Art classes for Teenagers
Traditional & Digital Art Programs
Designed to Inspire Teenage Artists.
At ART+Academy, our teen art programs are designed to help young artists grow skills, confidence, and creative independence. We offer two distinct learning paths — Traditional Art Classes or Digital Art Classes — allowing students to choose the medium that best fits their interests and goals.
Across our Austin and Cedar Park locations, teens work on personalized projects at their own pace in a supportive, small-group setting. Rather than following a rigid curriculum, students receive individual guidance from professional instructors who help them strengthen technique while encouraging creative exploration.
Beginner-Friendly Approach
Teens new to art typically begin in our traditional art classes, where strong drawing skills form the foundation for all future learning. Using principles from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Dr. Betty Edwards, students learn how to truly “see” what they draw.
They explore:
Contour and cross-contour lines
Perspective and negative space
Basic shading and value
As confidence grows, students deepen their skills through value studies, observation exercises, and shading with charcoal or pastels. Projects may include composition studies, still life, and master-inspired work, while also incorporating color theory and the use of watercolors and acrylic paints to support creative growth.
(See what can be learned.)
Digital Art Classes & Advanced Skill Development
For teens interested in digital illustration, ART+Academy offers dedicated digital art classes. Students work using digital tools (such as iPad and Procreate) while learning essential art concepts like composition, color, value, and design — all applied specifically to digital media.
For experienced students (traditional or digital), instructors begin with an assessment of skill level and goals, then guide students through projects that challenge their abilities and expand their portfolios. This focused approach helps teens develop confidence, refine technique, and grow creatively within their chosen medium.
Our Commitment to Quality
With small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios, every teen receives meaningful, personalized instruction. Our caring instructors provide timely feedback and encouragement, helping students see real progress over time.
✨ You can view that growth in our Before & After Gallery.
If a class is currently full, families are welcome to join the waitlist, and we’ll notify you as soon as a space becomes available.

What you get?
START ANYTIME.
Yes, you can enroll at any time, as long as there’s space available in the class. Additionally, we prorate your first month tuition based on your start date.
PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS
Also, all our teachers have a college degree in an art-related field.
SMALL CLASS SIZE
Specifically, we limit each class to a maximum of 8 students.
GALLERY DAY EVENT
Above all, every April, we celebrate our students’ progress with an art show we call “Gallery Day”. This event is open to all our enrolled students and their families & friends!
What if I miss a class?
We understand that sometimes things come up—unexpected events, travel, or illness—and you may need to miss a class. Not a problem! As long as you are enrolled, you can make up a missed classes by attending another class listed in our schedule at any of our locations.
However, keep in mind that there is absolutely no prorating or refund for missed classes. In addition, missed classes cannot be used as class credit for the next session, other classes, or camps.
My girls love ART+ Academy! Last fall, I put my daughters in the in-person ART+ classes and they loved it. They learned new techniques, they flourished, and they were so excited to show me their progress each week. Then in the spring, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I turned to the online ART+ classes. Their teacher, Johanna Heilman, made the transition to virtual learning so easy at a time when my daughters needed the consistency, routine, and familiarity of their art classes the most. I now have them enrolled in the online summer ART camps and they couldn’t be happier.
My adult son, Mark, has enjoyed classes at Art + Academy for several years. He has a favorite teacher, Rose, who has helped him with both watercolor and acrylic painting. Their website is easy to use to sign up for classes. Payments can be automatic. Nice people are in charge. Following their rules is easy.
I love this school. My teacher, Rosemarie is excellent. She is an excellent artist in her own right but she is able to help each student achieve at their highest level. It is so cool to see a new student come into the classroom without any experience and be taught the basics and soon become an outstanding artist. I’m so proud of my classmates. I have attended 3 other schools. One just showed you a picture then took you one step at a time, showing you exactly what color of paint to use and how to do the painting. So all you were doing was copying someone else’s painting. I won’t say I didn’t learn anything there but I didn’t learn to express myself and do my own work. Each of the other classes had teachers who just ignored me. They had bonded with the other students and so it was kind of a little click and they didn’t want anyone else to join in. Also once the teacher admitted to not having had much experience with acrylic painting so he ignored me and I just had to paint what I wanted to paint. Rose primarily works in watercolors but she is able to teach each student in the class no matter what medium the student wants to work in. If the student is interested in learning about a new medium she does a great job of teaching the new medium. It is a beautiful experience to watch students learn new techniques and skills. I enjoy each class and look forward to the class each week.
Best art academy in Austin! Monica, the owner is super sweet and very attentive. The best part about this art academy is that their classes are small so they are able to challenge each student individually. Highly recommend!
Since 2021, my daughter has been attending these art classes. Under the tutelage of Ms. Marcia, she has unleashed her creativity as she explores various mediums such as pastel, acrylic, watercolor… among others. Also, she has improved her tracing skills since then, and is more aware of the perspective and colors palette when drawing and painting. Teachers are nurturing, and encourage the kids to express themselves artistically delving into their themes of interest. The academy holds an annual showcase, presenting a fantastic opportunity for her to exhibit her artistic growth and to immerse herself in the diverse styles and talents of her peers. Its accommodating policy on making up for missed classes adds to the convenience. All in all, this is a great space for nurturing your kids’ artistic skills!
Art+Academy continues to be a creative haven for me. Rosemarie Goode continues to teach me and others in our class different mediums to use creatively. I have experience watercolour, pencil, pen, pastels, colored pencils and mixed media. Examples: colored pencils and watercolour; and watercolor and black pen. Rosemarie not only challenges me, but also the other students in the class. I enjoy the group so very much! I recommend this teacher and the Academy.
My kids have been taking art lessons at this studio for five years. They practice their drawing skills while having fun playing with different art materials. The teachers are professional and passionate about teaching. My kids love their art teachers. The studio provides many time slots for each age group and a flexible make-up option so that the art lessons can easily fit into our schedule. The gallery day in the studio was one of the most exciting days for our family when we cheered for our kids’ progress in the past year. The studio also provided art lessons for adults. I took one year of art lessons at Art Plus Academy. They were very relaxing and satisfying.
I’ve been taking adult drawing/painting lessons for the past 3 years now. Every teacher I’ve met has been excellent, kind and very knowledgeable. The other students that I’ve met are also always very nice and wonderful people, and it’s great to be able to learn from other adults who are coming from different levels of experience. I just love this place
My daughter has gotten to experience two separate studio art teachers, not including the subs for makeup classes, and she’s truly enjoyed every one of them. Makeup classes are easy to schedule and classes aren’t too big. Each class keeps my daughter wanting more. So much so that my youngest wants to join when she turns five and we’ve already booked summer camps!
Although my 4 year old daughter hasn’t been attending the class for really long time, she already fall in love with the program. She love the teacher Dr. Marlene, going to drawing class on Saturday is her favorite activity for the whole week. Teacher is experienced and nice, knowing how to work with little kids. We are amazed with her progress almost every single time. Strongly recommended.
My daughter’s progress in art is phenomenal, she loves going to the academy. Her teacher is great!
Ms. Erin at Art + Academy and the owner Monica are wonderful! Erin has the knack to keep kids focused on the artwork while listening to and embedding their view points into the process. In her own way, she challenges each individual child to bring out their thoughts on paper while keeping the main idea/goal intact. During these challenging times, when kids and adults are trapped in their homes, Monica realized the need more so than ever to keep the routine and what more positive than art? Thanks to Monica and her staff for their quick thinking and implementation of online classes. The first online session with the same instructor went smoothly and I am very satisfied to see the same high quality of instruction online as it was in person.
My kiddo loved her camp experience here. They got to draw and paint animals from around the world and all of the kids had such cute pictures to present. We will be back for sure!
This place is amazing! Morgan is our instructor and she had found a way to connect with our 12 yr old in a way that school teachers haven’t. Our daughter shows progress each week with new things to improve her talent. The class size is small which gives an abundant amount of 1 on 1 time with the students. Some students are just beginning, some are very advanced, and there are classes available for adults regardless of skill level. My wife and I are thrilled that we have found this place!
My children and myself have taken and continue to take classes at Art Plus Academy. I found that the art classes helped me access skills I did not know I had. My 7 year old son has been taking art classes here for the past 2 years. This is his favorite activity and he enjoys exposing his art on “Gallery Day” periodically organized by Art Plus. During Gallery Day the students do not only have a chance to present their own art to the public but they also have a chance to review other students’ art – a valuable experience. I highly recommend Art Plus Academy for children and for adults.
This camp was highly enjoyable and so much was learned. Johanna was a great instructor!
I think this is the best place to put your child to learn art and improve your child art skills. They are very good and understand your child needs. Staff is amazing. My daughter is really enjoying this class.
I looked at several schools before settling on Art Plus Academy. The before and after pictures on the website gave me the push I needed to sign up for a class. I took an adult art class with Monica. I saw vast improvements in my sketches in a short time. Monica is an excellent teacher. Her passion for art and teaching comes across in every class. She genuinely cares about her students. When I was having a difficult time with one of the techniques, she sent me materials to look at so that I could improve my skill. She has built a wonderful community of students and teachers. Everyone I have come across has been encouraging, inclusive and friendly. I would highly recommend Art Plus Academy.
Summary: Very impressed with quality of artwork both of my boys (6 & 9) brought home. They were enthusiastic everyday to go to camp, and my 6 year old would come home and “play art teacher” and show us the techniques he learned that day. The teachers were very positive, encouraging, and nurturing with the kids. As a mom, I liked that both of my kids were able to attend a summer camp at the same time/location, even though they are different ages with different interests. Great value for a summer camp with the skills taught and confidence boost my kids received! Specific to Sculpting summer camp: My 9 year old does not really enjoy drawing or painting/coloring. He enjoys math, reading, sports and engineering. It is the engineering part of him that led me to sign him up for the sculpting class, with the elements of “building” using clay, recycled/found objects, etc. He absolutely LOVED the class, and his creative side was able to shine! The summer camp sculpting class gave him a comfortable and fun environment for him to explore his “not knowing” / creative side. Specific to 5-7 drawing summer camp: My 6 year old loves to paint, draw, color and get messy. At home, he was frustrated when trying to draw certain objects, but couldn’t figure out how to get what’s in his mind onto paper. He has taken two Art+ Academy classes now (safari animals and dinosaurs) and I can not believe how much he learned in such a short period of time! His raw talent was really nurtured and has improved immensely with new skills and techniques that he’s proud to show off.
I’ve been attending art classes for about 5 years now. I’ve grown a ton in my skills and confidence. The teachers are all super supportive. The teaching is personalized to individuals based on your own interests. And the studio, in general, is also super flexible and adaptable to my busy schedule. I highly recommend!
Tuition & Fees
Your tuition provides four(4) consecutive weekly art classes. If you start in the middle of the month, we’ll simply prorate your tuition based on your registration date.
For Kids and Teen Classes, a quarterly admin fee applies in September, December, and March. We will also prorate the admin fee in you enroll in the middle of the quarter.
Materials
We provide all materials for kids and teen classes; you only need to bring your student.
Students will explore a wide range of materials, including watercolor, tempera paint, pastels, charcoal, ink, acrylic paint, and more.
My son has been attending SW Art+ Academy for a couple years now. I have really appreciated the smaller classes so that teachers can provide more personalized attention to the kids. Monica is reasonable & responsive to the various requests I have made, too, which I have appreciated. My son recently finished the Watercolor Art Camp, and really enjoyed his time with Mr. Matt! He had many nice items of artwork to proudly show off at his Art Gallery today.
Love taking classes here. Class sizes are perfect and teacher is cool
Monica, thank you and your entire team for the support you have given us, thank you for helping Joan excel in something that he really loves. you and your academy and your work team are the best things that have touched our lives. We received word that one of Joan’s drawings has been selected for a school district exhibit.
My experience attending adult classes at Art + Academy has been so helpful to reigniting my passion for artistic creation. It has shown me a path forward in my life that I thought would be left behind unfulfilled. My instructor Erin listens, observes and finds the ways to guide me not away from any one approach to my art but presents alternatives and/or source material that may serve me better.
My daughter’s progress in art is phenomenal, she loves going to the academy. Her teacher is great!
My adult son, Mark, has enjoyed classes at Art + Academy for several years. He has a favorite teacher, Rose, who has helped him with both watercolor and acrylic painting. Their website is easy to use to sign up for classes. Payments can be automatic. Nice people are in charge. Following their rules is easy.
Our daughter attends Art+Academy. For three years under the tuition of Ms Erin, we share that our expectations have been exceeded. Erin was pivotal to our daughter’s admittance into a middle school fine arts program here in Austin. She earned our daughter’s trust. The respect and genuine friendship Erin exhibits towards her students gives them the space and time to develop confidence from within. Erin is an exceptional art teacher. Catch her if you can! PAINTING:: By Julia 10yrs old painted 2021 During this lesson Erin highlighted artist Kandinsky. He studied the relationship of music to art and how it affects emotion in your color and brushstroke. Erin played jazz music while the students painted 🙂
My daughter has been attending an art academy since 2021. She loves drawing and has learned many skills there. She especially loves Ms. Marcia, who has made learning enjoyable and helped her explore various forms of expression. Starting this term, my younger daughter has also joined.I’m really looking forward to seeing many wonderful artworks again this year.
My daughter Vedika was in the 7-9 class for clay design and she had an absolute blast. Apart from just learning something new with great instructors, she just found the environment really friendly and fun which is all you can ask for a summer camp. She will definitely be heading back next year.
My daughter is shy about taking classes where Mom can’t be right next to her. She loves Miss Erin and the class so much she doesn’t even care that I go run errands while she is at class. Unbelievable change in her!
I LOVE Art + Academy. Both of my children have been coming here for lessons for the duration of the school year, and we have always gotten exceptional, kind instruction from the amazing teachers. My kids look forward to their lessons, and I have noticed lots of improvement in their art. I highly recommend!
5 star review! My daughter can be tough to teach as she wants to do her own thing with drawing. She enjoyed the art camp with Ms. Erin! Ms. Erin has a great, relaxed way of teaching the kids but still allowing them to make artistic decisions. The art show was cool though not by kiddo’s cup of tea but a valuable experience for her. I have already recommended Art+Academy/Ms. Erin to friends. For anyone who is weighing options, I highly recommend Art Plus Academy. We will definitely be back next summer!
My 5 years old has been attending this art studio over 1 year and he really like it. The teachers have been so patience and personal with my 5 years old – he just turned 6. The studio provide all the materials and painting supplies that is a big plus. All we do was to drop him off and pick him up. We recommend this place to all parents!
My son and I have been going here to learn painting, sketching , charcoal. All the teachers are amazing and really passionate about art. It has re-kindled in me the love for art and really thankful for the wonderful teachers including Ms. Southworth who is an amazing teacher and artist.
I’ve been taking adult drawing/painting lessons for the past 3 years now. Every teacher I’ve met has been excellent, kind and very knowledgeable. The other students that I’ve met are also always very nice and wonderful people, and it’s great to be able to learn from other adults who are coming from different levels of experience. I just love this place
Best art academy in Austin! Monica, the owner is super sweet and very attentive. The best part about this art academy is that their classes are small so they are able to challenge each student individually. Highly recommend!
Great experience! Kiddos loved it and they came home with some frame-able work. Thank you!
My kids did an online summer camp and loved it. Great alternative with social-distancing and we did it from Georgia! Great instruction, great content – 5 stars!
I have been taking art classes at Art + Academy for almost three years. I’ve learned so much and loved every minute of it!! The instructors are all great—top notch!!
My daughter loves going into the studio, she has a great time during classes and has improved her art skills significantly during the past year. Ms. Macia is wonderful, she tailors the classes according to each students and manages to run a learning environment that is also fun.
Start
Today
We will prorate your tuition if you join mid-month.
Professional
Artists
Learn from professional artists who are also experienced, passionate educators.
SMALL
CLASSES
With a small class ratio (1:8), students explore their creativity with personalized attention.
Improve
your Skills
No matter your starting point, we help you build strong techniques and reach the next level.
Missed
a Class?
No problem! Make it up in another class as long as you're still enrolled.
Locally
Owned
Over 16 years of service since 2009 — fostering creativity and community growth.

