Our philosophy is simple: Share artistic knowledge with students who seek it. At Drawing America, we believe in the power of genuine learning and practice. There are no shortcuts or gimmicks. We are committed to providing a platform for students to hone their skills and grow as artists. 

Our history: Drawing America was founded in New York City in 2013 by fine artist Simon Levenson. On Friday evenings, when it was less crowded, Simon brought students to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and taught them how to draw or how to draw better. The lessons he developed during this time became the basis for his teaching. 

Only three months before the pandemic, Simon invited the exceptional drawing instructor Will Weston from Los Angeles to New York City to record “a few lectures” in front of a sold-out crowd. These videos proved extremely important because they also provided an outlet to our community during a difficult time during the pandemic. Will’s teaching aligned perfectly with the mission of simply sharing artistic knowledge with students to help them improve.  

Simultaneously, the platform welcomed master oil painter and our dear friend Jennifer Gennari, who began offering her courses. Jennifer’s dedication to her craft and students’ progress over the past four years has been remarkable, with thousands of students benefiting from her generosity and commitment.

Over time, we have selected exceptional artists and teachers to add to our platform, including Pascal Campion, Jordi Lafebre, Alex Hillkurtz, Cynthia Halley, Paul Heaston, Anthony Liberatore, Tiffanie Mang, Michel Lauracela, Kevin Wueste, and Hicham Habchi.

Since the beginning, our goal has been to share what we know through decades of studying and practice with those who wish to improve their work. From the absolute beginner to industry professionals and gallery artists, we are here to help you on your artistic journey. 

 We are honored to have the role.