2026 Art Bootcamps - Registration Now Open!

Student 6Th to 12th grade

This program is designed for middle school and high school students for improving drawing skills and producing art works for their college application portfolio. This is not only for those who want to major in art, but also great for students who want to use art as an extra curriculum to enhance their applications for any major like the sciences or liberal arts.


(Students may come as early as 8:30am for free reading time and can stay after 12pm to volunteer with the K-12 camp (please notify staff when registering)

2026 Summer Camp Dates:

All bootcamp classes are 9:00 AM–12:00 PM unless listed as PM (1:00–4:00 PM).

6/1 - 6/5:

  • AM_ Figure Drawing_ with instructor Jae

  • PM_ Digital: Procreate_ with instructor Camille

6/8 - 6/12:

  • AM_ Contemporary Still Life: Exploring the Everyday_ with Instructor Jae

6/15 - 6/19:

  • AM_ Art Portfolio Bootcamp/ Research, Write, Format_ with Instructor Jae

6/22 - 6/26:

  • AM_ Art Portfolio Bootcamp/ Research, Write, Format_ with Instructor Jae

6/29 - 7/3:

  • AM_ Figurative Sculpture — with instructor TBA (+$50 fee for materials and firing)

7/6 - 7/10:

  • AM_ Figure Drawing _with instructor Lulu

7/13 - 7/17:

  • AM_ Contemporary Portraiture with art history base_ with instructor TBA

7/20 - 7/24:

  • AM_ Gestural Ink & Observational Drawing_ with instructor Lulu

  • PM_ Narrative Comics_ with instructor Ben

7/27 - 7/31:

  • AM_ Large Format Painting -with instructor Nenad

  • PM_ Digital: Photoshop _with instructor Camille

8/3 - 8/7:

  • AM_ Figure Drawing_ with instructor Jae

  • PM_ Cartooning the Figure_ with instructor Ben

8/10 - 8/14:

  • AM_ Portfolio_ with instructor Jae

Register_ Summer Bootcamp_at USARTS
 
 
 
 

Method

The curriculum will be tailored to each student's needs, guided by professional artists. We will focus on sharpening their observation skills through high detail rendering practice and introduce various college-level techniques. The instructor will constantly be encouraging and challenging the students' current level to push them to the next.

Why Middle School Students

From our past experience, high school students often realize that they need more skill to build a competitive portfolio. So we intend to help current middle school students put in time and effort into their fine art training now and be prepared for when they need it most.

Camp Class schedule: Monday to Wednesday

  • 9:00am to 12:00pm_ AM Art class (with half hour break)  

  • 12:00pm to 1:00 pm_ Lunch Break

  • 1:00pm to 4:00 pm**_ PM Art class (with half hour break)

     **Please check schedule before registering.

    Tuition

  • Am Camp, 9am-12pm: $435/week or use 10 classes from yearly registration

  • Pm Camp,1pm-4pm: ** $435/ week or use classes 10 from yearly registration

  • Both Am and Pm camp: ** $827

    **(Afternoon bootcamp options subject to availability. Please verify with the camp schedule above before registering for PM bootcamps )

    10% off of additional weeks if registering for multiple weeks

  • Priority registration is available for students signing up for the full week! Registration for individual days available on Sunday before the camp week starts. Daily drop-in rate is $97/ day

  • Supplies are not provided and may very by camp. We will email you a supply list after registration.

Cancelations: There will be a $35 or one class cancelation fee if cancel one week ahead. There will be a $100 or two classes cancelation fee if canceled less than one week ahead by 8pm on the Saturday before camp starts. If cancel after 8pm on the Saturday before the camp starts or after the camp started, there will be no credit or refund.

 
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What you will learn:

Contemporary Still Life: Exploring the Everyday

Students will develop observational drawing and painting skills while exploring contemporary ways of interpreting everyday objects. This bootcamp blends technical foundations

Portfolio Bootcamp: Research, Writing & Concept Development

This structured bootcamp helps students develop personal artistic direction through research, guided prompts, and conceptual exploration. Students learn how to identify themes, build cohesive bodies of work, and write short artist statements—valuable preparation for AP Art and future portfolio development.

Figurative Sculpture in Clay

A fantastic introduction to three-dimensional art for students who primarily work in 2D media. Through figurative clay sculpture, students explore volume, form, and the human figure while developing a deeper spatial and tactile understanding of art.

Figure Drawing

A traditional academic figure drawing bootcamp focused on proportion, gesture, structure, volume, movement, and anatomical observation. This focused program helps students strengthen foundational drawing skills while developing confidence in accurately capturing the human figure.

Creative Portraiture with an Art History Foundation

A thoughtfully designed portraiture bootcamp that builds strong traditional foundations while encouraging creative interpretation. Students explore facial structure, proportion, expression, perspective, and foreshortening while drawing inspiration from significant portrait artists throughout art history, making this an excellent opportunity for both skill development and portfolio-worthy work.

Digital Illustration with Procreate

A creative digital bootcamp designed for students in grades 5/6–12 who want to explore digital art from the ground up. Students will learn essential Procreate tools, digital drawing and painting techniques, layering, brushes, color, and workflow, while building the skills to create their own original digital artwork by the end of the bootcamp.

Digital Art & Photoshop

Students will learn foundational drawing techniques, photo editing, compositing, and digital art workflows while developing the skills to create original artwork and gain confidence in a valuable contemporary creative medium.

Large Format Painting

Designed for students ready to think bigger, this fast- paced instructional bootcamp explores the unique challenges and opportunities of large-scale painting. Students develop stronger compositional thinking, spatial awareness, color decision-making, and confident brushwork while creating impactful works that can become strong portfolio pieces.

Narrative Comics

This imaginative bootcamp focuses on visual storytelling through character development, story structure, sequencing, and expressive illustration. Students create original comic narratives while learning how to communicate action, emotion, and storytelling through art.

Cartooning the Figure

A fun and skill-building twist on traditional figure drawing, this bootcamp teaches students how foundational concepts like anatomy, proportion, gesture, and movement translate into cartoon, manga, and stylized illustration. Understanding the fundamentals gives students the tools to exaggerate, simplify, and create with confidence.