Figure Drawing Classes, Workshops,
and Open Studios in Texas
Other States and Provinces

To exercise your muscles, go to the gym. To exercise your art skills, attend a figure drawing session. This is a directory of art schools, ateliers, and studios where artists can paint, sculpt, or draw live art models. Life Drawing groups come and go, and schedules change, so it is wise to confirm with the organizer before attending. Please report any defunct groups or broken links to directoryartmodelbook.com

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Texas — Jump to: Austin, Dallas, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio

 

Dallas area — sorted by Zip Code

The Society of Figurative Arts
3306 Wiley Post Rd, Studio 104 (off Midway Road, West of Addison Airport)
Carrollton, TX 75006
mentlermac.com
Instructed
The Society of Figurative Arts is a privately funded organization dedicated to providing high level instruction for the beginner, amateur or professional striving to expand their individual creative skills. Work from live art models with a structured program that stresses the classical methods of drawing the figure started in 14th century Florence and developed during arts Golden Age, the Renaissance.
[2009-07-05]

Collin College
9700 Wade Boulevard
Frisco, TX 75035
Contact Carol Luckock cluckockccccd.edu 972-985-3758
Instructed
Course include Life Drawing and Classical Drawing of the Human Body.
[E]

The Artist's Loft
110 E Louisiana St
McKinney, TX 75069
Contact: Debra Linker 972-345-6311
Uninstructed
Life Drawing Sessions. Mondays and Wednesdays 6:30-9:30pm. $20. Bring your drawing/painting supplies. Paid models will provide both clad and unclad sessions. Tipping the model is encouraged, but optional and not required. Keeping the cost to you at $20 a session also means the models are working at lower rates than they are worth! Please remember to ask the models before you photograph them, and be gracious if they say no. Touching the model or in any way soliciting them will be immediate grounds for permanent banning from the sessions.
[E]

The Bonny Studio
580 W.Arapaho Rd. #262
Richardson, TX 75080
bonnyfineartaol.com 214-405-5993
Instructed
Workshops include Figure Drawing and Figurative Sculpture.
[2011-12-05]

Dr. Sketchy's Dallas
City Tavern
1402 Main St
Dallas, TX 75202
Uninstructed
Monthly cabaret drawing events. This is an affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[E]

Cedars Art Gallery
1114 S. Akard St.
Dallas, TX 75215
daviddavidterry.com 214-421-2982
Instructed and Uninstructed
Weekly life drawing sessions Thursdays 7:00-10:00pm and Sundays 1:30-4:30pm. Generally art models are nude. Poses typically last at least one full 3-hour session, and may continue to the next session. About once a month we hold a short pose session and periodically have poses involving multiple models. The atmosphere is relaxed. Both groups that meet here have been in existence for well over a decade, and have experienced professional artists as core members. Yet beginners are always welcome. We provide some easels. $20 per artist. Instructed figure drawing and painting workshops are offered periodically.
[2011-03-14]

Creative Arts Center
2360 Laughlin Drive
Dallas, Texas 75228
infocreativeartscenter.org 214-320-1275
Instructed and Uninstructed
Inscructed classes include Figurative Sculpture, Figure Drawing, and Oil Painting from Life.
Uninstructed Live Model Labs, Sundays 10:00am-1:00pm; Subject to change based on student demand and facilitator availability. A live art model will be provided for each 3 hour lab. Each pose lasts approximately 1 to 4 weeks. Fee per each 3-Hour Live Model Lab $15 for Members, $20 for Non-Members.
[2009-07-17]

Texas Academy of Figurative Art
415 South Main Street
Fort Worth, TX 76104
tafastudiome.com 817-727-2995
Instructed
Art classes include Figure Drawing, Figure Painting, and Figurative Composition.
[2009-07-19]

Fort Worth Community Arts Center
1300 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
gallerymanagerfwcac.org 817-298-3021
Uninstructed
Life Drawing Sessions hosted by the Texas Artists Coalition are held on a Thursday evening and a Tuesday morning each month. See the calendar on the website for dates and times. An art model will be available for a 3 hour session. Easels are provided. Artists will need to bring art supplies. No instruction will be offered. Cost is $50 for 5 sessions, or $15 per session for TAC members, $75 for 5 sessions or $20 per session for public. Space is limited; it is advisable to sign up in advance.
[2011-04-11]

Texas Christian University - Extended Education
3015 Merida Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76109
lifelongtcu.edu 817-257-7132
Instructed
Art classes include Life Drawing.
[E]

Houston — sorted by Zip Code

Art League Houston
1953 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006
alhartleaguehouston.org 713-523-9530
Instructed
Art classes include Figure Drawing in Charcoal; Classical Figure Drawing; Figure Painting; Figure Studio; and Contempoarary Portrait and Figure.
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Houston
Upstairs at Avant Garden
411 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events once a month on a Sunday. Location may vary. This is the Houston affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[2010-03-19]

MFAH Glassell School of Art
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
5101 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77006
glomelimfah.org 713-639-7500
Instructed
Courses include Beginning Life Drawing and Intermediate/Advanced Life Drawing & Painting.
[E]

Watercolor Art Society - Houston (WAS-H)
1601 West Alabama
Houston, TX 77006
was-hsbcglobal.net 713-942-9966
Instructed and Uninstructed
Instructed classes include Figure Painting in Watercolor.
Uninstructed Model Lab: Figure & Portrait. Wednesdays 12:30-3:30pm. Open to artists of all abilities. Drawing & water media only. Monitored by Carol Rensink. Members: $6.00 model fee. Nonmembers: $10.00 model fee.
[2010-08-21]

The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake
2000 NASA Parkway (corner of Upper Bay Road)
Nassau Bay, Texas 77058
cbelltaaccl.org 281-335-7777
Instructed
Life Drawing class uses all media and features live art models for long and short poses.
[2009-09-18]

Houston Civic Arts Association
5202 Bissonnet
Bellaire, TX 77401-3910
houstoncivicartsyahoo.com 713-668-0785
Instructed and Uninstructed
Several instructed figure and and portrait oil painting and watercolor classes are offered.
Uninstructed Life drawing or painting from an art model. $8.00/session. Thursdays 7:00-10:00pm. Contact Danny Ryan at 713-773-1224.
[E]

Artists' Alliance of Sugar Land
104 Industrial Blvd, Suite Q
Sugar Land, TX 77478-3173
infoArtistsAllianceofSugarLand.org 281-565-0957
Instructed and Uninstructed
Uninstructed Open Studio with Live Model. Draw and paint in your own media. Model Fee. Please call for scheduling. Instructed classes include Figurative Scultpture with master sculptor Wei Lei (Willy) Wang.
[E]

San Antonio — sorted by Zip Code

Southwest School of Art & Craft
300 Augusta
San Antonio TX 78205
classregistrationswschool.org 210-224-1848
Instructed
Classes include The Figure in Drawing & Painting: This course offers a combination of traditional and alternative approaches to the body in art. Students will explore various interpretations of the human form, from representation to abstraction. To develop their personal style, students will work from live art models, personal images and a variety of media and experimental techniques. Bring an 18 by 24-inch drawing pad, a selection of pencils and an eraser to the first class; additional materials, including oil or acrylic, will be discussed at that time.
[E]

Coppini Academy of Fine Arts
115 Melrose Place
San Antonio, TX 78212
coppini1sbcglobal.net 210-824-8502
Instructed and Uninstructed
Tuesday 9:00am-12:00noon. Instructed Life Drawing.
Wednesday 6:30-9:30pm. Open Studio Draw/Paint. One long pose. Nude or costumed model. $7.
Thursday 7:00-9:30pm. Open Studio Quick Draw. 1 to 10-minute poses. Nude or costumed model. $7.
Life Models Needed: Contact Charlotte at coxcharlotteatt.net
[2009-10-11]

Austin area — sorted by Zip Code

Windberg Art Center
7110 Interstate Highway 35 North
Georgetown, TX 78626
windbergartcentergmail.com 512-868-8183
Uninstructed
Open Life Drawing Class. Model fee $10.00. Meets Thursdays 6:00-8:30pm. The sessions are costumed and modeled primarily by females. We have short gestures for 15 minutes, then go into a longer pose for the rest of the time. Easels and tables provided. It is very helpful for us to know how many people to prepare for so calling ahead will insure a space ready for you.
[E]

Wenmohs Ranch
Old Spicewood Road
Cypress Mill, TX 78663
denawenmohsranch.com 830-825-3465
Instructed
The Ranch hosts art workshops such as: Drawing and Painting the Figure in Mixed Media; Figurative/Pastels. See website for schedule.

[E]

Cordovan School of the Arts
3810 Gattis School Road, Suite 108 (East of Red Bud next to Sonic, behind Gattis Pizza)
Round Rock, TX 78664
512-275-4040
Instructed
Art classes include Life Drawing and Figure Painting. We are also located in Jerry's Artarama, 6010 N.IH 35, Austin, TX 78752 and Harker Heights: 904 Mountain Lion Circle #400, Harker Heights, TX 76548.
[2011-07-27]

Wimberley Artist Workshops
14806 Ranch Rd. 12, P.O.Box 2844
Wimberley, TX 78676
infowimberleyartistworkshops.com 512-522-1093 or 281-804-4816
Instructed
Workshops include:
• Expressing Yourself - Studio Oil. This workshop will focus on the intuitive side of the painting process; students will be encouraged to paint very quickly from a live model. We will do exercises on using color, composition and brushstrokes to add a dimension of expression to your work.
• The Figure - Alla Prima. This class is about painting the figure and portrait alla prima (wet into wet) and the techniques used to create a fresh, direct response to our subjects. By learning to simplify what we see, we become better able to paint our subjects with greater clarity.
[E]

The Art Deptarment: ATX POD
503 Neches Street
Austin, TX 78701
Contact Francis Vallejo for questions/concerns: fvallejo.illustrationgmail.com
Lightly instructed. (3 resident artists attend each session and will answer questions.)
Saturdays 2:00-5:00pm. $6. Austin's premier figure drawing sessions hosted by internationally award-winning artist Francis Vallejo. The Saturday session is our only session open to the public. Please arrive right at 2:00pm to ensure a good seat. We work with top-level art models and generally have two models on a 360-degree raised model stand for the Saturday public sessions. We take music requests and always keep things relaxed but upbeat. Sometimes our DJ spins live! Each session's focus will be listed via our Facebook group. Focus and respect for the artistic traditions are required for the duration of the poses.
[2011-02-23]

Atelier 3-D
701 Tillery, Suite 12-A
Austin, TX 78702
steveatelier3-d.com 512-385-1115
Instructed
Atelier 3-D offers opportunities for beginners and advanced sculptors to practice mastering the processes and techniques for sculpting the human figure. Structured weekend workshops and ongoing 6-week sessions (using both male and female nude models in the same pose for 18-hrs) allows students to created accurate representations. Working in water-based clay, participants develop skills necessary to model the figure and finish a large piece up to 20 inches while receiving personal attention throughout each session. All classes include model fees, tools, model stands, clay and one bisqueware firing.
[2009-08-15]

Austin Full Monty Painting and Drawing Sessions
1109 Shady Lane (Pump Project Satellite)
Austin, TX 78702
Questions? Contact Leslie Pierce: artistlpierceyahoo.com
Uninstructed
Come celebrate the contemporary male figure by painting and drawing with us 4:00-7:00pm on Sundays. Our life drawing sessions are oil painter friendly, provided you bring odorless mineral spirits like Gamsol. Easels are provided, or you can bring your own along with your art supplies. Poses range from 1-minute gestures to 15, 30, and 45 minutes—plenty of time to create some great artwork. $56 for a 2-month prepaid card, good for 8 sessions. $10 for walk-ins (no reservation). We play loud music (alternative, post punk, indie, film scores, jazz) but feel free to plug in to your choice of tunes.
[2010-12-28]

The Art School of The Austin Museum of Art
3809 W. 35th St.
Austin, TX 78703
artschoolamoa.org 512-323-6380
Instructed and Uninstructed
Instructed classes including Life Drawing, Life Drawing: Perfecting Skills, and Portrait Drawing.
Uninstructed open studios sessions during the Fall and Spring semesters: Sundays 1:00-4:00pm and Mondays 12:30-3:30pm. See the course schedule on our website for specific schedules as we switch between long-pose and short-pose offerings.
[2009-07-07]

Go Figure!
AAMP
411 West Monroe
Austin, TX, 78704
warrenartseenalliance.com
Uninstructed
Every Wednesday 7:00-9:00pm, an open studio figure session for all artists. A great opportunity to brush up on your skills with a live art model and meet other artists in a relaxed atmosphere. Bring your own supplies. $7. Session will start out with 1 and 3 minute gestures to warm up and move to longer poses consisting of two 15 minute poses and one 30 minute pose.
[E]

Austin Figurative Gallery
United States Art Authority at Spider House
2906 Fruth St.
Austin, TX 78705
austinfigurativegmail.com
Uninstructed
We paint or draw a live art model on Monday nights 7:00-9:00pm. The poses are for 15 minutes, except third Mondays of the month we do 1 pose for 2 hours.
[E]

Naked Lunch Austin
United States Art Authority at Spider House
2906 Fruth St.
Austin, TX 78705
Uninstructed
Naked Lunch is a figure drawing class that focuses on gestures and shorter poses for Austin area animators and artists. No pose will be longer than the standard 7 minute length of a classic animated short. Classes will be from 1-4pm on the second Saturday of the month. Held at US Art Authority (next to Spider House Cafe). Venue allows access to food, coffee, and beer (Thus the name, "Naked Lunch"). Models will not be fully undraped. Class cost is $10 for a seat.
[E]

Dr. Sketchy's Austin
United States Art Authority at Spider House
2906 Fruth St.
Austin, TX 78705
Uninstructed
Cabaret drawing events on every third Saturday of the month. Location may vary. This is the Austin affiliate of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, founded in New York City.
[E]

The Austin Visual Arts Association
3707 Home Lane
Austin, TX 78705
kelliavaaonline.org 512-457-0075
Uninstructed
AVAA Life Drawing Programs: Sundays 2:00-5:00pm, Mondays 7:00-10:00pm, Wednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm, Thursdays, 9:30am-12:30pm (no oils at Thursday session). $5 per session.
[E2]

Lubbock

Lubbock Sketchclub - Figure Drawing Group
502 Ave J
Lubbock, TX 79414
douglas.nutsch.sketchgmail.com
Uninstructed
We are a figure/portrait drawing group in Lubbock Texas that meets every Wednesday 6:00-9:00pm at the LHUCA Graffiti Building. Each session is $10. Everyone, especially beginners, are welcome to come. Models are draped. Easels provided. Sessions include a portrait and figure emphasis, alternating each week.
[2010-10-08]

El Paso Museum of Art
One Arts Festival Plaza
El Paso, TX 79901
artselpasotexas.gov 915-532-1707
Uninstructed
Life Drawing, Thursdays 5:30-8:30pm. (See website for exact dates.) $5 per session for Members $10 per session for non-members. For students ages 18 years and older. Practice figure drawing skills in this self-guided class. Some drawing materials are provided or bring your own. Beginning and advanced students welcome. Please be advised: live nude art models are the focus of this drawing class. No visitors allowed, and no photography of any kind permitted.
[2010-06-22]


[E] = An email has been sent asking the organizer to verify or correct the information listed.
[date] = the listing has been verified by (or submitted by) the workshop organizer.

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