Art Classes for kids 9-12
Drawing Skills
Engaging Art Lessons for Young Artists
Learning to draw is a lifelong asset. It gives children a powerful way to express emotions, beat boredom creatively, share ideas, and build joy, confidence, and self‑esteem. However, around age ten, many kids become self‑critical and stop drawing because they believe they “can’t do it.” Our program meets them at this turning point and shows them they absolutely can.
In our classes, students build skills step by step, improving their observation and using different drawing and painting media. As they progress, they gain the confidence to take on more complex projects.
3D Drawing Foundations
First, kids explore 12 core visual concepts—foreshortening, contour and cross‑contour lines, basic perspective, scale/size relationships, and more—to help their drawings read in 3D.
Realistic Drawing Skills
Next, guided observation lessons inspired by Dr. Betty Edwards’ Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain teach children “how to see” shape, angle, and proportion. These realistic drawing exercises are introduced in intervals alongside 3D work to reinforce learning. (See before/after progress gallery.)
Explore Art Media
Finally, as skills grow, students experiment with additional media: charcoal, soft pastels, oil pastels, watercolor, tempera, and acrylic paint. This gradual expansion builds confidence, color awareness, and creative problem‑solving. (See what else can be learned.)

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. Likewise, if you join in the middle of a quarter, we’ll prorate the quarterly admin fee accordingly.
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 occasionally 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.
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!
I am thrilled with the experience my daughter has had at Art+Academy under the guidance of teacher Marlene Llanes. Despite signing up towards the end of the school year, it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made. After just one class, she was brimming with inspiration and enthusiasm for drawing. She’d come home eager to recreate what she’d learned from Ms.Marlene, and I noticed a remarkable improvement in her drawing skills after just a few sessions. Now, she spends hours engrossed in her artwork, a stark contrast from the brief 10-15 minutes she used to spend. I appreciate the small class sizes at Art+Academy; it ensures that each student receives personalized attention from their teacher.The environment isn’t overcrowded, allowing everyone to have their own space to explore their creativity comfortably. Knowing that Art+Academy offers summer camps has us excited for the upcoming break. We can’t wait to see what other creative adventures await!
My 4 year old granddaughter loves the art class and looks forward to it every week.
Great experience! Kiddos loved it and they came home with some frame-able work. Thank you!
During this course with Art+Academy I only have kind words and I must recommend it. In Art+Academy I had the opportunity to learn a lot about technics but also I learnt to use colours in my artworks. I enjoyed with watercolours!! and most important, I got one important goal to me!! Thank you Rosemary and Mónica.
My son loves going here. He’s gotten so good with his art. He’s always loved drawing, painting, coloring and this has helped him be more confident with his artwork. Mrs. Marcia is great with the kids. They have great staff and great teachers.
So happy with this Art Academy, my 8 and now 9 year old girl has learned little by little how to use watercolors and tempera, as well as mix the colors and make it natural, this is her second year and from the first class in the group ages 9-12 I can see her learning new drawing techniques and painting as well. The teacher is so sweet and is constantly giving them feedback on what is good and what they should change. I appreciate her for this.
I love learning at this studio. As an adult, the classes are just what I need. Monica (and all the teachers) meet each student where they are at. You bring your own project or thing you’d like to learn and they create a wonderful learning environment! 10/5 stars!
My daughter attended summer camp and had a blast. The teachers love what they do and it shows. Everyday they did a different art project. I’m so glad we found this camp!
My son enjoyed his time art camp this summer. He did well with the small class size and liked his teacher, Ms. Anna. He was proud of the projects he made. The one-week camp (3 hours per day) was $330, which I think is on the pricey side compared to other summer camps.
We love this art studio. My daughter has been taking classes here for several years. She has had wonderful instructors and has improved her skills with every course. Most importantly to me, her love of art and her ability to express herself creatively has grown by leaps and bounds. The owner is responsive, provides great instruction, and is truly passionate about sharing her love of art with her students. I highly recommend this studio!
This place takes their job seriously and really does a great job teaching and immersing kids into their art. Great and fast communication when there is any sort of issue. They really try and accommodate any personal requests to make things work for the student and get them involved. I do find their rates slightly expensive, BUT they really deliver on the quality of their studio and lessons and we’ve really loved it!
My daughter goes here after school and she really loves it. She enjoys every sessions and learnt a lot. My husband and I are thrilled that we have found this school. The teachers are very talented, organized, and you can really tell that they really love teaching the kids. We 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.
The socially distanced summer camps were perfect. Our child learned so much and enjoyed the small group “camps.” At the end of the week, we got to see the amazing art our child created. I appreciate all of work the staff did to ensure a clean, safe and fun learning environment.
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 have two kids, who take classes at the South Austin location. They love it! The teachers are kind and patient. The kids enjoy the classes immensely and have grown as artists. We highly recommend Art+ Academy if your kids like art and want to learn how to be a better artist. It is a caring and encouraging environment. My favorite part is Gallery Day at the end of each year. You get to walk through and see EVERYONE’s art on display and leave notes on any that speak to you. It is so important for my kids to see their work on public display and receive positive feedback on the part of themselves they shared in a particular piece of art. It is the highlight of the year!
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.
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, pastels, charcoal, ink, and more.
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.
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.
Our experience with Art Academy over the past two years has been absolutely fantastic! The teachers are not only great at what they do but also incredibly personable. My daughters have thoroughly enjoyed their time, and I appreciate the positive and nurturing environment that Art Academy provides. Highly recommend!
The teachers at Art Academy (Mrs. Cecely and Mrs. Rosemarie), has taught my young boys to be more expressive and confident with their school work, along with improving their fine motor skills. The teachers are always patience, and nurturing while having small class sizes. I would Highly recommend taking a course with these talented teachers!
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.
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 eleven year old developed an interest in art over the summer, so I put her in a summer camp at Art + Academy. After one week, she was hooked. Ms. Marcia did a wonderful job of balancing instruction in different techniques and mediums with giving each student enough freedom to pursue the art that they wanted to do. My daughter is now in a weekly class and has made enormous strides. She is learning how to work with pastels, acrylics, water color and pencil. She drags me to Michael’s virtually every week to get new art supplies. This is all due to her wonderful teacher. Thanks for great art lessons!
We have been going to the Art Academy for almost 3 years and we absolutely love it! Both of my kids are now enrolled and they both look forward to class each week. We could not be happier with our experience!
Camp was a fantastic experience…the students learned multiple techniques, enjoyed their time creating, and the teacher was positive and enthusiastic.
Both of my teenagers have taken art classes with Miss Marcia and they love her understated approach. She sets a relaxed tone that allows both of my children to take time to enjoy expressing themselves through art. The instruction is excellent, whether in-person or online, and we appreciated the end of session art galleries. Owner Monica is very conscientious in communicating via email, phone as needed, and has worked hard to make art accessible during the pandemic.
Art Plus Academy is not just a great place to learn how to draw, paint, and use other media. It’s teachers help you learn how to see the world in a different way. I’ve been taking classes there since 2018, and I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made. My artwork is just getting better and better. You can’t go wrong with the teachers here and the community and friends you will build and make with other students.
This is an Art Academy that teaches children and adult classes. Students have beginner to advanced knowledge in drawing and painting. There are several locations, great instructors and a goal to teach YOU to be a better artist. You will like it here!
My son enjoyed his time art camp this summer. He did well with the small class size and liked his teacher, Ms. Anna. He was proud of the projects he made. The one-week camp (3 hours per day) was $330, which I think is on the pricey side compared to other summer camps.
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.
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!
Wonderful place for art classes! The teachers are talented and good at providing guidance. I would definitely recommend!
Art Academy SW has been a fantastic experience for our daughter. Her skills and confidence have increased especially in regards to shading, dimension, use of color and different media. Class sizes are small allowing for kids to remain focused and have some individual direction while working on projects. Mr. Matt is an outstanding and engaging instructor!
We love this art studio. My daughter has been taking classes here for several years. She has had wonderful instructors and has improved her skills with every course. Most importantly to me, her love of art and her ability to express herself creatively has grown by leaps and bounds. The owner is responsive, provides great instruction, and is truly passionate about sharing her love of art with her students. I highly recommend this studio!
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.
My daughter really enjoys her art classes here. They are competitively priced, offer year long classes, lots of schedule options, and the teachers are wonderful. I love the makeup class policy too, it really allows you to get the most for your money.
Start
Today
Tuition is prorated if you join mid-month, likewise, the quarterly admin fee is prorated if you start in the middle of a quarter.
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.
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