Question 1

Please help me choose a right class!

Accepted Answer

The student is:

4-7 YEARS OLD:

art classes for 4- 7 years old

8-12 YEARS OLD:
wants to get better at:

drawing, painting and sculpting from real life and imagination:

sketching, drawing characters from imagination, movies, and cartoons in comic style:

Book illustration (online):

Skilled student, wants to master compositions, various art styles, delivery of artistic message:

12-18 YEARS OLD:  
Wants to get better at:

realistic drawing / painting of objects and people (pencil and charcoal):

drawing humans MANGA (ANIME) style (copic markers or digital)

drawing characters for movies and video games (digital/markers)

Digital drawing & painting in Photoshop or Procreate

develop personal art style, prepare an art portfolio for a school of a college

ADULT:
Wants to get better at:

Level 1:

art foundation: sketching, shading, color mixing, composition, anatomy of human head and body

Level 2:  
 realistic shading of objects, fabrics, nature, portraits (pencil and charcoal)

realistic painting of objects, nature, and portraits (oil & acrylics)

watercolor technique

impressionist painting method and composition

soft and oil pastels technique

manga style drawings for adults

color theory

Level 3:

drawing human body from a live model

painting portraits in classical oil technique

classical atelier program

1-day long workshop, all levels:

painting a landscape

custom painting party (group of 10+)

Question 2

What do classes look like for each age group? Can I enroll my child into an older/younger age group, or take classes together with my child?

Accepted Answer

The class curriculum is designed based on how various age groups process information.

Kids between 4 and 7 are able to actively work on a project for about 50 minutes. After that, they are not interested in adding any additional qualities to their work. They also tend to see the world in a symbolic way, and not quite ready to embrace realistic rendering as much as they are at the age of 8 and up. Signing them in a 2-hour long class with a group of older peers will leave them tired and unhappy. Normally between 7 and 8 a child will start needing longer time to finish the projects, and demonstrate dissatisfaction of the artworks she used to love. It is time for them to switch to the older group.

Kids between 8 and 12 are ready to actively work for 2 hours with a short break, and master fundamentals of realistic drawing and painting, as long as they are "wrapped" into creative tasks.
Teaching them anatomy while designing a medieval knight armor makes more sense than just a lecture about anatomy.

Teens between 12 and 18 are ready to produce meaningful, well-planned and well-rendered works. They work at different paces, therefore teen classes are project based: people in the same room work on individual projects according to a plan created by the teacher individually for each student. 
Teens enjoy each others' company, and do not like to be placed in an adult group setting, although it is possible for short workshops like Figure Drawing or Old Masters Technique.

Adults need a solid understanding of what they are doing. We provide detailed lectures for every topic, that might sometime last up to 45 minutes. Adults feel confused in a kids class setting, when they are briefly introduced to a topic, and asked to immediately jump onto the creative process (something the kids are very good at). Also, kids tend to look up at the adult drawing, when the adult is sitting next to them. We do not recommend adults to take classes with children, and do not provide such service at our school.

Question 3

My child is very skilled for her age. Should she stay in the group with beginners, or take private classes?

Accepted Answer

Normally, our curriculum offers a lot of flexibility in complexity of the assignment. After the main lecture and presentation, a teacher works with each person individually, and encourage more advanced students to choose more complex topics, and render drawings with more detail.

In most cases we are able to accommodate unique student's skills and interest within the lesson structure. To see how it works, please schedule a demo class:

If the group is not a right choice for your child, the teacher will recommend you a better fit.

Question 4

Do you offer private classes?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes we do. It is a matter of teacher's and studio availability. Send us a request at artschoolsfbay@gmail.com and mention the location preference. We will forward it to the teachers that live in your area or work at the nearest studio.

Question 5

My child is 4. How do you I know is she is ready for an instructional class?

Accepted Answer

Your child is ready for an in-person instructional class when:

1) feels comfortable when he is left in a new place with a new person, without a parent;

2) is ready to follow teacher's directions;

3) while drawing at home, draws recognizable figures and objects (not abstract shapes), and colors within the outlines.

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Frequently asked questions

Please help me choose a right class!

What do classes look like for each age group? Can I enroll my child into an older/younger age group, or take classes together with my child?

My child is very skilled for her age. Should she stay in the group with beginners, or take private classes?

Do you offer private classes?

My child is 4. How do you I know is she is ready for an instructional class?

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