The Painting program at the University of South Alabama is centered around intense studio practice. Students are focused on traditional oil painting and drawing skills when they begin studying painting at the University of South Alabama. Once painting fundamentals are understood and demonstrated, students begin to delve deeper into the conceptual and abstract aspects of painting. Painting in our advanced courses engages students in semester long, focused projects that guide the student through complex and challenging concepts and skills designed to promote independent vision, problem solving and creative thought. While painting and drawing from life are central practices in the Painting program, students are also exposed to a broad range of ideas and approaches to color, composition and conceptualization. The Painting program is augmented by Special Topics: Painting, Color Theory and ongoing mural projects, where students participate in the execution and planning of professional mural projects.
Undergraduate majors in painting have Pre-Thesis and Senior Thesis Exhibition courses where they work independently on painting projects of their own conception. These classes take student’s work in many possible directions from traditional realism, to abstraction, multi-media, collage and illustration. These projects are exhibited in the Visual Arts Gallery and viewed by the entire Visual Art and University communities.