Join Ali Kay Paint Week 2026 & Fresh Paint Membership

Paint Week 2026 with Ali Kay Studio: Learn to Paint with Bold Color

It’s almost time for my favorite week of painting!

If you’ve been thinking about learning to paint, getting back into painting, or simply making more time for creativity, Ali Kay Studio is bringing back Paint Week for 2026!

I'm an affiliate for Ali Kay Studio: Paint Week!

KEY PAINT WEEK POINTS:

• SEPTEMBER 28TH TO OCTOBER 2ND (recordings available until October 5th)
• 1PM EST LIVE STREAMS DAILY
• ALL TEMPLATES AND INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED
• BUY A PAINT WEEK KIT OR USE WHAT YOU HAVE
• JUST $10 

SIGN UP HERE!

Paint Week 2026 takes place September 28 through October 2 and is a five-day online painting experience designed to help you actually sit down, pick up a brush and paint.

And yes, I’ll be joining in again!

I discovered Ali Kay Studio a couple of years ago during Paint Week, and what started as a fun little creative experiment turned into a full-blown painting hobby/business for me. I eventually joined Fresh Paint and have painted more nearly 200 paintings through the program.

So if you've ever thought, “I’d love to paint, but I don't know where to start,” this is your sign.

Here's my most recent Paint Success story:

My Art Pays for itself!

When I first started Fresh Paint, Sept 2024, I had no intention of selling my art, exhibiting in shows or making my "art" pay for itself.

However, after painting my 183 piece, I realized I needed my space back.

I was the featured artist in my local coffee shop for the full month of July. I sold 65 paintings! They were mostly class pieces (12x12's to 4x4's) and I sold them lower than I would price solos, but I desperately need the space! I restocked 3 times during the month, showcasing a total of 89 pieces. The coffee shop takes no commission, so I felt great passing on the savings to my collectors!

I had a huge positive response with invites to showcase at the coffee shop again, and a smoothie bar down the street.

I also had 3 out of my 5 solo painting pieces sell during the July Square Foot Show, which helped me feel much more confident in my art--and selling at a higher price point!

All this to say, after crunching all the numbers, I'm net positive!

I've covered my costs for all my big bottles of Golden paints, a surplus of wood panels (seriously my front closet and every nook is filled with panels), my standing easel, and 3 years of VIP Fresh Paint lessons.

My art is now paying for itself! I'm stoked! Thanks Ali and team!

What Is Paint Week 2026?

Paint Week is a live online painting event hosted by Ali Kay Studio and I'm excited to be an affiliate!

This year's event runs September 28–October 2, 2026, and Ali is promising five days of live painting lessons, encouragement and lots of color. The goal is to finish three complete paintings that you’ll actually be proud to hang up when the week is over.

✅​You don't need to be a professional artist.

✅​You don't even need painting experience.

Ali's classes are designed for a wide range of experience levels, including complete beginners. The whole idea is to make painting feel approachable instead of intimidating.

And because it happens on an online platform, you can participate from your own home, at your own pace.

Which is especially nice if your ideal art studio is actually your kitchen table, craft room or a tiny corner of an open concept living room!

When Is Paint Week 2026?

Paint Week 2026 is September 28–October 2.

That puts it right in the last week of September, which honestly feels like the perfect time for a creative reset.

Summer is winding down, fall is beginning, and suddenly the calendar starts filling up with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas projects.

Before all that happens, why not take five days for yourself and paint?

The live event runs for five days, and Ali Kay Studio provides access to the lessons so you can follow along even if you can't be sitting at your easel at the exact moment the class happens.

Classes are live streamed at 1PM EST, but can be replayed at your convenience any time until October 5th.

What Will You Learn During Paint Week?

One of the things I love about Ali's teaching style is that she doesn't just tell you where to put paint.

You learn the process behind the painting.

You'll work with color, layering, composition, brushwork and techniques that help you create loose, colorful paintings without getting trapped in the idea that everything needs to be perfect.

Ali is particularly known for bold color and loose brushstrokes, and that's what initially hooked me.

Her approach makes painting feel playful.

You aren't spending six hours trying to make one tiny flower petal absolutely perfect.

You're painting.

You're experimenting.

You're learning.

And you're actually finishing paintings...in a couple hours or less!

You Don't Have to Know How to Draw

This was a HUGE selling point for me.

If the thought of staring at a blank canvas makes you panic, Ali Kay Studio has you covered.

Fresh Paint includes traceable templates with its lessons, so you aren't required to be an amazing drawer before you can become an amazing painter.

The templates give you a starting point.

Then the painting process takes over.

This is especially helpful if you're coming to painting from a crafting background. If you've spent years using Cricut machines, laser cutters, patterns, stencils and templates, you'll probably appreciate having that same kind of structure when you paint.

And then, as your confidence grows, you can start moving away from templates and create your own compositions.

Why I Love Loose Acrylic Painting

Before discovering Ali Kay Studio, I had painted quite a bit over the years.

I took art classes in junior high, high school and college, and I've always enjoyed being creative.

But painting was something I wanted to do more often without necessarily wanting to spend an entire day doing it.

That's where loose acrylic painting really clicked for me.

Acrylic paint dries quickly, which means you can work in layers without waiting forever between steps. Fluid acrylics are particularly fun for this style because they allow you to build color and depth relatively quickly.

It's quick drying paint, but that isn't a bad thing!

It means you can keep moving.

You can paint a layer, let it dry, add another layer and keep building the painting.

I love that I can sometimes start a painting in the afternoon and have a finished piece by dinner.

What Supplies Do You Need?

One of the nice things about Paint Week is that you don't need to turn your house into a fancy fancy room full of art supplies before you begin.

Start with what you have!

Ali Kay Studio recommends Golden Fluid Acrylics for Fresh Paint, and the current Fresh Paint program focuses on nine core colors. The official program also provides supply recommendations and teaches you how to make the most of the colors you already have.

For painting, you'll generally want:

• Acrylic paint
• Painting surface or canvas
• Paint brushes
• Palette
• Pencil
• Gesso
• Carbon paper
• Traceable template
• Easel or another way to prop up your painting
• Water for cleaning brushes
• Paper towels or rags

I personally love painting on birch wood panels, but canvas boards, canvas or other suitable surfaces can work too.

Don't let the supply list become an excuse not to paint.

Use what you have and upgrade as you discover what you like...even gessoed watercolor paper works great!

Paint Week Is More Than Just Five Painting Classes

One of my favorite things about Ali Kay Studio is that Paint Week can be a doorway into something much bigger.

After my first Paint Week experience, I joined Fresh Paint's VIP membership.

Fresh Paint is an online painting membership program with a huge library of lessons, technical instruction, traceable templates, live teaching and a private community. The current program has more than 200 lessons, with four new lessons added each month, including step-by-step paintings, technical deep dives and critiques.

That means Paint Week doesn't have to be a one-and-done experience.

You can use it to test the waters.

You can paint for five days and decide that you've had enough.

Or you might discover, like I did, that you really, really like this.

What Is Fresh Paint?

Fresh Paint is Ali Kay Studio's ongoing online membership.

The current program includes:

• More than 200 painting lessons
• New lessons every month
• Step-by-step painting instruction
• Traceable templates
• Weekly live instruction
• Q&A opportunities
• Monthly critiques
• A private Facebook group
• Technical lessons
• Lessons for developing your own style
• Going Solo instruction for painting from your own reference photos

The lessons range from short 30-minute projects to longer paintings that take a couple of hours.

So whether you have 30 minutes or an entire afternoon, there is something you can work on.

What Is Fresh Paint VIP?

Fresh Paint also offers an annual VIP membership.

The VIP level includes the regular Fresh Paint library plus additional seasonal collections, virtual open studio hours and other extras. The current annual program includes three bonus seasonal collections each year—spring, fall and holiday—plus access to past seasonal lessons.

This is the option I chose after my first Paint Week.

And it completely changed how often I painted.

Instead of thinking, “I should paint sometime,” I had a library of lessons waiting for me.

I could log in, pick something that sounded fun and start painting.

Painting in a Real House

One thing I really appreciate about online classes is that you don't need a dedicated art studio.

I don't have a giant professional studio with floor-to-ceiling windows and an enormous open layout.

Sometimes I'm painting at my desk.

Sometimes I'm painting in a room that also has craft supplies everywhere.

Sometimes I have to move things off an open shelf just to make room.

That's real life.

You don't need the perfect creative green room, a giant easel or a Pinterest-worthy art space.

You need a little room to make a mess.

And honestly, that's part of the fun.

You Can Paint Even If You're Busy

This is another reason I like online classes.

Life happens.

• Maybe you're working.
• Maybe you're taking care of kids.
• Maybe you're in high school or college.
• Maybe you have a full-time job.
• Maybe you're trying to squeeze painting into the ten minutes between dinner and cleaning the kitchen.

The beauty of an online class is that you don't have to drive somewhere, park, set up in a classroom and be finished by a certain time.

• You can paint at home.
• You can pause the replay.
• You can rewind.
• You can stop and come back later.

Ali Kay Studio's lessons are built around helping students develop a repeatable painting process rather than simply copying one picture.

What About Digital Tools?

You don't need fancy digital tools to participate in Paint Week.

In fact, one of the best parts of the program is that the painting itself remains very hands-on.

That said, if you're already a digital crafter, there are plenty of ways to use technology alongside your painting practice.

You can use your phone or tablet for reference photos.

You can photograph your finished paintings.

You can organize your artwork digitally.

You can even experiment with composition before putting paint on the canvas.

But the actual magic is still paint, brushes and your hands.

And in a world filled with digital images, AI-generated artwork and polished graphics, there is something really satisfying about looking at a painting and knowing an actual human made it.

Why Paint More?

Last year, I talked about making more time for painting and creativity.

This year, I'm still saying the same thing.

Because apparently one year wasn't enough for me to get my fill of paint!

Painting has become one of those hobbies that I can come back to whenever I need something creative to do.

I don't have to make every painting perfect.
I don't have to sell every painting.
I don't even have to know what I'm going to do with every painting.

Sometimes I just want to paint.

And that's enough.

You Can Paint with Bold Color

If neutral home decor is your thing, Ali's colorful painting style might be a fun change of pace.

Her paintings use bold color, unexpected color combinations and expressive brushwork.

Think colorful flowers, landscapes, food, animals and everyday objects—but interpreted through a loose, painterly style.

You can hang a colorful painting in an open concept home, lean it against an open shelf or give it as a handmade gift.

And because you made it yourself, it has something that store-bought artwork simply can't replicate.

Paint Week Is a Great Creative Reset

The start of a new year gets all the attention when it comes to resolutions.

But I think fall deserves some of that energy too.

The last week of September is a great time to start something new before the holiday madness begins.

You don't have to wait until New Years to decide you're going to learn a new skill.

You can start now.

And five days is a very manageable commitment...and you can invite your friends, little girl or little boy to paint along with you!

You're not promising yourself that you're going to become a professional artist.

You're simply promising yourself that for five days, you're going to paint.

What Happens After Paint Week?

This is where I have to give you my personal warning:

You might get hooked.

That's what happened to me.

I originally joined Paint Week because I wanted to learn the technique.

I thought I would take the classes, learn what I could and then go back to painting on my own.

Instead, I joined Fresh Paint's VIP membership and kept painting.

A LOT.

The more lessons I completed, the more comfortable I became with color, composition and brushwork, there's 100's of painting, technical skill, critiques and guest artist lessons...you will NEVER get through it all!

Eventually, I started creating my own paintings instead of relying entirely on lessons.

That is one of the biggest benefits of learning a process.

Eventually, you start to understand how to use it on your own.

Ready for Paint Week 2026?

If you've been wanting to paint, this is a great opportunity to give it a try.

Paint Week 2026 runs September 28–October 2 through Ali Kay Studio and includes five days of live online painting instruction, encouragement and color. This year's event is designed to help participants complete three paintings during the week.

You don't need years of experience.

You don't need a giant studio.

You don't need to know how to draw.

And you definitely don't need to wait until New Years to start a new creative hobby.

Grab some paint, clear a little space and give yourself permission to make something.

Who knows?

You might finish Paint Week with three paintings on your wall and an entirely new favorite hobby.

That's exactly what happened to me.

Sign Up for Paint Week 2026

Paint Week 2026 is September 28–October 2.

Check out Ali Kay Studio for the latest Paint Week information, registration details and supplies.

And if you fall in love with the process like I did, Fresh Paint is there when you're ready for more lessons, more practice, more community and more painting.

Happy painting, Doodlecrafters! 🎨