of the Third Year will deepen students’ understanding of anatomy, and most importantly, learn to create figures from memory that will ultimately inform their figures from life.