The experience of drawing and painting is about learning to make increasingly sensitive and considered visual decisions. Students work primarily from observation and develop skills in translating what they see. It is vital for students to have a solid foundation in the formal aspects of art making in the early stages of their development, and, as they progress, to find their own voice and path. They learn technical skills while simultaneously finding the freedom to express themselves as individuals. They are exposed to a broad range of contemporary and historical precedents in art.