Acrylic Painting FAQ

You can learn acrylic painting at Sunny Art Centre in Covent Garden, Central London. We offer in-person acrylic painting classes for complete beginners, intermediate students and advanced painters, taught in a professional art studio with individual demonstrations, technical guidance and feedback throughout every lesson.

Our studio is on Kemble Street, London WC2B 4AW, within walking distance of Covent Garden and Holborn Underground stations. Classes are limited to a maximum of 10 students, so every painter receives regular one-to-one support from a professional artist tutor.

Yes. Our beginner acrylic painting classes are suitable for complete beginners, including people who have never painted before or have not made art since school. You do not need to prepare a portfolio, complete an assessment or bring examples of previous work.

During your first lesson, your tutor will discuss your experience and goals before helping you begin with an appropriate exercise or painting subject. You will be introduced gradually to colour theory, colour mixing, brush control, paint application and composition.

Yes. Acrylic is one of the most accessible painting mediums for beginners. It is water-based, dries relatively quickly and can normally be painted over once it is dry. Brushes and palettes can be cleaned with water, and students do not need to use traditional oil-painting solvents.

Acrylic can be applied in thin layers or with stronger, more solid colour, making it suitable for learning a wide range of painting techniques. Because every student follows an individual study plan, you will not be expected to work at the same level or speed as everyone else in the class.

No. You can begin acrylic painting without completing a drawing course first. Basic drawing skills can help with proportion, composition and planning, but your tutor can guide you through the drawing required for each painting project.

Some students choose to develop drawing and acrylic painting together, while others focus primarily on painting. If you would like to strengthen the foundations, you can also take a dedicated drawing course alongside your painting.

Both acrylic and oil painting can be suitable for beginners, but they behave differently. Acrylic paint dries quickly, cleans with water and allows you to add new layers during the same lesson. Oil paint dries much more slowly, providing more time for blending and adjusting colours.

Acrylic may suit students who prefer quicker drying times, direct colour and simpler cleaning. Oil painting may suit students who prefer gradual blending and traditional techniques. If you are unsure which medium to choose, you can book a free consultation before enrolling.

Acrylic paint can be applied transparently or opaquely and forms a permanent layer once it has dried, allowing you to build layers, strengthen colours and paint over previous areas. Watercolour is usually transparent, relies more heavily on the white paper to create light, and requires careful control of water, timing and transparency.

Acrylic may suit you if you enjoy painting on canvas, layering colours and creating both smooth and textured surfaces. Watercolour may be more suitable if you prefer delicate washes and working on paper.

Yes. We offer acrylic painting courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Intermediate students can strengthen their colour mixing, tonal control, paint application, composition and understanding of form and depth.

Advanced students can focus on technical refinement, more complex compositions, sophisticated colour relationships, personal projects and developing an individual painting style. Your tutor will assess your experience and recommend a study plan appropriate to your current level and artistic goals.

Our adult acrylic painting course is suitable for students aged 17 and over. We offer separate art courses for children and teenagers, with teaching methods and projects designed specifically for younger students.

Please contact the studio before booking an adult course for anyone under 17.

Depending on your experience and chosen package, a beginner acrylic painting course may cover:

• How to use acrylic paints, brushes and painting surfaces
• Colour theory, colour mixing and creating harmonious combinations
• Warm and cool colours, and complementary colours
• Tonal values, brush control and paint application
• Blending, layering and acrylic mark-making
• Light and shadow, and creating form and depth
• Composition and working from observational references
• Painting still life, landscapes and other suitable subjects

Your tutor will introduce these areas in an appropriate order according to your experience and progress.

Colour theory and colour mixing are important parts of our acrylic painting programme. Students learn how primary colours can be mixed to create secondary and tertiary colours. Your tutor may also introduce warm and cool colours, complementary colours, colour temperature, tonal value, limited palettes and methods for creating harmonious colour relationships.

These exercises help students mix colours more accurately and understand how colour affects form, depth, light, atmosphere and composition.

During your first lesson, your tutor will ask about your previous experience, interests and reasons for learning acrylic painting. Complete beginners will normally be introduced to the materials and shown how to organise a palette, mix colours and apply the paint.

Your first project may focus on colour mixing, brush control, tonal values, simple forms or a straightforward observational subject. You do not need to prepare a subject before attending — your tutor will help you select an appropriate starting project and establish your individual study plan.

No. Our acrylic painting classes follow a personalised teaching approach. Students may work on different exercises and projects according to their experience, interests and stage of study, while the tutor moves around the studio providing individual demonstrations, corrections and feedback.

This allows complete beginners and experienced painters to attend the same session while working at an appropriate level.

When you first join, your tutor will normally recommend exercises and subjects that develop the skills you need most. As your confidence and technical ability improve, you can discuss your own ideas and preferred subjects with the tutor.

Students may work from still-life arrangements, photographs, landscapes, portraits, flowers, animals, figures or architecture. Your tutor will help you choose suitable references and balance your personal interests with the technical exercises needed for steady progress.

Students may study a range of observational subjects, including:

• Still life
• Landscapes
• Portraits and figures
• Flowers and botanical subjects
• Animals
• Architecture and cityscapes
• Colour studies and personal observational projects

The subjects you study will depend on your course level, individual goals and chosen lesson package. Our tutors can help you develop realistic and observational work, including still life, landscape and portrait painting, by teaching accurate proportion, colour mixing, tonal values, edges and the appearance of light and three-dimensional form.

We do not provide dedicated abstract painting tuition. Our acrylic painting courses focus on the essential foundations of painting — colour theory, colour mixing, composition, tonal relationships, brush control, paint application and understanding how colours interact.

These skills are valuable for all forms of painting and provide a strong technical foundation. Understanding colour relationships, composition, tonal balance, brushwork and different methods of applying paint can help students who later wish to explore a more independent abstract practice make confident, informed creative decisions.

Depending on your level and chosen package, you may study:

• Colour mixing
• Layering, blending and glazing
• Dry brushing and scumbling
• Transparent and more opaque paint application
• Acrylic mark-making and palette-knife techniques
• Textured paint application
• Hard and soft edges
• Expressive brushwork and using acrylic painting mediums

Your tutor will demonstrate how to apply these techniques within your own individual projects.

Acrylic paint dries as its water content evaporates. Your tutor can show you how to manage the drying time by organising your palette carefully, preparing colour mixtures before painting, working in stages and using a wet palette.

Acrylic retarder or slow-drying mediums may also be introduced when appropriate. These products should be used carefully, because adding too much can affect how the paint dries. The same techniques also help when you want to blend acrylic smoothly or work wet into wet.

The cost of acrylic painting classes in London depends on the number of lessons, class size, teaching format and what is included in the course package. Sunny Art Centre currently offers packages of 20, 40 and 50 acrylic painting lessons, with each lesson lasting two hours.

Please visit our acrylic painting course and prices page for the latest fees, VAT information, package validity periods and course inclusions.

We offer packages of 20, 40 and 50 lessons. The 20-lesson package introduces essential materials and techniques, including colour theory, colour mixing, paint application, blending and mark-making. The 40-lesson package provides more time to strengthen these foundations and develop a greater understanding of form and depth.

The 50-lesson package is the most comprehensive option, with more time to study composition, colour relationships, different subjects and a wider range of techniques. Complete beginners who want a thorough technical foundation normally benefit most from the 50-lesson package, while those looking for a shorter introduction may prefer the 20-lesson option.

Each group acrylic painting lesson lasts two hours. The two-hour format allows time for tutor demonstrations, independent painting, questions and individual feedback.

Private and bespoke lesson durations may vary according to the programme arranged.

There is a maximum of 10 students in each group class. The small-group format allows every student to receive individual guidance while benefiting from the atmosphere of a shared professional studio.

Materials inclusion depends on the course package you purchase. Some packages may include selected materials or additional benefits, while others require students to bring or purchase their own paints, brushes and painting surfaces. Easels and basic studio furniture are always provided.

We offer a recommended acrylic materials pack, and selected paints and materials can also be purchased from our studio shop. Please check the current package details before purchasing to confirm exactly what is included.

A basic acrylic painting kit may include:

• Acrylic paints
• A selection of suitable brushes
• A palette
• Canvas, canvas board or acrylic painting paper
• Water containers
• A palette knife
• A cloth or kitchen roll
• A pencil and eraser

Acrylic can be used on several prepared surfaces — stretched canvas, canvas board, acrylic paper, primed wood panel or heavy painting card — with canvas and canvas boards being the most common choice. Your tutor or the recommended materials pack will advise you on suitable colours, brush sizes and surfaces.

A beginner does not need a large collection of brushes. A small selection of flat, round and filbert brushes in different sizes is usually enough to begin — larger brushes for backgrounds and broad areas, and smaller brushes for details.

For acrylic painting we recommend a set of black sable brushes in a range of sizes. Our six-piece set includes sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, offering a versatile selection for both detailed work and broader areas of colour, and is available to purchase at the studio for £39 plus VAT. Please also refer to your recommended materials list for the full range of supplies.

Certification is included with selected acrylic painting course packages. Please check the individual package description before enrolling to confirm whether a certificate is included with your chosen option.

Yes. We offer weekday evening acrylic painting classes at our Covent Garden studio, suitable for people who would like to attend after work, university or other daytime commitments. Acrylic painting can also be studied during our Saturday group sessions, offered in the morning and afternoon.

All classes are subject to the current timetable and available places, so please check availability before booking.

Yes, you can start at any time. Our acrylic painting courses use rolling enrolment, so you do not need to wait for the beginning of a school term. After purchasing your package, your lesson credits are added to your online student account and you can select an available date for your first lesson.

You are not required to attend the same class every week. You may choose from the available daytime, evening and Saturday sessions and book different times each week, subject to availability — a flexible system that suits students with changing work, travel or family schedules.

First, visit the acrylic painting course page and choose your course level and preferred lesson package. After completing your purchase:

• Your lesson credits are added to your online student account
• You can view the available timetable
• You can reserve your preferred class times
• One lesson credit is used for each two-hour class you attend

A confirmed online booking is required before every class because places are limited.

Students must provide at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule a group lesson. When a class is cancelled within the permitted notice period, the lesson credit is returned to the student’s account. Late cancellations and missed lessons will normally result in the credit being deducted, and all bookings and changes should be managed through the online student account.

Every acrylic painting package also has a stated validity period, which depends on whether you purchase 20, 40 or 50 lessons. All lessons must be booked and attended before the package expires, so please choose a package you can realistically complete.

Our acrylic painting classes are held at Sunny Art Centre in Covent Garden, Central London, close to several Underground and transport links. Easels and basic studio furniture are provided on site.

Full address
Sunny Art Centre, Kemble Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 4AW

Nearest Underground stations
Covent Garden: Piccadilly line
Holborn: Central and Piccadilly lines

Nearby bus stop
Aldwych/Kingsway, Stop F — routes 1, 68, 91, 168, 188, N1, N68, N91, N171 and SL6

Nearby car parks
Lincoln’s Inn Fields Car Park, Urban Parking Shelton Street, NCP London Covent Garden and Intelli-Park Covent Garden — all open 24 hours.

Our central London location is convenient for daytime, evening and Saturday classes.

Yes. We offer private acrylic painting tuition for students who prefer fully individual teaching. Private lessons can be tailored to a particular technique, painting subject, personal project or portfolio goal.

They may also be suitable for students with limited availability, an approaching application deadline or a specific painting they would like to complete. A free consultation can be arranged to discuss the right option for you.

Yes. Acrylic painting can help students demonstrate colour, composition, observation, material understanding, technical ability and personal ideas within an art portfolio. Students preparing for GCSE, A-Level, IB, foundation or university applications may also benefit from a dedicated portfolio preparation programme.

The most appropriate programme will depend on your target institution, application requirements and deadline. We cannot guarantee admission, but our tutors can help you create and present work that reflects your skills and individual direction.

Yes. Prospective students can book a free studio consultation before choosing a course. During the consultation you can discuss your previous experience and goals, view examples of student work and receive advice about the most suitable course level and lesson package.

There is no obligation to enrol following the consultation.