Sketching, shading and self-discovery: Inside Art Fundamentals with coordinator Peter Palermo

For nearly 60 years, Sheridan’s Art Fundamentals certificate program has been a springboard towards the pursuit of a career in the arts.

In just eight months, students receive classical instruction in fundamental art skills such as life drawing, painting, sculpture, two-dimensional design and technical drawing. Through an emphasis on studio work that begins on the first day of class, artists discover their strengths and preferences, explore career opportunities, build a portfolio and develop an artistic identity.

We recently sat down with long-time Art Fundamentals coordinator Peter Palermo to learn more about the program, what makes it unique, how students are supported, virtual learning and more.

What is Art Fundamentals?

Art Fundamentals is a one-year foundational program designed for students who are trying to build their skills to get into another program.

We have many studio classes that allow students to build portfolios that they can use to get into numerous programs at Sheridan or at other colleges and universities.

It's a two-semester program, which allows students to take it part-time and still finish within one year. Also, we recently began to offer it completely online for added flexibility.

Why is a university-level English course also part of the program?

University-level English is included because our Bachelor of Arts programs that many of our students want to apply to — programs like Animation, Illustration, Game Design, Interior Design, Experiential Design and Interaction Design — all require university-level English.

Many high school students don't realize they need that level of English to get into a Bachelor of Arts program, so we include it in our certificate to make sure that requirement is covered.

Will an Art Fundamentals certificate help me get a job?

No, this program isn't designed to do that. This is a preparatory program designed to help students get to another level.

However, if any of our students decide that they don't want to pursue a degree, graduates of our program are able to go directly into the second year of our Visual and Creative Arts program. A diploma in that program can help graduates gain entry-level employment in jobs that require visual art and design skills.

Why might I want to take Art Fundamentals instead of going directly into a degree program?

It's very difficult to get into a program like our Honours Bachelor of Animation, which annually receives more than 1,000 applications but only accepts 150 students. However, my familiarity with the portfolio requirements means I can help students work towards meeting those requirements.

Our program also includes an event called Internal Portfolio Day, when I interview coordinators of various degree programs across the Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design. Our students can listen in on those interviews to hear the coordinators talk about the programs and the requirements to get into those programs. This can help them decide what degree they want to pursue.

“We expose our students to as much as we can, and once they decide upon the area of the art that interests them, we'll gear their exercises and assignments towards building skills for the program they want to apply to.”

In fact, a lot of our students end up changing their mind about what artistic field they want to study. We expose our students to as much as we can, and once they decide upon the area of the arts that interests them, we'll gear their exercises and assignments towards building skills for the program they want to apply to. For example, as an object drawing assignment, someone who wants to study Illustration can choose to draw a still life; someone interested in Animation can draw a character; and someone interested in Interior Design can draw a room.

Do you also advise students on what field of the arts might be best for them?

Yes, we do. We recently had a student who planned to study Animation, and we saw something else in her that made us suggest she pursue design instead. She decided to study Experiential Design, and when she graduated from that program, she had already secured a full-time job in that field.

Our suggestions aren't just based on students' skills and abilities, either. They're also based on the students' personalities and desires and even work ethics. As examples, if someone is a slow worker, Animation will be difficult for them. If the student is more creative-minded and has a tough time finding step-by-step instructions, Animation and Game Design will be difficult for them.

Some of our graduates even end up enrolling in programs like business, nursing and the skilled trades. We'll guide them in the direction that we think is best for them, including towards programs at other colleges and universities. We have an articulation agreement with Ontario College of Art and Design University that allows our graduates to go into the second year of one of their Bachelor of Arts programs, and we're currently working on similar agreements with other schools as well.

So Arts Fundamentals isn't just for students who don't have good enough marks to get into a degree program?

No! In fact, many of our students had very good grades in high school. They know they want to study something in the arts, and they're devoted to the classrooms. They just don't know what they want to do yet.

What's the difference between Art Fundamentals and General Arts and Science?

There's a bit of overlap between those two programs. However, most of our courses are very hands on — drawing, sculpting and painting — while General Arts and Science involves more writing and theory.

Do I need to have any artistic skills or abilities before starting this program?

In Art Fundamentals, we assume every student walks in with absolutely no knowledge or skills. There's no portfolio requirement and there's no need for an interview. If they have their high school diploma or equivalent, or they have mature student status, they can get into our program.

We start off very slowly and gently. On the first day of class, I literally ask everybody to pick up a pencil and hold it up because many people don't hold their pencil correctly. Then we look at their chair to make sure they're working at the right height, because if you're not working properly as an artist, your arm and your back are going to get really sore.

Once we've made sure that the students are working properly and we’ve identified their skills, we can then start to ramp up the work and assignments.

What sets Sheridan's Art Fundamentals program apart from similar programs at other schools?

Our Art Fundamentals program was the first of its kind in Ontario, and it's also the largest. Other schools offer programs that teach foundational art skills, but most of those programs are designed to direct students down specific paths like design or fine arts or interior design or illustration. Our program is wide open to where our students want to end up going, whether it's in the arts, skilled trades, nursing or business.

Also, almost all of our classes are spent drawing and painting, because that's how you really learn. We sit with students to see how they're drawing and what they're drawing, and we'll suggest things they can try to do differently. This approach contrasts with what happens at some other schools, where students are typically given an assignment and tasked with doing it outside of class.

How do you support students in their learning?

Our average class size is around 30 students. We have one professor per class, but we also have classroom monitors — former Art Fundamentals students who went on to various degree programs — who sit with students and work with them. All the demonstrations we do are recorded and available on SLATE (Sheridan's online eLearning and teaching environment), and we meet with students outside of class as well. Students can also meet with us virtually.

Something that I share with my students every year is that I have a learning disability. It was difficult for me to get through school and I had to work harder than normal, but I eventually moved on to do two master's degrees: one in fine arts, because that's what I wanted to teach, and the other in education, with a focus on special needs education.

That background has been a huge asset to me as a program coordinator because we do have a lot of students with learning disabilities. We have other professors in the program who have done master's studies about emotional disabilities. Over the years, we've seen people within the spectrum in our program who have done just as well as, if not better than, students who don't have challenges. I think that's because we understand what their challenges are and we're able to assist them.

Is there a virtual option for studying Art Fundamentals?

Yes! Our first experience teaching Art Fundamentals virtually came during the COVID-19 pandemic, because we had to. When things returned to normal and we resumed in-person classes, there were quite a few students messaging us to see if they could study online instead.

In September 2024, we began offering Art Fundamentals courses virtually again. We still have in-person classes, but we also have classes designed for students who want to learn online for whatever reason — maybe so they can work, so they can take care of their children or their parents, or so they don't have to travel.

How are you able to teach painting and drawing virtually?

Our virtual learning classrooms have multiple-camera setups. One camera is directed at the professor so they can speak directly to the students, and another is directed towards the surface that they're demonstrating on. We still use live models like we do for in-person learning, and those live models have a grid behind them that helps students see the three-dimensionality better. And the students also have a camera on them at home so we can see what they're doing and how they're working.

“School is changing, programs are changing, technology is changing, industry is changing. That means Art Fundamentals always needs to be growing and changing as well.”

It took us some time to figure out the best way to set up the room and integrate it with technology, and student feedback really helped with that. Our online students have also told us that they are really enjoying the interaction they're still able to have with their professors and with their fellow classmates. A number of our students who took the program online this year have been accepted into highly competitive programs like Animation and Illustration, so we know that it's working.

That's one other thing about our Art Fundamentals program: we're always evolving. What we did 10 years ago or 20 years ago is very different from what we're doing now, and what we do five years from now will be very different as well. School is changing, programs are changing, technology is changing, industry is changing. That means Art Fundamentals always needs to be growing and changing as well, making sure we're preparing students for the next stage in their education or their career.

Learn more about how Sheridan’s Art Fundamentals program can awaken the artist in you with classical instruction in life drawing, painting, sculpture, two-dimensional design, technical drawing and more.