The Swedish Academy of Realist Art – Atelier Stockholm  (SARA) was founded in 2006 as Sweden’s first school of fine art dedicated to traditional, realistic drawing and painting.  The full-time education is three years long, but the school also offers possibilities to study part-time or take evening classes.

Enrollment is limited to 24 full-time students, which allows for intensive individual instruction within an intimate and supportive atmosphere.  This unique environment often leads to rapid student development.  SARA is not a preparatory art school, but an alternative to the state run art universities.

Students must be disciplined and follow a prescribed curriculum to master certain skills, rather than being left to free experimentation.  The works that students produce at the school are not intended as works of art, but as artistic exercises designed to help them build and master fundamental skills such as accurate drawing, correct values, edge quality and color.  These skills give students the tools needed to express their ideas and visions through the medium of realistic painting and drawing.

Since SARA offers a highly specialized education, it has attracted students from all around the world.  Currently, 40% of SARA students come from other countries and it is for this reason that the language of instruction is English.  The student body consists of amateurs as well as professionals seeking improvement. Students of SARA intend to work in a variety of fields upon graduation, such as professional fine art (portrait, figure, landscape and still-life painters), illustration, and concept art within the film and computer game industry.

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