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Glitter Meets Glue

Sparkling Art Teacher Resources

21 Distance Learning Art Projects & Resources

52 Comments

Yet, many art teachers around the globe will have to deliver instruction this way for the very first time due to inclement weather, school closures, or other extenuating circumstances.

And whether your school calls it distance learning, remote learning, e-learning, or online learning, likely you’re quickly figuring out how challenging it can be. Art ideas for online learning: whoever thought we’d need this?!

Home-based learning requires not only a broad sense of technology (internet, video conferencing, Google Classroom), but a new skill set for delivering instruction. Ever watch yourself on video give a demonstration?

Every breath, twitch, eye roll, and mispronounced word feels like the longest moment in time. If you’ve recorded yourself for a teaching portfolio, you know what I mean!

But for art teachers who deal with physical materials, teaching via distance learning can be downright difficult.

It leads to practical questions like, “How do I relay content to my students?” And “How am I supposed to take attendance and grade them?” to “What the heck am I supposed to teach them?”

Quick Links

• Adaptive Distance Learning Policies for Art Teachers
• Best Practices for Distance Learning

21 Distance Learning Art Projects for Kids

• Issues Handing in Artwork During Distance Learning?

Conclusion on Distance Learning

Adaptive during distance learning policies for art teachers.

And yet, art teachers are the most adept at creating amazing art projects on the fly with little or no resources available. I think it’s the nature of what we do. We’re creative beings. We see art in everything because everything is art to us. Scraps normally thrown in the trash are our treasure. And nature provides a heaping amount of tools, materials, and inspiration, too.

As artists, we’re also used to restrictions. Any teacher who went to art college can relate to being given an assignment on short notice with few or no materials. Or even strict requirements for a project that while constraining, helps bring out amazing ideas due to those constraints. So while distance learning might seem like a high bridge to cross, it’s not impossible. With some tools, tips, and advice, anything is possible.

Best Practices for Art Project During Distance Learning

Before I get into some of the ideas for actual art projects, I’d like to address some best practices for distance learning. These tips are meant to make your journey into remote learning more successful. 

Art Materials

Art teachers should be writing lessons assuming that some children will have nothing but a pencil. That doesn’t mean you should only provide pencil and paper ideas, because some will have more. It just means you need to think about the lowest common denominator in terms of available materials and work from that point forward.

Some of the ideas below will work for many teachers and students and some won’t. Your students might live in an apartment building in a city and can’t get ahold of found objects in nature.

Other students could be in a situation where they’re living between two homes. What’s available at one home isn’t at the other. The idea here is to know your students and what items they can find for art projects.

A word about equity. When considering projects that require the use of food, avoid making those art projects required. You will no doubt have a student whose family struggles financially.

Using food as a required source for lessons sets up some students for failure. Be sure to encourage your students to ask permission to use any food items.

Workload for Art Projects

Keep your lessons simple. The easier they are, the greater the chance students will do them. Remember: they’re at home. Think about how you are at home. Do you want to be all cozy in your pjs, curled up on the couch, and have to think about a huge pile of work that’s due?

Be realistic about your expectations. The longer they are in a remote learning situation, the less you should expect of them. If your school is closed for a couple snow days, reduce the work a little. If you’re out for a whole month or more? Even more so. What you might accomplish in a once a week art class, you should expect it to take 2 – 3 times as long depending on the complexity of the assignment.

Low Tech Art Projects Best

I’d like to state that now isn’t the time to teach students about new technologies your students don’t already use. Yes, you as the art teacher might be learning some new instructional technology to deliver your art projects, like designing a virtual Bitmoji classroom .

You might need to pick up some basic video editing skills using phone apps. Or how to mount a phone camera to shoot overhead video. You may even be told you have to get on learning about Google Classroom (and actually use it!). But don’t expect students to spend time learning new technologies while distance learning. Your focus should be getting content to them. 

Some art museums have opened their virtual doors to teachers, students, and parents. And you should absolutely take them up on these learning opportunities. Just don’t make it required.

You will have students who have to share their device with a sibling and likely a parent(s), too. They may not even have a good internet connection (or one at all). In these instances, refer to your school district’s distance learning policy. You may have to deliver packets or make pre-recorded phone calls to get the instruction to them. Some schools have robocalling software like Honeywell that may be a viable option for you.

Consistency is Key

Whatever means you decide to deliver instruction, whether that be via unlisted YouTube videos, Zoom meetings, or paper packets, be consistent. Kids need to know where to find your assignments and how you’ll engage with them. Your school district likely has guidelines on instructional delivery and you should absolutely follow them precisely. Just be consistent about it so kids can be successful in this new learning environment. The last thing you want is a parent emailing you stating that their child didn’t hand the work in because they didn’t know where to locate your assignments. 

Relax Deadlines

I’m going to say something a tad controversial here. Not every school administrator will understand what it’s like to be a “specials” teacher with 700+ students or have to work in two or three school buildings. They don’t walk in your amazing shoes every day.

You’ll receive lofty guidelines and expectations to follow. They might tell you to check for work every week, count that as attendance, and update your weekly grades with online grading software.

But can I just say? It’s more important for you to be flexible in tough times than it is to follow some of those well-intentioned “rules.” Now, you might feel uncomfortable because I just basically told you to look the other way. But really, I’m asking you to think about what’s best for your students and advocate for them.

Not every child is living in a scenario where their parent is going to care if they did all your art projects. I’m not saying don’t eventually mark a student as not having handed it in. But be flexible with assignments, deadlines, and quality of work. And expect a lot of stick figures and corner suns.

One approach which I highly recommend is to create a choice board or menu where students can pick from different activities. On that choice board, at least half should be simple drawing activities where students have the opportunity to embellish with crayons, colored pencils, or markers if they have those things available. The directions that accompany your menu or choice board should clearly state this.

Other projects for your distance learning choice board should be based on found objects and recycled materials. I think this is a great opportunity to highlight artists from the past, like Marcel DuChamp, as well as modern artists like Rebecca Louise Law who is a floral artist.

Famous Laundry Art

Students can use clothes – old t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants – to compose a famous painting! The best part is that nothing is cut and therefore nothing gets wasted. The first step is for students to do a bit of research on famous, recognizable paintings. I recommend they pick ones with bold shapes and basic colors. This is a great opportunity to send them through a virtual museum tour. Many art museums have online tours students can take.

Based on Vincent Van Gogh’s, “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe” oil painting from 1889. Made from shirts, socks, pennies, a button, and a sea shell.

Homemade Scratch Drawings

This was one of my favorite things to do as a kid! And this is a great idea for parents who have a lot of old crayons that are down to stubs. Basically, they just have to apply the crayon heavily so it builds up a waxy layer. Any sharp object can be used to scratch with. I recommend the large sized paperclips as they’re a little more sturdy than the smaller ones. But tacks and very small screwdrivers work, too! The best part is that if they do something they don’t like, they can color over it with black and try again.

Your students can also use oil pastels if they have those at home, too!

Marker Painting

I love marker painting ! I first discovered it many years and quite by accident. Since then, I’ve used it for many art projects. Basically, kids can draw a picture and outline their shapes with markers. Then, they dip a brush into water and smudge it into the marker strokes and it makes paint!

If you’re looking for a fun and flexible art project for students, check out my James Rizzi game !

Shadow Puppets

This is a great opportunity to teach students about the element of art called shape, as well as some basic photography composition. Kids can use any type of paper they want. The best for this would be black construction paper. But if they don’t have that, the front or back cover of a magazine or even condensed cardboard cereal boxes will work. First, cut out and design some kind of creature. Then tape it to a string or a pencil. Shine a lamp or flashlight to the creature against a wall and snap a picture. 

Found Objects Color Wheel

If your student’s parents are clamoring for ideas to keep them occupied, this will do the trick! The idea here is kids will search the house and gather items that fit into each color on the color wheel. Objects don’t have to be completely one color to fit into a color family. But they should be mostly that one color.

Nature Imitating Art

If your students are able to get outside and have access to trees, dirt, leaves, sticks, and anything else nature provides freely, then they can create art! Kids are inherently great at this. Out of boredom they’ll start drawing in the dirt with a stick, or build a snowman, or even create a fort from old branches. Have students gather whatever natural materials they can find and compose a picture. Encourage them to look at the shapes and see what’s unique about them. Or have them do a leaf rubbing. They can use leftover copy paper and crayon stubs.

Creativity Warm-Up Drawings

Here’s a great activity for students to do if all they have is paper and pencil! It really challenges students to use their creativity to figure out what the marks in the box remind them of and make a drawing based on it. You can grab a copy in my free resource library .

Homemade Paint

There are so many ways kids can make paint including coffee, tea, fruit juices, spices, food coloring, old markers, and even mud! Have kids test out mixing some of these materials with a little water to see what results they get. The first week’s activity could be to make a chart followed up by a simple picture of an object like an apple or a boat.

Dont’ have paintbrushes? Improvise! Your students can use q-tips, cotton balls, old makeup brushes, toothbrushes, toothpicks, feathers, skewers, and even grass. This is a great opportunity to teach them about mark making. Anything can make a mark and can be used as a tool to make art. Cutting up scraps of cardboard to make a comb or using old sponges. Really, anything can make art. Your lesson can be based on forging tools for art making!

Here’s a chart of all the different spices your students likely have at home they can make paint from including ginger, turmeric, thyme, paprika, and chili powder.

Cartoons with Props

Here’s a basic project that uses an everyday object as a prop. It can be anything small like a penny, a pencil stub, a tack, dried pasta or beans, or a paperclip. Students can draw a series of drawings using that small object. This would work well for 2nd grade and up.

Digital Art Projects

Not all art has to be created physically. You can teach the same elements of art and principles of design using digital platforms like Google Drawing, Tate Paint by Tate Kids, Sketchpad.io, and Pixilart. Even Google Slides, which is popular amongst many general education teachers, would work. Plus, since they’re likely already using it, they know some of the features and you don’t have an uphill battle in trying to teach them a new technology. Again, know your students. If they don’t all have internet access, this may not be a viable option.

Kids can practice drawing basic lines and shapes to start with. Then learn how to color, rotate, flip, and group shapes. I’ve been making many of these digital art lessons  (for general ed teachers) and  digital art history lessons  (for art teachers) for distance learning which practice these skills. And they’ve been a hit with kids of all ages!

What I really love about the art history ones is that some or all of the pieces can change color, giving kids greater autonomy in creating their virtual art project.

Cardboard Robot Sculptures

Cardboard is one of those materials that families easily have on hand. Why not turn it into fun art? Kids can make low relief and free-standing sculptures easily. Parents can cut cardboard into manageable strips so kids can cut them to size.

If your students want to take this a step further, they can color them with crayons and markers or even leftover nail polish!

Newspaper and Magazine Collages

Design a fantasy world, crazy creatures, or whatever comes to mind. They will need to ask permission to cut up magazines and newspapers, first. Give them creative permission to include any other art materials they wish. They can even cut some things out and free draw other parts and collage them together!

If your students don’t have access to materials, why not try to create a digital collage using Google Slides? First, they can search the internet for a background image and place it in the background of the slide so it doesn’t move. Secondly, they can select pictures from online or on their device and use the remove.bg website to delete its background. Then, they can upload the images to Google Slide and arrange them creatively.

Take a famous painting, upload it to Padlet (which can be connected to your Google Classroom) and have students caption it. Include a link to a site where they can read more about the painting.

Alternatively, you could provide them with a painting and have them use a free online meme generator and hand it in via Google Classroom. Your students will love out-doing each other for the funniest meme. 

When your teacher wardrobe is so on fleek.

Isometric Drawings

Your upper elementary and middle school students will love making isometric drawings! You can find free isometric drawing grid paper online. Have students practice making cubes, rectangular prisms, alphabet letters, etc. If all they have is a pencil, that will work. Crayons, markers, and colored pencils are great for embellishing. Use it as a lesson to teach upper elementary students about value using stippling, hatching, and cross-hatching. Kids will really buy into how games like Q-Bert (yes, some of them still know this game!) and Minecraft are derived from isometric graphics.

Found Object Art Names

This one is as simple as it looks. Ask students to gather small items from around the house to compose a picture of their name. The longer the name, the more space they will have to prepare for it. This can lead to a project where students draw out a whole alphabet – or their initials – using everyday objects that they love.

Digital Art Portfolios

If you teach middle school, making digital portfolios is a great activity that requires no art materials ! Many middle schoolers already know how to use Google Slides because they use it in other classes. And if you already have students taking pictures of their artwork and uploading to Google Classroom, why not have them document what they’re creating and why. These templates make creating art portfolios easy.

Scrap Sculptures

This is a such a fun and simple project for all elementary aged children and my most popular first grade project ever. What child wouldn’t want to create a scrap sculpture from found objects?

Have them scour their home and yard for small objects like rocks, twigs, tiny pencils , old crayons, marker caps, clothespins, broken erasers, nuts, bolts, etc. Basically, whatever they have that’s no longer in use and can be repurposed into art. Then, they just need some kind of surface to glue all the things onto. This one is made from popsicle sticks. But they could build it on a piece of sturdy cardboard. Or, make a “raft” as I call them, with sticks or scrap wood. 

It’s definitely best to use wood glue for this, but tacky glue, or even clear nail polish could work as a binding agent. At this point, they can either leave the sculpture as is or paint it. And for that, any household paint or colored nail polish may work.

Digital Photography

Here’s another project that doesn’t require any art materials. Students can use a phone, tablet, or digital camera to shoot pictures using the rule of thirds. Teach them the basics of lighting, and how to compose a picture, placing an emphasis on the elements and principles of design. Stick to basic topics like pets, family, toys, and nature so all students can be successful. If you’re concerned students will submit pictures they’ve found online, you could require them to submit a second picture in the same setting that shows them there.

Wire Sculptures

All they need are a pair of pliers and some old wire hangers. Kids love tinkering around with tools and this is a great activity for them to create something they might otherwise make in an art room!

Styrofoam Prints

All your students need is a c lean styrofoam tray from the supermarket, markers, a pencil, a damp rag or sponge, and a piece of paper. They can draw a design into the styrofoam using a blunt pencil, then color it in using markers. Just be sure not to lean into the wet marker strokes. Dampen the paper with the rag or sponge and then rub the paper over the styrofoam and pull it off. 

On the left shows the styrofoam block that’s just been printed and on the right is the actual print. The print will always be a reverse image of what’s on the block.

Zentangle Drawings

Middle schoolers love making zentangles! I think it’s their love of permanent markers. I found my students appreciated being given graph paper to keep some of the more geometric patterns in order. Zentangle patterns and printable graph paper can be found everywhere online. Coloring materials are great for embellishing, but I’ve also seen students do these with just pencil and paper and they come out great, too.

Issues Handing in Distance Learning Art Projects?

Kids passing off work that’s not their own is a real issue for teachers during remote learning. Your students will, on occasion, try to get away with lifting artwork from online. Yes, they will try to hand in work that’s not their own . Don’t be shocked if a student does this to you. Remember, we’re teachers. And we’ve been through this before.

Raise your hand if a student came in with a sketchbook assignment that was absolutely amazing but their classwork has never reflected that level of skill before. Or, how about catching a child drawing on another child’s paper? It happens often enough. Only, during distance learning, it’s much easier to get away with.

To combat this, you should absolutely require students to hand in progress shots for any long-term assignments. In this case, the student would hold their paper up in front of them and have a parent, sibling, or friend snap a picture of them with it.

If you’re using a digital portfolio to keep track of work in progress during distance learning, they can upload the progress shots to that portfolio and share it with you. You may even consider requiring them to hold up a slip of paper with their name and today’s date alongside their art.

Now, what if you haven’t been doing this and a child hands something in that you clearly know isn’t theirs? That’s when you get high-tech, friends. There are a number of ways to search for an image online:

• Google Images
• Google Lens
• Small SEO Tools
• DupliChecker

In all of the above examples, you can upload the image the student sent to you to do a reverse image search. Additionally, you can search Google Images using words that describe the artwork in question. Use as many descriptive terms as possible to help narrow the search. An image of a dragon eye might come up in a search for “animal eye drawing” or “animal eye painting.”

Distance learning is tough for art teachers. Tough, but not impossible. It just requires a little more thought and flexibility on your part for planning art projects. If this is your first time experiencing it, give yourself some room to make mistakes. If you’re a veteran teacher, it’s going to feel like you’re a first year teacher all over again. I say that because it will be a whole new way of teaching you’re not accustomed to. And like anything else, it will be hard at first but become easier over time.

Reader Interactions

08/07/2021 at 11:35 AM

These are wonderful! Thank you!

04/16/2021 at 12:51 PM

Absolutely amazing and thank-you for the “best practices” ideas and perspectives…really helped ground my thinking

03/01/2021 at 11:28 AM

Thanks so very much for theese ideas. Ihave been getting very bored in this pandemic, Im going to try all theese out!! =(´w´)=

03/01/2021 at 1:39 PM

You’re very welcome!

01/31/2021 at 1:29 AM

About half an hour ago, I downloaded the Exit Statements Pack and saw these awesome ideas for ‘at home’ activities. I thought, these could come in handy some time. We have been so fortunate here in Western Australia and have been out of lockdown for months. Then I started getting texts from friends saying we are going to be in lockdown from 6pm tonight! School starts tomorrow! Thank you so much Amie, I feel a huge relief knowing I can start our school year, whenever that is, with these great resources.

01/31/2021 at 10:13 AM

Hey Marg, OHHH WOW! I can only imagine how you were feeling getting those texts! These are such uncertain times we’re living in. I’m happy I could provide you with some relief. Be safe and be well! P.S. I started on exit tickets for the principles of design months ago. I just have to get back to finishing them. They’re much harder than the elements, hence the slow down. ?

01/23/2021 at 12:13 PM

You are AMAZING. I’m a first-year art teacher, teaching in person and online. These are all great ideas. Thank you for sharing!

01/23/2021 at 12:19 PM

Dear First Year Art Teacher! Oh boy, what a year to be a first year art teacher. Beyond just saying, “hang in there,” just know that what you’re likely experiencing is a mix of normal and unusual. It’s normal for kids to test you because they don’t know you. And they’re just feeling you out, seeing what you’re made of. Give yourself grace. You’re going to make mistakes. We all do. (((WE ALL DO))) It’s clearly unusual to have to teach in two different modalities. Do the best you can. It WILL get easier over the years, especially once pandemic teaching is done. Be safe and be well, Amie

01/19/2021 at 10:21 AM

Thanks for the great ideas.

01/09/2021 at 1:35 PM

These ideas are amazing! I homeschool my 3 daughters and we will definitely be doing most of these this month, thank you so much for posting this!

01/08/2021 at 10:26 PM

This is AMAZING! We started homeschooling our then 6 year olds about a year and a half ago. I’ve been feeling guilty because I know that we’d like for them to learn a little of an art foundation to help develop some appreciation of it, but I am SO out of my depth. Your projects are great ideas and make the topics not seem so daunting. Thank you!

08/24/2020 at 9:58 AM

Excellent resource! I will be teaching in person and virtual. My hope was to be able to keep lessons similar at least (for my sanity). Reading this made me feel soooooo much better. I’m good now! 🙂

08/24/2020 at 9:59 AM

Jessica, I’m so happy to hear anything I said put you at ease!

08/24/2020 at 12:42 PM

I am currently sharing your site with all (hundreds) of art teachers in our district. Our elementary teachers are in charge of students at home and in class, so we’re a little nervous. I am hoping that your ideas will help them as much as they did me. 🙂

08/24/2020 at 12:47 PM

Thanks, I really appreciate it, Jessica!

07/31/2020 at 10:57 AM

Very clear and helpful! Thank you:)

07/22/2020 at 4:58 PM

Nice! Thanks for these great ideas.

07/22/2020 at 4:59 PM

You’re welcome!

07/17/2020 at 3:27 PM

Great ideas

Thanks, Karen!

06/15/2020 at 12:28 AM

Thank you for these wonderful ideas!

06/15/2020 at 1:17 AM

You’re very welcome!

06/08/2020 at 8:56 AM

Thank you so much for sharing! Other teachers have PLCs to develop and share lesson plans, rubrics, assessments, and more. As art teachers we generally just develop it all on our own! I know I have for over 20 years! It is great to have found a special person like you who is also willing to share! It is so very appreciated!!! I have learned a lot during this pandemic and a great deal of it has been thanks to you! I wish I could give you a medal or at least a hug, but I guess we’ll have to settle for a virtual elbow bump! Thanks so much for all you do!

06/08/2020 at 9:23 AM

Oh my gosh, what a great way to start the day. Thank you! I’m so glad I’ve been of services to you. 😀 (((elbow bump)))

05/18/2020 at 8:23 AM

These are wonderful, but I especially love the laundry basket masterpiece! Thank you.

05/13/2020 at 4:32 PM

Thank you soooo much! I am pretty sure we will be doing a blended, if not all on-line teaching platform for this new school year. As an art teacher, and for all teachers, this comes with so many new challenges. I really appreciate the low-tech, low material lessons you presented here. I would, as I’m sure many others would also, love to see more of this! It really helps to take out a lot of the stress and coming up with original ideas. Share more of you can- be well!

05/13/2020 at 4:34 PM

And if not, I think every teacher will be required to have distance learning plans in place. I think everyone should expect it. That’s why I’m encouraging teachers who are presenting their lessons in Google Slides to organize them like they would their lesson plans and have them ready to go. You stay safe, too!

05/13/2020 at 11:32 AM

I like all of the bright ideas! Thank you it is very help full.

05/11/2020 at 4:20 PM

Thanks for your wonderful projects. Clara

05/10/2020 at 9:55 AM

My Special Needs Highschool student is taking a Partners in Art class. He has to turn in 10 art projects of his choice. Thank God for art teachers like you that are willing to share!

05/09/2020 at 7:21 PM

Thank you for sharing these wonderful ideas. These will be so helpful.

05/05/2020 at 7:01 PM

really helpful! thank you:)

Thank you for taking a moment to leave a comment. Brightens my day!

05/03/2020 at 3:53 PM

Thank you for this post!! I have enough art projects to incorporate until the end of the year with these ideas.

05/01/2020 at 11:57 PM

Thank you for the awesome ideas and also guidance with regards to expectations from the students. Art teaching in South Africa

04/28/2020 at 10:11 AM

Absolutely wonderful ideas! Thank you so much!

04/28/2020 at 10:10 AM

Absolutely wonderful ideas! Thank you so much! Resources are sometimes scarce in Zimbabwe, and these are great for using at the children’s homes!

04/28/2020 at 11:27 AM

04/24/2020 at 10:35 AM

This is fantastic! Thank you.

04/24/2020 at 4:12 PM

You’re very welcome, Carolyn!

04/15/2020 at 3:05 AM

Merci beaucoup cela me donne des idées supplémentaires pour mes élèves. J’aime beaucoup la réalisation avec des objets du quotidien….

04/15/2020 at 9:50 AM

Je suis heureux que cela vous ait aidé!

02/26/2021 at 12:31 PM

Thank you so much ??

04/13/2020 at 6:06 PM

These are such great ideas, I knew I was on the right track about my thought process when creating my lesson plans. Thanks so much for sharing! Be well!

04/13/2020 at 6:12 PM

You had it all along, Dalia. <3 You be well, too!

04/13/2020 at 2:04 AM

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing so many awesome ideas!

04/13/2020 at 7:59 AM

04/18/2020 at 6:34 AM

Thank you so very much for sharing these great ideas!

04/09/2020 at 7:49 AM

Excellent resource.

05/04/2020 at 5:07 AM

Thank you for your well thought out ideas. Due to the coronavirus epidemic I am this year having to work from home like most people and adjusting to provide art activities that children can access is challenging., particularly with regard to materials.

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A university experience℠.

Structured & comprehensive Vibrant community Learn at your own pace Online painting classes for adults

…brought to you by an award winning artist

Add Structure To Your Learning

Fill in the gaps in your knowledge with a structured and comprehensive Apprentice Program of Online Painting Classes. Use my 9 skill Building Blocks℠ to master one simple step at a time.

Make Art, Not Just Paintings

My online art school is not just about learning how to paint— it is about learning how to create art, using my unique Visual Music & Poetry® approach.

Online Painting Classes For Adults From Award Winning Artist, Barry John Raybould

My virtual painting classes and courses capture all of the knowledge and skills that I have acquired over a period of 30 years on my journey to becoming a professional artist. You can see details of my awards, juried exhibitions, solo and group shows, and gallery representation on my  fine art website . 

Alumni Work

Most online painting courses only teach you to become a clone of your instructor. Because its teaching is principle-based, the Virtual Art Academy lets you to express your own style and creativity—as you can see from the wide variety of our alumni work below.

Many of my students have won awards, found galleries to represent their work, been elected as members of art societies, and become full time professional artists. 

Choose Your Own Painting Style

At the Virtual Art Academy you will learn the important underlying principles of painting that are the foundation of all great artworks. 

This also means that you will be able to find your own artistic voice and paint whatever subject matter that moves you in whatever style, realistic, impressionistic, expressionistic, or abstract. My students paint in a range of styles from highly realistic to abstract impressionistic work. 

Testimonials

Many members have now been with me for over ten years, taking advantage of the Spiral of Learning℠ approach in my virtual art classes —a unique way of helping you continually strengthen your foundational skills, and improve the quality of your paintings.

Read all the Reviews

Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice

Before repurposing my vocation into avocation, I spent 20 years in the corporate world as an instructional designer and performance consultant creating training curricula for diverse clientele from NASA to General Motors. I know curriculum development and how to guide a learner from beginning to certification. VAA is the only online learning program I have… Read more “Only online learning program I have ever discovered using a training industry best practice”

The improvement in my own work reaffirms that I’ve found the right program to develop as an artist

I have been a student of VAA since 2011. I had been searching for an online art program that could assist in helping me develop as an artist. VAA is a complete program for beginners as well as advanced students of art. The course is well structured and takes you step by step so you… Read more “The improvement in my own work reaffirms that I’ve found the right program to develop as an artist”

The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost

This is a great course for anyone who is serious about improving their painting. I have been a student here for several years. When I am finished, I will have the equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost. I can do the lessons anywhere and at my own pace.… Read more “The equivalent of a 4 year art education at a fraction of the cost”

The most comprehensive, in depth and well-organized painting course available online

After a thorough research, my personal conclusion is that the Virtual Art Academy (VAA) is, by wide margin, the most comprehensive, in depth and well-organized painting course available in the internet. Unlike most tutorials and color mixing recipes commonly found online, VAA’s philosophy is rather to provide the students with detailed information about all aspects… Read more “The most comprehensive, in depth and well-organized painting course available online”

It is a real course that trains you in a structured way

The questions you ask yourself are,”Will it be worth the cost?” and “Will it be truly useful?”. After a couple of weeks working on/in Virtual Art Academy®, I can say that the amount of work it represents – by Barry – is incredible! The information presented alone is more than worth the price and, yes,… Read more “It is a real course that trains you in a structured way”

Since I started the programme I can see improvements in my composition and use of colour

My painting “Primitive Pots” recently won the award given by the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour at the recent selected exhibition of the Society of East Anglian watercolourists. I have been working through the VAA course for over five years and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their painting. There is… Read more “Since I started the programme I can see improvements in my composition and use of colour”

Fantastic lesson plans, and a vibrant community

  The Virtual Art Academy is the perfect art course I’ve been searching for. Barry’s decades of knowledge are condensed into fantastic lesson plans, creating a vibrant community. The apprentice course delves deep into drawing, painting planning, and color theory. It’s like obtaining an art degree at my own pace and more affordably. The structured… Read more “Fantastic lesson plans, and a vibrant community”

The course has a steady learning curve that keeps revealing itself as you advance

The course is working great, the lessons are set out so well that every week I can see growth. In following the program it’s given me direction, and the information in the lesson plans are of a professional level. There is no way I would have tracked down the information by myself, and being in… Read more “The course has a steady learning curve that keeps revealing itself as you advance”

This is a far more superior school than anything I have seen being taught at colleges across the country

This is a far more superior school than anything I have seen being taught at colleges across the country and have learned much more from the Virtual Art Academy® than from any art course I have ever taken! I cannot begin to tell how the Virtual Art Academy has improved my observation of potential compositions… Read more “This is a far more superior school than anything I have seen being taught at colleges across the country”

Building blocks of learning is the best I have seen

I joined 5 years ago when I didn’t know anything about oils, painting, composition, or drawing. Barry’s way of teaching is extremely well versed in many aspects of painting. His building blocks of learning is the best I have seen. The academy is designed well and the community of fellow students is engaging and friendly.… Read more “Building blocks of learning is the best I have seen”

Motivation And Support From A Vibrant Worldwide Community

A key part of my virtual painting classes are the 350 focused assignments and an online campus where you can share your assignments and interact with students from all over the world, providing both motivation and feedback. Apart from the learning material in the 192 lessons, the discussions on the assignment submissions is an equally critical source of learning. 

A Foundation Workshop For Absolute Beginners

I have created a special Foundation Workshop just for absolute beginners. In these online painting classes you will get the very basic painting skills you need to get you started. When you have finished the Foundation Workshop, you can then continue with the series of Apprentice Workshops which are a more comprehensive program of online painting classes that will take you as far as you want to go in your art.

Online Painting Classes That Will Take Your Work As Far As You Want To Go

The concept behind my online painting classes is that you need to build up your skills in 9 key areas in order to paint well.

I call these the Virtual Art Academy Building Blocks TM . They are, Drawing, Form, Color, Composition, Brushwork, Notan, Observation, Concept, and Process. Many students are frustrated with their progress, and it is usually because they are lacking skills in one of these nine areas. 

After completing the lessons and assignments in these online painting classes, you will have gained the skills to create exciting compositions, incredibly beautiful color harmonies, and expressive brushwork that will bring your painting alive. You would have built your observation skills in drawing, form, and color to make your work look realistic while understanding how to create an underlying abstract design that will make your work stand out in a gallery. In addition you would have learned how to give your painting meaning as well as design to take it to a museum level quality.

Insights Into A Professional Artist's Life 

Approximately each month, for my Spiral of Learning students, I run a special online painting class for my students, based on an actual art projects I am currently working on myself— so you get an inside peek into experience the life of a professional artist. 

Multiple Paths Give You Flexibility And Choice In Your Learning

The Virtual Art Academy online painting course is organized is such a way that you have a choice in how you learn. You can follow the most popular structured path of completing online painting classes sequentially. Alternatively, if you are an advanced student, you can choose online painting classes from just one Building Block. Simply choose the area of painting in which you need to most help. For examples, you can study all the lessons on color, or all the lessons on brushwork. 

Choose Whichever Painting Medium You Want

• Online Oil Painting Classes
• Online Watercolor Painting Classes
• Online Acrylic Painting Classes

Since you are learning the important underlying principles of painting that are the foundation of all great artworks, my online painting classes work for all painting mediums. In my Virtual Art Academy online art school, I have integrated oil painting, acrylic painting, and watercolor painting classes, all into a single teaching system. You can also use other painting media such as gouache, pastel, mixed media, colored crayons, as well as digital painting tools.  The choice is yours.

Setting The Expectation

Don't expect this build up of skills to happen quickly. It takes time and effort to get to be a good painter. You have to put some work in. In these virtual art classes I am not offering any quick fixes. It is essential, if you want to paint well, that you systematically build up your foundational skills—that is what I designed this program for.

Many artists who have participated in my online paintings classes have said that they have seen significant improvements after just a few months. To get to a really high level though takes at least a year, and to reach a professional level you will need at least two to four years, and that is if you keep practicing the basics.

Subscription Based Membership

With the Virtual Art Academy online painting classes, you pay on a monthly basis to access my virtual painting classes. You do not have to commit to taking all of the 16 workshops of online painting classes up-front. You can stop your monthly payment at any time and you will not owe anything. You need to have an active subscription in order to access the lessons.

The goal of these virtual art classes, is to provide you with a lifetime of learning opportunities at an affordable cost so that your painting will continue to improve to a professional level. Many members have been with my Virtual Art Academy for over ten years now because they say they learn something new every day. The reason for this is that the knowledge base is very deep and comprehensive, and it is continually growing — everything I learn personally as part of my own artistic growth as a professional artist, I share with you. 

... and as a bonus, you can make wonderful friendships with our worldwide community of dedicated artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online painting classes for beginners.

Are these online painting classes for beginners?

I have built a special Foundation Program for absolute beginners. The virtual art classes in this program are designed for someone who has never painted before. When you have finished the Foundation Program, you can then join my four-year Apprentice Program that will build your skills to a high level.

Online Painting Classes for Adults.

Are These Online Painting Classes Suitable For Someone Who Wants To Pursue Painting As Just A Hobby? 

My Virtual Art Academy online painting classes are designed for adults who want to build a solid foundation for their art in a structured way. Even if art is just a hobby, by taking a structured approach to your learning you will get much more out of your hobby.

Are These Online Painting Classes Suitable For Experienced Or Professional Painters?

These online painting classes contain comprehensive information for all levels. Experienced painters will be able to take their work to a higher or a professional level using the more advanced information in each Building Block. 

Will I Have To Commit For The Entire Program?

Absolutely not. You can just join for a month and see how you like our online painting lessons. If it doesn’t work out for you you simply cancel your subscription and your monthly payments will stop.

How Much Time Commitment Is Required? 

There is no required time commitment. You can do the course at times that are suitable for you. Some students work on it just on the weekends, some work on it full time. The program is very flexible, and you can go as fast or as slow as you like.

What if I Don't Have Much Time?

I have built a 10 minute-a-day learning system. My Virtual Art Academy has an app for your phone or tablet that you can use on-the-go for those of you who are busy, and who don't have much time. Using this app, you can browse through postings in any of the 8 Building Blocks, and look at how the masters have solved a particular painting problem in that area.

This will build up your knowledge of painting and enhance your ability to understand master paintings on a daily basis. This means that when you finally have more time available to paint, you will be much better prepared. Think of it as your daily 10-minute virtual painting class.

How Long Does It Take To Complete The Apprentice Program?

Students typically take between one and three months to complete each workshop. There are 16 workshops in the full program - equivalent to a four-year university program. The full program of online painting classes, contains a total of 192 lessons, with 12 painting lessons in each of the 16 workshops.

Will I Get Feedback On My Assignments?

I designed the system as a self-study program in order to keep the monthly cost low. Otherwise, if you wanted personal feedback, it would cost you about ten times as much on a monthly basis for quality instructor feedback.

However, I built into the system many special features to encourage a peer-to-peer feedback system.

First of all, I broke down the learning into small manageable chunks - in fact my online painting classes contain 350 of them in total. Each of these chunks is a small and easily manageable assignment that will help you improve your painting, one small step at a time. This makes learning fun and satisfying, since each step is easily managed.

Secondly, you can submit your assignments to the Online Campus where you can discuss it with other students and get feedback. In my experience, those members who engage with our community get a lot out of it, and learn faster.

Thirdly, I have also built into the system some special features that let you easily see all the previous discussions on the assignments I set for you. In this way you can build up your own experiences by learning from the previous efforts of other students, once again accelerating your learning.

All of these features are unique to the Virtual Art Academy, and according to what many of my students have told me, you will not find anything like the quality and comprehensiveness of this program anywhere else, unless you were to attend a full time university art program. ​

Do I Have To Post My Assignments To The Online Campus?

It is not necessary to post your assignments to the Online Campus. You can choose to work on your own if you wish. The system is completely flexible in this regard.

Are Drawing Classes Included In This Program?

Yes they are. In fact I can teach you how to draw quite well, in just about one week. That's all it takes if you follow my method. The method is covered in detail in the Apprentice Program.

Drawing is important to learn because you can only paint as well as you can draw. In the Apprentice Program you will learn the two most important drawing techniques, angular transfer and triangulation. You will learn techniques of line and mass gesture drawing, contour drawing, measurement techniques, as well as, many lessons on perspective and vanishing points. 

Are These Online Painting Classes Suitable For Plein Air Painting?

All the online painting classes are perfect for plein air painters. In fact much of my own work is done plein air. Important topics in plein air painting are covered in the Apprentice Program, including the Alla Prima painting process, how to match colors in nature, and how to give your paintings depth using atmospheric perspective. 

What is the value of the information in the Virtual Art Academy online painting classes?

Over a period of thirty years, I have personally invested over $40,000 on my own art education. To this day I still continue to invest in acquiring even more advanced information. A good traditional art academy will cost upwards of $60,000 for a four year program. My vision with the Virtual Art Academy was to be able to share all of his information with you. In this way you get the same high quality art education, but at a fraction of the cost, and in a much more structured form. 

Our students have usually done a thorough search for online painting classes. They consistently tell us they have found no other online painting course as comprehensive or as high quality as the Virtual Art Academy program. You can see what our students say about the online painting classes on our student review page.

How does the Virtual Art Academy online painting course compare with attending a one-week workshop with a professional artist?

The Virtual Art Academy four year Apprentice Program has been divided into 16 workshops. Each workshop was designed to contain about the same amount of information that you would get if you attended an intensive 7-14 day workshop with a top professional artist. 

A single workshop with a top professional artist would cost you $3000 for just one week, including the cost of airfare, lodging, and tuition. For the same price, with the Virtual Art Academy, you get sixteen workshops, not just one. The Apprentice Program is a highly cost-effective way of acquiring a lot of information that can take you all the way from an absolute beginner to a professional level. Plus you get the added benefit that you can fit your workshops into your own schedule. You have complete control over when you do the lessons and how long you take to do them.

How do the Virtual Art Academy® online painting classes compare with attending a four-year program at prestigious art school?

The Virtual Art Academy provides a much broader curriculum than you would get at a traditional art school or classical realism atelier. You will learn not only the skills of the traditional classical realism curriculum that were taught in the French academies, but also modern impressionist color techniques and the principles of modern art and design. This means you are not forced into painting in just one style. You will get the skills to follow your own creativity and path and paint in any style you prefer. (See: tips on choosing oil painting classes )

If you still have questions then feel free to Contact Me .

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The best online art classes

Learn to paint and draw with the best online art classes and art schools around.

The best online art classes can be a very convenient way to perfect your skills, whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced artist looking to improve in specific areas. You can access them anywhere and you can often get started whenever you like.

We've curated a list of our top picks for various types of art and different levels and budgets (including free online art classes), and you can get started with them right away. Our picks include quality lessons on creating art using pencil, paint and pixels, all delivered by leading professionals. 

Our top pick of the best online art classes is Drawing Essentials with Glenn Vilppu, which we think is a great guide to the fundamentals that all artists need to master, but we've also picked out options for specific needs.

If you can't find what you're looking for here, be sure to check out our how to draw tutorials, which cover a variety of subjects or our specific oil painting techniques guide. Not sure what online art class to go for? Head to the end of the list below for helpful tips and advice.

The best online art classes available now

01. drawing essentials with glenn vilppu.

One of the world’s most famous art teachers, Glenn Vilppu instructs professionals at animation, game and film studios worldwide, as well as universities, art schools and private art academies. And the one problem he constantly comes up against is that many students walk into the class without knowing the fundamentals, such as how to hold a pencil correctly. 

So this six-week course attempts to fill those knowledge gaps, and is aimed not just beginners but any artists, even professionals, who have never studied formally. 

• Start Glenn Vilppu's online course now

At $800, it’s not cheap, but bear in mind you won’t just be passively watching video lectures. The aim is to replicate the experience of attending a real-life art class; so you get your work critiqued weekly, alongside group discussion and the opportunity to get answers directly from Vilppu. You’ll also be able to see critiques of the other students as well, as would happen in a regular live class.

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Once you're done, Vilppu also offers some world-class figure drawing classes on his site. He strongly recommends you don't jump ahead, and take this class first, however knowledgeable you think you are.

02. Drawing and Sketching for Beginners by Robin Slee

Right at the start of your journey, and want to know what all this art stuff is really about? This introductory-level class on Udemy is a great place to begin, and at $54.99, it's not such a huge financial commitment.

• Start Robin Slee's course now

Tutor Robin Slee is a self-taught freelance digital artist and illustrator. On the course, Slee covers fundamentals like how to hold a pencil correctly and how to make marks. That might sound basic, but these are not actually intuitive things (as we mentioned in the previous entry, even experienced artists get them wrong), so it's pretty useful to nail them at this early stage. And Slee's instruction is clear, simple, jargon-free and easy to follow.

The course consists of over three hours of video content, segmented into 25 modules, accompanied by practical exercises for you to download. There's also a dedicated Q&A section where you can post your questions, ask for feedback, or share your results from the course.

03. Joseph Patric Daniels

Udemy has a wide range of online art classes from professionals, and those delivered by Joseph Patric Daniels are also good choices. How to Draw from Beginner to Master, How to Paint from Beginner to Master – Acrylic Painting, How to Paint from Beginner to Master and Oil Painting from Beginner to Master are all brilliant places to start.

Featuring comprehensive step-by-step instruction, the courses range from two to 21 hours and are suitable for all levels. The course fees range from $84.99 to $119.99 but are currently on sale for as little as $16.99. Bargain.

• Start the Joseph Patric Daniels courses now 

04. SmART School

These online art classes are a little different. Founded by Rebecca Guay, SmART School offers live classes in figure drawing for small groups. These are interactive online lessons given by industry pro artists such as Donato Giancola and Scott Fischer, as well as editors, directors, agents and gallery owners. They use GoToMeeting to provide assignment critiques, mentorships, hands-on drawovers in Photoshop , and Q&As with every student.

SmART School's prices range rom $495 to $2765.

• Start the SmART School course now

05. Ctrl+Paint

Many free online art classes are of dubious usefulness or tend to focus on one very specific task, but not so these pre-recorded digital painting videos from founder Matt Kohr, which are organised like a school curriculum. Ctrl+Paint also offers premium video lessons from $10 that take you through basic foundation art skills.

• Start the Ctrl+Paint art course now

06. Tucson Art Academy Online

Tucson Art Academy Online offers pre-recorded video lessons on pastel, oils, acrylic and watercolour from the likes of established traditional artists Laura Robb, Ken Auster and Sandy Scott, which you can access for 365 days. 

• Start Tucson Art Academy Online now

With Self-Study (which costs $395), that’s all you get. If you choose the Online Mentoring option (for $595), you can ask the tutor questions.

07. New Masters Academy

The New Masters Academy offers online art courses for fine artists. Tutors include Steve Huston, Charles Hu and Kamille Corry. The Standard $36 per month subscription gives you over 5,500 hours of pre-recorded video lectures; the Premium $59 per month level allows you access to an online 3D reference library, live class DVRs and 50,000+ reference images. Then there's the upper tier, which adds in interactive live classes and two group coaching sessions per week for $149. These prices are billed annually, pay monthly at $49/$79/$149.

• Start New Masters Academy now

08. Ink Drawing Techniques by Yuko Shimizue

Yuko Shimizu is a Japanese illustrator based in New York City and a veteran instructor at the School of Visual Arts. In this online art class, hosted on the Skillshare platform, she offers a detailed guide to essential inking and drawing techniques. 

• Start Ink Drawing Techniques now

Subjects covered include the differences between types of papers and inks; basic brush, nib, and ink techniques; Asian vs. watercolour brushes; and sketching and scanning essentials. In short, there’s a huge amount of ground covered in this 90-minute class, made up of 15 separate lessons, and everyone from the novice to the experienced inker will benefit.

You can’t actually buy the course separately; you’ll need a Skillshare subscription to unlock it. That will cost $32 a month (or $13.99 a month billed annually).

09. Draw and Paint Online: Beginner's Art by Peter Stanyer 

Internationally renowned artist, author and tutor Peter Stanyer has taught art for over 20 years at many different levels in further and higher education. Aimed both at complete beginners and more experienced artists who enjoy recreational drawing, his online art classes will teach you the techniques you need to draw with confidence.

• Start Draw and Paint Online now

All the fundamentals are covered here, including mark making, tone, colour, shape, composition, perspective and more. Requiring around 30 hours of study, this class involves a number of assignments made up of carefully structured, practical, drawing or painting projects. With personal tuition and feedback from Stanyer thrown in as well, this course offers excellent value at just £148 for parts A and B – or $75 for the individual parts.

10. How to Paint: Absolute Beginners Acrylics Course with Will Kemp

Are you someone who “dreams of becoming an artist but keeps putting it off until you have more time?” If that’s you, then this relatively short and snappy art class could be the kick up the backside you need. 

Over three-and-a-half hours, Will Kemp – an award-winning artist who’s studied in Italy, run his own art gallery and taught in museums and schools – explains the foundations of working with acrylics and why they're the simplest and most effective way for a beginner to learn to paint.

• Start How to Paint now

You learn about setup and materials, colour mixing, pigment choice, brush-handling and palette-knife techniques, as well as gels and mediums. Once that's out of the way, you're then encouraged to complete three paintings (a still-life, a landscape, and a seascape) using three different colour palettes. 

This class is split over seven video lessons, which can be either streamed or downloaded. Kemp suggest you take time off for a “painting week”', in which you take a different lesson every day; alternatively, you might prefer to study one every weekend. He also includes downloadable reference material and although you won't get feedback on your work, at just £53, it's still a bit of bargain.

11. Mastering colour with Richard Robinson  

Fine artist and teacher Richard Robinson asked his students to name the biggest stumbling block when it came to painting, and an astonishing 72 per cent said it was getting colour right. So in this two-part art course, which can be both streamed and downloaded, he explains everything you need to know, from how the brain sees and analyse colours, to the key to colour relationships. It may have a narrow focus, but it's still a strong entry in our list of the best online art classes.

• Start Mastering colour with Richard Robinson now

The Mastering Color course is split into two parts, Mastering Colour one and Mastering Color two. Currently you can buy them both for $100 (at time of writing), or the second part for $55. If you're still not convinced, you can ‘try before you buy’ by viewing the first chapter free on the website. 

12. Activate the canvas with Nancy Hillis

Fed up of making representational art, and want to walk on the wild side? This five-module, self-paced art class will guide you through your first steps in abstract painting. You'll discover how to experiment, loosen up as artist and unleash a brand new perspective on your art. 

• Start Activate the canvas with Nancy Hillis now

In each module, Nancy Hillis, abstract artist and psychiatrist, walks you through a systematic process for reflecting on your inner landscape and mindset. Included are a written lesson and between three and seven video demonstrations that walk you through ways of 'activating the canvas'. 

The course costs $247 and there is a payment plan option. The course is suitable for both beginners and experienced artists; because it's not really about technique but unlocking your creativity. In return, “You'll learn exciting ways to create bold, raw, immediate and alive paintings by activating the canvas intuitively," says Hillis. This is a well deserved entry in the list of the best online art classes. 

13. Figure Drawing Fundamentals with Stan Proko 

Historically, art schools have always taught a systematic process for drawing people that can be applied to figures of any body type, set in any position. Running across 15 and a half hours of downloadable video, this class delivers exactly that. 

One of our favourite best online art classes, it's taught by Stan Prokopenko, an accomplished fine art painter who works for the Watts Atelier school in California and shares his knowledge with millions online through both free YouTube videos and more weighty, paid-for courses like this one. 

Aimed at both beginners and experienced artists looking for a refresher, this figure drawing class will teach you how to draw human figures by breaking down shapes into simple forms. You’ll learn about structure, gesture, balance, exaggeration, proportions, shading and more. And for just $109, you can't say fairer than that. 

• Start Figure Drawing Fundamentals with Stan Proko now!

14. Painting portraits with Mark Carder

Mark Carder is a highly regarded artist who has painted commissioned portraits of two US Presidents and a US Secretary of State, among others. His best online art class demonstrates and explains the process of painting portraits using a photo as your source material. 

• Start Painting portraits with Mark Carder now!

Carder’s style is direct and to the point, with zero waffle and targeted advice throughout, covering how to photograph your subject, draw the face, blend fleshtones, work with a limited colour palette, match colours, and maintain a likeness throughout the process. 

Some of the specific techniques Carder outlines are a little unusual, and the class doesn't cover how to draw a portrait from life. But if that doesn't put you off, these eight hours of downloadable videos, aimed at intermediate and advanced artists, are top quality, well structured, and offer fascinating insights from an artist at the top of his profession; all of which isn't bad for $100.

15. Charcoal Drawing with Aaron Blaise

Aaron Blaise spent 21 years of his life as an animator on such films as Beauty and the Beast, Lion King and Brother Bear, which he co-directed. He’s now left the movie business, but Disney’s loss is the art world’s gain, as he’s turned his hand to teaching digital painting. And it turns out he’s very good at it.

• Start Charcoal Drawing with Aaron Blaise now!

In this art class, Blaise creates a charcoal drawing of a lioness, in real time, across five hours and 30 minutes. He draws from a photograph, and you can download a high resolution version of this image, print it out, and follow along at home.

Blaise’s commentary is insightful, informative and really helps you follow what he’s doing. He always strikes the right tone: always helpful, never patronising, making this a strong entry in the list of the best online art classes. 

You'll need some basic drawing skills to follow this class, so it’s not suitable for total beginners. But overall, this is a high-quality class for anyone wanting to get to grips with charcoal, wildlife drawing, or both. At time of writing there is a huge sale on this course, reduced from $45/£40 to just $5. 

16. Computer Graphics Master Academy

Another tried and true brand in this list of the best online art classes, Computer Graphics Master Academy is focused on getting its students work in the animation, games and VFX industries, and to this end offers over 100 courses, from drawing basics to environment design. There are oodles of new courses for this year including Animation Foundation 101, Intro to Blender for Concept Art and many more.

• Start Computer Graphics Master Academy now!

These are taught by over 90 pros, including Mélanie Delon, Patrick J Jones, Armand Serrano and Aaron Limonick, who provide live feedback and one-to-one mentoring in a virtual classroom.

With over 900 students worldwide, CGMA provides a vibrant network for discussion and career development through its virtual classroom community.

Classes cost from $499 to $998 per course.

17. Visual Arts Passage

Visual Arts Passage has gone up our list of the best online art classes as it is a mentorship programme for students pursuing a career in the art industry that boasts live, interactive classes. Online classes are taught by award-winning mentors such as Viviane Kosty, Dale Stephanos, Katherine Lam, Lake Hurwitz and more. They also feature some of the biggest names in the industry as guest speakers such as Karla Ortiz, Afua Richardson, Thomas Blackshear, Raymond Bonilla, and more. 

It offers a foundations course, and lessons in entertainment and game art, and illustration and aapplicants qualify for a one-on-one portfolio review.

• Start Visual Arts Passage now

Visual Arts Passage’s co-founder John English explains: "Students receive in-depth, one-on-one guidance from experienced artists in small classes. All lessons are delivered live and are fully interactive. Every student has a front row seat.

"Visual Arts Passage places art students on a track of challenging courses taught by working artists. This bridges the gap between the art student and the professional. We guide students from building foundational skills, all the way to crafting an industry-ready portfolio. It’s a map to the industry, paired with training by world-class professionals."

Classes cost between $499-$999.

18. CG Spectrum

CG Spectrum offers courses in animation, 3D modelling, concept art, visual effects, compositing and game design – it's one of the best online art classes that help students get the training they need for industry life. 

• Start CG Spectrum now!

Live lessons take place as either small group classes or one-on-one mentoring, and the pro mentors – who include Craig Elliott and Jake Collinge – stay connected with students throughout each week of their course.

Classes cost from $2,895 for a group class to $3,795 or more for a one-to-one class.

19. The Oatley Academy

Founded by former Disney artist Chris Oatley , The Oatley Academy of Visual Storytelling is one of our best online art classes because it specialises in real-time mentorships with a host of industry professionals that include Paul Scott Canavan, Brett Bean, Shaun Bryant and Jenn Ely. 

• Start The Oatley Academy now!

Many graduates have gone on to become animation artists or illustrators, working for the likes of Disney, Marvel Animation and Cartoon Network. 

Prices vary according to the guest mentor. Self-guided courses covering topics such as visual storytelling are also available – these cost $19/month or $209/year.

Gnomon is known as the MIT of visual effects, and its online courses provide the same academic rigour as its campus-based ones – making it a strong entry in our list of the best online art classes. Live classes by industry pros such as Ron Lemen and Dave Pasciuto take place once a week for 10 weeks and are available four terms per year. 

• Start Gnomon now!

Note that online courses are only open to artists living in California or outside the US, and cost from $993 to $1,323.

21. Learn Squared

Covering topics like matte painting and creature design, Learn Squared offers something a little different: pre-recorded videos in which one top industry artist – Aaron Limonick or Maciej Kuciara, say – instructs another in a discipline they’re unfamiliar with.

• Start Learn Squared now!

Depending on the payment level (between $99 and $500 per course), you also get access to videos, project files and mentorship from tutors.

California-based artist Stan Prokopenko offers both free video lessons on YouTube and paid-for courses in anatomy, figure drawing, portrait drawing and caricature via his website. 

• Start Proko now!

The latter consist of pre-recorded video lessons, assignment demos and examples, eBooks, critique videos and 3D models. He also offers personal critiques to premium members via email. Courses cost from $59 to $225 per course.

23. Watts Atelier of the Arts

Since 2013, the Watts Atelier college has made its art courses available online, at a basic level for $99 a month. This involves pre-recorded video lessons and PDF workbooks. 

• Start Watts Atelier of the Arts now!

For $299 per month you’ll also get a weekly critique by a Watts trained pro artist, and for $499 per month, two 30-minute live video-coaching sessions and a weekly critique by one of the Watts Atelier instructors, which include Erik M Gist and Lucas Graciano. This may be listed lower down on the list, but it's still definitely one of the best online art classes out there! 

How should I choose the best online art classes for me?

To choose the right online art class for you, take into account your current skill level – beginner, intermediate or advanced – as not all classes will be relevant to your level. Also, check who's teaching the course, and what their credentials are. That said, just because they're university-level tutors may not mean their classes are amazing, or vice versa if they're not; so it's always worth checking out the reviews and testimonials on their site. (If they don't have a section for these, that should set off alarm bells).

And of course, different art classes require different media. So check what materials you'll need, as this could significantly affect the overall cost of taking the course. It's also worth seeing whether videos are downloadable, whether coursework is provided, and whether there's an option to get feedback on your work from the tutors (That's unlikely to be the case with the cheaper classes, but for more expensive ones it's probably something you should expect).

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Rosie Hilder is Creative Bloq's Deputy Editor. After beginning her career in journalism in Argentina – where she worked as Deputy Editor of Time Out Buenos Aires – she moved back to the UK and joined Future Plc in 2016. Since then, she's worked as Operations Editor on magazines including Computer Arts, 3D World and Paint & Draw and Mac|Life. In 2018, she joined Creative Bloq, where she now assists with the daily management of the site, including growing the site's reach, getting involved in events, such as judging the Brand Impact Awards, and helping make sure our content serves the reader as best it can. 

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The Top 10 Best Online Art Classes Worth Paying For In 2024

• Last Updated: January 2, 2024

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Online art classes of all shapes and sizes are out there in the depths of the internet, siren-calling to those who want to take their art to the next level.

So how do you choose the best online art classes for you with so many voices promising to be the one you need?

This guide will help you compare some of the best overall options, and the best options for specific areas of study, from painting to illustration and everything in between.

The Best Online Art Classes Compared

1. new masters academy, 2. evolve artist, 3. digital painting studio, 6. aaron blaise – creature art teacher review, 7. pencil kings review, 8. paintable review, 9. domestika review, 10. skillshare review, how does an online art class work, what are the advantages of online art classes, who is teaching the online art class, how much do online art classes cost, can you learn art online.

#1. New Masters Academy

• Teaches a HUGE variety of skills and subjects by Master artists.
• Affordable, subscription-based courses allow you to take multiple classes without limiting yourself. 
• Comes with extensive image and 3D model resources to use at your disposal.
• Optional coaching program to guide you on your artistic journey

#2. Evolve Artist

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Best Online Oil Painting Classes

• Teaches from basic painting foundations up, with each lesson building on the last.
• Breaks down fundamentals into easy-to-understand concepts and gives you quick and actionable individualized feedback to help you improve faster.
• Provides ALL materials for you, included with tuition.

#3. Digital Painting Studio

Best Online Digital Art Classes

• Offers step-by-step lessons so you’ll never get lost in the process. 
• Breaks everything down into clear Learning Paths so you can focus on your goals.
• Hosts a supportive community that’ll keep you motivated and inspired.

• Makes drawing the figure feel achievable for anyone.
• Provides a wealth of demonstrations and examples of each exercise.
• Gives thorough and constructive critique and teaches you to critique your work and your peers’.

#5. 21 Draw

• Thorough lessons on all facets of illustrating that you need.
• Beginners welcome, even if you’re unfamiliar with digital art software!
• Individual courses OR monthly memberships available so you can gain more skills affordably.

Reviews of Online Courses

Overall Rating: 5/5

New Masters Academy is our “Best Overall” pick because of their huge range of high-quality online art classes offered across medium, subject, and skill levels.

• With NMA, you get to choose which subjects you study and when. Whatever your current focus or goals, you’ll find classes taught by masters in the field to suit all of your needs.
• Subjects include portrait painting, illustration, animation, concept art and they are all well-organized and easy to sort through despite their abundance!
• Whether you’re a complete beginner and want to start out with their beginner-friendly courses or are more advanced and looking for a challenge, you’ll find yourself mastering new artistic skills in painting, drawing, sculpture, or all three.
• New Masters Academy offers some of the best online art classes for adults, allowing you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule. This is perfect if you have other commitments or limitations that prevent you from attending traditional art schools.
• NMA also provides additional resources like their entire library of images, 3D models, tutorials, and one-on-one coaching so you’ll never feel alone.
• Their affordable monthly subscription allows you to take whichever live or “on-demand” courses you choose, instead of having to pay huge tuition fees upfront or having to pay per class.
• If you want tailored feedback and guidance , consider their one-on-one or group coaching.

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Sign up for New Masters Academy today and take advantage of top-notch classes online that translate to tangible skills you can add to your artistic toolbox right away!

Overall Rating: 4.9/5

Evolve Artist wins in the “ Best Online Oil Painting Classes ” category for their dedicated, deep-dive focus into everything you could want to know about painting with oils.

• Evolve Artist’s online art school teaches you painting techniques from the foundations-up in easy-to-understand blocks of study that build on each other, one skill at a time. Total beginners to painting are welcome, and if you want to get a head start, check out their FREE oil painting for beginners mini course to get a feel for their teaching style.
• Evolve sends two boxes of high-quality materials (like Old Holland’s renowned oil paints) straight to your door, removing the stress and scrambling for materials on your end. The supplies are included in the cost of your tuition, worth over $1000 alone.

• The course utilizes group lessons, one-on-one feedback sessions with personal critiques, and fosters a community of students learning alongside you that you get to interact with.
• You can go at your own pace and are in control of how much time you dedicate each week to painting, working around your schedule and personal life.
• Not a course for those wanting to dabble in different media, you must be dedicated to spending a significant amount of time painting.

Want even more info? Check out our full review of Evolve Artist here.

If you’re ready to make oil paint your new medium of choice, but need some guidance and support along the way, sign up for Evolve Artist’s online art class for a fraction of the cost of traditional art school!

AND get $100 off if you click the link and use the coupon code ARTIGNITION100

Hardy Fowler’s Digital Painting Studio (DPS) is a treasure trove for artists seeking affordable and comprehensive digital art education. With courses suitable for beginners and intermediates, DPS provides a supportive community, expert instruction, and flexible payment options. If you’re interested in digital painting, here are some of the things I love:

• Affordable Learning: DPS offers budget-friendly courses with flexible payment plans, making quality art education accessible.
• Engaging Community: Join forums and Discord communities to connect with fellow artists, find inspiration, and enhance your learning experience. There are weekly study sessions, and regular painting challenges. I found the community to be incredibly welcoming and supportive.
• Expert Guidance: Hardy Fowler’s 14 years of industry experience provide valuable insights into digital art and concept design.
• Structured Learning: Courses are well-organized, allowing you to progress logically from basics to advanced skills at your own pace.
• Interactive Learning: Practical exercises and community feedback foster skill development.
• Career Building Track: Jumpstart your art career with specialized tracks, including a free course on how to create a portfolio for a career in concept art.
• Variety of Courses: Explore a wide range of topics, from foundational techniques to advanced concept art.

Digital Painting Studio is perfect for emerging artists seeking affordable, well-structured digital art education and a supportive community.

Read our full Digital Painting Studio Review

Overall Rating: 4.7/5

Proko’s fun, engaging online courses have made it to the top for “Best Figure Drawing Classes” for taking the intimidation out of drawing the figure .

Proko lessons go beyond just figure drawing, though, and span sculpture, digital painting, character design, and pretty much every other subject you can imagine.

Proko courses are accessible and understandable for beginners and more experienced artists alike.

• Proko provides hundreds of free videos of short lessons (with millions of views) that are expanded upon in more depth in the longer, paid premium courses taught by experienced instructors.
• Classes focus on teaching you how to recognize and recreate drawing basics like gesture, structure, proportion, anatomy, and shading. With these skills, you’ll be able to draw figures in any pose, like a professional.
• Courses are broken down into lessons on specific skills like “How to Draw Gesture”, “Anatomy of the Human Body”, “Portrait drawing fundamentals”, and “Figure Drawing Fundamentals”. Each lesson is step-by-step and includes several demonstrations, assignments, pdf workbooks, and critique videos.
• There’s also an active online community on the Proko website. Students share their drawings, giving and receiving critiques , tips, and advice in a constructive environment.

Read our full Proko Figure Drawing and Proko Anatomy Course reviews for more details!

Sign up for Proko’s friendly and approachable courses today and join scores of other students learning to master the figure and all other subjects!

Overall Rating: 4.6/5

21 Draw was selected for “Best Illustration Classes” for their great courses taught by master illustrators who are active, recognizable names in the industry.

• 21 Draw’s courses cover all of the topics that hopeful illustrators should work to master. They’ll teach you character design, anatomy, lighting, shading, environments, and more.
• They teach you to use specific, industry-standard illustration software like photoshop , procreate and clip studio paint. So if you’re new to illustration and digital painting in general, you’ll be taught everything you need to know to get started.
• You can purchase courses individually, go the monthly subscription route, or save with an annual membership that allows you access to hundreds of lessons of video content.

Check out our Full 21 Draw Review to learn even more about their courses.

Aspiring illustrators, sign up for 21 Draw and let them show you how quickly you can build new skills and that all of your goals are within reach!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Aaron Blaise’s thorough and affordable online courses at Creature Art Teacher are some of the best animation art classes online. Aaron Blaise is a master of animation who worked on Disney classics like Mulan, Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, so you know he knows what he’s talking about.

• The Complete Animation course comes with over 20 videos of instruction that walk you through the 12 Principles of Animation as well as the “scene approach” to animating.
• Aaron Blaise collaborates with other professional industry artists to offer amazing courses like “ Sculpting in Z-Brush with Tony Cipriano ”, so you can hone skills in any area.
• These courses are practical for both traditional and computer-based animators.
• You can purchase individual courses OR an Annual Premium Membership . Premium members get access to all courses, brush packs, lessons, and bonus tips and tricks available on the site.

Current industry professionals have been taught by Aaron Blaise and you can join them!

Pencil Kings offers courses in all different areas of contemporary art, both digital and traditional, taught by professional artists in their respective industries, like Loish, @Loisvb on Instagram!

• There are a variety of classes, from short tutorials that are self-directed and pre-recorded to lengthier classes that include one-on-one coaching calls.
• Pencil Kings organizes “30 Day Challenge” courses that keep students motivated, engaged, and having fun. They’ll have you working more consistently with daily exercises targeting specific skills like shading and perspective.
• They also share practical lessons about being an artist and building a contemporary art career based on the skills you learn with them.
• Sign up for courses individually OR get the Full Access Pass to all 100+ courses for life.

Scroll through Pencil Kings’ courses and discover everything they have to offer to help you meet your specific artistic goals.

If you are looking for a CG academy alternative, Paintable is one of the best digital art classes currently available. Their Digital Painting Academy consists of hundreds of step-by-step video lessons, providing assignments, study groups, and monthly feedback from professional artists.

• Utilizes what they call an “Active Learning Method” with clear, focused, and achievable goals.
• There are 8 Learning Paths, including: foundations, advanced, light & color, anatomy, portrait & character, perspective, environment, and fantasy. Work on every skill area needed to become a professional-level digital artist.
• You can also purchase bundles of their most popular courses to build specific skills like Portrait Art . Once you purchase a bundle, you retain lifetime access to it AND any future updates or additions.
• There is a private Paintable Community for students to interact, critique, and learn from each other.
• Over 60,000 students have signed up for Paintable’s digital art masterclasses. The incredible results photos and testimonials prove that the lessons are actionable and make a huge difference for aspiring artists!

Join the huge community of Paintable’s students to see the tremendous growth that you can achieve in your own digital paintings!

Overall Rating: 4.2/5

Domestika provides online courses in illustration, photography, digital painting, graphic design, 3D art, animation, modern art, art history, abstract painting , watercolor painting, acrylic painting, and more… The list just keeps going!

• There are a variety of courses to choose from, ranging from affordably priced self-directed options to premium mentored classes.
• Domestika’s community forum allows you to interact with teachers and other students and get assignment feedback so you’re not isolated while learning and can be sure you’re on the right track.
• They offer general courses like “ Drawing for Beginners ” and also some super specific courses like “ Drawing Appealing Characters with Personality ” so you can focus on skills you feel you’re lacking.
• You can see the stats of each course, including how many students have taken it, their reviews, how many lessons it includes and how many hours it will take to complete it. With all of this info and transparency, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into and the quality to expect!

Receive unlimited access to go at your own pace once you sign up.

Overall Rating: 4/5

You can learn any fine art medium (including gouache and watercolor painting), illustration, graphic design, animation, concept art, modern art, art history, postwar abstract painting and more with Skillshare’s online classes.

• Skillshare features curated series of classes called “Learning Paths” to help you reach specific goals like “ Watercolor Magic: The Basics of Color Mixing ” and “ Procreate Basics: Keeping a Digital Sketchbook on your IPad Pro ”. This organization of courses helps to keep you focused and on track since there are SO many great courses to hop around and try out.
• You conveniently get access to thousands of classes with one membership and don’t have to keep paying a new place each time you want to learn a new skill. You don’t have to limit what you’re learning based on your budget.
• There are courses, taught by professional artists, for all skill levels. Classes are rated by skill levels, so you know which are best suited for you, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or more advanced.

You’ll be sure to find classes that are the perfect fit for you when you sign up with Skillshare. (Good luck picking which to try first!) AND you’ll get 40% off when you click our link.

How to Choose the Best Online Art Courses for You

The first question to ask in your search is what do you want from an online art class?

Since we know now that each course functions differently and has a different purpose and goal in mind, you’ll want to find the one that best aligns with your current goals as an artist.

Are you looking for a longer, in-depth course that focuses on one medium? ( Evolve Artist checks this box for aspiring oil painters).

Or do you want a broader overview of the fundamentals of different media like New Masters Academy or Skillshare offer? A subscription to these online art schools makes the best gifts for artists .

More Questions to Ask:

• How much time do you have to dedicate to an art course? Different courses require different levels of commitment, requirements, and flexibility. For example, 21 Draw offers tons of short lessons and tutorials, while Digital Painting Studio and Evolve Artist are courses that extend for months.
• Is there a particular skill within a medium that you want to focus on?
• What is your budget for an online art course? And do they offer payment plans?
• Does the course you’re interested in produce real, tangible results? (Read reviews by past students whenever possible and look at how their work has improved.)

Online art classes are usually taught through a combination of live video lectures, pre recorded video lessons and tutorials, group online workshops and critiques, one-on-one guidance, and assigned projects.

The advantages of online art classes are numerous. You get to learn new skills from the comfort of your home. You can learn from some of the best artists all over the world who aren’t accessible to you in person. And you can often learn at your own pace.

If your family obligations, job, finances, location, or health prevent you from taking art classes in person, online art classes can make learning visual arts more feasible.

It makes sense to want to know who is teaching the online art classes you’re thinking of taking. What makes them qualified to teach? Do they have experience teaching? Working in the industry? Have they taught in person and online?

The best online art classes give you the opportunity to learn from artists whose art, style, and approach you look up to!

Glenn Vilppu

Glenn Vilppu is one of New Master Academy’s senior instructors and an example of how advantageous the best online art classes can be.

He’s a master at his craft and an influential voice in the animation industry and the modern art education world, working with studios like Disney, Marvel, and Warner Bro’s, as well as providing universities and art schools with his books and teaching materials.

Stan Prokopenko

Stan Prokopenko, classically trained and experienced artist and teacher, founded the Proko online courses after having taught drawing for years at the Wattis Atelier, where he originally studied himself.

He is dedicated to teaching drawing in a way that is accessible for everyone and entertaining. His videos have been viewed millions of times.

Kevin Murphy

Kevin Murphy, Evolve Artist founder, is an award-winning portrait painter, professional illustrator, and experienced teacher .

He founded the in-person Art Academy and has successfully taught painting to students of all skill levels with tangible results, in person AND through online classes with Evolve Artist.

Online art classes costs can range from as little as $9.99 for short tutorials to an investment of thousands of dollars for the most in-depth and involved courses, but they are typically a fraction of the cost of traditional art school.

This variation in costs depends on the length of the course, whether they are live or pre recorded videos, group classes or one-on-one, and if supplies are provided.

If you are interested in the structure and mentorship offered at art school but aren’t keen on paying the high fees, check out these alternative art schools .

Monthly Subscriptions vs. One-Time Tuition

Some online art classes are subscription-based and allow access to a number of classes and tutorials with a monthly fee. (Most courses will also offer a discount for signing up for an annual membership rather than paying per month!)

These courses are affordable in the short-term and allow students to try out different subjects on a budget, without a larger financial commitment upfront.

Lengthier, more specific courses sometimes charge a higher one-time tuition (often with the option of payment plans, however). These are more of a commitment initially but can keep students invested and focused.

Are There Free Online Art Classes?

There are some free online art courses and tutorials out there that can be a great place to start learning. Many paid courses offer free mini courses or post short versions of their video lessons on YouTube , so you can get a feel for their teaching style.

Free courses are usually self-directed and don’t include feedback, critique, and guidance specific to you. Instead, they are more general lessons.

Being around other artists and students is part of what makes in-person classes worthwhile. A community of artists learning alongside you can help motivate and inspire you.

With that in mind, the best online art classes are ones that work to build an online learning community alongside quality art education. Facilitating interaction between students is really important!

You can learn art online, and quickly, with the right dedication, guidance, instruction, support, materials, and feedback that the best online art classes offer.

No matter where your artistic goals and interests lie, the right fit is out there for you and you won’t regret trying out the online art classes reviewed in this list.

It’s a challenge to pick a winner for the best online art classes. New Masters Academy is our “Best Overall” choice, but Digital Painting Studio and Evolve Artist are favorites too for their specialties, and we know you’ll love them all!

Related posts:

• Proko Figure Drawing Fundamentals Course Review – Worth it?
• Best Online Digital Art Classes in 2023: Top 8 Courses Reviewed
• How to Make Money as an Artist: 12 Cool Ideas
• The 5 Best Online Art Schools and Colleges in 2024
• 42 Best Gifts for Artists, Painters & Art Lovers in 2024

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Our virtual classes happen LIVE on Google Meet which means you can draw along step-by-step in real time and get immediate support from your instructor. You’ll be able to share your artwork for feedback through webcam, screen sharing, and after class via Google Classrooms. 

All you need is an internet connection, your computer / mobile device and a few art materials (which are flexible)/ You may also work digitally using the software of your choice.

Recorded Learning Option Can't attend live classes? Prefer to skip class and watch the recordings so you can pause, rewind, and edit the speed? Choose the Recorded Learning Option (RLO) to save 25%! With RLO, you'll have 1 week to complete the lessons and get written instructor feedback on your submitted artwork. Use promo code RLO25 at checkout..

Video Art Courses

If you're an independent and self motivated learner who prefers to work at your own pace and set your own deadlines, try our pre-recorded  video art courses . 

Critiques on Discord

Looking for a budget-friendly way to get feedback and guidance from our instructors? Become a member on Patreon  and get professional critiques on your artwork via Discord as well as other perks like working files and classes!

If you’ve taken online classes for school, you’ll already know the convenience of skipping the traffic, saving time and money, and being able to join from anywhere! While it’s a different experience from learning in-person, our students prefer learning art online for many reasons:

No more stress about missing classes.  We’ll send you the recording so you can get caught up before the next class, whenever works best for you.  

No need to pack up and leave the studio when class ends. Didn’t finish your masterpiece during class ? Send in your work (finished or unfinished) on Google Classrooms to get feedback from your instructor even in between classes. If you’re on a creative roll, you can continue to draw or paint for the rest of the day!  

Less social anxiety.  Are you shy or an introvert? Webcams and mics are optional, so feel free to stick to interacting via the text chat. No matter what you’re comfortable with, you’ll still have the option of interacting with other artists like you.

Nope! Talent is a misconception – sure it offers an advantage, but ultimately only passion and effort combined with consistent practice will bring creative success.

“I am a strong advocate for passion and effort over talent. If you love to draw in your free time, all you need is a supportive and encouraging environment to thrive! This is the spirit of being an art nerd — always seeking creativity because of an all-encompassing love for art. 

At Winged Canvas, we nurture artistic integrity and design thinking.   Our goal as art educators is to mentor our students to become fearless creators of the future — artists, illustrators, animators, and designers who make meaningful artwork.” 

- Fei Lu, Winged Canvas Founder

Learn more about why you don’t need talent to be a great artist with a student success story!

Over our many years of teaching art, developing curriculum, and supporting other educators, our teaching method has been proven to be effective with students of all ages. Since 2013, we’ve guided hundreds of thousands of people to becoming better artists and designers. All lessons at Winged Canvas follow our unique N.E.R.D. Teaching Method , the four pillars of learning:

NURTURE: Inspire students with visual examples that introduce a new concept.

EXPLORE: Identify, discuss, and interpret what was observed.

RECREATE: Instructor demonstrates the technique or creative process step by step.

DESIGN: Students create within the theme, using the new concept or skill learned.

Beginner or advanced, every project is broken down into these four stages. At Winged Canvas, we know the importance of understanding the creative process. Instead of just copying the teacher, you will learn how to create meaningful artwork with design, purpose, and style. 

Fun fact: We call ourselves, our students, and our growing online community “art nerds” because of this. It has become a guiding philosophy of ours… and we even wrote an art nerd manifesto !

Our instructors are passionate teachers and professional artists with creative industry experience from a variety of fields: illustration, animation, concept art, game design, painting, graphic design and more. Many of our teachers have graduated from renowned art schools such as OCAD University , Sheridan College and Art Center College of Design . 

Tip: If you’re building an art portfolio, or looking for customized learning or career advice, you’ll want to work with these experienced artists in an Art Mentorship class.

​​"At Winged Canvas, you can attend world-class online art lessons by professional artists from home, or anywhere. Our mission is to make art education easily accessible to everyone."   - Fei Lu,  Founder

👋 New student? Get 2 classes for the price of 1! Sig n up for Trial Art Classes

Learn How to Draw & Paint Online

Do you want to improve your art skills? Learn to draw, paint, and sketch for free with easy step-by-step art tutorials.

Art Tutorials

Welcome to How-to-Art.com, your go-to resource for a wide range of art tutorials designed to help you master the techniques of drawing, sketching, and painting with realism. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, all tutorials are tailored to traditional art mediums like pencils, colored pencils, and watercolors. Best of all, all the resources are conveniently available online and completely free!

Plant Drawing and Painting

Drawing Cherry Blossoms with Pencils

How to Draw a Tree – The Easy Way

Learn How to Draw

Discover the joy of drawing as a fulfilling hobby, where progress is both rewarding and achievable. While I may not be a professional artist or art teacher, I’ve gathered valuable insights about drawing over the years that I’m eager to share with you.

I firmly believe anyone can learn how to draw; it’s a skill attainable through practice and patience. The beauty of drawing lies in its accessibility – you don’t require innate talent, just a willingness to learn.

All tutorials on How-to-Art.com encompass a diverse range of subjects, from drawing people and animals to capturing the beauty of nature and more. Should you need prior knowledge from another article or tutorial, it’s always linked and easy to find.

Drawing for Beginners

Learn How to Sketch

Sketching is an indispensable foundation for any drawing, making it a skill you can’t afford to overlook if you wish to elevate your artwork. Rest assured, once you get the hang of sketching, you’ll find it both enjoyable and transformative for your creative pursuits.

Learn How to Paint with Watercolor

Watercolors offer an ideal starting point for beginners new to the painting world. However, they’re not limited to beginners – even seasoned professionals create breathtaking art with this medium.

I personally consider myself a beginner when it comes to painting. Prior to writing watercolor tutorials, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery through research and experimentation. Consequently, my articles not only provide step-by-step guidance but also feature explanations and sample paintings, offering a comprehensive insight into what I’ve learned.

Furthermore, the content isn’t limited to tutorials and instructions alone; I explore various fascinating topics related to painting that are sure to pique your interest.

Watercolor Painting: Supplies & Techniques

3 latest Art Tutorials and Articles

Basic Shapes in Drawing

Brushes for Painting

Drawing Styles

hi@how-to-art.com

© 2024 by Livia Ochmann

How to Draw: Free Beginner’s Course

This free drawing course will guide you through a series of fun and easy tutorials which will develop your drawing skills quickly.

If you’re a seasoned artist, this course could be a great refresher! You might even learn something new.

My name is Darlene and I created this free drawing course because I want to provide beginners with all the resources to learn the skills they need without having to fork up loads of cash or rummage the web for bits and pieces.

Shout out to Nadia Adalath for inspiring me to create this course! Thank you :)

The unique thing about this course is that I’m going to use my non-dominate hand to learn along with you.

That means that I won’t have the same level of control as my right hand and will basically need to develop my drawing muscles from scratch! I want to prove to you that you can learn how to draw even if your writing looks like chicken scratch!

Some of the things you will learn:

• How to draw the smart way
• How to draw more realistically
• How to draw what you see
• How to shade realistically
• How to draw with perfect proportions

Tools you’ll need to begin:

A sharp pencil, blank piece of paper and an open mind.

• HB Pencil: Also known as #2 pencil
• Any sketch paper

How to Draw for Beginners: Course Outline

There are 5 levels in this free drawing course with a total of 10 lessons (I may decide to add more). Each lesson can be completed at your own pace and comes with a series of homework assignments.

You can submit your homework assignments on the  RFA facebook page and get feedback from me and other students participating in the course, just like in a real classroom. It will be a great way to track your progress as well!

I like to date all of my work (yes, even if it’s bad) so that I can go back and see my improvements later. It’s really fun and I highly suggest you do it as well :)

If you want to make some suggestions on what to cover in future lessons, let me know. I’m always taking in new ideas and since these lessons are for YOU, I want them to be more personalized.

You can access all lessons from this page, so make sure to bookmark it in your browser. You can even subscribe to my mailing list to get notified when new lessons are posted!

Ready to start?

LEVEL 1: The Building Blocks of Art

Level 1 covers the very basics of drawing and why you don’t need to be perfect when it comes to sketching. You’ll learn how to draw faster and how to draw things that are more structurally sound.

Lesson 1: How to Sketch If you can make a mark on a piece of paper, you can sketch!  –>   Go to lesson!

Lesson 2: Learn to see things differently Learn how you can draw more accurately and quickly by breaking complicated objects down into simple shapes   –>   Go to lesson!

Lesson 3: Going from 2D to 3D Step up your game and learn how to make your drawings go from 2D to 3D using various techniques.   –>   Go to lesson!

LEVEL 2: The Devil’s in the Details

Level 2 allows you to really pay attention to what you’re drawing and how you can make even your line drawings look realistic!

Lesson 4: How to draw with accurate proportions Learn 4 awesome techniques to get your proportions more accurate.   –>   Go to lesson!

Lesson 5: Common Drawing Mistakes and How to Fix Them Are you paying enough attention? Learn how to analyze your artwork and easily identify areas that could use improvement    –>   Go to lesson!

LEVEL 3: Techniques to Step Up Your Game

Lesson 6:  Introduction to Linear Perspective Learn how you can draw unique scenes with people using one-point and two-point linear perspective –> Go to lesson!

Lesson 7:  Introduction to Line Quality Learn how to further enhance your drawings by varying your line weight  –>  Go to lesson!

LEVEL 4: How to Shade Realistic Textures

Lesson 8: Introduction to shading techniques

Learn four different shading techniques to shade a variety of realistic textures –> Go to lesson!

Lesson 9: Learn how to shade

Learn 7 simple steps so you can start shading today! –>  Go to lesson!

LEVEL 5: Wrapping it all up

Lesson 10:   – Putting it all together

Learn how to put everything from lessons 1-9 into practice through 3 examples –> Go to lesson!

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117 thoughts on “How to Draw: Free Beginner’s Course”

Can you please show how to draw the human body?

I can’t seem to find a video from you about sketching a person from a photo i was curious if you have one. I enjoy your tutorials very much unfortunately the tablet im using leaves much to be desires would you suggest buying a wacom one like you have?

Just wanted to say thanks. Your video lessons have changed my life (in a good way)

I am a beginner…and I need advance experience on drawing

How do I sign up for this course please and thank you.

Hi Daniel, there’s no need to sign up. You can just click on the lesson links to get started. I don’t collect any of your information :) Cheers!

I asked for a video on drawing the human head – I found that video on your site. Thanks.

Your videos are so very helpful. I would love to see a video on how to draw the human head. Do you have one?

Pls I am a beginner and I want to how to draw. So when will your next class begin? I would like to take your free course for beginners

Hello I would like to take your free course for beginners. When will your next class begin?

Hi Maggie, you can access the lessons at your own leisure. Here’s lesson 1! https://rapidfireart.com/2017/04/06/lesson-1-how-to-sketch/ At the end of that page, you can find lesson 2 and so on and so forth :)

Hey so i want to learn anatomy and i did learn some stuff but it seem’s i just can’t get that next step and my drawings just suck so bad I used youtuber name he is quite good ( draw like a sir) tutorials but it does not click 🥲

Want to learn art

Can you help me

You are so very helpful and so very generous to share your talents with the world! A thousand thanks would not be enough – I have benefitted so very much from your instruction!

so glad i found these ,, could draw as a child, couldnt for 25 years after apart from a month recently ,, had some life issues and just happened ,, drew lots of pictures im way more happy wit now than i was as i cant draw again n e more ,, found these ,, did tutorial 1, and 100 pieces of paper no less , later have 3 decentish family portraits and bobble head edition , i will send u my month could draw and a sample of my nows thanks to ur 1st tut

im looking forward to my journey. Thankyou

• all classes
• art teacher resource
• art vocabulary
• reflection paper
• shopping list

WI State Standards:

• AA Cr10h Investigate: Engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and research through elements and principles of art and design studio practices and processes. (aesthetics / problem solving)
• AA Cr11h Plan: Formulate original concepts by practice, experimentation, and revision. (planning/experimentation)
• AA Cr12h Make: Create works of art that introduce students to media, care of tools, and basic craftsmanship skills. (skills)

what will you learn?

The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art.

Elements of Art are the visual "tools" that artists use to create an art work - they are what makes up an image or an art object: line, shape/form, value, color, space, and texture.

Principles of Design are the ways artists use the Elements of Art in an artwork - this is "what we do with the Elements" - how we arrange them, how we balance them, what is being emphasized, etc. The principles are: balance, contrast, repetition, emphasis, and unity.

elements of art

Elements of Art are the visual "tools" that artists use to create an art work

Artists manipulate these elements, mix them in with principles of design and compose a piece of art. Not every work has every last one of these elements contained within it, but there are always at least two present.

For example, a sculptor, by default, has to have both form and space in a sculpture, because these elements are three-dimensional. They can also be made to appear in two-dimensional works through the use of perspective and shading.

There are six Elements of Art:

• Shape / Form

principles of design

Principles of Design are the ways artists use and arrange the Elements of Art in a composition.

The Principles of design is what we do to the elements of art. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art.

ASSIGNMENTS

Strange noise...

Imagination drawings

Limited drawing

Popcorn factory

About me Mind Map

formative assignments (practice)

Line Repetition Design

Drawing with lines

Lines & Emotions

summative assignment

Focal point line drawing

Tangram basics

Tangram images

Name design

Hand study 1

Hand study 2

Flower study

Colored pencils

summative assignments

Tessellations

Value scale

Form construction & shading

Observational drawing

Grid drawing

White on Black

Half picture

Cutout shading

Pointillism

Layers and holes

Scratch art

Photorealism

Ribbon design

semester 1 evaluation

focus on value

focus on coloring skills

portfolio assessment

Landscape coloring

Color wheel practice

Color wheel

Color schemes

Practice color scheme

Color scheme designs

Color scheme triptych

color cubes

obscure color wheel

Monochromatic painting

Complementary painting

color scheme painting

color scheme portrait

1 point perspective

1 pt. perspective

additional w/s

Checkerboard

Post in perspective

1 pt grid plan

Name in perspective

Room in perspective

Buildings in 1 pt. perspective

2 point perspective

2 pt perspective

2 pt grid plan

3 point perspective

3 pt perspective

city block with a story

Texture Study

Textured apples

Texture patterns

Textured cylinder

Creative patterns

Optical design

Textured circles

semester 2 evaluation

skills assessment

focus on 3 elements

Balances design

Printmaking

pattern problem

patterns experiment

Pattern design

Subway train

Double drawing

Linoleum printing

Oil pastels

Wisconsin essential standards rubric

1. All assignments must be completed on or before the due date. 2. Unfinished artwork is graded as such. 3. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make up all work. You can sign out art supplies if needed. 4. If your project requires extra time to be completed, you have to make arrangements with me prior the due date. This is your responsibility. 5. Each project has a rubric with specific requirements and guidelines. Follow them. 6. Unless an assignment specifically requires copying, it will be interpreted in the same manner as plagiarism. 7. You are also graded for your in-class studio work.

CLASSROOM RULES

1. Food, drinks, candy, gum are not allowed in the Art rooms. A bottle of WATER is permitted in room 206 (only). 2. Cell phones are not allowed at any time. Phones should be turned off and put away. 3. Be in the room before the bell rings. Dropping your stuff and leaving does not qualify you as being on time. 4. Sit at your assigned seat unless I give you OK to move. That means you do not walk around the room during the class. 5. Talk quietly with students at your table. Do not talk during the instructional time. 6. Draw, paint, etc. on your artwork only! 7. Use materials from your tote-tray only... don't go into other people's trays. 8. You can bring your work home anytime. You are responsible for having it back next day. 9. If you must swear, please do it elsewhere... Thanks. 10. You are responsible for cleaning your work area and the tools that you used. 11. If you are in the Graphics lab, use the printers for the current ART assignments only!!! 12. Encourage your fellow classmates in a positive way... treat them fairly and nicely. This room should be a fun and comfortable place for everyone.

Fun & Learning

Free Online Art Learning Resources for Students and Teachers

Did you know that the National Gallery of Art offers free  learning resources  and  programs  for audiences of all ages? 

To support teachers, parents and caregivers, and students, our educators created this selection of activities. Use these lesson plans, films, and other materials to explore art with kids of all ages, from preschoolers to high schoolers.

1. Art Tales for Pre-K

Ages 4–6 

Inspire creativity in your pre-K and kindergarten-aged kids through hands-on art activities and children’s books suggestions. Download coloring pages of works in the National Gallery’s collection for extra fun!  

Disponible en español.

2. Process and Product

Explore different forms of artmaking and find inspiration to build your artistic skills. This resource features videos with contemporary artists, easy-to-follow explainers for artistic techniques, and lessons for beginner experimentation.

3. Afro Atlantic Histories: Teaching the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Use art to teach the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies. This resource, created by the National Gallery and National Endowment for the Humanities, provides art and history educators with inspiration and tools to help students build historical thinking.

Available on both nga.gov and edsitement.neh.gov , it pairs works from the National Gallery’s collection with discussion questions, curriculum connections, and in-depth activities.

4.  Uncovering America

Uncover what it means to be American through art at the National Gallery. Find stories of creativity, struggle, and resilience. This set of resources for K–12 educators features works that reflect the richness and diversity of the people, places, and cultures of the United States.

Encourage creative, critical, and historical thinking in your students as you examine works of art from the country’s creation to the present day. Fifteen thematic modules include  Expressing the Individual ,  People and the Environment , and  Activism and Protest .

5.   Children’s Video Tours

These 50 video tours allow you to take a closer look together. Explore paintings, people, places, and surprising scenes from distant lands and times.

Check out more educational videos.

6.  An Eye for Art: Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work

This family-oriented art resource introduces children to more than 50 great artists and their work. Corresponding activities inspire artistic development, focused looking, and creative writing.

Discover different periods and themes: Studying Nature , Exploring Places , Examining Portraits , Telling Stories , Observing Everyday Life , Questioning Traditions , and Playing with Space . Individual sections are available for PDF download.

7.  Look Together

Use these online conversation starters to connect with art—and with one another. This resource guides you in selecting a work of art, sharing your observations, and making comparisons together.

8.  NGAkids App for iPad

The NGAkids Art Zone app features eight interactive activities that draw upon works in the National Gallery’s collection. Kids can use the sketchbook for freehand drawing and the personal exhibition space to save and display the art they create. The emphasis on discovery, careful looking, and artistic self-expression make this app educational and fun for the whole family.

9. Grades 3 to 5 Lessons and Activities

These expanded lessons connect art with writing, math, science, and history. For example, in  Homer in the Bahamas , students learn about the life of painter Winslow Homer, research possible waterway pollutants, and write a journal entry imagining daily life in this setting.

10. Youtube Videos

Immerse yourself in some of our favorite videos on artists and their creative process. Find Your New Favorite Artist, watch a painter try to create a work by John Singer Sargent, or make your own paper flowers inspired by Berthe Morisot.

Discover more

Mindful drawing: activities that embrace experimentation.

Drawing can clear your head and focus your attention on the here and now. Draw with us--no experience required.

Step by Step: Create a Superhero Inspired by Women in Our Collection

You can find images of inspirational women throughout our collection. Create your own superhero and design a book cover to show her amazing abilities.

Fun for Kids

Join us for a family program, in person or online.

June 23, 2023

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Home » Academics

Academy of Art University offers over 129 art degree programs including Certificates, Associate degrees, Bachelor’s degrees, and Master’s degrees. Designed to equip aspiring artists and designers with a comprehensive toolbox of knowledge and marketable skills that you will use in your future career. In addition, we offer non-degree art programs, like the FREE Pre-College Art & Design Experience (PCADE) for high school students, and continuing education courses for adults. Our programs are available on our campus in San Francisco and online at the Academy of Art University .

Undergraduate

• Associate of Arts (AA)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
• Bachelor of Science (BS)
• Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)
• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
• Master of Arts (MA)
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Master of Architecture (M.Arch)

Acting AA BFA MA MFA

Advertising AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Animation & Visual Effects AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Architecture B.Arch BA M. Arch M. Arch2 MA MA2

Art Education BFA CRED CRED2 MA MA2 MAT MAT2

Art History BA BFA MA

Communications & Media Technologies BA MA

Fashion AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Fine Art AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Game Development AA BFA BS MA MFA

Graphic Design AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Illustration AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Industrial Design AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Interaction & UI/UX Design AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Interior Architecture & Design AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Jewelry & Metal Arts AA BFA MA MFA

Landscape Architecture AA BFA MA MFA

Motion Pictures & Television AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media AA BFA MA MFA

Photography AA BFA Certificate MA MFA

Visual Development AA BFA MA MFA

Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media BFA MFA

No results match your selection.

Not sure which program is right for you.

Contact us and find out more about art degree paths at the Academy of Art University .

Liberal Arts Program

The Liberal Arts Program provides students with a holistic education covering the arts, humanities, and sciences. Courses highlight connections between the subject of study and the major fields of art and design, providing context to the larger world of art and design.

Foundations

The Foundations curriculum heightens perception and understanding of visual structure through the study of drawing, modeling of form, value structure, perspective principles, color, and design theory.

Short-Term Education

We offer options for non-degree studies. Brush up on your art and design skills, study overseas, learn social media, or get a head start on college.

Enrollment is now open!

The next semester is just around the corner.

Online Education

Our revolutionary online courses provide the same rigorous education that we offer on campus with greater flexibility. Study on your own time, at your own pace. Combine online and on-site classes.

Financial Aid

Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the first step in a student being considered for federal and state education aid programs.

Everything that I learned at the Academy really helped put me above the competition in the field that I’m in. It is the school that is going to push you to be the best artist that you can be. Every time I shoot, there’s something that I’m using.

It’s a community. Being an alumna of Academy of Art University, you always have that community with you.

The reason I chose the Academy was games and architecture. It’s very rare to find a school that does both.

The 7 Elements of Art

Introduction

Every time you create an artwork there are 7 elements, or components, that your artworks consists of. More often than not we just take these elements for granted, or don't even give them a second thought.

They are however critical to the success of your artwork. By keeping them in mind as plan and create your artwork, you will end up with a much better artwork.

One that will be easier to look at as the person's eye will flow through your artwork more fluently. You will have control over how their eye moves through your painting - you will be able to lead them through the painting.

This is just one of the benefits of knowing the 7 elements of art. Let's dive right in by looking at what these 7 elements are:

What are the 7 Elements of Art?

The seven elements of art are line, shape, form, space, value, color and texture. These elements are the essential components, or building blocks, of any artwork. Any good artwork should consist of these 7 ingredients.

Element 1 - Line

Line is the most basic element of art. Without line the other elements couldn’t exist so let's start here and then we will gradually go more advanced.

A line can be thought of as a moving dot. If the dots overlap, it’s a solid line, if they don’t it’s a dotted line. A line has a beginning and an end and by its existence, creates an edge.

If a line joins up it forms an outline (also called a contour). An outline creates a shape.

Lines can be:

Long or short

Thick or thin A thick line gives emphasis and advances while a thin line recedes.

Straight Straight lines on the other hand are more mechanistic and dynamic and rarely found in nature.

Curved Curved lines change direction gently with no sharp angles and suggest comfort and ease to the viewer. Curved lines most often relate to the natural world.

Zigzag Zigzag lines alter direction fast and create feelings of unrest, turmoil and movement.

Diagonal Diagonal lines, give movement and dynamism to a composition.

Horizontal Horizontal lines create the feeling of stability and calm.

Vertical Vertical lines give the impression of height and strength and often have a spiritual connotation.

Imaginary Lines can be imaginary or implied; for example line of sight can be a very strong albeit invisible line along which the viewer’s eye travels. Also a pointing finger can send the viewers eye on a journey through the painting.

Three Dimensional Lines alone can also be used to create a three dimensional effect, (depth, in a 2-dimensional artwork. Hatching lines (straight or curved) are used to turn shape into form using value as seen the works of the masters like Rembrandt.

In summary lines can:

• Describe 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional forms
• Create feelings of movement and emotion
• Create value and thereby show the direction of light
• Change 2-dimensional shapes into 3-dimensional forms with value
• Depict texture

Element 2 - Shape

When a line meets up to enclose a space, a shape is formed.

Shapes can be:

Geometric or organic.

Shapes are 2-dimensional, i.e. they have height and width but no depth e.g. a square. The best way to remember the shape element is to think of an outline.

Positive or Negative Shapes

The object you draw on your page is a shape enclosed in a frame. This frame may be a box you drew to designate the edges of your drawing area or the edge of the page if you didn’t draw a box. The object you draw is the positive shape. The rest of the space in your box (or if you didn’t draw a box then the rest of the page) is called negative shape.

Element 3 - Form

Form is the next step up from shape as we now add depth to it to create a three dimensional form.

A square (shape) vs a cube, a triangle vs a cone etc. etc. Form encloses volume i.e. height, width as well as depth.

In drawing and painting form can only be implied because they are 2-dimesional (flat) media. Artists must use tricks to fool the viewer’s eye so as to create the illusion of the third dimension i.e. depth. This is known as Trompe l’oeil and is achieved using tools like value (shading), colour and contour lines.

Here you can see how shading has been used to create the illusion of 3-dimensional objects on a flat wall:

Like shapes, forms can be geometric or organic.

Organic forms are common in nature while geometric forms are more characteristic of architecture and man-made items. Nature however also uses geometric forms on occasion. Examples are crystals and honeycombs.

Element 4 - Space

Space is what lies between, around or within an object.

To show space in a 2-dimensional medium the artist must use techniques to create the illusion of space between items that are in reality on a flat surface.

How do artists create this feeling of space between objects?

Overlapping

When an object is drawn or painted on top of another object the viewer’s eye interprets this as one object being in front of another implying there must be a space between them.

Objects higher up in the picture plane will seem to the viewer’s eye to be further away than objects placed low down in the picture frame.

Smaller objects look as if they are further away than larger objects. Notice how much smaller the house is in relation to the flowers.

The further away an object, the less detail is visible to the viewer. By purposely reducing the amount of detail in an object it will appear further away than an object with greater detail.

Colour and Value

Objects in the distance usually appear cooler (bluer) and lighter in colour. Close up objects appear warmer and darker in value.

Perspective

Can be used to create the feeling of depth on a 2-dimensional surface. The most commonly used perspective types are linear and 2-point perspective.

Negative Space

Space can be either positive or negative in the same way as shapes can.

Negative space is all around the object, which is the (positive space) subject of the painting.

Negative space is very important and an artist must plan the negative space as carefully as the main subject.

Is there enough negative space to give the subject room to “breathe” or does it appear boxed in?

Negative space can be cut to a minimum or eliminated entirely for a very close up and intimate focus on the subject.

It can be greater on one side than the other, or greater at the top or bottom.

All choices which will affect how the viewer sees the overall composition.

Element 5 - Value

Value is how light or dark something is.

There is a scale of light and dark from pure white through to pitch black. The value of a colour depends on how light or dark it is compared to the value scale.

Getting the values right is more important than getting the colours right in painting. Value is what makes it possible to show 3-dimensional forms in a 2-dimensional surface.

By increasing differences in value, contrast is increased as well. A highlight will look brighter when surrounded by a dark value. Decreasing contrast will make objects visually recede into the picture plane and draw less attention.

The focal point of a painting is where you want to add the most contrast as this high contrast automatically draws the viewer’s eye.

If a painting is done on the lower (darker) edge of the value scale it is called a “low key” painting. Low key paintings give rise to a heavy, mysterious, dramatic, sometimes brooding feeling in the viewer.

By contrast “high key” paintings take their range of values from the upper end of the value scale and create emotions of lightness, quickness, spirituality etc.

Most paintings however use the full range of values from light to dark.

Value is what artists use to portray light and form. The further from the light the darker the value.

How value changes determines the form of an object.

If there’s a gradual transition in value it conveys to the viewer that the surface is gently rounded. This is called a soft edge.

If however there is a rapid transition between values it means there is an edge. This is called a hard edge.

Value is also used to create shadows which show light direction and anchor the object, preventing it from appearing as though it is floating.

Element 6 - Colour

Colour is created when light is reflected into the viewer’s eye.

In art, colours are arranged on a colour wheel. The colour wheel was developed by Isaac Newton who took the colour spectrum and bent it into a circle.

The colour wheel shows primary colours, (colours that can’t be mixed), secondary colours (made by mixing two primaries) and tertiary colours (made by mixing a primary and secondary colour).

Colour theory helps the artist to mix desired colours from primary colours. It’s only a theory and can’t be proven but it is nevertheless useful to the artist. Colour theory is based on the colour wheel, colour value and on which colours work well together - also called colour schemes.

There are various colour schemes which define the primaries. The most common is the Red, Yellow, Blue model. Another popular scheme uses Cyan, Magenta and Yellow as the primaries. There are several other and each works well in different situations.

Colour is described by its hue – red, green etc. (Hue the name we give a colour.)

A colour has intensity called chroma, also known as saturation, brightness or purity. The more pure the colour is (less of other colours mixed in), the more intense or saturated it is. In painting only small amounts of saturated colours are usually used as accents. Too much saturated colour can give a garish result. The chroma of a colour is not the same as its value.

Colours also have value. Value is how light or dark the colour is, as discussed in Element 5 above. Each colour falls on the value scale from light to dark. Yellow would be near the top (light end) of the scale while purple would be found near the bottom end. To change the value of a colour you follow the Colour Mixing Rules .

Art supply stores sell interactive colour wheels which are essential to the artist working with colour. I recommend this Color Wheel .

Element 7 - Texture

Actual texture is the way an object feels to the touch.

Drawing or painting texture on a 2–dimensional, flat surface is a challenge for artists. The artist must instead convey the illusion of the actual texture to the viewer on the flat surface.

How this is done is by the careful use of value and specific marks / brush strokes which then mimic the actual texture.

Every textured surface reflects light in a very particular way. Think of the difference in texture between a chrome ball and a concrete ball. The artist, through careful observation and the use of light and dark values, recreates this actual texture visually on the picture plane.

You can follow our tutorial in Drawing Weathered Textures to get a feel for how this is done.

It is possible to create actual 3D texture on a flat surface by the addition of texturing compounds which create a raised surface. Impasto paste is one way or you could even add sand etc. to the paint. Even thick paint will leave the texture of the brush marks for the viewer to see.

You can follow our tutorial on Texture Painting Techniques to see how you can add texture to your canvas.

It is also possible to create patterns by the repetition of shapes that creates 2D texture. This is often used in Op Art. (Optical Art).

I think you will agree that you have been using many of the seven elements throughout your artworks without even realising it.

Now that you are however aware of these elements, you can look out for them as well as look out for ways to incorporate more of them into your artworks.

This will add extra depth, dimension, texture and interest to your artworks, taking them to a whole new level.

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Undergraduate Admission

Application requirements & enhancements.

Our admission counselors review each application carefully, taking into consideration your academic background, life experiences and interests. We don’t have a minimum test score or GPA range to gauge your potential for admission, but there are some things that can make you a stronger candidate.

Required for admission consideration

We look for students who have been successful in a variety of challenging courses, especially those that are above and beyond what’s required for graduation. And we understand every school is different, so we evaluate your transcript specifically against your high school's curriculum.

Prior to high school graduation, we require you to complete a minimum of:

• English: 4 years
• Math: 3 years
• Science: 3 years (2 must be laboratory science)
• Social studies: 3 years
• Foreign language: 2 years

If you're interested in engineering or the sciences, we recommend an additional year of math and laboratory science. Leaning more toward the liberal arts? We’d suggest another year of social studies and foreign language.

Application essay

All first-year students must complete an essay via the Common App or Coalition with Scoir. What you share in your essay is completely up to you—it should be about conveying who you are to the admission staff. No matter the topic, personalize it. Add a part of you into the piece, and make it genuine.

Arts Supplement Required for music majors and those who are pursing a Arts Achievement Scholarship in either music or art studio

Applicants who are required to submit an Arts Supplement will see this required checklist item on their applicant status portal. Students must upload their portfolio materials using the portfolio updater prior to completing the Arts Supplement. You can access the portfolio uploader by logging into your applicant portal using your CWRU Network ID and clicking Edit Portfolio.

The Arts Supplement is optional for all other applicants. (More on that below.)

Opportunities to enhance your application

We understand there may be more you want to share with us than can fit neatly on the Common App or Coalition with Scoir. Though not required as part of their application, some students choose to share additional information that may possibly strengthen their application and help us get to know them better. We welcome you to share such information with us.

Optional ways to enhance your application include the following:

Test-optional policy

Case Western Reserve University is test-optional.  Read about our test-optional policy .

We “superscore” our students’ test results, which means we take your best scores on each section of the SAT and ACT. If you took a test more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you received in each individual section of the exam.

Here’s a look at admitted student statistics for the Class of 2025:

Middle 50% 

• SAT Total: 1420-1510
• ACT Composite: 32-35
• Unweighted GPA: 3.6–4.0
• Test optional: 42%

Ordinarily, scores for standardized tests taken in November of your senior year arrive in time for Early Action or Early Decision I deadlines, and scores for tests taken in January arrive in time for Early Decision II or Regular Decision consideration.

To ensure your application can be fully reviewed in time for your chosen decision plan, you should take tests by the following dates:

• Nov. 30 : Early Action, Early Decision I and Pre-Professional Scholars Program applicants
• Dec. 31 : Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants

Share your talents

Arts Supplements are required for music and music education majors and available to all applicants. If you intend to submit an arts supplement, be sure to indicate this on your application.

The arts supplement is due 15 days after the application deadline and can be completed via your applicant portal .  For detailed information:

Scholarship Audition and Portfolio Requirements

• Prepare two contrasting monologues, one Shakespeare and one contemporary, not to exceed a total time of four minutes. You may also prepare 16 bars of any song, but this is not required. If possible, please present a headshot and resume at the audition.

A portfolio presentation is needed for the directing concentration. Your portfolio should consist of the following:

• A one-page resume documenting your theater experience (directing, acting, playwriting, design, stage management, etc.).
• A one- to two- page director’s concept for a published play or musical that you would be interested in directing, detailing your vision for the show (characters, moods and tones, visual aspects) in addition to what you would want the audience to take away from the production in terms of its central themes and ideas.
• Production photos from previous projects you have directed (if applicable, not required).
• You should be prepared to speak about your interest and passion for directing as well as your previous directing and/or theater experience.

Dramatic Writing/Playwriting

• Submit a 20-page sample of your work in either playwriting or screenwriting (or both) at least one week before the interview date. This can include either an excerpt from a full-length work or a combination of shorter pieces, such as 10-minute plays or short-film scripts. While dramatic writing is preferred, you may also submit other examples of your creative writing, such as short stories, poetry, essays, etc.

Stage Management

• Bring your stage management binders, copies of scripts you have worked on (with cues written in), paperwork related to the show, and any other evidence of skills related to stage management such as organization, managing/coordinating large groups of people, multitasking and communication.
• A one-page resume of experience in theater is required. You may also include experience in a related field, such as art, architecture, graphics or photography. Additionally, a statement of intent—even if that statement is exploratory—should be provided. Other materials may include a portfolio demonstrating skills in theater (renderings, sketches, paperwork, scale drawings, production photos, etc.) and related areas (artwork, photography, drawing, drafting, computer graphics, etc.). The portfolio may be in scrapbook format. Art projects or model-making could substitute or be included with the other requirements. The material should be organized into some kind of cohesive presentation, with identifying labels for references. The interviewer will retain a copy of your resume but will not keep your portfolio. Portfolio is for presentation purposes only.
• Submit a video and complete an online questionnaire for pre-screening by dance department faculty. The video submission should be 90 seconds to three minutes in length, and you should be clearly visible. Do not submit ensemble footage. Video may be from technique class or performance.
• Submit a portfolio PowerPoint consisting of 24 pieces of your work. Each image credit line should include the name of the piece, the dimensions, the material, media and the date completed. (For example: Self-Portrait, 18” x 24”, media soft pastel on paper, fall 2021.) If you are showing three-dimensional work, i.e. sculpture or pottery, you may want to show two different views, front and side, etc. You may also want to choose to photograph a specific detail.
• Autobiography : A short (250-word) essay, citing your course of study in the visual arts. Include any special out-of-school activities, i.e., art camp, working as a teaching assistant doing creative activities, or private art lessons. Describe both your junior high and high school art experiences, courses that you took, and subjects that you studied.
• Program of study : A separate, short (250-word) essay of what you hope to gain participating in our program in Art History and Art. You may want to consult the Art History and Art website for courses that are available for you to take.

Tell us more about yourself

Additional materials can be shared through a form on your applicant portal. You can use this opportunity to share videos, web links, PDFs, documents, photos and more.

Some students use this as an opportunity to add additional context to their application with materials like:

• Additional letters of recommendation
• Research abstracts
• ACT writing tests
• Schoolhouse.world tutor transcripts
• Predicted IB results
• Though not all may be eligible for college credit at CWRU, these test scores can still enhance your application. You can send scores directly to us or self-report them via your portal.

Anything you have that can help us know you better and understand the contributions you can make to our campus are welcome and appreciated.  

CS50: Introduction to Computer Science

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

Associated Schools

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

What you'll learn.

A broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming

How to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently

Concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development

Familiarity with a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML

How to engage with a vibrant community of like-minded learners from all levels of experience

How to develop and present a final programming project to your peers

Course description

This is CS50x , Harvard University's introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. Problem sets inspired by real-world domains of biology, cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. The on-campus version of CS50x , CS50, is Harvard's largest course. 

Students who earn a satisfactory score on 9 problem sets (i.e., programming assignments) and a final project are eligible for a certificate. This is a self-paced course–you may take CS50x on your own schedule.

Instructors

David J. Malan

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