Atelier Training
Immersive training in the classical realist traditions — with an emphasis on the Florentine lineage and the Boston School.
Courses of Study: Drawing and Painting
This program is an opportunity to study in the atelier method using the sight-size technique to develop a strong foundation in drawing and painting.
Drawing students develop foundational drawing skills by completing two-dimensional Bargue drawings, and then advancing to cast drawing from life. Bargue and cast drawings are an essential aspect to atelier training, a prerequisite to studying oil painting, and recommended to any artist wishing to learn or enhance knowledge of: proportions, tonal values, quality of line, chiaroscuro, form, and composition. Eventually students may make copies of works by Old Masters, as well as portraits from life. Thorough familiarity with the best techniques for use with pencil, charcoal and various papers will be acquired.
Painting students create paintings of casts, still life setups, and portraits, making observations directly from life under natural light. This allows the student the opportunity to observe the properties of light, and shadow, as they exist in nature. The quality of light represented in a work of art has long been revered as one of the most important elements of good — or great — painting. The techniques presented will help to achieve this effect in one’s painting.
WINTER TERM
January 5 – February 27, 2026 (8 weeks)
SCHEDULE & TUITION
Scheduling available Tuesdays – Saturdays. All sessions are 3 hours long – during which students work on projects independently or together and receive guidance from Jonathan.
Morning session: 9am-12pm
Afternoon session: 1-4pm
Evening session: 5-8pm
3 sessions per week – $2,500/term ($1,250/month)
5 sessions per week – $3,500/term ($1,750/month)
*Studio apprenticeships have reduced rates with increased responsibilities, and are offered by invitation.
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Sessions are offered Tuesday — Saturday. Students may coordinate with the studio from the following:
Morning Session
9:00am – 12:00pm
Afternoon Session
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Evening Session
5:00pm – 8:00pm
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Students reserve their set weekly sessions at the start of the term. Your chosen sessions remain consistent throughout the 8-week period to support continuity and progress.
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Yes. You may choose any combination of available sessions, provided your selections remain the same weekly.
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Tuition is billed per term, and full payment is required to secure your place in the term. Monthly equivalents are listed only for ease of comparison.
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The Studio welcomes:
Working professionals
Serious emerging artists
Returning students
Dedicated beginners seeking classical technique
Flexible scheduling allows students to pursue rigorous study within a professional or family-centered life.
The Instructor
Jonathan Sherman studied and taught in ateliers in Florence, Italy, before returning to the United States to establish his own studio. He first trained at Charles H. Cecil Studios, where he studied under Charles Cecil — a direct heir to the Boston School tradition through R.H. Ives Gammell and Richard Lack. Building on this lineage, Jonathan continues the practice of classical realism with his own perspective and love of naturalism — an approach that demands both mastery and transcendence of technique. For more than twenty years, he has trained aspiring artists in the development of their craft while continuing to produce original and commissioned paintings. His works, grounded in the principles and techniques of the 15th–19th century masters, are held in private and corporate collections across the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Notes from Students
“Jonathan Sherman is a magnificent artist who has extraordinary insight into the mind and experiences of a developing artist. He has expertly guided me to develop a foundation of tried and true old master methods, more efficiently than I ever imagined. His individualized guidance has been pivotal for me as an artist and, in many ways, personally transformative. I am deeply grateful.” – S. Shea
“Jonathan teaches with passion and a conviction that his students can rise to what he asks of them. He makes excellence feel possible and sustains you in the work. My time at the studio was a gift.” — M. Yassine
Classical Atelier Training vs. Contemporary Art Programs in Boston
Many well-known institutions in the Boston area, such as SMFA, MassArt, RISD and museum-based programs, focus on contemporary, conceptual, or interdisciplinary art education. Classical atelier training is a different pedagogical lineage, emphasizing observing and working from life in the sight-size method, and direct transmission of lineages that date back for thousands of years including the great Masters from the 15th to 19th centuries — Leonardo da Vinci, Velasquez, Rembrandt, and Sargent — whose philosophies and practices have been kept alive in the atelier tradition.
Scheduling
To sign up or inquire about study, contact the Studio by telephone at (781) 502-8822, e-mail or the form below.