Montserrat's Painting and Drawing curriculum focuses on both traditional and contemporary practices. These courses explore a range of media while building formal, technical, and conceptual skills yet allow students to develop their artistic points of view.

As students progress through the Painting and Drawing program, they work more intensely and independently. The Senior Fine Arts Seminars are a particularly good means of helping students develop connections within their imagery, expand their artistic horizons, gain valuable studio experience, and greatly increase their abilities to analyze and discuss their work.

The final year of study demands self-motivation and self-awareness as students embark upon enriching careers as visual artists. This artistic experience is supported by a diverse faculty and frequent visiting artists, who offer specialized courses and workshops for advanced and self-directed study. The quality of faculty-student interaction enables students to fully experience the painting medium while establishing distinctive, personal forms of expression.