
See the world from a different perspective.
We are what we see: art helps us to see things in different ways. Communicating through colour, shape and form can awaken the imagination and open the doors of perception. If you love seeing the world from different perspectives, then our Visual Arts courses could be the place for you.
Visual Arts courses
From beginner level to advanced, our courses help you learn and practice your skills, and to express your views of the world. Our Visual Arts courses are fun, informative and—best of all—they are hands-on. Learn to create art using different media and techniques, including:
- drawing and sketching
- watercolour painting
- mixed media and collage
- calligraphy
- mark-making
- sculpture and three-dimensional forms
Some art courses have extra fees for materials: please see the individual course pages for more information.
- Advanced Methods in Portrait Drawing with Graphite
- Artist Books
- Basic Design Principles
- Basic Observational Drawing with Graphite
- Capture Better Smartphone Photos
- Cashing in on Your Photography
- Cattail Hat Weaving
- Cedar Weaving Workshop
- Character Design Studio
- Collage: Ideas, Materials and Process
- Collage – Value, Colour and Design
- Colour Theory
- Colour Theory for Digital Design
- Comics and Graphic Novels Studio
- Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting
- Creating a Visual Workbook
- Creating the Personal Archive
- Designing Fabric Patterns
- Digital Tools and Contemporary Painting
- Draw like a Surrealist
- Drawing Basics
- Drawing for Absolute Beginners
- Drawing Fundamentals
- Easy Mini Watercolours: Glazing and Negative Space – Leaves and Flowers
- Easy Mini Watercolours: Washes – Mist and Islands
- Easy Mini Watercolours: Volume – Pebbles
- Easy Mini Watercolours: Dry Brush – Mosses and Lichens
- Easy Mini Watercolours: Outdoor Seasonals
- Focus on Composition
- Forest Drawing
- Fundamentals of Perspective Drawing
- Graphic Design: Past, Present, and Future
- Illustration Essentials
- Image Transfer
- Interior Design 2: Materials and Finishes
- Interior Design Fundamentals
- Intermediate Adobe Illustrator
- Intermediate Adobe Photoshop
- Intermediate SketchUp
- Introduction to 3D Animation with Blender
- Introduction to Adobe After Effects
- Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
- Introduction to Adobe InDesign
- Introduction to Adobe Lightroom for Photographers
- Introduction to Adobe Photoshop
- Introduction to Collage
- Introduction to Design Thinking
- Introduction to Portrait Drawing with Graphite
- Introduction to SketchUp
- Introduction to Video Editing
- Introduction to Web Design
- iPhone as an Artist Tool
- Keeping a Sketchbook for Travel and Fun
- Life Stories: Art and the Stages of Life
- Low Impact Basketry
- Mapping with Thread
- Monoprinting with Acrylics
- Painting: Creative Responses
- Responsibilities and Reciprocity in the Place You are Now
- Room Without a Trace: Projection Possibilities and Installation Art
- The Art of Type
- The Group of Seven in Western Canada
- The North American Landscape
- Type and Image Studio
- Voice of the Drum Workshop
- Watercolour: Easy Mini Paintings
- Watercolour for Beginners Workshop
- Watercolours Taking Life

Online Art and Design Courses
The Division of Continuing Studies, in partnership with the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD), is pleased to offer online educational opportunities for interested, creative professionals.
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Unity® for Creative Technology
This micro-credential program builds on learners' existing abilities to quickly develop skills in creating compelling content for virtual environments in the growing creative technology sector, which includes augmented (AR) and virtual (VR) reality, gaming technology and digital animation.
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Just steps away from Jeannette Sirois' house on Salt Spring Island is her art studio—her home away, but not too far from home. Art is always on my mind; I can't go a day without making art of some kind, says Jeannette, an art instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic.
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"Imagine saying to a Holocaust survivor: 'We'd like to do a comic about your life," chuckles Charlotte Schallié, professor of Germanic Studies and chair of UVic's Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies. It seems, at the surface, like an absurd request.
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There are several well-known health benefits to engaging in creative endeavors, but sometimes actually getting into a right headspace is easier said than done. So what are some things you can do to get those creative juices flowing?
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From the earliest markings upon cave walls, to the rhythmic beating of drums, cultural dance or even the creation of written language, people have been driven to express themselves through art since the earliest days of our species.
Read StoryWe are sad to announce the passing of one of our most committed students, Nan Walmsley. Nan passed away peacefully at home, Sept. 13, surrounded by her family. She lived 97 fulfilling years.
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After nearly a decade working for Continuing Studies at UVic, it goes without saying that Preston Randall is an integral part of the team. He knows the division’s systems, people and workflows like the back of his hand.
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For an avid traveler, the thought of finding a job that allows you to help others fall in love with travel, sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? Well this is exactly what Janet gets to do every day at the office. Now, while the idea of traveling is one most people fantasize about, don’t forget there’s a heck of a lot of hard work involved.
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When you love what you’re doing, balancing a career, family and school is easy. At least according to Kristin Wiens, who started her first class with Continuing Studies as a single mother of two pursuing a Diploma in Intercultural Education, while concurrently completing a degree in Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics at UVic.
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John Lucas describes himself as “an actor who happens to sing and dance.” Having had one foot in theatre and the other in academia all his life has made him feel like “the illegitimate offspring of Northrop Frye and Daffy Duck,”
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