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In this 4-week class, students will explore how patterns function within two-dimensional artworks and how they can be combined to form cohesive compositions. The class is grounded in direct observation and study of pattern-rich and compositionally compelling works from the Denver Art Museum’s collections and exhibitions.

Students will learn analytical methods for examining repetitions, structural organization, compositional movement, combination of patterns, and deliberate color relationships. Through focused gallery-based sketch studies using colored pencils and notebooks, students will practice schematizing and simplifying complex artworks into clear visual systems. Through this process, they will develop a technical approach to seeing, enabling students to abstract compositions, identify dominant shapes and rhythmic structures, and better understand visual decision-making of the artist.

Studio work extends this analytical inquiry into practice. Students will create painted pattern papers that are cut, reorganized, and assembled into new compositions. This class emphasizes composition as both a perceptual and generative tool, fostering visual literacy, structural clarity, and experimental exploration through painting, drawing, and pattern-making techniques.

*Students will purchase their own materials and should expect to spend $60-75.