The Texas Academy of Figurative Art was founded in 2007 by Ron A. Cheek and a handful of students who wanted to study realist drawing and painting techniques.
We offer an atelier experience for contemporary artists seeking to connect with a foundational and historical approach to art education. Our curriculum reflects both the Old Master working methods alongside the Academic Realist approach. The primary emphasis is on rendering the human figure accurately from direct observation. We also embrace the ideals in support of traditional canons of beauty, which have been accepted throughout Western European art history. Since our beginning we have grown in our resolve to teach and promote realist art, and we hope that TAFA will be recognized for a positive contribution to the cultural and artistic milieu of our time.