Drawing and Painting Orcas

Scholarship available for this class:

Registration opens:

May 1, 2026

Seats available

Class Cost:

$495

Over the course of six weeks under the instruction of Sara Shimazu you will learn to draw and paint orcas, ending the class with a finished painting.

One of Sara's many claims to fame is that she can help anyone draw an orca - and we've seen it first hand! First you'll learn to draw whales in profile and then from different angles while learning some key morphological differences between residents and Bigg's killer whales. Then Sara will give a watercolor tutorial covering basic techniques before diving in to putting color to your drawings.

You'll get an art supply kit with your registration including a custom 8-color watercolor set, watercolor paper, and brush. This is a fully virtual class so you can join us from anywhere, and sessions will be recorded for later viewing in case you have to miss one.

6 virtual Zoom sessions with instruction by Sara Shimazu

8 color hand-poured Salish Sea watercolor palette curated by Sara

Watercolor sketchbook, drawing pencil, and paintbrush (art supplies will be mailed to you approximately one month before the class begins)

Class Discord server to share progress and ask questions between class sessions

The only prerequisite is a willingness to explore new artistic skills in a supportive group setting! No prior experience with watercolor is needed as Sara will cover basic techniques within the scope of the class.

"The Drawing & Painting Orcas course was an outstanding experience, even for someone like me who started with absolutely no painting or drawing background. The supportive instruction made a big difference as I went from sketching basic shapes to creating detailed orca art. I learned so much! Highly recommend!"

"I started the Drawing and Painting Orcas class thinking I was probably the world’s worst drawer, and ended with a piece that lives rent free on my fridge.... Huge credit to our fantastic instructor, who somehow can teach anyone to draw an orca—apparently even me."

"I loved this class from start to finish and learned so much from Sara's expert tuition. It was good fun and a great way to find out more about orcas - I will definitely keep drawing in my spare time...Looking forward to the next OBI art class."

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancel by August 31 to receive a full refund minus a $50 administrative fee. No refunds after September 1.