Core Foundations Program
Program Information
The Ghosthouse Core Foundations Program is an intensive four-month course designed to prepare students for serious study in academic drawing and painting. The program helps students establish essential technical methods, observational discipline, and studio habits that form the groundwork for the Core Drawing & Painting Program beginning each fall.
Students begin by developing visual language fluency through rigorous work with Bargue plates and plaster casts, focusing on measuring principles, shape accuracy, line quality, and light-and-shadow logic. As the program progresses, emphasis shifts toward structural understanding of form through cast drawing, figure drawing, planar analysis, and sculptural studies, reinforcing a three-dimensional approach to drawing.
The program workweek consists of both in studio and at-home study, with a typical workload of 18-20 hours/week. Studio hours for core students are held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings from 5-9pm, and Saturday morning and afternoon from 10am-3pm. Students are strongly encouraged to attend at least three of these days per week to maintain pace with the program.
Curriculum
Foundations Program Student Benefits
Students enrolled in the Core Foundations Program gain access to additional benefits including
A dedicated work-space with studio time
50% discount on admission for all classes at Ghosthouse
10% off all materials at Reliquary Artist Supply
A 4-month Ghosthouse Guild Membership which grants free admission to over 1,300 museums, botanical gardens, and historical sites across North America.
Application Deadline
The 2026 Application deadline is March 9th. Applications submitted after this date will be placed on a waitlist.
The 2026 Foundations Program begins on April 6th.
Tuition
Tuition for the 2026 Foundations Program is $1,800
An option for 2-month installments is available.
Scholarships
We have a limited number of need-based scholarships available, ranging from $400-$800. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship at Ghosthouse, please check the box in the application below. Students who are granted scholarships will be asked to participate in our monthly studio cleanings.
Application Process
Online applications will be reviewed starting March 6th. If your online application is accepted, a brief meeting will be scheduled at Ghosthouse to discuss your interest. Appplicants can expect a response to their application within the week of March 8th.
Artwork Submission Guidelines
Please read the submission requirements carefully before submitting your application
Provide 5 examples of artwork or studies that you have completed. Please take time to consider the relevancy of the work you choose to submit. Admissions will favor student submissions that show a strong focus on representational skills. (Figure, Portrait, Landscape/Environment, Classical Study, Still Life, Illustration, etc)
Label each image file with the artwork title, size, and medium. For example: Title_Size_Medium.jpg
Indicate if the artwork is a master copy (copy of another artwork)
File extensions accepted: .png, .jpg, .pdf, .tiff (No more than 1MB file size each).