Portfolio + Drawing

FALL 2025 - Portfolio Prep

Registration ends THIS FRIDAY! Sept 5th

Programs begin: Sept 8, 9 & 10

For fall 2025 I am offering five portfolio programs. Two are for artists just beginning and three for artists catching up or finishing up.

My full 12 week Portfolio Afterschool Program will run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:30 - 6:30pm. (They are identical curriculum just on different days of the week). Take this program if you are just beginning your portfolio, have a lot of work to do on it, or haven’t taken any programs from me. Each program will cover the requirements for NYC specialized art high school portfolios: Still Life, Self Portrait & Figure Drawing and Fantastical Sandwich.

I am also offering “Portfolio Catch Up” programs, they will be in three week chunks from 4:30 - 6:30 on Mondays. The first one, Portfolio Catch Up 1 (Sept 8,15,22) is dedicated to advanced students and those who weren’t able to take Fantastical Sandwich in the Spring. Portfolio Catch Up 2 (Oct 6,13,20 & Portfolio catch Up 3 (Oct 27, Nov 3, 10) are open to anyone who is enrolled in the Fall 2025 Tuesday or Wednesday programs or any past programs. I will provide individualized extra support in these programs.

If you are advanced and haven’t taken any of my programs I need to review your work before you enroll in my Monday programs. Please email me at peppitoartworkshop@gmail.com with “MONDAY program inquiry” and send images of your artist’s work.

white 13 year old girl with long fingernails drawing a fantastical hamburger with it cartoonish eyes and the bottom bun open so it looks like a mouth with cheese dripping. she's drawing with a graphite pencil.

Edie working on her “Fantastical Sandwich” drawing, age 13

About

Portfolio Prep

NY artist Julie Peppito teaches 11, 12 & 13 year olds skills to develop their artwork and create winning portfolios and in the process they learn how to draw from observation. Her Portfolio Programs are also open to those who just want to learn how to draw from observation but are not interested or aren’t sure if they want to build a portfolio. The majority of alumni of PAW’s Portfolio Prep have gone on to highly ranked art programs across the city including La Guardia, Murrow, Art & Design, Sinatra, and Brooklyn High School of the Arts.

Over the course of the program artists will develop the four primary requirements for portfolios: still life, self portrait, figure drawing and the “fantastical sandwich”. Perhaps more importantly teens will learn the skill of observational drawing that will change the way they see the world and enrich their lives. In addition to acting as a teacher, coach, cheerleader, and skill builder, Peppito creates a supportive environment where students grow bonds through their shared interest in art, while being held accountable to their goals.  Every artist works at a different pace so artists may not complete their portfolios during the course of the program.

a very realistically rendered figure drawing in graphite or a woman sitting in an leather arm chair, her legs are crossed and her elbow is resting on the arm of the chair. she's looking pensively to her right, her chin is lightly resting on her hand.

Marlo’s figure drawing, age 13

“Julie’s art program was incredibly helpful in my art portfolio creation journey. The classes improved my art technique substantially, and Julie is a very kind teacher who always gave great advice. Without her classes, I wouldn’t have had the proper work schedule and motivation I needed to create my portfolio. I couldn’t have gotten into LaGuardia without her, and I am so grateful I had her as my teacher.”  

-Marlo, LaGuardia student

Lilith’s Fantastical Sandwich, age 13

portrait of a 13 year old girl with long dark hair drawn in graphite pencil very realistically. She is looking straight ahead with her eyes, her head is slightly turned to her left.

Mauve’s self portrait, age 13

Ozali’s still life, age 13