tl;dr: Excellent course on digital painting, fantastic tutors
I found the Art School of SF Bay while looking for one-day workshops. I had a short trip to San Francisco and was trying to cram in some art classes during the weekends. This was one of the few art schools that had a digital painting course and I emailed them asking if they had any one-day workshops I could join. Maria reached out to me within a few hours and suggested a few options for a private workshop. I was thrilled to see the teacher for the Digital painting class was available and signed up for it right away.
I've signed up for private workshops in other schools during my previous trips and have usually left most of them feeling like I haven't learnt a lot. There's only so much you can do in 2-3 hours. But in this case, I got so much from the first session, I signed up for another session the same day.
Jeongwoo, who teaches the Digital Painting course, is an amazing artist and a fantastic teacher; a combination hard to come by. In the first few minutes of the class, it was evident he's a pro on Photoshop. I have been trying to self-learn for a while but I learned more about Photoshop in the first 30 minutes of the class than I have watching hours of videos.
What I really liked about his sessions is that he works along with you, so you can see what a professional level piece looks like. I was also impressed by the amount of time and effort he put in to plan the sessions. For the second session he suggested that we spend some time on traditional drawing before going digital and I'm glad we did. I felt like I got a master class on Portrait drawing and there was a significant improvement in my piece compared to the first session.
All in all, I've found a new favorite Art school and know where I'll be spending my weekends during my...
Read moreI've been taking adult drawing and painting classes at the Art School of SF Bay San Francisco for almost a year now, running the gamut from watercolor to acrylic to oil painting to manga drawing to figure drawing. My time here has been nothing short of incredible (and I still plan to take more classes as there's always so much more to learn); in every course I've taken, I've been guided by friendly and passionate teachers who genuinely care about their students and helping them to improve, and who have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with everyone every class. Austin, Cody, Hana, Hannah, and Katerina are all amazing and I've learned so much from all of them. However, I want to give an especial shout-out to Austin for really helping me to grow creatively; every manga art class, he brings an extraordinary love for the craft and even art as a lifestyle that has been absolutely invaluable in guiding me on my artistic journey, and through him I've been exposed to many amazing artists I didn't know of before (like Yoh Yoshinari, Joe Mad, Tsutomu Nihei, and Kim Jung Gi, among many many others). His passion for art reminds me of why I draw and inspires me to keep going, and I owe so much to him and his teaching.
I do also want to mention that the space itself is clean and well outfitted, equipped, and decorated, so it's a very cozy and comfortable place. The school provides any needed supplies, like watercolor palettes, oil and acrylic paints, canvases, and bristol paper, which is very convenient for anyone just getting off of work for an evening class. I absolutely love this place and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their art skills or to just have...
Read moreI had an amazing experience taking a beginner/intermediate adult acrylic/oil painting class at the Art School of SF Bay. I've attended both Hugo and Cody's classes, who are both great artists and instructors. However, I cannot sing higher praises for Hannah Wynkoop, who is not only a talented artist but also a skilled instructor. As a complete beginner to acrylic and oil painting, I felt extremely intimidated when starting out the class as many other students are more intermediate. Hannah was able to break down complex concepts into simple explanations/analogies and personalize her teaching based on each student's needs and challenges. She is a master at making artistic skills relatable to each student and she is extremely patient, especially with a beginner like me. She even offers make-up classes on Sundays by coming into the studio a couple of hours early.
I have gained lots of new skills and improved tremendously through the 12 week class. I'd 100% take another art class with Hannah at the Art School of SF Bay and recommend anyone at any level to consider a...
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