The first question many of you will have is, “which course should I start with?”
Our students could live anywhere in the world—a high-rise apartment in Beijing, a small village in eastern Turkey, or a home in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights.
We really want your initial course to be a positive first step, so you need to honestly consider the following two questions if you are considering starting with either a painting or the sculpting course:
1) Is there an adequate work space (studio) where you live, where you can paint or sculpt with no interruptions for an hour or two a day?
This work space needs to have a place (large drawer or closet) to store both your supplies and your completed artworks! During your lessons, the work space also needs to be where there is almost no traffic flow from other house members, including pets. Paints can be toxic and sculpture tools are necessarily sharp—you don’t want to harm a relative or poison a pet. Figure you’ll need a minimum of 4 by 4 feet of undisturbed space.
The work space also should have ready access to a clean water supply, as you’ll need to clean up your brushes and/or tools after every session. And internet connectivity/electricity to take the course too!
So do you have adequate work space?
2) Is there money available to fund the upfront $100-$200 initial cost for brushes/paints for the painting course, or clay and other supplies for the sculpture course?
STOP! Class selection recommendation: If you answered no to either of the above two questions, start with the Drawing Course. You don’t need much to get started (just a pencil, eraser, and some paper) and the space required is only determined by the size of your paper—drawing can be engaged in most anywhere.
In fact, we highly recommend all beginning students consider starting with the Drawing Course.
We understand it can be discouraging if you don’t have a lot of money or lack an adequate studio space. Don’t fret! We wrote an article called Tips For Painting On A Budget that will provide you with a list of tips that can help save you money should you decide to move on to one of our Painting Courses. We’ll also teach you how you can paint outside (‘en plein air’) so the world becomes your studio space. Lastly, you can reach out to your fellow classmates for support in the comment section below each lesson, or use our Contact Us form to get in touch with us. We can’t respond to every submission we get, but we’ll try.
If you answered yes to the above questions, consider the next two before making your final decision:
3) Do you have some sketching skills?
A painting usually involves a sketch of the subject on the canvas, and sculpting requires a sketch of the item you intend to sculpt, so having some sketching skills is important.
Even if you answer “yes” here and are confident in your drawing skills, we still suggest you review the Drawing Course lesson list and take the lessons where you could improve your skills. As John Singer Sargent once said, “You can’t do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh.”
4) Are you excited about learning art and live in a supportive environment?
We believe that having a passion about learning and supportive family or housemates will help you through the inevitable challenges that we all have learning a new subject—including the cleanup after each session!
STOP! Class selection recommendation: If you answered, “yes” to these questions, you can choose to move ahead in either Sculpture or the Painting Course—wherever your interest lies.
I just came on your site by pure chance, looking to have a better idea of human face proportions.
I have been drawing for years…. sometimes with success (which is when I like what I draw) and sometimes with great disappointment!
I have refused to get discouraged though and try not to force myself into drawing, painting or whatever else I am doing.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for this site. It seems so full of infos, and I really wanted to start sculpture too. I am adversed to class settings in general, with scheduled times not always practical with my life, as well as an added financial problem to pay for the class as well as for the materials.
I prefer to keep all that money to buy the material I like!
Anyway, than you very much for this really nice site.
Hi Marie-Claude,
We are so pleased to hear that you enjoy our site and refuse to get discouraged! That’s the only way to learn–to keep going and push past the uncomfortable parts. Good for you!
Stay creative,
The Beginner’s School Team
It is a beautiful thing you have and do with your website! I am unable to work at the present time as I am awaiting back surgery. This affords me much free time but not much money to work with with no paycheck. Upon looking for some kind of community center that may have such art classes on a budget but fearing I could not afford even “art on a dime” and very limited to physical activities with severe back pain, I am overjoyed and immensely appreciative of this website. You give me a positive reason to get up each day and have something to look forward to that takes my mind off the pain! I bet your hiding wings under your clothes because your angels!
Thank You,
Dar
Hi Dar,
We are so happy to know that you’re enjoying our website! You’ve got a great attitude–keep up the good work! 🙂
The Beginner’s School Team
I just want to thank you for your site. I was an art major in college but switched to busness. Now at age 82 I’m going to go back to my dream of painting
That’s wonderful! Never give up on your dreams. You’re an inspiration! We hope our lessons help you on your new path. 🙂
Happy creating!
Just found your website, love it, I’ve always dabbled in painting. Would like to get more serious, just recieved a light box set, which I think will help me. I look forward to reading the questions and answers on your set….your answers are. Always so easy to understand for beginners like me…thank you