Art Hub Academy — Attraction in Saratoga

I've been to about 5 of the figure drawing lessons. You walk-in and Jose, the owner and host, will welcome you and guide you. He is very friendly and will let you know how the structure of the class is if it's your first time. Every class there is a nude model, and within the roughly 3 hour time span, it will be broken up into chunks of 1 minute, 2 minute, 5 minute, 30 minute poses etc... and you draw with whatever materials you bring. There are easels and chairs (stools and wooden horse benches) you can sit on. The environment is very peaceful and easy to concentrate; sometimes Jose plays music quietly in the background. A few times, he let me borrow paper or charcoal after suggesting me to explore with these types of tools and letting me know where I can purchase them. Throughout the class, he walks around and makes suggestions/comments on the art drawn by the students. Some of the students are very young, some of them are old, some are really experienced and some are total beginners. I brought my friend who, like me, is also into drawing but does not have a formal background in art. It's a fun way to spend the rest of the evening after school/work for 3 hours just drawing a nude model alongside other art enthusiasts/artists. It's $20 per walk-in session, and I definitely think it's worth it for anyone who wants to explore their artistic talent or refine their figure...

(Update as of Jan 2025) I originally gave this review five stars but never wrote a proper review—one that I feel I owe to Jose Luis Andrade

Back in 2016, I wanted to get into oil painting and understand color theory. I searched extensively for an instructor, and based on his beginner student examples alone, I knew I had to attend his class.

Though I only took his classes for about six months, the fundamentals he taught stayed with me. Over time, I found myself returning to painting on my own. While I haven’t worked with oils since his class, I’ve transitioned into acrylics and gouache, and I still reflect on the lessons I learned from him with gratitude.

Recently, I fixed up a cozy reading and relaxation corner in my room. As part of the space, I hung up a couple of paintings I did in his class—especially the unfinished one, which was the last piece I worked on. Now, it hangs right in front of me when I nap or simply stare ahead. I love it for its composition, and the unfinished areas remind me of my struggles in class with...

I have been going to drop in figure drawing groups for years now, and this class was the best one I have been to yet. The models were always excellent and the poses dynamic. There were enough short poses to warm up and enough longer poses to feel finished. The best part by far, was the instruction. Most of the group's I go to don't involve a teacher so I was apprehensive at first. From the beginning, I always felt encouraged. I never felt as if someone was always looking over my shoulder, and the advice I got made my work better almost immediately. I haven't learned this much since school and I sincerely wish I was still in the area so I could continue at Art Hub Academy. You should definitely...