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Oil Painting Classes Washington, D.C.

Unleash your inner artist with oil painting classes in Washington, D.C.. From beginner lessons to advanced techniques, learn the art of oil painting and express your creativity while gaining valuable skills and confidence.

Unfortunately, no classes in-person in Washington, D.C. have spots left, but 2 classes live online are available.

Online Water - Soluble Oils 401

Pastimes for a Lifetime @ Live Online via Zoom

Discover the eco-friendly joy of oil painting with water-soluble oils. Learn the techniques of mixing colors and brushwork while creating stunning traditional and contemporary pieces. Say yes to this delicious and non-toxic medium at Pastimes for a Lifetime.

Tuesday Dec 12th, 3–4pm Pacific Time

 (4 sessions)

$160

4 sessions

Online Oil Pastel 101

Pastimes for a Lifetime @ Live Online via Zoom

Discover the world of oil pastels with this online art course. Unleash your creativity as you learn color theory, blending techniques, and how to create stunning works of art that resemble oil paintings. Perfect for beginners looking for a mess-free and vibrant medium.

Tuesday Dec 12th, 3–4pm Pacific Time

 (4 sessions)

$160

4 sessions

16 oil painting classes that have ended
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Oil Painting

The Art League @ 105 North Union St, Alexandria, VA

Students with a solid grasp of oil painting fundamentals advance their understanding of color, composition, form, and materials. Intermediate students hone their skills and explore new challenges.  Advanced students work with painting theory and focus on completing professional-quality work. Portrait, figure, and still-life painters are welcome. Model fees are extra for all students regardless of chosen subject matter.  

No upcoming schedules
$220

9 sessions

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Introduction to Oil Painting

Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing @ 1776 E Jefferson St, Rockville, MD

Learn the basics of oil painting materials and techniques. Explore the fundamentals of light, shade, and color composition. Paint a study from your own favorite reference photos or drawings. Experience the many possibilities of this exciting medium. It may be the beginning of a lifelong passion. All supplies provided.

No upcoming schedules

Oil Painting: Landscapein the Studio

McLean Community Center @ 1446 Chain Bridge Rd, Virginia, DC

Oil Painting: Landscape in the Studio Working from their sketches, plein air paintings, and photos, students will learn to create larger, more complete finished studio paintings. The class is designed to develop a stronger understanding of the elements that unify a finished picture while sharpening the students? visual communication skills. Perspective, composition, value, light and shade, color harmony and simplification will be covered. 

No upcoming schedules
$370

8 sessions

Oil Painting: Landscape

Stone Branch School of Art @ 1331-M Rockville Pike, Washington, DC

Much can be learned through analyzing and recreating the works of the world's greatest master painters. In this series of courses, students learn about the influences, color palette and painting styles of such influential movements as the Hudson River School and traditional 19th Century Fine Artist. Demonstrations and one-on-one instruction with a master copyist will provide new and seasoned artists with fresh insights and new drawing with paint...

No upcoming schedules
$288

6 sessions

Fresh Approach to Portrait Painting

McLean Community Center @ 1446 Chain Bridge Rd, Virginia, DC

Fresh Approach to Portrait Painting Oil based class. This class emphasizes merging your skills and senses to produce a harmonious and interesting painting without overthinking. Students will learn the basics of portraiture and how to capture a likeness. Alla Prima, layering, and "blocking in" techniques will be taught.

No upcoming schedules
$325

7 sessions

Alla Prima Oil Painting: Intermediate to Advanced

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

This "alla prima" (at first attempt) painting course really gets to the heart of what representational painting really is, pieces of color on a canvas. Yet when the color is accurately mixed and placed next to other accurate pieces of color, the paint vibrates and tricks the eye into believing the marks are more than just paint. This class stresses application of paint and color mixing to get a bold painting the first attempt. An excellent class...

No upcoming schedules
$295

9 sessions

Pet Portraits in Oil

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

Paint your pet. Working in oil from reference photos, learn to capture the expression and personality of your four-legged friends. This class will cover the basics of oil painting, focusing on textures such as fur and feathers. We will look at historical examples and there will be in-class demonstrations and individual instruction.

No upcoming schedules
$260

8 sessions

Painting Using the Photograph (Rush)

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

Paint from the photo using acrylic or oil paint! Students will learn how to work from photos, sketches, and other source material to create paintings and drawings. Course will include dmonstrations and lectures on composition, color and contemporary and historical artwork. Perfect for beginners. Explore painting and drawing with images of your choice.

No upcoming schedules
$298

10 sessions

Basic Painting

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

Great class to learn how to paint! Develop strong painting skills from composition, application, volume, brushwork and color. This class will get you painting with confidence in oil or acrylic paint. Assignments include still-life, costume figure & landscape. Instructor provides demos, critiques & art history lectures daily.

No upcoming schedules
$308

10 sessions

Learning to Draw & Paint

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

Great class to learn how to draw & paint! Develop drawing & painting skills using pencil, charcoal, & paint including oils & acrylic. Assignments include still-life, costume figure & landscape. Instructor provides demos, critiques & art history lectures daily.

No upcoming schedules
$308

10 sessions

Fundamentals of Painting (Beginner to Intermediate)

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

The goal of this class is to provide a strong foundation for oil and acrylic painters by providing students with a working understanding of composition, paint application, and color theory. Students will gain knowledge from working from the figure, still life and landscape.  $10 model fee paid in class.

No upcoming schedules
$295

9 sessions

Painting Flowers with Imagination

Yellow Barn Studio @ 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Washington, DC

A relaxed Sunday morning class where you get the freedom to make attractive flower paintings from still-life in an expressive and painterly way. Explore different ways to start and finish a painting with oils/acrylics, how to simply complex subject matter, and create colorful and appealing compositions. A safe place for beginners.  Supply list will be provided. 

No upcoming schedules
$260

8 sessions

Introduction to Oil Painting

Arlington Arts Center @ 3550 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA

Learn about the materials and techniques of oil painting, including layering and alla prima paint application, color mixing, and studio safety. Students will complete 1-2 paintings, working from a still life and/or a photograph of their choice.  Oil paintings by classical, modern, and contemporary artists will also be reviewed. Recommended for students with previous painting experience. Experience with oil paint is not required.

No upcoming schedules
$160

2 sessions

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Discover the Best Oil Painting Classes in Washington, D.C.

The first use of oil colors has been traced back to a cave in Bamiyan, Afghanistan during the 7th century CE. Oil colors were then used for painting in 11th-century Europe, and easel painting with oil colors began in the 15th century. Artists refined oil painting over the years and oil paints themselves evolved. 

Oil painting is a highly respected fine art. Famous painters like Leonardo da Vinci and Diego Velázquez contributed to the prestige of oil painting. There’s also a misconception that oil painting is exceptionally difficult. This is largely because oil painting requires a variety of materials that you should understand well before using. One of these materials is solvent, which is used to break down oil paints to either change their consistency or to clean them off brushes. 

Oil paints are thicker and heavier, so they take longer to dry than other mediums. However, because of this, they also take longer to fade than many other mediums. If you create an oil painting, it can likely last for several hundred years in good condition. 

Why You Should Learn Oil Painting in

Painting has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress when done as a therapeutic activity. When you paint, you’re expressing your imagination and creativity. You also need to pay close attention to details. This can distract you from outside stressors and things that cause anxiety in your life. 

Oil painting can help you work on your patience. Oil paints are slow drying, although one popular painting technique requires you to paint on top of still-wet paint. Doing this will require you to practice patience and carefully consider how to proceed with your painting. However, the slow-drying time of oil paints means that there is room for mistakes, so you don’t have to be too worried if you make an errant brushstroke or need to adjust the color of your paint. 

Oil painting is a respected medium among artists. This is in part because of the popular idea that oil painting is exceedingly difficult and because famous paintings like Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa are oil paintings. This has helped to create the perception that oil paintings are more valuable than other mediums. With enough practice and experience in oil painting, you may have the opportunity to display or even sell your paintings, 

In-Person Oil Painting Classes in

Sign up for in-person oil painting classes to receive hands-on instruction in oil painting basics and techniques, as well as in-depth demonstrations that you can follow along with. In-person classes are taught at local schools and studios by expert instructors who can provide you with constructive feedback and advice. 

New and returning in-person oil painting classes offered in the area are listed on CourseHorse. These classes range from beginner to advanced level. Beginner classes typically focus on the fundamentals of oil painting: color theory, color mixing, and application techniques. Intermediate-level classes will typically expand on techniques while allowing you to work on individual projects. Advanced-level classes will focus on one or several advanced techniques and will challenge you to explore the boundaries of your creativity while oil painting. 

Previous oil painting classes taught in the DC area have introduced students to oil painting, taught the process of painting a landscape, and gone in-depth on popular oil painting techniques. If in-person oil painting classes interest you, check back regularly on CourseHorse to see if any are being offered at a school or studio near you. 

Virtual Oil Painting Classes 

If you can’t take an in-person oil painting class or if there are none offered in your area, don’t be discouraged; you can still take an oil painting class. Virtual oil painting classes are offered remotely through online video platforms. These classes are taught by experts from around the country on a variety of topics. Classes can be found for beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level painters. 

One thing to keep in mind if you’re taking a virtual oil painting class is that you’ll need to procure the necessary supplies yourself. In-person classes may supply you with most or some supplies, which makes them ideal if you’re just starting and don’t have tools. However, if you take an online class, your instructor will include a supply list on the class page and may even direct you to an online retailer to purchase them. 

Online Oil Pastel 101 is a virtual oil painting class offered by Pastimes for a Lifetime. This class will provide you with a basic understanding of oil paintings. Your instructor will teach you about using oil paints, color theory, and color mixing. You must first take their online Intro to Drawing class or an equivalent before taking this class. 

If you have some experience with oil painting, you can sign up for the Richmond Art Center’s Abstract Painting class. This intermediate class will be spent working on an original abstract painting. Instruction for this class is also available in Spanish.

The Evanston Art Center hosts an online oil painting discussion and critique class. This class encourages questions and lively discussion in the hopes of providing each student with valuable feedback and advice on their oil paintings. You’ll be able to share your ideas and works in progress as well as engage in constructive feedback with other students. 

Private Group Oil Painting Classes in

Are you interested in booking a private group oil painting for your business or organization in the area? CourseHorse can deliver classes to you. 

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