Foundation Series: Acrylics
The best place to start painting in Amsterdam
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 just 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. No experience needed.
What the course looks like
Five sessions. Two hours each. Maximum 10 people.
You'll start with drawing - even if you've never drawn before. From there you build a painting from scratch, step by step, finishing with something real. 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.
Foundations works whether you've never touched a canvas or you've painted before and want to slow down and build properly.
What you leave with
A finished acrylic painting. Basic drawing and colour mixing skills. And a clearer sense of what you want to make next.
Choose your course
Acrylic Basics, Thursdays 6-8pm
SPRING/SUMMER
Course 1: starts April 30th· €259 · FULL
Course 2: Jun 11 · Jun 18 · Jun 25 · Jul 2 · Jul 9 · €259 · Book Now →
Course 3: Jul 16 · Jul 23 · Jul 30 · Aug 6 · Aug 13 · €259 · Book Now →
How the courses works
5 weeks
2 hours per session
Small groups (max 10)
Beginner-friendly
Step-by-step guidance
€259
You’ll work with the same small group each week, building your artwork step by step in the course medium.
What you’ll do over 5 weeks:
Week 1: Get started
Get comfortable with acrylic materials, brushes, and colour mixing. Make your first simple studies and lose the fear of starting.
Week 2: Build confidence
Create a series of quick paintings to loosen up, explore composition, and feel more free with the brush.
Week 3: Start your painting
Choose your subject and begin your own piece - mapping out composition and blocking in colour.
Week 4: Add depth
Develop light, shadow, and texture to bring your painting to life and build a stronger sense of form.
Week 5: Finish & refine
Bring your painting to a finished state, with individual guidance and space to make it your own.
By the end, you’ll leave with a finished piece you created yourself.
Meet Your Instructors
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.
FAQs
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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.
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Because each week builds on the previous one, we recommend attending all sessions. But we know life happens, you can come to a studio practice session and come a little earlier to the next class. The teacher will help you catch up.
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By the end of the course you’ll have a finished artwork you created yourself, along with the confidence to continue developing your practice.
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Both. The course is structured and focused, but the atmosphere is supportive and welcoming. No competition, no judgment - just people learning together.