If you have searched for a paint and sip in Naperville, you have probably found us. We are not quite one, and the difference is worth knowing before you book, because it changes what you make and what you take home.
What is a paint and sip class?
A paint and sip is a guided painting class, usually with wine. An instructor paints a picture at the front and the room copies it step by step. Everyone leaves with a version of the same painting, and how close yours looks depends on how steady your hand is.
It is a social format first and an art format second, which is exactly what a lot of people want on a Friday.
How pour painting is different
At Naperville Art Studio there is no instructor painting at the front and nothing to copy. You choose your colors, pour them, and move the paint by tilting, spinning or blowing it. The pattern that lands is the finished piece.
The practical effect is that the skill gap disappears. In a paint and sip, the person who can draw produces a visibly better canvas. In pour painting, a complete beginner and an experienced painter both get interesting results, because the paint is doing the work. That is why it holds up for mixed groups where the confidence levels are all over the place.
Are you BYOB or do you serve wine?
Neither. We are an alcohol-free studio.
That is a genuine difference from most paint and sip venues, so it is worth being straight about it. For some groups it is a dealbreaker. For a lot of others it turns out to be a relief: the pregnant guest, the designated driver and the person who does not drink are not sitting the evening out, and nobody has to decide at 2pm whether they are drinking tonight.
You are welcome to bring light snacks, cake, cupcakes and non-alcoholic drinks. Downtown Naperville is minutes away if the group wants to carry on somewhere afterwards.
What you make instead of a canvas
A paint and sip is a canvas. We have canvases too, but you can also pour onto 24 other things, which is the part people do not expect:
- Resin tumblers and insulated water bottles
- Charcuterie boards and wooden serving trays
- Sculptures, including bears, bunnies and figures
- Vases, lazy susans, coasters and jewelry trays
- Denim jackets and trucker hats
- Resin ocean art, layered to look like a shoreline
You pick when you arrive rather than when you book, so nobody has to decide in advance.
What it costs
Booking is $25 per person and that $25 is the first $25 of whatever you make, not a class fee on top. Projects run from $25 for a patch trucker hat to $105 for a rechargeable lamp, with canvases at $35 for kids and $45 for adults. One price covers the session, all materials, guidance and the professional finish.
Common questions
Is there a paint and sip in Naperville?
There are a few paint and sip venues in the area. We are the pour painting studio, at 115 E Ogden Ave, Suite 121. Same idea of a guided creative night out, different technique, 25 projects rather than one canvas, and no alcohol.
Do you serve wine or allow BYOB?
No. We are alcohol-free. Snacks, cake and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome.
Is sip and paint the same as pour painting?
No. Sip and paint means copying an instructor with a brush. Pour painting means pouring thinned paint and moving it with tilt and air, so no two results are the same and nothing is copied.
Do I need experience for either?
Not for ours. Most of our guests walk in saying they are not artistic, and our team guides every step.
How long does a session take?
About 60 minutes, plus 10 minutes at the start to choose your project.
Where are you?
115 E Ogden Ave, Suite 121, Naperville, with free parking outside. Guests come to us from Aurora, Wheaton, Lisle, Downers Grove, Bolingbrook and Plainfield as well as Naperville.
Want to see the difference? Have a look at our fluid art classes, or browse all 25 projects and prices before you book.
Have a question for the studio?
Send us a message and a real person at Naperville Art Studio will get back to you within one business day. Prefer to talk? Call or text 630-441-3951.