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5 Tips for Holding a Virtual Paint Party This Holiday Season

By Milan Art Institute on December 9, 2020

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Photo caption: Virtual paint parties allow you to connect with friends and your creative spirit in the virtual realm. Image by Prawny from Pixabay.

The popularity of paint and sip parties demonstrates just how much people want to be creative and social at the same time. These events combine a painting class with party drinks and sometimes food. Now that the weather has turned colder, fewer people feel inclined to brave the cold to get their creative groove on. They’re also a great option for those who have family and friends far away. But with the advent of technologies, like Zoom or Skype, even the most winter-adverse artists can still paint together by holding a virtual paint party.

These events are easy to organize and really fun. If you’d like to hold one yourself, here are a few pointers to get you and your painting group started.

1. Select a Date and Time

The date and time you choose for your virtual paint party will have a lot to do with how successful your party turns out to be. It’s best to choose a day or night and time that fits the schedule of most of the people you’d like to invite.

You should allot at least two to four hours for the party, which may restrict your party date to the weekends, but not always. It’s also important to set the date far enough in advance to allow each participant to get the supplies they need for the party.

If you’re planning on having more than one party with this same group of friends, it may help to order an art kit that you all can use for more than one painting project.

2. Sign Up for Zoom, Skype or Another Video Technology

Technologies, like Zoom or Skype, make it possible to virtually connect with the people you’ve invited to your virtual paint party. The person organizing this party should choose the platform everyone will meet on.

The advantage of doing this on Zoom is that you can set up the party ahead of time and then send everyone a Zoom link to the party. All participants have to do is log onto the party on the day of the party by clicking on the Zoom link.

**A note on Zoom: On a free account, Zoom will limit you to 40 minutes per group call. You can get around this by creating several group calls in a row.

3. Select an Image to Paint

Photo caption: When choosing an image to paint, it’s important to pick one that is simple enough for most people to do. Image by 崔栓栋 from Pixabay.

If you’re planning on creating a representational piece, like a forest or a seasonal picture, such as a snowman or reindeer, be sure to select a simple image.

You’ll have participants with varying levels of skill, so you want to choose a painting that would be complex enough to provide a challenge, but simple enough for all the participants to do.

You can share the image with party-goers by posting it on Pinterest or by emailing it to all the people on your party list.

If you’re planning on doing an abstract painting, it’s important to let everyone know in advance so that they can be thinking about their painting. Our online class Abstract Painting at Home has some good pointers for painting abstracts if you’ve never tried before.

Finally, it's important to choose an image well in advance of the party so that people have time to shop for a paint kit online or to head to the local arts and crafts store for supplies.

4. Choose a Person to Lead the Instruction

While there is no rule that says your virtual paint party has to be led by an artist, having an experienced artist at the ready will help the less experienced participants feel more comfortable.

If no such a person exists in your circle, consider signing up for a short instructional course that will teach the people in your group how to create their paintings.

5. Share Suggested Drinks, Recipes and Paintings on Pinterest

Although everyone will be at their own house for this party, it’s always fun to share recipes and drink ideas with one another. You can again turn to Pinterest for this. Create a special group Pinterest board and invite your virtual paint party participants to post their party food ideas to that board.

Once the party is underway, painters can share photos of their food and drink to the board, as well as photos of their finished paintings.

Final Words on Holding a Virtual Paint Party

Holding a painting party with a group of your artsy friends is a fun way to spend time with your friends without having to go out. Many people find that their painting parties are great ways to meet online in a different way than just a normal virtual call.

Although this article suggests using your online painting ventures as a way to connect with your artist friends, it is actually an activity that appeals to a broad range of people and groups. For example, some employers use these parties as a way to promote team building and other important skills. It's also a great idea for birthdays, retirement and of course, holiday parties.