Certified Safe & Expertly Guided
One of the biggest hurdles for high school artists is using the wrong tools for the job. As a proud ACMI Ambassador, I provide a complete materials list that removes the guesswork. You’ll know exactly which professional-grade supplies I use in my own gallery work, ensuring your teen has everything they need to succeed from day one.
The Art Day Academy Advantage
Move beyond basic tutorials. Art Day Academy provides a professional-level foundation in fine art, giving high schoolers the technical capability to transition from guided projects to original, sophisticated work.
- ■ 75 5-10 minute Technical Masterclasses: An extensive, on-demand library that covers the full spectrum of fine art, designed to build serious skill and portfolio-ready competence.
- ■ Core Artistic Logic: We teach the essential Elements and Principles—including light physics, perspective, and color science—equipping students to draw and paint any subject with precision.
- ■ Total Academic Flexibility: 100% pre-recorded and accessible 24/7. This curriculum fits seamlessly into a demanding high school schedule, allowing students to pause, review, and progress at their own pace.
- ■ Creative Autonomy: Every lesson concludes with open-ended prompts that encourage independent exploration, ensuring students apply techniques to their own unique vision rather than just a copy.
Who is the Art Day Academy for?
🎓 Studio-Ready: Designed for high schoolers (ages 14+) and adult learners seeking a college-prep caliber, professional-level foundation in the fine arts.
Who is the Art Day Academy for?
🎓 Studio-Ready: Designed for high schoolers (ages 14+) and adult learners seeking a college-prep caliber, professional-level foundation in the fine arts.
A Comprehensive Foundation.
We have organized our 75+ lessons into four core pillars. This structure ensures that students don't just "learn to draw"—they develop a systematic understanding of how to construct a professional-grade image from the ground up.
Pillar One
The Artist’s Toolkit
Focusing on the mechanics of sight and hand-eye coordination. Lessons cover advanced Contour and Blind Contour methods, moving "Beyond Contour" to build the muscle memory required for accurate representational drawing.
Pillar Two
Elements & Principles
A deep dive into the building blocks of visual language. Students analyze and apply Value, Space, Harmony, and Contrast—learning the compositional "rules" that separate professional work from amateur sketches.
Pillar Three
The Science of Color
Moving beyond the basic color wheel into professional color theory. Instruction includes complex mixing, color families, and the application of tints and shades to create depth and atmospheric mood.
Pillar Four
Technical Media
The bridge to independent execution. Lessons cover the professional application of Pencil, Pen, Acrylic, and Mixed Media on various substrates, including canvas and high-grade papers.
"These Four Pillars are delivered through 18 organized modules, ensuring a logical, step-by-step progression through the curriculum."
75+ Masterclasses & Comprehensive 76-Page Technical Manual
Our curriculum is meticulously organized into 18 clear, focused modules. This structure allows students to navigate the program with precision, building technical capability through a logical, step-by-step progression.
To support this deep study, students receive our 76-page Drawing Manual PDF—a comprehensive written guide that reinforces every core technique taught in the studio.
Jessica believes that drawing is the essential foundation of all 2D art, including painting. Ultimately, drawing well is simply the developed ability to make the specific marks we want to make on our substrate.
The Technical Manual
Included: The 76-Page Drawing Foundation PDF
🖋️ 100% HUMAN-AUTHORED
No AI-generated content. Every exercise is curated by Jessica Lannine, BFA.
Stop wishing you could draw—start mastering the fundamentals.
Most people believe drawing is a "gift" you are born with. Award-winning artist and educator Jessica Lannine, BFA, knows the truth: Drawing is a mechanical skill that anyone can learn by mastering six fundamental elements.
This digital guide is sophisticated enough for adults seeking a fine-art foundation, yet clear enough for teens as young as 15 to master on their own. By skipping the "artistic fluff," Jessica gives you a logical, repeatable roadmap to competence.
Inside the Manual:
- • The 6 Elements of 2D Art: Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, and Space.
- • The "Form" Myth: How to create the perfect illusion of 3D depth on a flat page.
- • The Art of Observation: Using Blind Contour and Negative Space to draw what you actually see.
- • The 15-Minute Blueprint: A sequential roadmap of exercises to build skills in minutes a day.
Designed to bridge the gap between technical skill and creative freedom.
Essential for portfolio-building and independent practice.
Exclusive Academy Bonus
The Studio Sanctuary: Art Meditations
Art is about more than just technique—it is about finding your flow.
Learning a new skill can be intense. To provide a balance to the technical curriculum, the Academy includes a series of 10 optional Art Meditations. These are low-pressure, immersive experiences designed to help your student build a daily creative habit and find a "zero-pressure" space to create without a specific goal.
- ✦ Immersive Visuals: High-resolution photography of Forest Sunrises, Island Vacations, and serene landscapes.
- ✦ Nature Soundscapes: Professionally recorded audio to block out the world and focus the mind.
- ✦ Zero-Pressure Practice: A sanctuary to sketch, paint, or simply "find your flow" at the end of a long school day.
— INCLUDED FREE WITH ENROLLMENT —
The Professional Standard
The Authority Gallery
Jessica holds nothing back. Within the Academy, she shares the foundational principles and technical vocabulary she relies on to create her own original professional work.
The same art elements and principles taught in these Pillars are the exact tools Jessica utilized to produce her recent collection—where 11 original paintings were acquired by collectors across two exhibitions in just three weeks.
Featured Below: A Selection of Sold Works from these Exhibitions
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Proven Mechanics: From Gallery Walls to Your Student’s Studio
Above are six of my sold professional works. Each piece represents a core pillar of the Art Day Academy curriculum—demonstrating how the technical foundations I teach translate into gallery-caliber results.
FLOWERS ALL DAY: Design Principles in Action — A professional piece avoids being "static" by utilizing Variety and Rhythm. In this piece, I used a variety of color, value, and shape to keep the eye moving, while the rhythmic repetition of the stems creates a sense of natural movement. This is the exact application of the design principles taught throughout the Academy.
A GOOD DAY: Technical Precision — Selling work requires a level of mechanical finish. I show students how to move past the "sketch" phase and into a professional-level of completion.
POPPIES IN A LINE: The Principles of Design — The Rhythm and Unity in this work are not accidental; they are the result of the design principles we cover in our video modules.
SOLAR POWER: Spatial Depth & Perspective — Notice the use of atmospheric perspective. I teach students how to manipulate value to create a professional sense of three-dimensional space.
CORNER OF THE GARDEN: Harmonious Color Theory — Using the Color Mixing principles taught in our advanced masterclasses, I achieved a professional palette that creates mood while maintaining technical clarity.
THE COLORS THAT SING: Formal Elements in Action — A hallmark of professional art is the intentional use of every square inch. In this piece, the entire space is completely filled with vibrant color, leaving no "empty" areas. By treating every shape as equally important, I’ve created a dense, interlocking composition that keeps the viewer engaged. This demonstrates the Academy's focus on the formal elements: mastering how color and shape interact to create a complete, cohesive work of art.
"The goal is not to copy a style, but to master the mechanical foundation required to bring your own vision to life on the substrate."
The High School Solution
Homeschool Success & Logistics
Art Day Academy is a turn-key fine arts resource designed to fit seamlessly into a rigorous high school schedule while providing a high-caliber artistic foundation.
My goal for the Academy is to move students beyond "copying" and into a place of true artistic command. I’ve designed every one of these 75+ studio sessions to give your student the mechanical foundation they need to create with confidence for a lifetime.
Clarity for Parents
Common Questions
Everything you need to know about the Academy curriculum, schedule, and transcript support.
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Is this course suitable for a high school credit?
Yes. Art Day Academy is designed with the technical rigor and professional vocabulary suitable for a high school elective. Your purchase includes a comprehensive Syllabus and Course Description designed to assist you in documenting this course for your student's high school transcript.
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How much time will my student need to spend on this each week?
The Academy is designed for maximum flexibility. Lessons are "short and sweet," averaging 5–10 minutes each. Depending on the depth of your student's practice, most families could expect that 1–3 hours per week provides a consistent, high-caliber artistic foundation without overwhelming a heavy academic load.
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Does my student need prior art experience?
No. We focus on the mechanical foundation and universal art elements that are often skipped in traditional tutorials. This makes the course accessible to beginners while providing professional-level insights that will challenge and refine the skills of advanced students.
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Are the art supplies expensive?
We prioritize quality over quantity and keep the overall list affordable. While some professional tools are an investment, our list is streamlined to ensure every item is essential. For the paints, Jessica provides both a student-grade option and a professional-grade option. For most high schoolers, the student-grade acrylics are perfect and will provide excellent results. The remaining materials are standard studio tools that are not expensive, ensuring your student has what they need to create high-end work without unnecessary costs.
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Is this a "live" class or self-paced?
This is a completely self-paced, digital academy. This allows your high schooler to pause, re-watch, and master technical concepts at their own speed, fitting their art education around other classes, sports, and extracurricular commitments.
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How long does my student have access to the curriculum?
Your enrollment includes one full year of access to the Academy. This provides ample time to complete the curriculum at a steady pace throughout the traditional academic year, while keeping the student motivated to move through the Pillars of the program.
Because these are the years they find their voice.