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Painting Classes San Francisco

Discover your inner artist and explore the vibrant world of painting with a variety of classes in San Francisco. From watercolor techniques to oil painting masterpieces, unlock your creativity and gain valuable skills to create beautiful artwork.

7 classes in-person in San Francisco have spots left, and 8 classes live online are available.

Oil & Acrylic Painting

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

Unlock your artistic potential and master the techniques of oil and acrylic painting at the renowned Art School of SF Bay. Explore the beauty of nature through landscapes, learn to capture emotions in portraits, and develop your unique style. With high-quality art materials provided, embark on a transformative artistic journey.

Tuesday Jan 9th, 6:20–8:20pm Pacific Time

 (14 sessions)

$560

14 sessions

Oil Painting, Old Masters Technique

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

Master the art of creating glowing skin, soft shadows, silky hair, and unforgettable eyes using a traditional oil painting technique from the XVII century. Unleash your creativity and learn to transform your work from a grisaille underpainting to mesmerizing glazes. Join us at the Art School of SF Bay and discover the secrets of the Old Masters.

Thursday Feb 22nd, 6:30–8:30pm Pacific Time

 (6 sessions)

$350

6 sessions

Impressionist Painting

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

Master vibrant colors, vivid brushstrokes, and immersive composition you adore in the works of impressionist artists! Besides the practical studies, learn about the history of the most beloved art movement, and the art styles that grew out of it!

Friday Jan 12th, 6–8pm Pacific Time

 (6 sessions)

$300

6 sessions

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Weekend Wine & Paint Picasso

Yijun's Fine Art Studio San Francisco @ 1120 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA

Unleash your inner artist and create a masterpiece while sipping on your favorite beverages in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. Join us for a memorable evening of creativity, laughter, and libations at our highly anticipated Sip and Paint Night. Don't miss out on this unforgettable artistic experience.

Friday Dec 15th, 7–9pm Pacific Time

Color Theory

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

This workshop will help art lovers master their ability to see and understand color as well as light. Learn about the science behind color, color mixing, how to organize a palette and effortlessly pick colors that work well together. Detailed Schedule Day 1: Introduction and overview of color and course: hue, value, saturation, analogous, triadic etc. Moods and emotion in color. Project: create your own munsell color system using paint...

Friday Jan 12th, 6:30–8:30pm Pacific Time

 (6 sessions)

$300

6 sessions

Portrait Workshop

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

Improve your portraiture skills! Students will complete numerous head studies and improve their knowledge of proper head construction. The second half of the workshop will allow students to focus on a project of their choice in whatever medium they choose. We will discuss how to create and/or select an appropriate reference photograph during class. Detailed Schedule Week 1: Introduction + Basic Form of Head Introduction to drawing materials,...

Sunday Jan 14th, 6–8pm Pacific Time

 (5 sessions)

$320

5 sessions

Key Elements of Fine Arts

Art School of SF Bay @ 1601 Irving St, San Francisco, CA

If you are looking to kick-start a new hobby, this course is the best choice. It covers all the fundamentals artists use to draw freely from imagination or real life. Even a complete beginner by the end of this course will be able to paint a portrait and create a composition from scratch. Detailed Schedule Day 1. The Cezanne lesson. Obtaining desired color by mixing. Day 2. The Silhouette lesson. Learning to assess proportions, adjust...

Tuesday Jan 9th, 4–6pm Pacific Time

 (13 sessions)

$400

13 sessions

Online Painting with Acrylics 301

Pastimes for a Lifetime @ Live Online via Zoom

Unleash your creativity and learn the techniques of 20th-century masters with the Online Painting with Acrylics 301 course. Discover how to mix colors, prepare the canvas, and execute styles such as impressionism, contemporary realism, color block, and abstract. Take your painting skills to the next level with this flexible and vibrant medium.

Tuesday Dec 12th, 3–4pm Pacific Time

 (4 sessions)

$160

4 sessions

Ceramic Llama Painting

Food Craft @ Live Online

Easy ceramic painting with virtual llama meeting No drama for our Llamas! Fulfill your dream of painting a ceramic Llama, while (virtually) meeting real Llamas! This event will be unforgettable and Ll-amazing. Paint your own ceramic Llama pottery with your desired color palette and get to visit fantastic Llama royalties you'll never meet anywhere else! Guests will discover the easy techniques for painting a colorful ceramic Llama, and meet star...

Monday Dec 25th, 9am–11pm Eastern Time

Painting with Gouache I

92nd Street Y

Discover the art of gouache painting in this comprehensive course, where you will learn the properties, and color mixing techniques, and create stunning still life and landscape paintings. Unleash your creativity with this beloved water-based medium at 92nd Street Y.

Wednesday Jan 10th, 4–6:30pm Eastern Time

 (6 sessions)

$330

6 sessions

Painting with Gouache II

92nd Street Y

Expand your artistic skills and learn to create stunning compositions that showcase depth, texture, and atmosphere. Perfect for those with previous experience in gouache painting, this course at 92nd Street Y will enhance your color range, surface knowledge, and brush techniques. Don't miss this opportunity to take your gouache painting to the next level.

Thursday Jan 11th, 4–6:30pm Eastern Time

 (6 sessions)

$330

6 sessions

Abstraction for Drawing and Painting

92nd Street Y

Discover the secrets of creating captivating abstract art in this engaging course that combines traditional and contemporary approaches. Unleash your artistic voice, gain confidence in your abilities, and impress yourself and others with your newfound skills. Get ready to experiment, explore, and create stunning works that will leave a lasting impression.

Tuesday Jan 9th, 10am–12:30pm Eastern Time

 (6 sessions)

$330

6 sessions

Portrait Painting

92nd Street Y

Unlock the secrets of capturing the essence of a model through anatomy, proportion, and color-mixing. Embrace the challenge of painting different views of the head with live models, as you explore the art of portrait painting. Join us on this artistic journey and bring your portraits to life.

Wednesday Jan 10th, 10am–12:30pm Eastern Time

 (6 sessions)

$350

6 sessions

Watercolor Painting: Focus on Landscapes

92nd Street Y

Discover the beauty of watercolor landscapes with artist Zach Seeger as he guides you through advanced techniques to create stunning reflections, lush forests, and captivating skies. Enhance your painting skills and explore the rich medium of watercolor in this immersive course.

Monday Feb 26th, 7–9:30pm Eastern Time

 (5 sessions)

$285

5 sessions

Painting in Watercolor - Level 2

Santa Monica College

Join a class designed for those who wish to improve and guide their watercolor techniques toward a more personal and creative direction. In a supportive, constructive, and stress-free environment, learn how to achieve desired effects that will enhance previous painting attempts, and find out about effective methods for attaining more satisfying results with new projects. For class supplies please click here

Sunday Jan 7th, 2–5pm Pacific Time

 (6 sessions)

$128

6 sessions

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Discover the Best Painting Classes in San Francisco

If you live in San Francisco and you are looking for a new hobby, painting could be just what you have been looking for. Painting happens when paint, pigment, color, or another medium is applied to a solid surface, and the most commonly used tool to apply paint is a brush, but other tools, such as knives, spatulas, sponges, and airbrushes can be used alone or in combination with brushes. The concept of painting dates back to prehistory, and it is thought that people have been painting for over 30,000 years. No matter your age or life experience, you can learn to paint with a little time and dedication.

Why You Should Learn Painting in San Francisco

Do you need a fun way to relieve the stress that comes with work or school? Painting is an accessible hobby that can not only help improve your mental health, but gives you something to do with your hands during your free time. You may also like the aspect of painting that can be related to doing things for other people. This can come in many forms, such as creating a special gift in the form of a painting that they can hang in their home. This could be a painting of them, their pet, a landscape, or a special memory that is meaningful to them.

All around the world, there are people who enjoy painting as a hobby and as a profession. Once you understand the basics of painting, you might want to research local clubs, groups, events, or organizations where you can meet other people who like painting. These groups could be in-person, but they could also be online, and pretty soon you may find yourself with some new friends who also enjoy painting.

Learning painting is a marketable skill that you may be able to turn into a side hustle or even a new job altogether. You could easily begin selling your paintings through an online marketplace, or in person at a craft fair close to where you live. You may even be able to start taking commissions, where you create custom paintings based on the requests of your customers.

In-Person Painting Classes in San Francisco

If you want to learn painting in-person in San Francisco, CourseHorse can connect you with classes in your area. For example, Portrait Workshop is a six-session class offered at the Art School of San Francisco Bay. In this class, students complete numerous head studies and improve their knowledge of proper head construction. You will select and complete a project of your choice in whatever medium you like during the second half of the class. Abstract Art: Dialogues with Nature is a two-day class offered at Living Your Wild Creativity in Santa Rosa. This course explores your connection with the land while you make sketches and color studies, culminating in an abstract painting. 

Another Art School of San Francisco Bay offering is Oil & Acrylic Painting. In this fifteen-session class, art lovers of all skill levels will master various oil and acrylic painting techniques. You will learn how to represent texture as well as express character and emotions in your work.

Plein Air Oil Painting is put on at the Art School of San Francisco Bay and will teach you techniques and tricks to help you create successful landscape paintings in the field over the course of four sessions. This class is perfect for those trying oil paints for the first time or an experienced painter that wants to improve their craft.

Omi Callings: Painting the Orishas happens at Richmond Art Center in nearby Richmond, CA. This four sessions class is a creative process in which students spend time with the messages and wisdoms pouring forth from three orishas of the Yoruba spiritual tradition. You are welcomed to explore the Yoruba cosmology system and strengthen your personal relationship with art. Another Richmond Art Center offering is Japanese Brush Painting and Calligraphy. This unique course takes place over six sessions and offers increased creativity and peace of mind through learning Japanese ink brush painting and calligraphy, which are deeply related to Zen.

Virtual Painting Classes

When you decide to take an online painting class, you might be intimidated at first, but it is good to remember that they have their pros and cons just like in-person painting classes. Something good about taking a virtual painting class is that you can attend the class from anywhere. Feel free to work on your painting project at home, in your backyard, or even in a public space like a park. You also do not have to commute to a classroom when you take an online painting class, which saves you both money and time. The biggest con about taking an online painting class is that you generally have to supply your own materials and equipment.

If you are interested in online painting classes, CourseHorse has options that will work for you. For example, Beginner’s Intro to Watercolor Painting: Single Session is a class that explores the colorful world of watercolor painting. You will experience learning and fun in this relaxed group atmosphere while you discover your unique form of self-expression. Beginner Watercolor Online is a six-session course focused on botanicals, and you will learn to paint with luminous, sparkling watercolors. Enjoy acquiring new techniques and learning through fun activities that transition into studies and landscapes. Online Painting With Acrylics 301 is a virtual class for all levels in which you will learn the techniques of 20th-century painting masters. These include mixing colors and preparing your canvas for your work.

Private Group Painting Classes in San Francisco

If you live or work in San Francisco, you might be interested in booking a private group painting class for your friends or colleagues. Luckily, CourseHorse offers painting classes for private groups in San Francisco that they can deliver to you. Virtual Watercolor Workshop (Materials Included) takes up to 225 participants at a time, and all materials are provided for the class. You and your coworkers will have fun learning new techniques to create an abstract painting in a relaxing and creative atmosphere. Virtual Acrylic Painting (Materials Included) will take up to 500 participants per course and all materials are included. This class will teach those in your group how to create a painting together on canvas. While you will all be working on the same painting, the end products will be unique to each artist. Virtual Watercolor Georgia O’Keeffe (Materials Included) is another workshop that takes up to 225 people and includes all the materials you need to learn. This unique class will teach your group about legendary watercolor artist Georgia O’Keeffe, and in the process of painting, you will learn her techniques.

If you do not see a group class that interests you listed publicly on their website, CourseHorse can provide a different class for your group. Reach out through the contact form on their website to learn about all available options. And remember that when you book with CourseHorse, you get a multitude of benefits, including the ability to change your group size after booking if necessary. You will also receive a confirmation within 24 hours of your booking, and there are no extra booking fees. Finally, CourseHorse private group classes are supported on multiple platforms, so everyone can join in on the fun no matter where they are.

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