Sunny Art Centre
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
London
What it’s like
Small-group drawing and painting classes in Covent Garden, with dedicated courses for children, teens and complete beginners.
This is a proper art school rather than a drop-in craft session. Sunny Art Centre teaches drawing and painting the traditional way, working from observation, and the site is clear that you don't need any previous experience or a folder of existing work to join. Kids and teens get their own classes alongside the adult courses, and if your teenager has their eye on art school there's a portfolio preparation course built specifically for that.
Group lessons run at around two hours and stay small, capped at roughly ten students, so tutors are giving actual one-to-one feedback during the session rather than just setting a task and leaving you to it. That's the bit worth valuing here: proper correction on your drawing, not just a nice afternoon with a paintbrush. You book online against lesson credits rather than turning up on spec, and evening and weekend slots are the ones that go first, so if you want a Saturday morning for the kids it pays to book ahead rather than assume you'll get one on the day.
A couple of things to know before you commit to a course package. Once you've bought into a medium, drawing versus painting say, you can't swap it later, and unused lesson credits do expire after a set period, so it's not something to buy and forget about. Cancelling or moving a booked lesson needs 48 hours' notice or you lose the credit, which is a fair enough rule but an easy one to miss if life gets in the way.
The studio's on Kemble Street in Covent Garden, an easy walk from Covent Garden or Holborn Underground stations, and there are several car parks nearby if you're driving in. Materials generally aren't included in the course price, though the centre sells its own materials packs if you'd rather not go shopping around before your first lesson.
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- Book online from available lessons through student account
- Parking
- Four car parks open 24/7: Lincoln's Inn Fields, Urban Parking Shelton Street, NCP London Covent Garden, Intelli-Park Covent Garden
- Getting there by bus or train
- Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) and Holborn (Central/Piccadilly lines) Underground stations
- You can't switch a course package to a different medium once you've bought it
- Lesson credits expire after a set validity period, so don't let them sit unused
- Cancelling or rescheduling needs 48 hours' notice or you lose the credit
- The centre is closed on Sundays
- There's a portfolio preparation course specifically for art school applications
Plan your visit
Do the kids need any previous art experience?
No previous experience is needed, the tutors work with each student at whatever level they're at.
How long is a lesson?
Most group lessons run for two hours. Private tuition and portfolio courses can be different lengths.
Do we need to book in advance?
Booking is required through an online student account, and evening and weekend classes tend to fill up, so book ahead for those.
Can we just turn up whenever suits us?
You're not tied to the same weekly slot. You book whichever available lesson on the timetable fits your schedule.
Do we need to bring our own art materials?
Materials generally aren't included in the course, so most students bring their own. The centre also sells materials packs if you'd rather buy everything in one go.
Is there parking nearby?
There are a few car parks close by, including Lincoln's Inn Fields and the NCP in Covent Garden, and it's also right by Covent Garden and Holborn Underground stations.
See all Adult Workshops & Evening Classes in London · Things to do in London
MAKE A DAY OF IT
