An instructor and student reviewing drawings together at a studio table surrounded by finished paintings.

Prima Materia Art Institute

Premium art education for all

Live instruction, portfolio mentorship, and structured programs for total beginners through advanced artists.

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Free consultation: (802) 505-7624

30+ years

Teaching artists

6 days/week

Interactive live sessions

4.9 stars

Loved since 1995

All levels

From "stick figures" to life-long artists.

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Choose the path that matches your goals

Two guided paths: one builds a college art portfolio, the other helps you learn to draw and paint for yourself.

A student standing next to his large scale portrait painting.

Learn & create for yourself

You want to learn how to draw and paint, and enjoy a creative practice with no deadline.

See this path

A portfolio student standing in front of her large scale painting.

Build a college art portfolio

You're building an art portfolio for art school, or as a competitive edge for STEM majors.

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Courses starting soon

Live classes run 6 days a week. Here's what you can still join.

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Upcoming live
Essential Drawing Course for Beginner
Tuesdays, Jan 5th 2027 – Mar 23rd 2027 · 5:30 PM – 7:00 PMOnline12 classesBeginner
In 12 classes, you’ll learn the techniques of drawing from the beginning. The drawings above are by students who joined this course as absolute beginners. You will build the skills by rendering objects and environments with a teaching method found nowhere else. All drawings will be created in monochrome (black and white) to focus on the basics: light and shadow, line, and dimension.
$525View course

Taking more than one course? Members save up to 50%

From on-demand recordings on your own schedule to unlimited live sessions with real-time feedback.

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Our teaching method

How we train our artists

Ideally, painting happens at the subconscious level, as if by intuition. Our method trains observation and perception first so the hand becomes a free flow of the mind, and skills follow naturally.

Read about our approach

01
The Importance of Observation
We start by clearing away assumed views and habitual brushwork. A real style comes after the ability to see.
Clear the habits that block seeing
02
A 12-hour transformation
Refined over 30 years with thousands of students: roughly 12 hours of individualized exercises.
~12 hours of guided exercises
03
Artistic Seeing
Learn the skill of creating a convincing illusion of reality by hand through the understanding of laws of perception.
Laws of perception → convincing form

Student voices

We believe everyone is an artist

From first-time hobbyists to students accepted at schools like NYU and Gnomon, real progress shows up in the work and in their own words.

View student portfolios

Kathy T. standing next to her large scale painting.

After 1.5 years with Prima Materia

Kathy T. · Start-Up Founder

Adrian G. standing in the studio in front of a wall of large scale paintings.

After 8 months with Prima Materia

Adrian G. · High schooler

Jayce B. standing beside a large-scale mixed-media painting of a hand.

Accepted to Pratt and SVA

Jayce B. · High schooler

In their own words

All testimonials

“Because of this school art has turned out to be the most fun thing in my life! Need I say more!”

Denise Wright · Google

“In 3 hours, I actually learned what drawing was all about and succeeded in making my first piece of art!”

Janet J. · Yelp

“Best art school I ever attended! Very inspirational and the instructor and staff are so helpful that even the least confident students become confident artists with beautiful creations.”

Katherine C. · Yelp

Our programs