Sip ‘n Paint Shanghai

Last week we finally wrapped up the fall-semester at Jiaotong University. To celebrate good results and success in the final exams, me and a couple of classmates went to do some sipping, painting and relaxing at Sip ‘n Paint on Shaanxi South Road.

I’ve been wanting to try Sip ‘n Paint for some time now as it’s become increasingly popular all over the world. The concept sounds so good: You spend a few hours at a nice art studio where you can let your artsy juices flowing and paint away either with or without the help of a teacher. And of course there’s wine. Not bad, right?

We booked a 3-hour Friday afternoon “freestyle” session, which means painting without a teacher. The space isn’t too big, probably good for about 20 people tops, but we happened to be the only ones there so we could spread out very comfortably. The studio is cozy and bright, and really fits the purpose. It’s at a great location right behind the IAPM mall on the top floor of a classic Shanghai lane house.

We could choose between painting with oil paint, watercolors, colored pencils and more. Oil paint seemed to be the most popular option, so that’s what we went for too. Painting was fun and challenging, but the hardest part by far was deciding what to paint. I hadn’t thought about it until the start of our session, and luckily there were loads of inspiration at the studio to help us get started. Books and prints were available for browsing, and works of others’ were hanging all over the walls. We spent around 30 minutes trying to come up with what to paint, which is precious time you’ll probably need for finishing your masterpiece in time. I’ll definitely be more prepared next time!

The whole experience was super fun and relaxing, almost like meditating (but with wine and friends), and I definitely want to go back. If you’re the least bit interested in painting, drawing, being creative with your hands or just want to try something new, I’d very much recommend Sip ‘n Paint. And if it turns out you’re not too into the painting, you can just focus on the sipping, haha.

A 3 hour Freestyle session costs 180 RMB including canvas, access to brushes, paint and everything else needed. A glass of wine is 40 RMB and a case for carrying home your painting is 30 RMB. Find more details here!