Beginner Painting Classes NYC

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Reviews for Beginner Painting Classes in NYC

Beginner Painting Classes in NYC are rated 4.6 stars based on 1,619 verified reviews from actual CourseHorse.com purchasers.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  Anonymous • October 6, 2026
  Had an amazing experience finally getting taking the figure drawing class, the moderator was super attentive, love the ambience and opportunity to have this art outlet after work.

• Drawing and Painting: First Class Drop In

  Anonymous • October 5, 2026
  Wonderful introduction to drawing for a beginner. Eddie spent individual time instructing me at my level and also gave plenty of time on my own to try things out. He was also working with other more advanced students.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  nickolas c. • October 2, 2026
  Lovely vibe as always

• Accelerated Introduction to Drawing

  JasmineSkyy F. • September 14, 2026
  Decorus Atelier and James, the founder and lead instructor, were fantastic. I’m just beginning my creative journey and have very little experience, but this introductory course was practical, filled with interesting tidbits, and accessible enough for me to learn real techniques. The class size was intimate and moved at my own pace which worked really well for the way my brain processes information. I felt comfortable and welcomed by everyone else. Highly recommend!

• Instructed Figure Drawing

  Ian R. • September 9, 2026
  Good class for a beginner

• Accelerated Portraiture Drawing

  Gavin F. • September 6, 2026
  I truly learned so much from James and his careful instruction, alongside his passion and dedication to the arts. It was a pleasure to share the space with him and his students for the evening. I can see why Decorus Atelier of Figurative Art is such a special School. I will be applying all that he has taught me to my creative self and my art. Thank you so much to the Decorus Atelier family!

• Artsy Afternoon

  Helene J. • September 4, 2026
  What a relaxing and peaceful experience. No pressure just comfortable conversation and the chance to explore the creative part of yourself. Energetic instructor with motivating and encouraging ideas.

• Saturday Figure Drawing

  Elizabeth H. F. • August 24, 2026
  Saturday Figure Drawing was a great experience. The model was excellent, the artists were congenial, the monitor was helpful and welcoming and the oreos were the cherry on top. Can't wait to go again.

• Watercolor Painting for Total Beginners

  AJ J. • August 3, 2026
  This was an incredibly fun and helpful class. My previous teacher experiences learning watercolor made me not enjoy it as I didn’t understand the process correctly. This class was entirely different, with the instructor Anna Levy being engaging, funny, informative and allowed me to finally understand the art of watercolor while having a relaxing experience at the same time.

• 1-Time Total Beginners Watercolor Painting Art in Central Park

  Paulina C. • August 2, 2026
  Great instructor and I am happy that I learned the basics of watercolor finally! Something I've been wanting to do for a long time.

• Accelerated Introduction to Drawing

  Anonymous • July 13, 2026
  James is an amazing teacher!

• Art Workshop (Thursday)

  Ashley Kay • June 28, 2026
  I took the Fundamentals of Drawing and Painting class and have enjoyed every minute of it! I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to build a strong foundation in drawing, whether you’re a complete beginner or returning to art after a long break. The instructor explains concepts like mark making, proportion, and measuring in a clear, systematic way that makes challenging techniques feel approachable. Learning to create a value scale completely changed how I think about light, depth, and form, and I was surprised by how much my drawings improved in just a few sessions. The class strikes a great balance between group demonstrations and personalized feedback, so you always know what to work on next without feeling overwhelmed. The learning environment is warm, supportive, and inspiring, with a small class size that encourages creativity while giving everyone plenty of individual attention. I left each session feeling more confident, motivated to keep practicing, and excited to continue taking classes with this instructor.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  nickolas c. • June 26, 2026
  Very professional yet relaxed environment for all types of artists. The instructor was very welcoming, and everyone was very friendly. I would recommend their instructed classes as well if you are totally new to drawing.

• Long Pose Figure Drawing & Painting

  Anonymous • June 23, 2026
  Great professional instruction. Accommodating to student various needs. My progress was obvious with instruction very one on one. The June Tuesday Thursday program classes offered and day time made it very convenient. And building elevator made it accessible Highly recommend. I’ll try to go again when can get to nyc in the future.

• Long Pose Figure Drawing & Painting

  Anonymous • June 17, 2026
  Professional class instruction. Pleasant atmosphere and very well done. Accommodating to class student needs. One on one excellent instruction. Could be habit forming.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting (For Two)

  Kevin Gamgort • June 16, 2026
  My girlfriend and I really enjoyed taking Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting and learned a great deal in a short amount of time. One of the most valuable concepts we learned was mark-making (mark-mapping), which helped us observe subjects more carefully and translate what we saw onto the page with greater confidence. We also gained a better understanding of proportion, value, light, and shadow, which made our drawings feel more accurate and dimensional. Raphael was an excellent teacher - patient, knowledgeable, and always willing to provide helpful feedback that met students where they were! The learning environment was welcoming and supportive, and it was inspiring to learn alongside other students who were equally excited to improve their skills. What we appreciated most was the focus on observation and process rather than perfection, which made the class approachable and enjoyable. We left feeling much more confident in our abilities and are excited to continue building on these fundamentals. We hope to keep learning and growing as artists with Raphael moving forward.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  Aegina B B. • June 9, 2026
  This was all I could want from live figure drawing -- a great model who was creative with their poses, nice snacks, and a warm welcome. And the space is amazing -- if I'd had more time, I would've checked out the current art exhibit! I'll definitely try to come back.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting (For Two)

  Courtney D. • June 4, 2026
  A serious class that doesn't take itself too seriously! Great for beginners. The intimidation I felt stepping into class vanished as soon as Raul started teaching. There's a brief presentation and you are thrown into the fire! The best way to learn is to do, I guess. Raul stays engaged with everyone as they create. He gives positive feedback as well as thoughtful suggestions to how you can add to your work. He doesn't just instruct, he teaches. Class feels like a casual conversation and we even learn a little bit of art history throughout. What made me choose this course as opposed to other highly rated courses, was the reviews saying how beginner friendly this series is. And I could see in the photos of the class that everyone seemed happy to be there. All art styles are encouraged, so it's a reassuring environment.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Ian R. • May 29, 2026
  Had a great time in the fundamentals of drawing and painting class. It took place at Raphael's cozy home studio. I'm new to art and was nervous but in the end felt very comfortable. Raphael taught me a lot and I've been able to use some of the things I've learned on my own. There were students of various levels, some regulars and some new. They were all very nice and supportive. It's a great environment to learn about different types of art not just what you're interested in. I would definitely recommend this class if you're a beginner like me.

• Long Pose Figure Drawing

  Tremayne M. • May 25, 2026
  I continue to enjoy the encouraging, relaxing atmosphere of the Long Pose classes.The professional models are visually interesting people of all body types. I can take my time to study different areas of the subject from different angles. I have been able to hone in on different areas of my gesture and figure drawing, helping me improve at my own pace.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Leslie M. • May 15, 2026
  Great class - super relaxed and supportive atmosphere. Highly recommend

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Nanako • May 4, 2026
  This art class profoundly improved both my technical skills and conceptual understanding. I learned how to create spatial depth using two-point perspective and how to render realistic lights and shadows using charcoal. A crucial part of this process was training my eye to observe colored objects and accurately translate their relative brightness and darkness into grayscale values. Beyond these techniques, diving into the philosophy behind artwork taught me that creating art is about communicating deeper meaning and intention, rather than just technical reproduction.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Susan • May 4, 2026
  I really enjoyed this fundamental drawing class. The instructor is very professional and explains everything clearly with a lot of patience. He is always encouraging and makes sure every student feels supported and confident. I also really enjoy talking with him about different topics, from art to life, which makes the class feel even more inspiring. Through this course, I learned how to use charcoal to draw still life and how to use value to create a strong sense of three-dimensional form. I also improved my coloring techniques so my work looks more realistic. Overall, it has been a very enjoyable and inspiring experience.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Siddarth Ijju • May 2, 2026
  We learned about mark making, proportion, value scales, blending with charcoal, using tools like compressed charcoal pencils, different sizes of erasers, tortillons (blending tool), and how to distinguish between color and value for black and white drawing. The learning environment is also incredible. The workshop is covered in art and quotes and teachings, and the experience is as much a philosophical one as it is an artistic one, which I enjoyed immensely. We learned about different aspects of Greek and Roman art philosophies, Japanese aesthetics and poetry, and how great artists like Leonardo Da Vinci thought about their pursuit of art. Our teacher provided us each with one-on-one instruction as we worked through our art, and demonstrated how to improve our techniques with each additional session.

• Paint in the Dark

  Cora Y. • April 28, 2026
  Had no expectations coming into the class and was blown away about how much fun it was! Teo is super talented and for a pretty full class he is able to quickly sketch your inspiration in seconds so that you can start painting. It’s a unique take instead of everyone going home with the same painting you’re able to come to class with a few pictures and teo will let you know which one looks best with the paint. He was an absolute professional. He had different sessions going at the same time like slime drawing, light figure lamp painting and our glow in the dark panting. Would definitely come back to try the others. I will say that it’s black light glow so if you want your work to glow when you get home a cheap Amazon UV light will help.

• Painting from Life: Alla Prima

  Anonymous • April 18, 2026
  small studio with great vibes, model and instructor!

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  patricia dell • April 14, 2026
  This class was truly eye opening. I found it insightful in both drawing technigue & in "seeing/thinking" like an artist. What I learned about value & form, I believe, will really help me improve as an artist & I can't wait to start drawing more and apply it. I would highly recommend it for all levels.

• Wheel Throwing and Hand-Building + Painting - Turtle Bay (Midtown East)

  Anonymous • April 13, 2026
  class was very fun and everything that was needed was provided. a great intro to pottery for any interested!

• Paint and Sip Workshop: Midtown (BYOB)

  Anonymous • April 5, 2026
  Attended a paint and sip for the first time. It was such an amazing experience. I made the empire state with starry nights painting. It came out like a dream. The instructor KT was super knowledgeable, she made it look very easy. I appreciate the step by step guidance. Even though I paint as a hobby, i learnt couple of tips and would definitely recommend this class. Will try to come again!

• Long Pose Figure Drawing

  Tremayne M. • March 30, 2026
  Great, relaxing atmosphere. Fun way to de-stress and build focus.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Nicola Setterdahl • March 22, 2026
  This class is wonderful! I attended as a way to bring some creativity back into the cold winter months, as someone who has always loved art but never taken it very seriously. I learned a great deal about understanding proportion, value, and implementing color in a thoughtful way into a piece. The workshop is beautiful, and feels like the perfect place to be taking an art class. Rafael is a patient, kind, and funny instructor who makes sure to divide his time evenly amongst the students and give thoughtful feedback and aid on each piece. He encourages his students to think outside of the box, helps them take a step back when they are frustrated, and clearly cares deeply about art, his class, and his students. Would recommend to anyone!

• Long Pose Figure Drawing

  Tremayne M. • March 16, 2026
  Very relaxing vibe. Great opportunity to capture the model in a single pose for the entire session. You can have fun with it, making multiple drawings of different points of interest of the model's display, or just work on one drawing for the whole session. Either way, you'll enjoy this class and sharpen your drawing skills.

• Paint and Sip Workshop: Midtown (BYOB)

  Anonymous • March 9, 2026
  This was way more fun than I was expecting. The instructor was laid back but very helpful. I really enjoyed the painting instruction and felt the guidance was very helpful and led to a much better outcome (picture) than I would have ever anticipated.

• Art Workshop (Wednesday)

  Justin • March 8, 2026
  I really enjoyed the courses! Raphael meets you where you’re at and helps develop you as an artist. I appreciate the techniques I learned over the three sessions that I’ll be able to take with me moving forward. Raphael taught me how to get proportions correct and a few tricks for breaking down complex objects into simple shapes. And through the use of charcoal, I was able to learn about the importance of contrasting light and dark values. I definitely recommend taking these classes regardless of skill level.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Sheila Heath • March 6, 2026
  I have been drawing on my own since I was a child with only random art classes in high school as any training, so I finally decided to take a real art class and make some serious improvements. This class exceeded my expectations. Charcoal was a revelation and having Raphael push me to use very dark values was both terrifying and rewarding. The other students in the class were so wonderful to talk to and seeing the impressive work of the students who had been working with Raphael for a long time was so inspiring. I plan on taking more of his classes.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  Laurin P. • March 5, 2026
  Excellent!

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Ivana Criollo • March 3, 2026
  These classes were incredibly helpful and have improved my art exponentially. The instructor taught me how to draw correct proportions with a mark mapping technique. I’ve also learned how to draw with charcoal and how to blend values. His advice and teaching methods are very useful and easy to understand. I’ve been able to learn the importance of making mistakes as he reminds all of the students that erasing is necessary. I’d recommend this class to anyone, as he creates a welcoming environment and encourages students to engage with each other.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Andrew Hong • March 3, 2026
  I had a really good time with this course! The instructor created a welcoming environment for everyone. As someone who has never did a class like this before, I felt like a learned a lot over the course of 3 weeks, and I hope to continue drawing as the class ends. One thing that the instructor said that really stuck with me was that drawing is not something I'll nail in 3 weeks, but it's a lifetime skill. I think before I was always hesitant to start drawing because of how bad I was and embarrassed I was show to others my progress. But from this course, I've learned that as long as long as I'm consistent and I have my artistic license, I'll continue to get better. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in drawing.

• Art Workshop (Wednesday)

  Christy • March 2, 2026
  Rafael’s art class in Chelsea was such a wonderful experience. I hadn’t done art seriously in over a decade, so I came in feeling both excited and nervous, with pretty high expectations for myself. From the very first class, Rafael created a calm, supportive space that helped ease that pressure. He guided me in a way that allowed me to explore the subject freely and reconnect with a creative part of myself that I had truly missed. I took three classes, and each one felt like a meaningful refresher...not just technically, but emotionally as well. It reminded me why I loved making art in the first place. The environment is incredibly welcoming and friendly; everyone was chatty and open, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. I’m already looking forward to taking more classes here and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to (re)discover their creativity in a supportive setting.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  JP Memon • March 1, 2026
  I enjoyed the class. The long class length is great. I really like being there for the 2 1/2 hours and just working on the art. Rafael has a fun personality and helps create a good environment. The other students are a good crowd as well. The learning style is basically just jumping in.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Andrew • March 1, 2026
  I had a really good time with this course! The instructor created a welcoming environment for everyone. As someone who has never did a class like this before, I felt like a learned a lot over the course of 3 weeks, and I hope to continue drawing as the class ends. One thing that the instructor said that really stuck with me was that drawing is not something I'll nail in 3 weeks, but it's a lifetime skill. I think before I was always hesitant to start drawing because of how bad I was and embarrassed I was show to others my progress. But from this course, I've learned that as long as long as I'm consistent and I have my artistic license, I'll continue to get better.

• Accelerated Introduction to Drawing

  Anonymous • February 28, 2026
  James was very encouraging, and we learned a lot of things in a very short space of time. I feel like I developed skills that I had no idea about until this class. Very much recommended!

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  John • February 28, 2026
  The long sessions are great, it’s a good opportunity to really get into what you’re doing. I enjoyed Rafael’s occasional digressions about life and art. If any suggestions it would be to send people home with a printout of some of the information he runs through on the first class in his powerpoint. I like to memorize some of the basic information about a domain to have some way to get my bearings as a beginner.

• Learning Art through Creating Art

  Sydney D. • February 27, 2026
  Rafael's class is such a welcoming and comfortable space. The entire 2-and-a-half-hour experience immerses you in art (figuratively but also literally -- no matter where your eye lands, you'll be looking at an artwork!). His Thursday class has been a sanctuary amidst the city chaos, and I walk out feeling calm and mentally-reset every time. There is a communal feel, as well: you're able to connect with other artists and watch their work evolve, even within the span of a single class, and it's inspiring. Thank you, Rafael. I look forward to signing up for another class very soon!

• Instructed Figure Drawing

  Anonymous • February 23, 2026
  Really fun class and collegiate culture. Instructor spent time working with me on basic drawing skills and I was able to make significant progress as someone who has not drawn in over a decade.

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  Anonymous • February 19, 2026
  Model is short and either always faces foward or backward

• Weeknight Figure Drawing

  Anonymous • February 18, 2026
  Session is greaat, though aalways tight in that room.

• Saturday Figure Drawing

  Tremayne M. • February 17, 2026
  I enjoy this class. It's been a very nice way to get back into life drawing. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Austin N. • February 17, 2026
  I’ve really enjoyed my classes- the teacher has taught me how to create with charcoal and it’s motivating. I’ve been able to create two pieces of work during my three classes and excited to potentially enroll in more. It’s a warm environment and the instructor is experienced and kind. Thanks for the lovely class!

• Fundamentals of Drawing & Painting

  Kylie • February 15, 2026
  Wonderful environment and wonderful learning experience. Raul is a great instructor and it's such a great space to learn