Paint/Sketch classes for adults in Petaluma
Weekly art classes for adults in downtown Petaluma — a warm, encouraging studio where first-timers and longtime makers work side by side. Taught by Elizabeth McKoy, for new and continuing students.
The next session
Dates for the next Paint/Sketch session haven’t been posted yet. Join the Artaluma newsletter to hear when registration opens, or email elizabeth@artaluma.org with questions.
What you’ll learn
Deepen your drawing and painting skills in this hands-on workshop — designed for returning students and welcoming to newcomers.
Learn techniques to accurately sketch what you see and build convincing depth, texture, and movement.
Then expand into color — explore expressive approaches with pastels, watercolor, or acrylics, and learn how to harmonize value, hue, and brushwork to make your paintings come alive. Projects, demonstrations, and individualized feedback.
Along the way you’ll work on sketching, composition, balance, color, and line.
Spiral teaching of art
One of the things I love most about teaching visual art is that there is always more to discover.
You don’t learn drawing, check it off the list, and move on to painting. The skills keep circling back, connecting, and deepening as you grow.
The more you learn about drawing, the more it can inform your painting—and vice versa.
Sketch to Paint classes
Throughout the six weeks, I weave together drawing skills—such as line, shape, shadow, perspective, and how to create a three-dimensional form—with painting skills like color mixing, value, brushwork, composition, and working with acrylic paint.
I begin each class by demonstrating a technique, and then we apply what we’ve learned through one or more short, fun, and easy exercises to practice and integrate the learning.
I then offer a prompt or suggestions for the painting project, but everyone is always free to paint and express whatever and however they want. I adore being available to answer questions and to coach and facilitate exploration. In this way, I can individualize each student’s process.
At the end of each class, we turn to a key part of the learning: reflection, not critique.
Reflection is part of the spiral, too. We don’t begin by asking, What’s wrong with my work?
We start by looking carefully at what is working.
Then you decide what, if anything, you’re curious about improving:
- What do I want to change?
- What is the canvas telling you it needs next?
- What do I want to understand more deeply?
The group learns exponentially from watching each other learn, ask questions, and bravely work on growing as artists.
Everyone learns and grows more than they thought possible.
Visit the studio
Paint/Sketch meets at Artaluma, 145 Keller Street in downtown Petaluma, CA 94952.
Questions about the class? Email elizabeth@artaluma.org.
Looking for something else? See every adult class and workshop on the Classes page.
