Late in 2024, I decided it was time for me to take an art class. I’d been really wanting to dabble in oil painting for a while, with an ultimate goal of painting concert scenes. While I haven’t quite ventured into painting concerts quite yet, I can tell I’m getting close.
So how much can you really learn about oil painting in a year, only going to classes 2-3 times a month? As it turns out, quite a lot.
My First Painting(s):
When I first got started, I looked up art classes in Denver and found this painting class focused on a golf course in Scottsdale. Having both a love for golf and an attachment to Scottsdale, I signed up immediately. The art class was at ROX Art Gallery, which was a bit far from me (about a 20-minute drive) but I stumbled onto a real gem in Littleton.
These two-part classes are three hours each and happen two weeks in a row. The first session is all about getting the basis of the painting down, focusing on the sky, any outlines of the scenery and plotting out where you might want to put important details. The second class is where you add in the finer details including any fun texture.
There are a few regulars in the class who are fun to paint with, and I feel like I learned so much right away about painting with oils. I kept going back for a few classes, including a painting of a beach landscape and a Red Rocks sunscape.
My Next Class(es):
After a few guided classes, I finally decided to check out the Art Student League of Denver for a 4-week beginner oil painting course. I spent the first four classes painting two art pieces, each focused on slices of unique rocks. I focused on a cut of flourite and a cut of fire lace agate. I tried to pick two very different pieces with very different colors and textures to work on different things.
The idea behind this exercise was to learn to mix colors and paint what I was seeing in front of me, rather than trying to paint what I saw in my head. It helps to paint something a little abstract to really get an idea of what it’s like to mix colors and start dabbling in color theory.
Not only did I learn more about perspective and color mixing, but I learned more about underpainting, which immediately made my paintings feel a bit more polished. While I could use more practice on perspective, I do think both of these pieces improved more of my technical art skills for someone who lacks any formal art training.
I took a few more art classes at ROX Art Gallery that I ended up finishing at my classes at ASLD. Even though I’m starting to progress more into painting on my own, I still love taking the guided classes at ROX and painting the same thing with everyone there.
In November 2025, I finally moved into painting more of what really inspires me. I have a few fun scenes picked out, including a haunting image of a graveyard and a gorgeous winter sunset. One of the first pieces of my own that I decided on myself was this mushroom. The original was a photo I stumbled upon on the internet and, as someone who loves mushroom prints, I decided to take the plunge and paint something a bit different from my usual landscapes.
I’ve proudly hung most of these paintings up in my small one-bedroom apartment and am quickly starting to run out of space, but there is just so much I’m proud to show off!
I have a few more paintings that I’ve finished in 2026 and I’m excited to share those soon, but I really wanted to show just how much progress could be made in a year.
Is there a hobby you’re thinking of picking up in the new year?
