The quick answer
Both traditional and digital art teach the same foundations — drawing, colour, composition, and creativity. Choose drawing & painting if your child loves working with real brushes, paint, and texture. Choose digital art if they’re drawn to technology, anime, or character design. If they’re curious about both, a combo class is the most flexible option.
Drawing & painting vs digital art at a glance
| Drawing & Painting | Digital Art | |
|---|---|---|
| What they learn | Sketching, colour theory, watercolour & acrylic, composition | Digital illustration, line art, shading, character & concept design |
| Tools | Pencils, paint, paper & canvas (provided) | iPad + Apple Pencil with Procreate (provided) |
| Great for kids who love | Hands-on, tactile making | Technology, anime, comics, game art |
| Ages | Approx. 4 and up | Children and teens |
| Starts from | $25.99 / week | $37.80 / week |
A closer look at drawing & painting
Traditional classes build strong fundamentals with real materials — drawing and sketching, colour mixing, watercolour and acrylic painting, composition, and perspective. There’s something powerful about making a physical artwork you can hold, and the tactile process is wonderful for younger children. Explore the full Drawing & Painting program.
A closer look at digital art
Digital classes teach illustration on iPad using Procreate — line art, shading and lighting, character design, anime and cartoon illustration, and even animation basics. iPads and Apple Pencils are provided in class, and no prior digital experience is needed. It’s a natural fit for kids who love screens and want to channel that energy into a creative skill. Explore the full Digital Art program.
Why not both? The combo class
Many children genuinely enjoy both, and the skills reinforce each other — strong traditional drawing makes for better digital art, and vice versa. Our combo class combines traditional and digital art each week (up to two hours), starting from $46.99/week.
How to decide
Ask yourself a few quick questions:
- Does my child reach for crayons and paint, or for a screen and stylus?
- Are they into anime, comics, or video-game art? Digital may click instantly.
- Do they love the mess and feel of paint? Traditional will delight them.
- Still unsure? A combo class or a free trial removes the guesswork.
Whichever you choose, both paths develop the same core artistic skills — so you really can’t go wrong. Families across Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Vaughan, Markham, Aurora, and Newmarket take both kinds of classes with us.
Let your child try before you decide
A free trial is the easiest way to see what your child loves. Book a free trial and we’ll help you choose the right fit.