Vitruvian Fine Art Studio

I have take four classes here. David and Melinda are wonderful artists and teachers, a rare combination.

I have been taking classes for a few months with the weekday session, and the experience has definitely exceeded my expectations. Here are the main reasons that I really enjoyed the class:
1. Structured curriculum — Even though the class-​size is really small (5 – 10 students), and you get individualized instructions all the time, there is a basic structure to the course that all students follow. I love how there is a structure to the instructions, progressing gradually from lines into basic shapes and eventually into paintings. With this structured approach, drawing seems a lot less intimidating to a newbie!
2. Private coaching — The instructors are nearly always available to give one-​on-​one coaching. Whereas they offer really good advice on your work, they at the same time really respect the personal character of your own creation. Even at the beginner level, I feel like my individualistic expressions are respected and therefore am encouraged to develop my own style.
3. Approachable instructors — This is the main reason why I picked this place instead of taking some non-​credit adult courses at the Art Institute. The instructor reviews really concerned me; without any formal training/​background in drawing, I am afraid of studying with instructors who do not take the time to understand students’ needs and undermine the creative abilities of others. Therefore, after looking up the Unilocal reviews for Vitruvian and talking to David over the phone, I believed that I was willing to trade-​off the location convenience (I live in the loop) for better experience as a student. I am so glad that I made the right decision on this one!
4. Flexibility — Whereas there are definitely some scheduling constraints due to capacity limitations, the instructors are extremely helpful in working out a schedule that works well for you. There were a couple of times when I had to change my class times due to travel plans/​personal commitments, and the instructors were very understanding of those needs.
5. Classmates at all levels — Although I have not had too much interaction with my classmates, I find it amusing to be in the same class with student at all levels. It is encouraging to see the kind of work I’d eventually be able to complete as I progress through the program.
This class is definitely worth your investment, regardless of whether you want to pick up a new hobby or eventually become a professional in the art space — 5+ Stars!!!

Some are intimidated by the words «realism» and «traditional,» but if you want to learn to draw, paint and sculpt well, no matter your personal style or aesthetic, Vitruvian is the BEST place to go.
Not only are both instructors/​owners extremely skilled, but they have decades of combined experience in instruction, and know how to systematically and effectively develop an artist from beginners to veterans
They’re both also great people to be around, and classes can be as fun as they are challenging. They’re new Saturday format is extremely flexible, and great for beginners, and people with irregular schedules.

I’ve been taking David’s Sunday figure class for the past 6 months and not only can I see great improvement in my drawing, I find myself looking forward to each class because it’s actually fun and relaxing and I know I will come away having learned something new each time. David is a great guy and to say he’s got a natural teaching ability is an understatement. I only wish that I had found the place years ago. The atmosphere in the studio is casual and still professional, the students are friendly and the studio is kept clean. There is nothing else to say– this is the place to go.

I had taken figure drawing and anatomy with David Jameson in the past. I have also taken some Figure Drawing with Melinda as well. I will tell you, they are as good as it gets. They are the two people that I tell everybody about, ALL the time when it comes to learning how to draw, paint or sculpt. They both have different teaching methods both work very well!
David Jameson is very laid back, has awesome technical advice, and has you look and see the figure in different ways. He has a very great sense of precision and attention to detail. He has you understand everything that is going on in the figure, from within, anatomically, to the out with color, light and shade. He teaches patience, and to not worry about tackling everything at once, which most beginners tend to do. He is my Role Model.
Melinda, is Awesome! She tells it how it is. She believes in everything that David does, all the measuring and looking, but she will really get in your head and flips the switch for you if you are struggling. I remember I was taking a figure drawing class with David, it was a 3 day pose, and David wasn’t able to be in the class for personal reasons (which was very rare), and Melinda took over for the day. The 2^nd day into the drawing, I found a groove. I had my music blasting and I was feeling great about my drawing. The lines were great, The shadows and highlights were awesome! I was feeling on top of the world… Then Melinda comes over and looks at it, she compliments my line work, my shadows and lighting, but asks me, what do I see wrong with it. I wasn’t really sure what she was talking about, to me it was an awesome looking picture, but she had me re-​look at it again from a distance. Although, the picture looked awesome, it didn’t really look like the model. You see, sometimes models do not sit exactly the same way as the do the day before, and my measurements were thrown off a little from the day before. I was kind of naïve, I felt that the picture looked great, but she told me-​What do you want to do? Do you want to make a nice picture? Or, do you want to make a realistic picture that captures the model? That flipped the switch on me, what was I doing? So I took my eraser out and retook my measurements and I felt it all come together.
If you are serious about wanting to learn fine art, there are no two people I would recommend more than David and Melinda! I was fortunate to have about a year or or so with them and I felt that I only scratched the surface of what potential I am able to learn from them. They are two people that I cannot learn enough from, and feel very privileged and honored to have had a class with them!
Here is the portrait that I was talking about in Davids class when Melinda filled in:

Here is a light study of drapery that David had us do in class as well:
Mind you, I was younger when I drew these, my art has improved, but I owe much of my improvement to David and Melinda.
Thank you David and Melinda, and I look forward to working with you some more in the near future!
Very Respectfully,
Israel Molina

I studied art in the 70’s and 80’s at the Tute and at Circle. This class is better than any figure drawing class I ever had. We are learning technical methods of proper measuring procedures in order to accurately render the figure. This is not sloppy, quickie «gesture» drawing.