Irene Antonez:
Definitely recommend Oko academy to beginner artists as well as to intermediate ones. Life figure drawing sessions are fun and conducted in small groups acommpanied by some great art theory insights and material experimentation, which is perfect in my opinion. I also really benefited from one on one mentorship and advice Jeremiah offers. His expertise in art is quite extensive. He covers various aspects of art from art history and painting techniques to the business side of art, depending on your personal artist needs. 100 % recommend taking one of the classes Oko academy offers!
Lydia Titterington:
My first experience at Oko Academy was a music and portrait evening. As a newcomer to art events, I was initially nervous. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming and non-judgmental atmosphere that allowed me to feel comfortable and at ease.
I was completing a project of portraits. I wanted to attend Oko Academy just to have some company, but Jeremiah was so helpful and gave me pointers. I liked the environment and wanted to attend again.
I attended my first figure drawing class here, and it was so relaxing to listen to music with people and draw. I usually feel anxious around people but felt at home just drawing.
The next event I attended was Art Night. I attended towards the end of my project because I wanted some company, and I was getting really bored with my style and completing these images. Jeremiah introduced me to ink and guided me on how to use it, which gave me a new lease of life and excitement about drawing again.
I never felt the need to show off, and I felt I was in a comfortable environment to fail and learn from my failures.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to attend art classes because I could not recreate a lifelike object or person on paper; my project was abstract portraits. But Jeremiah guided me to try new things, letting me do my own thing and not interfering with my own style but allowing it to develop and experiment with new materials.
I later paid for a private consultation to get tips on pricing my portraits and adding the finishing touches to make them look more professional.
I love the idea of Oko Academy, that I as a busy working person, can pay as and when I need and receive thoughtful and respectful guidance on my own projects for quite an affordable amount of money.
I couldn’t have done my project without Oko Academy, and I recommend it to others. If you’re a beginner like I was, it’s an environment that makes you feel safe and comfortable with other people, and if you’re more experienced, you have incredible guidance from an extremely experienced tutor.