Kandice VincentMy friend loves to draw, but her sketches haven’t quite evolved beyond the stick figure stage. So, naturally, she turned to me to find the best drawing classes in Toronto that could take her from doodler to artist.
Lucky for her, I’ve got my finger on the pulse of Toronto’s creative scene. I put together a list of top-notch classes based on student reviews, instructor experience, and the variety of classes offered—they’ll have her sketching like a pro in no time.
For aspiring sketching kings and queens out there, here are the best drawing classes in Toronto that’ll bring your artistic dreams to life!
Palette Art School
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Website: https://paletteartschool.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palette_art_school/
Address: 1600 Steeles Ave W Unit 2, Concord
Hours:
- Mon – Thurs: 12 PM – 4 PM, 5 PM – 8:45 PM
- Friday: 10:30 AM – 4 PM, 5 PM – 8:45 PM
- Saturday: 10:30 AM – 7 PM
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Contact: (905) 738-7889
Palette Art School can help those looking to impress art school admissions committees with a killer portfolio. For over a decade, their expert drawing instructors have guided countless students toward their artistic dreams.
Their Life Drawing Foundations Workshop is led by Kristine Danilyants. This crash course covers everything you need to know about drawing the human figure—from life drawing techniques and proportions to skeletal landmarks and muscular anatomy.
But if you’re not ready to commit to a full workshop, they also offer Uninstructed Life Drawing Sessions. These 3-hour sessions feature a variety of poses, including three 5-minute poses and one longer pose for in-depth study.
Pro Tip:
Palette Art School registers students on a semester basis and requires full up-front payment for the entire semester. So, if you’re planning to sign up, make sure you’re ready to commit!
Art Workshop
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Website: https://www.artworkshop.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Maria_artworkshop/
Address: 191 Eglinton Ave East, 3F, Suite 302B, Buzzer code 3022
Hours: Mon – Sun: 11 AM – 9 PM
Contact Details: (416) 967-5746
Art Workshop offers a wide range of drawing classes. With a mission to support the visual arts, their learning opportunities are designed for everyone—from total newbies to seasoned pros.
Their drawing workshops let you experiment with various techniques through a variety of exercises. You can switch things up and try a new technique each session, or stick with one technique throughout all your sessions—whatever suits your style!
You can also choose between a 4-session or 8-session program, both of which take place in a small tutorial group environment. This setup ensures you get plenty of attention, inspiration, and motivation.
Pro Tip:
Art Workshop offers a Family Art Session, so you can spend quality time with your loved ones on a weekend, making art together in a 2-hour session for a family of three. If you’ve got a bigger crew, you can add extra members for $50 each.
Create Art Studio
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Website: https://createartstudio.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createartdanforth/
Address: 401 Danforth Ave Upper Floor
Hours:
- Mon – Thurs: 9 AM – 4 PM
- Friday: 9 AM – 3:30 PM
Contact: (647) 368-4011
Create Art Studio’s founder knows a thing or two about needing a creative outlet. After working in fast-paced corporate environments for over 15 years, a handcrafted Valentine from a friend reminded her of the joy she once found in making art.
We love their Life Drawing courses that provide an engaging and expressive experience that’s fantastic for honing your sketching skills. You’ll practice translating the human form in sessions that feature nude models.
It doesn’t matter if you’re only dropping in for a single session or pre-registering; it’s still a great way to improve your drawing chops. Just remember, materials aren’t included!
Pro Tip:
If you’ve got a young artist at home, Create Art Studio also offers Creative Drawing workshops for anime and manga. This workshop dives into the unique Japanese design style that’s influenced comics, games, TV, and movies worldwide.
LoveFunART
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Website: https://lovefunart.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovefunart/
Address: 5635 Yonge St Unit 201, North York
Hours:
- Mon – Wed: 9 AM – 4 PM
- Sat – Sun: 10 AM – 4 PM
Contact Details: (416) 829-9657
LoveFunART is a place where creativity meets personal growth. Specializing in art education for people aged 15 and up, they believe that learning art is a powerful way to connect with our core human spirit.
One of the coolest things here is their fast-paced education series on the art of logic. These classes are designed for high school students and adults who want to learn the most essential and core aspects of drawing and painting in a short amount of time.
Their Analytical Sketch Online Class is also a fantastic option, ideal for those looking to build a portfolio, advance their careers, or pick up a new skill. The course consists of 10 lessons spread over 6 weeks, with two 2-hour classes each week via Zoom.
Pro Tip:
If you’re looking for something more personalized, LoveFunART also offers a 1-to-1 Painting, Drawing & Design Class. They’ll match you with the perfect teacher regardless of your chosen art form—fashion design, painting, drawing, and more!
Art Academy at Art-Kitect
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Website: https://akartschool.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artkitect_artschool
Address: 5460 Yonge St unit 303, North York
Hours:
- Wed – Fri: 12:30 PM – 7 PM
- Saturday: 9 AM – 3:30 PM
- Sunday: 9 AM – 7:30 PM
Contact: (416) 892-1661
If you’re searching for a drawing class that’s more than just a way to pass the time, the Art Academy at Art-Kitect is where you want to be.
They offer drawing classes for everyone—from novices to advanced artists. Plus, their amazing students often get the chance to enter local and national art competitions.
And they also have semi-private and private lessons. As a bonus, their teachers can create customized lesson plans just for you, no matter your chosen subject—be it oil painting, drawing, digital art, or manga, just to name a few.
Pro Tip:
If you’re not sure which class to take, try an Art Academy at Art-Kitect’s trial class—a great way to get a taste of what’s on offer before committing. Just remember, you can only purchase one trial class per student, so make it count!
Academy of Art Canada
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Website: http://www.academyofartcanada.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/academyofartcanada/
Address: 1929 Davenport Rd
Hours: Depends on class schedules
Contact: (416) 658-0808
Academy of Art Canada is a traditional art academy in Toronto that offers a unique approach to fine art education. Focused on poetic realism, they teach students to capture the beauty and essence of their subjects through drawing and painting.
Here, students study artistic techniques and philosophies from a wide array of historical periods and movements. These include the Renaissance, Early Flemish, Venetian, Baroque, Dutch/Flemish landscape, 18th-century, and 19th-century Parisian atelier.
Their curriculum is also rich and diverse, covering everything from preparatory drawing to cast studies, figure drawing, portrait drawing, morphology, and landscape.
Pro Tip:
Don’t miss out on their Drapery Drawing classes. Here, you’ll learn the art of drawing fabric in a way that not only looks realistic but also contributes to the overall composition and story of your artwork.
Academy of Realist Art
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Website: http://www.academyofrealistart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/academyofrealistarttoronto
Address: 901 Lawrence Ave., W Third Floor, North York
Hours:
- Mon – Thurs: 10 AM – 4 PM
- Saturday: 11 AM – 5 PM
Contact: (416) 766-1280
The Academy of Realist Art (ARA) is a one-of-a-kind art school in Canada where students learn the timeless skills of classical drawing and painting. ARA’s unique, step-by-step process helps you master the techniques needed to create realist art.
For instance, their Level One Drawing Curriculum lets students copy a series of prepared lithographs from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course. Working “in the flat” with graphite, students build an understanding of shape, proportion, value, and form.
ARA offers a variety of workshops and flexible classes during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends, so there’s always a spot for you, no matter your schedule.
Pro Tip:
Once you’ve mastered the basics, check out Academy of Realist Art’s Level Two curriculum, where you’ll work with plaster casts. Learn how light falls on three-dimensional objects and how to translate them onto a two-dimensional surface.
Artbarn School
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Website: https://artbarnschool.com/toronto-art-classes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbarntoronto
Address: 250 Eglinton Ave W Suite 101
Hours:
- Mon – Fri: 9 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday: 10 AM – 3 PM
- Sunday: 10 AM – 4 PM
Contact Details: (416) 518-6108
Artbarn School is a creative gem right along the Eglinton Way. For over 12 years, this vibrant community art hub has been sparking creativity in both adults and children, offering a variety of classes that cater to all ages and skill levels.
Adults can dive into drawing, watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting, or explore pottery, printmaking, and mixed media. If you’re looking to nurture your child’s artistic side, they also offer Mini MiniArt classes—perfect for tiny artists ages 1-3.
For teens, there’s a focused drawing and portraiture class. And let’s not forget the seasonal fun—Artbarn’s Winter, March, and Summer art camps are packed with creative activities to keep your child engaged during school breaks.
Pro Tip:
If you’re driving to Artbarn, keep the parking situation in mind—there’s no street parking from 8 AM – 10 AM, but it’s free at other times. You can also snag two hours of free Green P parking by entering the discount code “CROSSTOWN.”
Art Works Art School
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Website: https://www.artworksartschool.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artworksartschool/
Address: 327 Jane St
Hours: Depends on class schedules
Contact: (416) 532-1584
Art Works Art School is a community-oriented institution, which focuses on introducing people of all ages to the captivating realms of art and design. Their classes combine traditional and modern practices with rich historical references.
For adults, the Beginner Drawing class is an excellent starting point. Over an 8-week period, you’ll enhance your observation skills and learn fundamental drawing techniques.
Kids are in for a treat with the Art Explorers class—students learn to create lines and shapes, producing their very first masterpieces. And for tweens and teens, the Draw, Paint, Sculpt & Mixed Media course is a fantastic choice.
Pro Tip:
If you’re an adult looking for a more relaxed, social setting, the Bottles and Brushes: Wine and Paint-along Experience is a must-try. You’ll get to enjoy a bottle of red or white wine per table while painting along with the instructor—sounds like fun!
Toronto School of Art
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Website: https://www.instagram.com/tsa_art/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tsa_art/
Address: 24 Ryerson Ave
Hours:
- Mon – Thurs: 9 AM – 7 PM
- Fri – Sat: 9 AM – 5 PM
Contact: (416) 504-7910
As the city’s longest-running independent art school, Toronto School of Art has been shaping the talents of aspiring artists for over 45 years. They offer a wide range of classes, from drawing and painting to more niche areas like collage and digital arts.
Their drawing courses are especially noteworthy, catering to all skill levels.
This is because their approach to drawing is comprehensive, helping you strengthen your technical skills through a variety of methods.
For instance, you’ll work on everything from direct observation and perspective drawing to life drawing with live models. Another highlight is their flexible workshops, which can be held in TSA’s large, well-equipped studios or brought to your workplace or school.
Pro Tip:
Check out TSA’s website for ongoing community events like outdoor art fairs or talks. These events can provide inspiration and connect you with other artists in the community.
