The 15 best drawing classes in NYC

The 92nd Street Y is one of New York’s oldest and most storied community centers, and no matter what you are looking to learn, they likely have a course for you. If you want to learn the basics of drawing, you can enroll in their Drawing for Beginners course, an introduction to the fundamentals of art and composition. Students will learn how to use lines, shading, shadow and perspective to create stunning drawings that they can display. The skills students learn in this class will help them in any artistic endeavor they pursue.

Painting and drawing often go hand-in-hand, particularly if you are looking to paint elaborate projects and want to sketch out the finished project beforehand. Both artistic skills will necessitate an understanding of the basic elements of visual composition, including perspective, lines, shadows and shading and they will require practice and attention to detail. In this course, you’ll receive expert instruction in the foundational elements of visual art and you’ll get hands-on experience putting those skills to practice in a range of artistic projects.

Students looking for an immersive beginner art class can enroll in one of ArClassBkyln.com’s Drawing 1.01 courses. This program aims to take students who struggle with anything beyond a stick figure and give them the tools they need to start drawing realistic or highly stylistic works of art. Over 12 weeks, students will learn the ABC methods of drawing, which aim to help them master the art of representational drawing and art. This is a social course that will see students collaborating, critiquing and providing feedback on their work, but this is a stress, grade and judgment-free space, so feel free to explore your creative side in this inviting, beginner-friendly program.

Are you confident that you want to start taking your artistic creativity to the next level but unsure where your muse lies? Consider enrolling in this 92nd Street Y multi-media art course to get a sampling of all of the different approaches you learn at the school for creating stunning hand-made 2D art. This course covers introductions to drawing, watercolor, pastel and oil-painting and students will not only create a wide range of beautiful artistic creations but they will learn the differences between these media and the advantages (and disadvantages) that they bring to the table. Once students have completed this course, they will be ready to pick a more advanced program and pursue one or more of these artistic styles more intensely.

This Upper West Side art school channels a relaxed, low-pressure vibe that feels welcoming to artists of all skill levels. Offerings include studio sessions, like the six session Fear-Free Drawing 101 workshop, and field trips, like the Beginner’s Drawing at the Met class where you can take inspiration from centuries of art.

Total beginners might want to sign up for a workshop at this fine arts studio in Chelsea. The classes here are small—just three to 10 students—so you can get plenty of individualized attention from your instructor. Learn the foundations in an introductory drawing and painting class, then move on to a live model class to finesse your composition and draftsmanship.

This community of more than 7,000 amateur artists regularly meets to practice figure drawing in live model sessions. Bring your own sketchpad and pencil and get ready for some hands-on practice. Beginners might want to opt for the regular weekday and weeknight classes, which include a series of 20 minute poses culminating in a 40 minute long pose, while more experienced artists can go straight into the three-hour long pose drawing classes.

New York School of the Arts keeps the traditional discipline of art but also explores new media. They offer a range of classes for a variety of ages and levels of experience, with a wide choice of classes to choose from. From techniques of printmaking to contemporary watercolor, you can try your hand at almost anything, including their introduction class to Adobe Photoshop (sign us up please). You'll be taught in small groups to ensure each of you get the hands-on help you want and depending on the class, most of the materials and resources will be provided. 

While the thought of live model drawing is often a cliche, learning how to draw the human form is an important part of learning to be a good artist. In this course, students will learn classic drawing techniques, emphasizing composition, proportions, gesture, values and color as they master the alla-prima and work with a live model. This course is a great way to get practical, hands-on experience with human figure drawing, and students will get feedback and demonstrations from professional art instructors. No matter your experience level, it is important to practice figure drawing and learn essential anatomy skills, and this course is a great way to get that practice.

While many artists do draw for the sake of drawing, it is also a vital skill for many multimedia projects or more elaborate artistic endeavors. In this class from Creatively Wild, students will learn how to combine drawing, painting and collage imagery into stunning and evocative art pieces in only a few hours of study. Students will work with recycled materials; magazines, colored papers, newspapers, recycled machine parts, string, fabric, threads, etc, and add paint, pastels, charcoal, and printed text to design creative expressions of a student’s personal creativity. This course is open to beginners and is a great way to get exposure to an art style that most people aren’t especially familiar with.

The West Side YMCA offers an impressive slate of visual arts classes, including a basic drawing workshop that would be ideal for beginners. The class meets in Central Park so you can take inspiration from both the natural landscape and art reproductions as you learn to sketch. Later, you’ll discover how to turn your drawings into watercolor paintings.

Join a community of artists as you learn the basics of light, shadow, texture and perspective in this immersive, intensive two-hour course. Open to all students, regardless of their background in drawing, this class gives students an accelerated introduction to the foundational art concepts that define drawing as a medium, both on its own and as a component of other art projects. If you are interested in drawing and you don’t want to waste any time getting your feet set, this is the course for you.

Students in grades 6-12 interested in digital art, cartooning and manga may want to enroll in this One River School course to get an introduction to these art forms' complexities and unique traditions. Students will learn the foundations of sequential art and how panel-based imagery creates meaning in readers' eyes. This course focuses on using Adobe Photoshop, and students will get hands-on experience creating their own digital comic panels.

Few aspects of art are more difficult than capturing the contours of the human form. Drawing anatomically correct humans can be very challenging since there is so much subtly in how our muscles move and shape the body. In this course, students will learn the classical techniques that artists have used to sketch the human form for centuries, and they will get hands-on practice paired with anatomy lessons and demonstrations. Lessons cover concepts like shading and portrait construction, and the course is open to artists of all skill levels.

Art classes can be an excellent way to bring people together for an enjoyable evening or weekend afternoon. Not only is art a fun and relaxing activity, but it encourages creativity and conversation. This makes art classes ideal for anyone looking to host a corporate team-building event, birthday party, family get-together or other celebratory event. You can come together and learn how to draw people and landscapes, create stunning paintings (or enjoy a bottle of wine as you paint), make hand-crafted sculptures or even make living art in the form of a terrarium. No matter what kind of artistic endeavor you want your group to pursue, there is an option waiting for you.