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.
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.)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Rating
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 12 year old loved the summer camp. To the point that she’s asked to take classes at Art+Academy this new school year.
My decision to take art classes at the Art Plus Academy was the best experience I could have hoped for. I am a children’s book author/illustrator and wanted to improve my skills, as I am self taught. I learned so much so quickly. The teachers are wonderful, and I loved my classmates. I looked forward to each weekly class and intend on signing up for ongoing classes. What a fun experience. I highly recommend this to anyone beginning or advanced. Really, really fun!
My daughter has taken art lessons for over a year and has thoroughly enjoyed her teachers and lessons. She is working on her portfolio for high school and it has been helpful to have the guidance at the studio. She also did a digital art camp and loved it.
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.
I cannot say enough about Art + Academy and all the teachers! My 7 year old daughter started a year ago and she LOVES going each week. She is super active and loves sports, so this class allows her to explore her contemplative, quiet side. Her work amazes me….so much so that I, as an adult who has never taken an art class, enrolled in one. I think it is the greatest thing I have decided to do for myself! I love exploring this part of me I wasn’t aware of for so many years. I will definitely put my son in a class as soon as he is old enough. Don’t think twice about it. Enroll you or your kiddo. Well worth it!
My child has been attending Art+ Academy for a year and also attended a summer camp session. He loves the classes and can’t wait to go each week (He’s 8, so that’s saying a lot). The kids learn so many art techniques and styles. The classes are serious art classes, but they accommodate all levels and allow the kids to express themselves as individual artists. Looking forward to year 2 there.
My daughter attends art+academy since 5years. And she loves it. The teacher is amazing and caring. She is flexible to adapt her teaching to each students. Thanks Ms Anna. I recommend them 100%.
My three daughters have been taking art classes with Art+ Academy for a few years now – we had done a few summer camps in the past but then began with weekly virtual classes during the COVID pandemic, then moved to in-person classes at the Cedar Park studio the past couple years. My girls, now 14, 12, and 10 thoroughly enjoy their respective classes and the ability to work independently on projects that they personally select with the hands-on instruction from the teacher in the areas they individually need.
My son has been taking lessons here for over two years. It is absolutely his favorite class. He loves his instructor, Erin. She is very knowledgeable, encouraging, and patient. The gallery days are such a fun way for the kids to show off their work. Highly recommend this place!
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.
Great art studio (clean and spacious) for kids and adults! Supportive and caring teachers for my teens! The teachers always motivate my teens to explore and encourage their creativity. My teens have been long term students there. Strongly recommended!
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.
The personalized tutoring I received at Art Plus Academy helped me get into my top art school choice. To do this, I worked on a number of portfolio pieces (including still life drawings and drawings of nude models), and Monica gave me suggestions on how to refine and improve my work. She also recommended books to study and techniques to practice, all of which I learned a great deal from. Monica and her team are top notch art teachers. The prices they charge are a seriously good deal for your money (In fact, I would gladly pay double, the teachers here are that good). From what I saw while I was there, they are willing and able to help artists at any skill level. Usually classes are filled with both beginners and intermediate level artists, and artists of every age. I was impressed by the teacher’s ability to help all students improve. I am sure Monica can’t promise that you’ll get into an art college if you take classes with her, but I did, and I couldn’t be more thankful to her and her team.
I’ve been learning drawing and painting at this studio for over a year and a half, and it’s been amazing, thanks to our talented teacher, Rose. Her patience and dedication have really helped improve my skills. She’s encouraged me to go big on canvases, be bold with my strokes, and dive deep into my artistic expressions. I’m so grateful for her support in both my art and personal growth. The vibe here is great too—my classmates are super supportive and always lift you up when needed, and we all get inspired by each other’s work. I definitely recommend this place. You’ll love it here!
The team are very focused on individual learning needs. My 6 year old son always looks forward to his weekly lessons! Marlene is very kind and gentle with the children.
Great instructors that care about the students and are very supportive.
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.
We love Art Plus Academy. The summer camp is fun and diverse – utilizing all kinds of media and encouraging the kids to express themselves, focus and create! Instructors are excellent and so supportive. This is a great environment for kids of all ages and artistic talents.
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!
Not sure which class fits? Call or text us →
