When most people think of art, they tend to think of painting or drawing, but art is a diverse field that includes everything from stone carving and sculpture to jewelry making and knitting. No matter what kind of artistic creations interest you, there is likely to be a school in Los Angeles that offers beginner-friendly and advanced courses in that topic. This means that enrolling in an art class is a great way to get hands-on experience and studio time that might be otherwise inaccessible.
In addition to teaching students new skills and introducing them to new hobbies, enrolling in an art class can be a great way to become part of a new community. Los Angeles is the second most populated city in the nation, and it has one of the richest and most diverse artistic communities and histories in the world. Students who learn art skills in Los Angeles can become part of artistic communities that have lasted for generations, and they can meet like-minded artists who can become lifelong friends, collaborators, and colleagues. No matter what kind of artistic education you pursue, you’ll be entering a welcoming community full of creative people.
If you are interested in learning more about the art classes available in Los Angeles, visit CourseHorse to learn more. You can also visit CourseHorse to learn about all of the fun things you can do in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Center of Photography
Thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones, more and more people are getting into photography. If you are interested in taking your photography skills to the next level, consider enrolling in a course at the Los Angele Center of Photography. At this nonprofit art education center, students can get an introduction to the basic principles of digital photography. In addition, The Los Angeles Center of Photography offers a range of field photography classes that will have students visiting many of Los Angeles’s most scenic landmarks and practicing their digital photography skills. Students can also enroll in practical classes covering subjects such as photo retouching or printmaking.
Brushstrokes + Beverages
Paint and Sip is becoming an increasingly popular social activity, since it is an enjoyable way to spend an evening on one’s own, with a date, or with a group of friends. Brushstrokes + Beverages offers a wide variety of paint and sip classes in which students can learn the basics of painting in a low stress environment while meeting new people and enjoying good wine. Students will enroll in a themed course, like “Crashing Waves, ” “Tropical Sunset, ” or “Rainbow Tower, ” and spend an evening receiving guided, step-by-step instruction on how to paint their subject. All of the materials (but not the wine) are provided by the school, and once students are done with their course, they will have a real painting that they can take home with them to hang on their walls.
The Art Studio
If you are looking for a place to learn a variety of different artistic mediums and techniques, The Art Studio in Westminster might be the right place for you. They offer weekly painting (oil, watercolor, and acrylic) and drawing courses for students looking to learn 2D art as well as a weekly sculpture studio workshop for students hoping to work with clay and stone. The Art Studio also aims to make its courses inviting to younger students, particularly high school students looking for ways to practice their artistic skills. All of the courses are taught by expert instructors, and students who enroll in these classes will have access to The Art Studio’s materials and supplies.
The American School of Flower Design
You may not think of floral arrangement when you think of art, but flower design is one of the most well-studied and commonly practiced art forms in the world. Award-winning floral designer Michael Gaffney began the American School of Flower Design as an attempt to introduce the principles of professional flower design to the country. Students enrolled in these courses will learn the fundamentals of American, European, and bridal flower design traditions, and every student who completes a class will be able to take their arrangements and a copy of Gaffney’s flower design book home with them. Students will also learn how to care for their plants, improving their longevity and helping them stay beautiful even longer.
Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College is one of the largest continuing education schools in the city, and they offer training courses in a huge variety of different subjects. If you want to learn how to paint, Los AngelesCC offers a course for you. Want to learn how to work with a pottery wheel? There is a course offered. Even if you are interested in something as specific as Ikebana, origami, cartooning, or face painting, there will likely be a course for you in Los Angeles City College’s catalog. While these courses are not offered for college credit, they are open to the general public and are all taught by experienced instructors who are prepared to guide you through the process of learning new artistic skills and techniques.
Pastimes for a Lifetime
Since opening in 1989, Pastimes for a Lifetime has been a significant part of the Los Angeles art scene. The school’s curriculum focuses on drawing and painting classes, with a particular emphasis on life sketching courses that aim to teach students how to accurately replicate human anatomy and musculature in graphite and charcoal. These courses aim to help beginner artists learn how to draw life figures and how these skills can be applied to other artistic pursuits, either as part of the planning process or as part of a mixed media project. The courses are all taught by art experts with years of experience in their respective fields so that students can be confident in the quality of the training.
Allen Kenoyer Stained Glass
Stained Glass windows and pieces are awe-inspiring and mesmerizing works of art, and with the help of the Allen Kenoyer Stained Glass instructors, you too can build and fuse your own stained glass pieces. Students can enroll in classes to create glasses waves, jellyfish, fairy forests, fused hearts, and a wide variety of other pieces they can put on display or give as artisanal gifts. Since Allen Kenoyer Stained Glass is also a full-service retailer for stained glass, they have all the supplies and equipment students need to start coloring and fusing their stained glass projects. This art form isn’t easily accessed in one’s own home, so if it sounds interesting, you should seriously consider enrolling in one of these courses.
Valley Art Workshop
Valley Art Workshop began as Valley Print Workshop and has expanded beyond its original focus on screen printing classes to become a full-service art education center in The Valley. Students can still enroll in a wide variety of screen printing courses, including courses on how to leverage the unique affordances of screen printing to create certain moods in their pieces, or they can choose to enroll in any number of drawing, painting, sculpting, and illustrating courses. Valley Art Workshop offers a range of courses that focus on fantasy drawing, illustration, and sculpture for students interested in genre art. These courses are taught by professional instructors who help guide students in bringing their creative visions to life.
Irie Vibes Artist Space
Irie Vibes is a community art space and education center that aims to offer guidance, resources, and instruction to up-and-coming artists in South Los Angeles. They offer various artistic services, including spaces for aspiring filmmakers, recording artists, and dancers. In addition, they offer training in sewing crafts and jewelry making, meaning that students interested in learning a few practical art skills can find the training they need at Irie Vibes. In the jewelry making classes, for example, students will get hands-on instruction and access to the materials they need to create or repair favorite necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other metal and stone jewelry. Many classes are available in this space, so students are encouraged to see what kinds of art education Irie Vibes has available to help them achieve their goals.
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is an adult continuing education center offering a wide range of art courses, including many classes that teach students how to make artisanal home goods. While you may not think of it as an art, activities like soap making or candle making have long traditions of artistic expression and experimentation as artisans attempt to craft fine, artisanal products. In these courses, students will be introduced to these processes, learning how to prepare and customize their recipes for everything from homemade soap and shampoo to candles and bath bombs. Once you master the art of making these fine artisanal goods, you’ll be able to save money, make healthier and more sustainable purchases and start making home goods you can give away as gifts or even potentially start to sell.