Paint your own street art in Chicago: Spray paint workshop

You leave with a piece of street art you made, not a souvenir someone else designed.

Studio W.I.P. in Chicago is a 90-minute street art painting workshop where you learn spray paint, stencil and graffiti techniques from local artists, then create your own work on canvas to take home. The class is BYOB, suitable for ages 10 and up, and all materials and instruction are included; you bring the drinks and the willingness to get paint on your hands.

The Experience

You arrive at the gallery space and spend the first part of the workshop learning how street artists actually work. Local artists walk you through the styles and techniques—how to handle aerosol spray, how stencils shape a design, how graffiti lettering builds its own language. This is not a lecture; it is a hands-on look at the medium itself, the way someone who does this work would explain it. Then you move into the gallery setting and start testing what you just learned. The materials are there—spray paint, stencils, brushes, whatever the medium calls for—and you work on a small canvas, trying out the techniques you watched.

By the end of the 90 minutes, you have made something. Not a paint-by-numbers result or a guided copy of what the instructor made; you chose the style, the colors, the approach. At the end you pick a mini-canvas from the communal wall to take home—the piece you painted, ready to hang or keep. The studio is wheelchair accessible, and the workshop runs with all fitness levels in mind. Bring your own drinks; everything else—the instruction, the tools, the canvas—is part of the class.

What’s included

• Instruction from local street artists.
• all materials including spray paint, stencils and brushes.
• a mini-canvas to take home that you painted yourself.
• and the gallery space to work in.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Studio W.I.P.

Is this one for you?If you have a free afternoon in Chicago and want to make something instead of watching someone else make it, this workshop puts a spray can in your hand and sends you home with proof you did it. The 90 minutes is short enough to fit into a day without planning around it, and the BYOB setup means you control the vibe.

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Top questions

What street art techniques do you actually learn in this workshop?

Studio W.I.P. covers three core techniques: aerosol spray paint application and technique, stencil design and application, and graffiti style and application. Local artists demonstrate each one, then you practice on your own canvas during the session.

Can I bring children to this class?

The workshop welcomes children from age 10 and up. Infants and small children can come in a pram or stroller if needed, though the hands-on part is designed for participants old enough to handle the materials.

What do you get to take home?

You take home the mini-canvas you painted during the workshop. You choose it from the communal wall at the end of the class, so it is your own work, not a pre-made piece.

Is this workshop really BYOB?

Yes—Studio W.I.P. is BYOB, so bring your own drinks. All materials, instruction and the canvas are included in the workshop fee.

How long does the workshop run?

The workshop is 90 minutes from start to finish, including the instruction on techniques and the time you spend creating your own piece.

Is the studio accessible if I use a wheelchair?

Yes. Studio W.I.P. is fully wheelchair accessible—all areas and surfaces are accessible, and transportation options nearby are wheelchair accessible as well.