Private Art Lessons
Serving clientele in San Francisco, Marin County, Santa Clara County, East Bay and the greater Bay Area.
Personalized Art Instruction. Your Space. Your Privacy. Your Pace.
1. Let's TalkWe meet over Zoom to discuss your interests, goals, and any artwork you’d like to share.
2. Set Up Your PracticeTogether, we choose materials and create a comfortable place to make art in your home or studio.
3. Learn One-on-OneGet personalized instruction, honest feedback, and assignments to practice at your own pace.
4. Keep CreatingBook sessions as needed. Continue independently when you feel ready, and return whenever you want guidance or to explore a new medium.
Serving clientele in San Francisco, Marin County, Santa Clara County, East Bay and the greater Bay Area.
Lessons outside the service area are available, with additional travel fees where applicable. For Southern California clients, I recommend a weekend or weeklong intensive to make the most of our time together and the cost of travel.
Private Art Lessons
My goal is to help you build the skills, confidence, and habits to make art independently. We work together for as long as you find it helpful, with sessions shaped around your interests and needs, without an ongoing commitment. Practice at your own pace, book when you need guidance, and return whenever you have questions, want a fresh perspective, or feel ready to explore something new.
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Recommended for anyone new to art, drawing builds a foundation in line, shape, proportion, composition, and shading that carries naturally into painting.
Sessions 1–2: Choose materials, establish your setup, and begin simple drawing exercises.
Sessions 3–4: Develop observation, proportion, and shading through subjects you enjoy.
Session 5 onward: Explore more complex work, review your progress, and refine your practice as needed.
Suggested starting point: 4 sessions, with practice assignments between lessons. Continue at your own pace until you feel comfortable working independently.
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Explore either watercolor, acrylic, oil, or gouache. Build on your drawing skills, or start directly with painting if you’re drawn to abstraction, color, and expressive mark-making.
Sessions 1–2: Choose a paint medium, select materials, set up your workspace, and explore color mixing and paint handling.
Sessions 3–4: Develop a painting while learning composition, brushwork, and techniques specific to your medium.
Sessions 5–6: Begin making more independent choices, troubleshoot challenges, and establish a painting routine.
Suggested starting point: 4–6 sessions. Additional lessons are flexible, offering support as you develop confidence with your chosen medium.
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Teen Art Instruction · Ages 14–18
Explore drawing and painting fundamentals or student interests: comics, manga, anime, character design. Portfolio development is also available for art programs and college applications.Sessions 1–2: Discuss interests, review existing artwork, and set personal goals, studio/workspace setup and material lessons.
Sessions 3–4: Strengthen fundamentals through a project that connects to those interests.
Sessions 5–6: Refine the work, practice responding to feedback, and plan the next project.
Suggested starting point: 4–6 sessions. Portfolio preparation may require a longer plan based on current work and application deadlines.
These are starting points, not required packages. Some students find their footing in a few lessons; others prefer 6–10 sessions or ongoing support.
Let’s talk about what you’d like to create.
Ryan Martin is a Bay Area visual artist and educator with over 25 years of professional experience with art materials, including educational work with Winsor & Newton and Liquitex. His warm, practical approach to private instruction helps you build skills, find materials you enjoy, and develop the confidence to create on your own.
Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.
Day OneArrive & Meet
As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey starts here.
Check-In9:00 – 9:30am
Group Activity11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Creative Workshop2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Day TwoSet Intentions & Reflect
Together, we pause to consider our goals, hopes, and direction. This is about aligning with ourselves and with the journey ahead. This is a chance to reconnect with what brought you here—your questions, your hopes, your turning points—and consider how they’ve shifted or deepened.
Check-In9:00 – 9:30am
Group Activity11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Creative Workshop2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
Day ThreeLook Forward & Wrap Up
We explore the possibilities beyond this moment, making space for growth, action, and forward momentum. As we end our time together, we honor the experience, the growth, and the connections made along the way.
Check-In9:00 – 9:30am
Group Activity11:00am
Lunch Break12:30pm
Creative Workshop2:00pm
Dinner6:30pm
How It Works-
Browse our upcoming events to find the one that feels right for you. We host events year-round in all different locations and climates.
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Sign up and pay all required fees to reserve your spot. If plans change, you can cancel up to 14 days before the retreat start to receive a 50% refund.
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After booking, we'll send you a Welcome Packet with everything you need to know—detailed schedules, packing list recommendations, add-ons to consider, and more.
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We'd recommend booking your transportation to and from the event as soon as possible, to ensure you can arrive without any complications or delays.
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Now all that's left to do is pack your bags and get excited for your new adventure.