Yi Yan Art Academy

BYOW + painting: only in SF!
Seriously, great fun for a group event. Yi is a very talented artist in her own right and a patient and sweet instructor. And again, bring your own wine. What could be better?

We loved the BYOWine painting class!
Great atmosphere, and really fun and interesting.
Thanks Yi!

Yi is awesome! Did one of those wine classes, and had a great time. Yi is a great teacher and very patient. She has a great attitude, and everyone’s paintings turned out really cute. Pro tip: Bring snacks.

Yi is the best! I scheduled a private party here with my girlfriends for my birthday. Yi is a really great teacher and very patient. All of our paintings turned out beautiful. We will definitely be back:) Thanks Yi!

Great school, great teacher, affordable price. Love it!
I am a beginner and I came to this school after 3 months of studies. Enjoying it so far.

This was a fantastic little date night for the hubby and I. Santa brought me this «living social» painting and wine night. It was absolutely perfect.
We arrived 30 min early, found easy parking and got dinner for $ 20 next door at the taco stand. Quite tasty.
Yi was delightful. There was basically a sample dessert scene picture we’d be painting. We were all a bit nervous, but Yi made us all feel like pros. She did a step by step:
— sketch in main areas
— fill in main areas
— add details
— sign your name!
In 2 hours, hubby and I had consumed a bottle of vino, laughed at our painting skills, encouraged each other, and ended in 2 hours on a fun vibe. We both had paintings that resembled the teacher sample (although mine was better)
Great deal, great night, our coupon for $ 40 covered us both (½ price). I highly recommend this for a girls night out, or a couples thing.
PROS:
— all your canvas and paints are set up for you.
— inexpensive
— romantic date night

I bought a living social voucher based on a friend’s recommendation for the BYOW art session. The instructor Yi was very easy to understand, gave us enough time to complete our paintings and was funny and lightened the mood of the group. All supplies were provided– aprons, brushes, paint and canvas total value for money.
I had so much fun painting and would definitely come back here with my husband. If you are looking for a fun way to relax enjoy some wine and develop a new hobby I would recommend this place highly.

Background: BYOB wine group painting art class in a little art studio in the mission.
Details: bought a deal on livingsocial for $ 20. The class included all the paints, canvas, and various other supplies youd’ need (apron, brushes, etc). The class is a group format, where you are shown how to draw the picture step by step. The steps are definitely super manageable and doable even if the extent of your art is stick figures. You really can produce good art out of this class with the help of the instructor, who is the nicest most patient person ever. She goes over techniques, how to put paint on the canvas, blending, etc everything you need to have a successful picture.
Verdict: one of the funnest nights I’ve had. It’s a good thing to do with a group of friends or date night. I definitely would come back again! :)

we attended Yi’s art & wine class twice.
casual, fun, no worries about preparing anything, just show up and ready to mess with some paint.
Yi is super nice, friendly, and professional.

I bought a groupon deal and am so glad I did! It was a really fun experience, especially when you pair it with good wine and good friends. She made a really tough art project seem very doable and made us all feel like real artists. I highly recommend it if you’re even slightly interested in art.

A unique experience to definitely do in SF!!!
A bottle of red wine, chill music, homely atmosphere, & art. Yi is the shiiiz. Not only was she easy to talk to, she taught so well, and spoke to us as peers. She made it fun and chill, and had a glass of wine with us!
1 con — we got started late.
10,000 pros — her art studio was amazeballs, her art itself was brilliant, the music set the artistic mood, and then others in the class + the ease of learning Yi made it made the WHOLE NITE PERFECTO!!!
: melt my heart now!:

I attended Yi’s BYOW class with hubby. It was super fun. We brought our own wine, drank, relaxed, and painted. The class is great for beginners. Yi supplies all the painting materials and walks us through the whole process. We took home our paintings and hung them up on our wall.
Just be courteous and be on time, and you’ll have a good evening. Highly recommended!

Yi is a great art instructor who is patient, funny, and gives great instructions. I bought a Groupon for the Yi Yan Art Academy BYOW (bring your own wine) class for two, thinking that this would be a romantic activity for the girlfriend and me. Turns out it was.
There is ample parking on the streets but beware most have a one hour time limit except for Sundays. The art studio was relatively easy to find because the adjacent building are visibly numbered, right between 2190 and 2104. Just look for a small door opening leading to the studio upstairs. Yi provides aprons, canvas, paper plate with the colors you need for your painting, easel, and step-​by-​step instructions.
Before the class started I told Yi that I wanted to split the painting in half because my girlfriend and I didn’t want to have two of the same paintings. Throughout the whole class she offered suggestions to accommodate our request. Best part is that Yi does not just give instructions and expects you to paint. She gives the reasoning and technique on how to create your masterpiece.
Overall I was extremely pleased with the two hour art class and would recommend her and her BYOW class to anyone looking to have a good time drinking and painting. She also does private BYOW classes for parties of six or more.

The BYOW painting class was a fun, after-​work, activity – kind of like a creative happy hour. With wine and do-​it-​yourself art, it’s hard to go wrong! The 2-​hour class provides everything you need: a canvas, set of brushes, paints, and apron for each person. You supply the wine.
Yi’s instructions are clear and easy to follow, and she’s great at managing the time for the class. What was most impressive was that everyone was able to finish their paintings by the end of the two-​hour session – a pretty awesome feat considering that most of us did not have a painting background. And even though everyone followed the same set of instructions, it was neat to see how individualized each painting turned out.
This is a fun activity for date night or girls night – a good way to let loose your creative side. Highly recommended!

My GF and I attended the BYOW 2-​hr paint class on a Saturday evening. It turned out to be a lot of fun! Yi did a great job of introducing the material and had the paint/​canvas ready to go when we arrived. If you are looking for a fun and relaxing evening, check it out!

I attended one of the BYOW (bring your own wine) 2-​hour beginner painting classes at Yi’s Art Academy, and had such a wonderful experience. Let me explain that I more-​or-​less did the course on an impulse; I am creative in some ways, but have absolutely no training, education, or any particular talent whatsoever with drawing or painting.
Yi’s whole demeanor is so friendly and grounded, while at the same time professional, that it is impossible not to be comfortable even while you may be in the most new and uncomfortable situation for you possible… like a hippo learning the ballet. She is open and welcoming and provides everyone with just what they need, and in a warm, efficient way explains to us all of the (very good quality) supplies she has provided us with and how we will start using them, so that we can get down to business.
And so we do, and before you know it, I am not thinking at all any longer of how I have no idea whatsoever of how to mix colors or paint, or of how awful what I am doing must look because I am not an artist. I am just completely absorbed in what I am doing and having the greatest time. And learning an incredible amount.
I enjoyed my experience at Yi’s Art Academy so much, I certainly would like to take another class with her as soon as I can.
I know that she also teaches individual art classes on a weekly basis to adults or to children, or classes to small groups. I would encourage you to call her to arrange something like that with her if you have any interest in it at all — she will make it easy for you. She is such a talented, patient, and enthusiastic teacher who clearly loves what she does. She showed me some of the work that some of the kids she is teaching are producing, and it is impressive. But more than that, she is a great teacher, and working with her and learning from her is just plain fun. How great is that, to learn an incredible amount and have a blast at the same time.

If you’re the type of person who wants to dive right into drawing or painting, then Yi is the right teacher for you. She skips a lot of the introductory fluff so that you can get to the fun part — unleashing your inner artist — right away.
I attended one of the BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine) Sessions and was in a class of three. As we were all beginners, we started out learning the style of cross-​hatching and shading using pencil. We were provided with a variety of drawings to choose from as a reference point, and the materials provided were all very professional and high quality. Within an hour and a half, we were each able to finish our own very own drawings to take home. Not only was the experience extremely educational, but we also had a great time on a Saturday night.
Yi’s teaching style was very personable and fun while also helpful and encouraging as she guided us through the art piece and corrected our mistakes. She had a wealth of knowledge through both creating her own works of art and teaching others. I know that she also teaches students on a more regular schedule and trains them to be fantastic artists. I would highly recommend that you try out Yi’s art classes, and I definitely can’t wait to attend another session!

Yi has everything it takes to teach you Art; she’s inspiring, passionate, patient, experienced and a great communicator. She has a lot of background both as a teacher and an artist, which showed tremendously during the class; her analysis of your areas for development are efficient and to the point and you learn twice as fast because of it.
All in all, it has been an incredibly enriching experience that I would definitely recommend to everyone of my friends. I didn’t think I could go as far in one session, and I was delightedly surprised.
If you love art, you’ll love this.

I had the pleasure of viewing some of Yi’s work not too long ago at the «Idols on the Third Shelf» showing in Alameda, and recently attended an art class of hers. Yi is not only a wonderful artist, but also very patient, encouraging and skilled instructor.
Not having ever taken any art classes before, I was a bit wary about what to expect, but it turned out to be a blast. In the first class we quickly dove into sketching. She covered various fundamentals as we tried to replicate an existing piece of artwork. Her classes are very hands-​on, so you can learn by doing. As we progressed in our drawing, she would constantly observe how we were doing and provide helpful feedback, going over art concepts as they became more applicable to each stage. Before I knew it 2 hours had flown by, and despite my lack of skill I had in my hands a surprisingly decent version of the original drawing (if I do say so myself).
Having Yi instruct was a lot of fun, and having the ability to bring your own wine no doubt helped to wash away any early apprehension. ;) Yi said she has advanced classes for the serious art student all the way down to the basics for the casual viewer just looking for a novel good time with drinks and friends. I can sure vouch for the latter!

Yi is world class artist with versatile style. She’s a great person, fun to talk to, and a patient teacher. During our session her explanations of technique and the reasons for it were helpful. I was in a class size of 6 and I still felt I got good individual feedback and instruction.