THE OTTAWA ART ACADEMY
The Ottawa Art Academy (OAA) is the only school in the Ottawa / Gatineau region that offers classical drawing and painting lessons based on 19th century European atelier techniques.
Whether your goal is to pursue a professional career in the arts, or simply to develop your passion, we can help.
Flexible scheduling options
Small class sizes
Catered to your skill level and unique goals
Learning to see accurately
At the Ottawa Art Academy, our goal is to develop an artist's ability to observe, measure, and judge accurately.
Drawing and painting often fail not because the artist lacks artistic ability, but because they rely on assumptions about what they see rather than verifying what is actually there. We teach students to question their first impressions, measure proportions, compare relationships, and continually check their work against observation.
Through repetition and careful correction, students develop a more reliable eye and increasingly educated artistic judgment.
The goal isn't to eliminate intuition, but to refine it through knowledge and experience. We want students to rely less on guesswork and become more certain in what they see and what they put on paper.
Ongoing Academic Art Programs
Standard: A complete foundation in both drawing and oil painting, starting with rigorous studies in proportion, value, and form.
Drawing: A focused study in classical drawing through progressive projects in anatomy, perspective, and tone.
Oil Painting: Dedicated to traditional oil painting techniques, including underpainting, glazing, and fat over lean.
Our Philosophy
At the Ottawa Art Academy (OAA), we focus on academic representational realism. This makes it easier for students to learn the foundations and fundamentals of drawing and painting. If you can capture reality, then you are capable of creating anything you can imagine. We use the classic, time-proven, techniques from the 19th-century: from how we perceive and mix colours, to how we sharpen our pencils.
As seen on Ottawa CTV Morning!
“I have been studying since 2022 and my experience has been unforgettable! The quality of content you learn is better than anything our there! Matt is a great teacher.”
“A great place to learn and practice art. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and welcoming. This place is an Ottawa treasure.”
“I’ve been studying at the OAA for years. It’s by far the best school in Ottawa if you’re looking for technical drawing and oil painting lessons, portfolio creation and more.”
