The 17 best painting classes in NYC

Learn the art of the great masters in this introductory oil painting course. Taking the first step on an artistic endeavor can often be the hardest one and in this course, you can start to learn the art of oil painting in an accessible and welcoming environment. You’ll learn how oil painting has evolved over the centuries and you’ll learn the most common techniques artists use to make the most of oil as an evocative medium. In addition, since this is an absolute beginner's course, you’ll learn foundational visual design skills such as composition, perspective and shading.

On the other side of the painting spectrum, if you want to learn to work with acrylic paints, you can enroll in this absolute beginners course. Acrylic paint is slightly faster drying and offers a different range of color options (for blending) and Acrylic paint tends to be more versatile (while requiring quicker thinking and more deliberate strokes on the part of the painter. This course will introduce students to the basics of the medium and provide them with the same foundational skills training found in the oil painting course. Sign up now and discover the art of acrylic painting.

Discover the joys of watercolor painting in this introductory course that provides hands-on painting lessons for beginners and advanced students alike. This course aims to provide students of all skill levels with the guidance and assistance they need in order to become proficient in watercolor painting. Students with minimal experience will learn basic watercolor techniques, including how to blend colors and how to give your painting the signature ethereal look associated with watercolor. Advanced students will receive personalized support to help them improve their composition skills and begin working on projects that are designed with their unique artistic voice in mind.

For $50, you can get schooled on how to paint and take your creation home with you for DIY home decor. The fee covers everything you’ll need—except booze. Yes, you can BYOB to classes, and yes, you probably should.

If you want to host a worthwhile party or office gathering, this is the place to do it. You can book a private session and celebrate in style—whether that style is impressionism or Dadaism is up to you.

This Long Island school serves up lots of great classes, but the painting classes are particularly worth a look. It’s a school that celebrates Japanese art and culture, and its painting classes follow suit. The Japanese ink painting class is incredibly popular–and with good reason–but we also really like the Manga drawing and animation class. You’ll learn how to mimic famous Japanese characters, as well as create your very own manga masterpieces. 

Bring your own bottle (of wine or beer, no hard spirits) to this relaxing and engaging paint-and-sip workshop at the Painting Lounge. In this course, participants can enjoy an evening of socializing and responsibly drinking as they learn the basics of painting through a hands-on project. An instructor is on hand to give guidance, answer questions and help students paint, but the goal of the class is to give students a space to have fun and let their creative sides loose as they paint a stunning picture to take home at the end of the class.

This art workshop/studio with locations on the Upper West Side and in Astoria, Queens offers “art that rock the soul,” and certainly provides a wide variety of avenues for both adults and kids to test that proposition. Want to learn how to paint a portrait of your beloved pet? There’s a class for that. Create a masterpiece from a selfie? Ditto. There are also course in creating abstract art with poured paint, painting wood signs as mementos and sipping wine while working at the easel. Kids can be signed up for after school sessions or painting parties. Dirty Hands is also available for corporates events, including mural team building.

The Paint Place in Astoria, Queens is located at 31-21 31st St, between Broadway and 31st Ave

If you are looking to enjoy a relaxing painting class that doubles as a trip to one of the city’s most beautiful vistas and an excuse to enjoy some wine or beer, consider enrolling in this Stelnik Art paint and sip event. Participants will enjoy food and drink as they socialize and paint on a pre-sketched canvas. As you drink, you’ll be getting practical acrylic painting lessons from a professional artist and you’ll leave the park with a beautiful piece to call your own.

If you are in Brooklyn (or you can commute) and you want to take a class to learn how to paint or draw, consider enrolling in one of the many in-person art classes offered through ArtclassesBklyn.com. You can enroll in short single-session classes or longer skills workshops where you will build your painting or drawing skills over time to master the artform. They also offer courses taught in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, offering students the unique opportunity to go out into nature as they explore their creative side.

The focus at the well-respected Dumbo art school is on beginner classes, with quite the range on offer. We’re talking cartooning for kids, oil painting, digital art classes, abstract painting, wearable art... basically if you can think it, they’ll probably offer a class. But it’s not just for beginners; intermediates and beyond are well-catered for. Think of this school as your one-stop-paint-class-shop for learning the art in NYC.

If you want to get serious about watercolors, then the guys here can help. Michiyo offers weeklong courses at the New York Academy of Art for $425 if you’re ready to really commit to being a starving artist.

Few subjects are more difficult for artists to tackle than the human form. Not only do you need to have an understanding of painting techniques, but you have to understand the subtle contours of our anatomy to produce a life-like portrait. In this course, taught by renowned instructors Faye Sanders and Eric Michelson, you’ll learn a range of contemporary styles and approaches to figure painting. This course is a practical skills class that is useful for painting novices or experts looking to master the art of representing the human body.

Offered in-person or online, this group watercolor workshop will give attendees the chance to learn the art of using watercolor paints to create vibrant and evocative paintings. Whether in-person or online, participants will have access to all the supplies they needs, including paint and canvas (they are sent directly to online participants) and everyone will work with a professional art instructor to learn the basics of important painting skills that they can use to expand their artistic abilities and create even more beautiful paintings.

This location offers both private and group lessons, so you can get into painting one-on-one or get down with some friends on a double date. From charcoal to oil paint, the artists here are experts in it all.

If you’re in the market for something less artistically rigorous and more laid back, consider a group paint-and-sip event. In this event, which is also available in person or online, all participants will receive a pre-sketched canvas (you can choose from a catalog or submit your own image) and some quality wine to enjoy as they talk, socialize, paint and sip. This makes for an excellent team building activity and a wonderful excuse to get together with friends, colleagues or relatives as you enjoy an evening with one another.

In this practical oil-painting for beginners course, students will get hands-on experience and personalized instruction in the art of painting with oil-based paints. This includes everything from basic painting techniques (such as mixing and blending colors) to practical concerns like setting up a palette and keeping brushes clean. Over the course, you’ll create 10 different paintings, each aimed at helping you develop your skills and you’ll have the opportunity to receive personalized instruction based on your skill-level and long-term painting goals.

This space offers many classes, including Brushless Watercolor so you can familiarize yourself with that medium without the constrictions of hand-to-brush dexterity. Remember how liberating finger painting was? That kid-style fun is exactly what you’ll rediscover here.