Discover the Best Drawing Classes in Chicago
Drawing is one of the oldest skills in the world, with ancient cave art showcasing techniques that are still used today. Learning this skill in cities like Chicago can help you start a new and exciting career, manage anxiety and depression, and much more. Thankfully, Chicago has multiple in-person and virtual courses that you can use to improve your drawing skills. Even if you don’t have natural artistic talent, you can learn various techniques to become a better artist.
Why You Should Learn Drawing in Chicago
Mastering drawing can help you start either a full-time career or side hustle in Chicago to improve your earning potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average earning potential for artists is $49,960 or $24.02 per hour. That’s a comfortable living wage in the Windy City, which has a median salary of around $47,371.
Even if you don’t start a new art-based career, learning drawing can provide real mental health benefits. As reported by Utah State University, many studies find that creating art helps to calm the mind, increase confidence, and improve coping skills. In a big and busy city like Chicago, you’ll need all the relaxation that you can get.
In-Person Drawing Classes & Schools in Chicago
If you’re interested in learning to draw in Chicago, consider in-person courses. During each session, you’ll meet in a large classroom with multiple other learners and receive hands-on support from a live professor. This art professional will walk you through your lessons and provide important learning feedback. Most courses even provide your drawing materials.
Thankfully, Chicago has multiple in-person drawing classes for you to consider. These courses cover basic drawing methods, such as sketching, shading, and texturing your artwork. Other lessons cover more advanced topics, such as perspective and proper coloring methods. Read through each description carefully to find a course that makes the most sense for you.
Drawing for Beginners
Drawing for Beginners is a Discovery Center class in Irving Park on Elston Avenue. It teaches up to 10 people beginner-level lessons, such as drawing lines and shapes, as well as proper texturing and coloring methods. This program works well if you have little to no drawing experience and want to move beyond basic stick figures.
Drawing 1
Drawing 1 is an Aartwerk Studio course in Edgewater on Granville Avenue that helps up to 10 people learn basic drawing techniques. It focuses on black-and-white drawing methods, such as creating points, lines, shapes, and forms. Then, you’ll learn how to produce texture, create striking compositions, and properly proportion all of your artwork.
Introduction to Figure Drawing
Introduction to Figure Drawing is an Evanston Art Center program on Central Street in Evanston. It’s an intermediate-level course that features a live nude model, as well as short warm-up studies that improve your techniques. Your professor will teach lessons like composition, contrast, and line quality, and help you become a more advanced artist.
Intro to Observational Drawing
Intro to Observational Drawing is another Evanston Art Center learning option, one that helps beginners learn basic drawing techniques. You’ll practice combining simple geometric forms like circles and squares into more complex artwork. While designed for beginners, this course also works well for more advanced artists who need to brush up on their techniques.
Essentials of Perspective Drawing
Essentials of Perspective Drawing is a Chicago Botanic Garden class on Lake Cook Road in Glencoe. In this course, you’ll learn how to position objects in space, as well as more in-depth drawing lessons in a garden-based environment. Your professor will teach you how to think about your artwork to enhance its realism and make it more attractive.
Virtual Drawing Classes & Schools
Do none of the in-person drawing programs in Chicago appeal to you? Don’t worry: online drawing classes are a great alternative. These courses include many benefits, including the ability to practice anywhere you want and more available classes. However, you’ll have higher material costs and fewer socialization opportunities with fellow students.
Thankfully, these learning programs provide far more upsides than downsides, which makes them a great opportunity for most people. They’ll require you to have a computer, tablet, or cell phone with streaming capabilities and high-speed internet. They’re also fully directed by a live professor, which makes them better than video-learning platforms with pre-recorded material.
Online Drawing
Online Drawing is a New York School of the Arts class that teaches basic drawing techniques in a three-hour period. They accept all skill levels and require materials like willow charcoal, paper, pencils, compressed charcoal, erasers, and pastel. During each lesson, your professor will teach you important drawing techniques that enhance your abilities, such as cross-hatching.
Drawing for Beginners
Drawing for Beginners is a 92nd Street Y course that covers topics like drawing lines, shapes and shadows. You’ll also learn about tone, perspective, and form, as well as critical thinking techniques that improve your art. This class can help beginning artists progress to more intermediate skills and even help more advanced students relearn some forgotten techniques.
Online Intro to Drawing Class
Online Intro to Drawing Class is a Pastimes for a Lifetime program that covers basic drawing methods, including measuring, designing, sketching, and filling out your artwork. This program’s more casual atmosphere works well for children, teenagers, parents, and even senior citizens. Other covered subjects include perspective, dimension, and even crafting 3D artwork.
Private Group Drawing Classes in Chicago
Is it time to plan your company’s next teamwork-building activity and you aren’t sure which is right for you? Consider drawing classes for private groups in Chicago. These courses teach your employees useful skills, such as illustrating, sketching, and coloring. Your employees can then use these techniques to produce attractive and engaging artwork.
Virtual Group Drawing & Sketching is a one-hour, 255-person class that teaches your employees how to create a graphite drawing. They’ll learn hatching and cross-hatching techniques that create depth and texture, as well as composition techniques. Available drawing topics include faces, botanical designs, landscapes, and still life.
Virtual Cartooning & Doodling Workshop is a 90-minute, 250-person course that teaches beginner-level cartooning skills. Your team will learn how to draw cute and personalized cartoon designs, including humans and animals. Each team member will need a pen, pencil, eraser, and sketch pad to learn. They’ll also need a computer with high-speed internet to stream the lesson.
Are these classes not quite right for your team? There are plenty of other options available for you. That’s because, even if you don’t see a class that you like publicly listed right now, you can contact CourseHorse online to set up one that your team will enjoy. They’ll try to find a learning option for you or can create a new one that fits into your training needs.
CourseHorse also provides other benefits that make them a great booking platform. These include quick confirmation, adjustable class sizes, multiple supported platforms, large groups, and no booking costs. This last advantage sets them apart from other booking platforms that typically charge multiple hidden fees. As a result, budgeting for CourseHorse should be easy.
