Beginner Acrylic Painting Course in Amsterdam

Build the skills behind every painting.

You've been meaning to try it for a while. Maybe you picked up a brush once and it didn't go the way you hoped. Maybe you never found the right place to begin.

Foundations Acrylic is a 5-week acrylic painting course for people who are ready to actually do it.

Small groups. Clear structure. Made for beginners.

A st‑Art participant adjusting a vibrant blue painting at the Amsterdam studio, illustrating progress made through the Art Mentorship Program in Amsterdam.

What the course looks like

Five sessions. Two hours each. 5 to 10 people, with the same artist every week.

Everyone paints the same still life, set up on the table in our studio, with a photo of it in front of you so the view never changes. Your artist paints it alongside you, one step at a time, and explains why at each step. Then they come around and help you with yours. You start your painting in week 1 and finish it in week 5. Not an exercise. An actual painting you made yourself.

Every session builds on the last. No one gets left behind.

Who it's for

You don't need any experience. You don't need to think of yourself as creative. You just need to show up.

It's for beginners: you've never held a brush, you've played around but nobody ever actually taught you, or you're coming back after a long break. If you can already mix the color you see and draw in proportion, Studio Practice or Foundations 2 will suit you better.

What you leave with

A finished acrylic painting. The basics of drawing and color mixing. A free Studio Practice night after the course to finish your painting and see how Studio Practice works. And a clear next step.

Choose your course

Foundations 1: Acrylic, Wednesday evenings

WINTER 2026/27

November: Nov 11· Nov 18 · Nov 25 · Dec 2 · Dec 09 · 18:00 · €259 · FULL

January: Jan 13 · Jan 20 · Jan 27 · Feb 3 · Feb 10 · 18:30 to 20:30 · €259 · Book Now →

Buying for someone else? Give Foundations as a gift →

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How the course works

5 weeks
2 hours per session
5 to 10 people
All materials included
Step-by-step guidance

€259

Same artist and group every week, drinks and snacks every session, and a free Studio Practice night after the course. Already did a €49 trial? It counts toward the course.

What you’ll do over 5 weeks:

Week 1: Materials, color and a first sketch
Get to know your paints and brushes, mix your first colors, and sketch the still life lightly onto your canvas.

Weeks 2 and 3: Build the foundation
Break the still life into big, simple shapes, block in color and lay down an underpainting.

Week 4:  Add depth

Light, shadow and texture, so the painting starts to look solid.

Week 5: Finish it
Final touches, and deciding for yourself when it's done.

By the end, you’ll leave with a finished piece you created yourself.

Meet Your Instructors

Carlo Tozzi, an Italian artist and curator with over 20 years of experience, is pictured at st‑Art’s studio in Amsterdam. As the founder of st‑Art, he leads our Art Mentorship Program in Amsterdam, mentoring emerging contemporary artists.

Carlo Tozzi

Carlo is an Italian based in Amsterdam, with over 20 years of experience in the art world as an artist and curator. He’s exhibited his work in Madrid, London, Amsterdam, and The Hague. After organizing workshops, lectures, and art events, he founded st-Art in January 2019 to further support and mentor emerging contemporary artists.

You can view some of his work in our Gallery or on his Instagram.

Paulina Siniatkina

Paulina Siniatkina is a visual artist, educator, and global health advocate based in Amsterdam. Her work explores collective trauma and social taboos through a blend of personal insight and research. Trained in monumental painting at the Surikov Art Institute (2013), she holds a Master’s in socially engaged art from ArtEZ (2023). With over a decade of teaching experience, Paulina combines academic depth with a socially conscious approach, inspiring students to create with confidence and purpose.

You can view some of her works on her Instagram.

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FAQs

  • No. Foundations is designed for beginners.
    Drawing is always introduced in Week 1 so everyone starts on solid ground.

  • That’s exactly why this course exists.

    Creativity isn’t something you either have or don’t. It’s something you build through practice. The course is structured so you learn step by step, alongside a small group who are all starting in the same place.

  • Just let us know, and please don’t cancel your booking. You get one make-up per course, at a Studio Practice evening. We’ll give you a catch-up card with that week’s steps and a photo of where your canvas should be, and the artist on the night will help you get there. Reply to your course email and we’ll book it.

  • A finished painting you made yourself, the basics of drawing and color mixing, and a free Studio Practice night after the course to finish your painting and see how Studio Practice works.

  • Both. The course is structured and focused, but the atmosphere is supportive and welcoming. No competition, no judgment - just people learning together.