Art Course Reviews, Florence, Italy

The Florence Art Studio:
Would you like to study painting and drawing in Florence - the birthplace of the Renaissance? Conveniently situated in the city center, The Florence Art Studio provides quality art programs taught in English to international students.

Email: Contact us below

Course options:
-Intensive Drawing and Painting Program
-1 Week Course
-2 Week Course
-3 Week Course
-4 Week Course
-Customized length of course in Drawing and/or Painting

Student Testimonials / Reviews:

- Emma, Retired Teacher, USA
“My time at The Florence Art Studio with Gary was the best art instruction I have ever had, and that covers almost 50 years. For the first time I actually learned how to draw, how to see, and how to evaluate my own work.

I feel so lucky to have finally learned the classical way to draw as the masters did.

The focus on accuracy can't be denied in fine art. So much of my past experiences had been about interpretation of the subject matter. But interpretation is subjective, vague, and in the moment. It always left me in doubt about what I was doing.

Gary taught me what I was missing all those years and I am so thankful. I so appreciated his patience and understanding of what I needed to learn.  I also learned so much from going to the museum tours with him.

One of my biggest thrills was just coming into the studio. The building is beautiful and like stepping into the renaissance. I loved the doors and gate. The whole experience was wonderful. And of course the coffee breaks. And I can't forget that not only is Gary a terrific teacher but he is also a terrific artist. His paintings in the studio were a real inspiration.”

- Helen, Student, London, England
“The credit for my improbable progress must go to Gary Adcock, whose unending patience and commitment saw me through, and whose expertise in the Florentine art tradition brought to life the centuries of work outside the door.

Even when the pear I was painting looked like a lopsided apple, paint splattered all over my clothes, I was treated like Michelangelo himself. Helped along by a wonderful coordinator, the studio experience is both personally enriching and fantastically professional and thorough – where no one is too small to progress.”

- Ron, Artist, Israel 
“The program that I participated in [at The Florence Art Studio] was exactly what I needed. It taught me many new things and refreshed some things I had already known but failed to realize in my drawing/painting. It definitely improved my technique.

The studio environment was excellent – very spacious, relaxed, and easy to concentrate on the task at hand. The lighting was great and the work--station was very convenient.

Gary is very patient and full of knowledge. He takes his time to explain concepts and answer questions, and is overall a very pleasant person. Both he and Kathryn [Bouchard, Gary’s assistant] are wonderful people, and although very professional, they also made me feel very comfortable and at home around them. They were more than fair with me.

I would definitely recommend The Florence Art Studio to anyone who wishes to improve his or her skills. I had a great experience. I’ve learned a lot, it was great fun, and Florence is amazing in many ways. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life.

The highlight would have to be seeing the fruits of my labor, meaning the final drawing and painting that I made. The drawing is by far the best I have ever done.

I would say I definitely achieved my goals, which were to learn new things. I would even go further and say I achieved more during my time at the Studio than I expected I would.”

- Pooja, Environmental Activist, Canada
"The week I spent at The Florence Art Studio was the first art class I've taken since high school. I hoped, in that time, to gauge whether or not my interest in art is a long-­-term pursuit and how I want to explore it.

Working in the lovely studio, and Gary's sincere commitment to helping students achieve their individual goals, allowed me to look at what I've made recently in new ways and with a fresh perspective.

Gary very knowledgeably encouraged me to explore techniques and mediums I haven't yet. I found that the access to museums and the weekly class visit that the Studio includes in its program structure was a great bonus that facilitated my ability to explore and think about the project I'm working on in a vastly broader context.

I would recommend the program of study offered at the FAS to anybody who is interested in visual art, regardless of whether they produce it or not."