The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (2024)

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The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (1)

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: New Masters Academy

"Instructors have worked for the likes of Disney, Sony, and Marvel, and you’ll also be able to receive one-on-one coaching."

Best Variety: Art Production Fund's Digital Art-Making Workshops

"From famous artists like Ryan Flores, Angelica Hicks, Lakela Brown, Lucy Sparrow, and Portia Munson, you'll learn to paint, draw, or sculpt."

Best for Art History: Courses at MoMA

"Each lesson dives deep into its subject, using artists and designers, as well as works in the MoMA’s collection and exhibitions."

Best for Ceramics: The Ceramic School

"You can choose from a robust archive of workshops that explore throwing, decorating, hand building, glazing, and firing ceramics."

Best for Life Drawing: Love Life Drawing

"There is a whole series devoted to strategy and thought processes, drawing habits, and managing self-doubt."

Best for Watercolors: Beginner Watercolor Exercises

"Meredith breaks down the methods in a way that is clear, precise, and easy to follow—and also sets you up with a strong foundation."

Best Photography: ICP Online Courses

"You can choose from an array of classes that focus on specific areas of the photographic medium—including composition, video, and lighting techniques."

Best Overall: New Masters Academy

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (2)

With New Masters Academy, you'll get a top-tier art education online, refining your skills with instructors who have worked for the likes of Disney, Sony, and Marvel. You’ll also be able to receive one-on-one coaching critiques and portfolio reviews and make connections with other students with their social media groups.

Your membership tier (Standard or Premium) will dictate which materials you have access to. The Standard membership allows you to choose from courses in drawing, sculpture, oil painting, watercolor, Adobe programs, and many more. (There's even a course on how to design movie posters.) With a Premium membership, you'll get access to everything in the Standard one, plus you can view thousands of images of 3D models so you can use them to draw or sculpt from.

A Standard monthly subscription is around $39, while a Premium monthly subscription is about $49. You can also save on the monthly cost with an annual membership. Curious? The site offers a free trial.

Best Variety: Art Production Fund's Digital Art-Making Workshops

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (4)

Co-founded by Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen in 2000, Art Production Fund is a nonprofit organization that commissions and produces public art projects such as Elmgreen & Dragset’s cheeky Prada Marfa in Marfa, Texas, Jeff Koons’ Seated Ballerina in New York’s Rockefeller Center, and Ugo Rondinone’s staggering outdoor installation, Seven Magic Mountains, located outside Las Vegas, Nevada.

Their latest effort brings their work online. In collaboration with Rockefeller Center, Art Production Fund has launched a series of Digital Art-Making workshops designed to reach you at home.

Whether you’re interested in recreating a still life, learning to make papier-mache or homemade play dough, crafting a felt strawberry, or creating your own mixed-media sculpture using on-hand household items, these approachable tutorials will guide you through the process from start to finish. Among the instructors for these are artists Ryan Flores, Angelica Hicks, Lakela Brown, Lucy Sparrow, and Portia Munson.

All the videos are free to watch on the Art Production Fund site.

Best for Art History: Courses at MoMA

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (6)

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) opened its doors in 1929 and has long served as one of the world’s top destinations for modern and contemporary art lovers. Officials at the New York City museum recently unveiled a sweeping renovation, and among the upgrades is a lineup of online art courses.

Browse from a range of topics, including What is Contemporary Art?, Modern Art & Ideas, Seeing Through Photographs, Fashion as Design, and Postwar Abstract Painting, and choose which area of study piques your interest.

Each lesson dives deep into its subject, using artists and designers as well as works in the MoMA’s collection and exhibitions to shape the overall instruction. Not only will you gain a deeper understanding of art historical movements, conceptual ideas, design techniques, and the studio practices of artists throughout history, you’ll also be able to join a new community with your fellow students.

The courses, which are free of charge, are also designed to work with your schedule—you can enroll at any time and complete the course at your own pace.

Best for Ceramics: The Ceramic School

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (8)

Interested in taking a crack at the pottery wheel or molding your own forms in clay? The Ceramic School—an authority on all things pottery—has you covered. Its goal is to bring together ceramic artists from around the world into one centralized online forum for ceramics education.

Getting started is simple. Before signing up and purchasing a course, you can choose from a robust archive of workshops that explore throwing, decorating, hand building, glazing, and firing ceramics—as well as those devoted to developing your own pottery business.

The instruction is hands-on: Expert pottery artists will lead you through each workshop step-by-step, from how to throw a donut vase on a pottery wheel to how to make handles for your vessels.

Along with its online workshops, The Ceramic School has its own online shop with a vast variety of pottery tools and stencils—everything you’d need for your at-home practice. They’ve built a big audience on Facebook, with regularly posted tutorials and instructors teaching via Facebook Live.

Prices range depending on which type of class you choose, but non-business courses cost around $39.

Best for Life Drawing: Love Life Drawing

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (10)

If you can’t draw from a real-life model in the studio, Love Life Drawing is the next best thing. You’ll get a crash course in replicating the human form on this site created by mother and son duo Kenzo and Mayko.

The pair has a self-described “fun, accessible, and expressive” approach when it comes to figure drawing, and the site features simple and concise tutorials categorized into easy-to-navigate topics.

At Love Life Drawing, the lessons are also free—including a Beginner course (10 lessons), Gesture series, and in-depth videos on the anatomy of the figure (including faces, arms, backs, and midsections), plus more difficult techniques like foreshortening and rendering shadows and highlights.

Another area that Love Life Drawing explores is that of the artistic eye and mindset—there is a whole series devoted to strategy and thought processes, drawing habits, and managing self-doubt while nurturing your artistic practice.

Love Life Drawing has also built a community on its YouTube channel, which hosts a variety of live sessions. Join one of their livestreams and improve your skills in real-time.

Best for Watercolors: Beginner Watercolor Exercises

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (12)

If you're looking to try your hand at watercolor painting but are not quite sure how to use the materials, this video series is a good place to start.

Created by Meredith from The Witty Gritty Paper Co (a mother-daughter-led indie stationary company based in upstate New York), this three-part series that is accessible for free on YouTube outlines beginner techniques for the sometimes difficult medium.

You’ll start with the basics and really understand how to use the paint to its potential. Meredith starts off with transparency (aka color control), demonstrating how to create intensity of shade, and how to control the paint pigment-to-water ratio in your watercolor brush.

She then moves on to Mark Making (the second video in the series), focusing on creating patterns and shapes with your brushes (and making the most of your supplies). Finally, she demonstrates wash techniques, the somewhat tricky-to-execute building blocks of all watercolor paintings.

Meredith breaks down the methods in a way that is clear, precise, and easy to follow—and sets you up with a strong foundation for your own painting explorations.

Best Photography: ICP Online Courses

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Founded in 1974, the International Center of Photography is one of the world’s most renowned institutions for photography and visual culture.

Along with museum exhibitions, community outreach, and public programs, ICP also offers photography education for every level. While it is a bigger investment (with cost varying by course), signing up for an online course will further your photography education and technical skills.

A wide range of disciplines is available to study online. You can begin with Photography I, a digital photography course for beginners, or you can choose from an array of classes that focus on specific areas of the photographic medium—including composition, video, lighting techniques, portraiture, developing your portfolio, shooting on iPhone, and more.

Courses include weekly, live webinars with instructor-led lectures and critiques. All you’ll need to participate in a course—aside from the necessary photography equipment detailed by your instructor—is a computer with high-speed internet, a web browser using Java 6.0 or above, a webcam, and headphones.

You'll need to inquire about certain course prices, but they generally start at $100 and increase from there.

What Will Online Art Classes Teach Me?

Online art classes will teach you not only the fundamentals of watercolors, ceramics, drawing, or art history, but they also will allow you to awaken your creative side and find a new hobby or way to express yourself. Let loose and let your creativity flow, whether it’s through throwing, hand building, or glazing a ceramic; developing skills to render the anatomy of a figure through drawing; or mastering photography composition.

Do I Need to Have Any Art Knowledge Before Taking an Online Art Class?

While it can certainly help, you don’t need any art knowledge or expertise before taking an online art class. A variety of the classes we’ve selected are suited for beginners with minimal experience in art, such as the Beginner Watercolor Exercises, Love Life Drawing, or The Ceramics School, which will give you a taste of each respective discipline with zero pressure.

What Will I Need for an Online Art Class?

The materials you’ll need for your online art class depend on which medium you’re interested in exploring. Whether it’s a class on New Masters Academy, an ICP online course, The Ceramic School, or one of the workshops from the Art Production Fund, each class will break down the materials you’ll need to set yourself up for success for your crafting, ceramic, or photography project. If you’re taking one of the Art History classes from the Museum of Modern Art, you’ll just need your computer and an internet connection to get started.

How Will I Be Able to Apply What I Learn in an Online Art Class?

From a technique development side, think of what you learn in each of these classes as building blocks to keep developing your artistic practice. For example, mastering composition and lighting in photography will push you to start teasing out your personal style. And perfecting a simple thrown ceramic vessel will open the door to more complicated structures.

The 7 Best Online Art Classes of 2022 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best course for artists? ›

Certificate Course in Painting. Certificate in Visual Arts – Painting (CVAP) Junior Certificate in Fine Art – Part I.
...
UG Degree courses for the duration of 3-4 yrs;
  • B.A. Drawing and Painting (Hons)
  • B.A. Painting.
  • BFA Painting.
  • BFA Applied Arts.

Can we learn art by online? ›

Online art classes are lessons available over the internet where users can practice creating art and learn new techniques. Depending on which course you take, the class can be highly structured or one where you decide your own pace. Many of these classes include a video or live stream element.

What is the best online drawing site? ›

Throw away your pen and paper because here are nine awesome online drawing and painting tools.
  • Sketchpad.
  • Aggie.
  • Pixilart.
  • AutoDraw.
  • YouiDraw.
  • Sumo Paint.
  • Kleki.
  • SketchTogether.
5 Jun 2022

What are the most respected online courses? ›

Top Trending Online Courses
  • Data Science. ...
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. ...
  • Big Data. ...
  • Business Intelligence. ...
  • Cloud Computing. ...
  • Project Management. ...
  • Software Development. ...
  • Full-stack development.
6 Oct 2022

What is the best app for online art? ›

Top drawing apps to use
  1. Krita. Krita is free, open-source software that works for Windows, Mac, and Linux users. ...
  2. MediBang Paint Pro. ...
  3. FireAlpaca. ...
  4. Autodesk Sketchbook. ...
  5. CorelDRAW. ...
  6. Adobe Photoshop. ...
  7. Procreate. ...
  8. Blender.
3 Mar 2022

What kind of artist are in-demand? ›

In-demand art careers
  • Video editor. National average salary: ₹2,36,020 per year. ...
  • Creative director. National average salary: ₹8,33,441 per year. ...
  • Interior designer. National average salary: ₹2,60,863 per year. ...
  • Graphic designer. National average salary: ₹2,41,384 per year. ...
  • Gallery manager. ...
  • Landscape architect.
22 Jul 2021

Which arts course is best for future? ›

Aspirants can pursue fashion and designing courses such as Bachelors of Textile Design, Bachelor of Design (Accessory), Bachelor of Fashion Communication, Bachelor of Interior Designing, Bachelor of Product Design, Furniture and Interior Design Course, Bachelor of Leather Designing, etc.

What is the easiest art to learn? ›

Finger painting and crayons probably rank at the easiest mediums to gain proficiency in. Although, true mastery in either case can produce remarkable results. Many of Leonardo DaVinci's most famous works were drawn with a hard red crayon. Likewise, finger painting can be raised to a relatively high art form.

Can artists be self-taught? ›

Self-taught artists are artists who did not receive formal training in the visual arts, or whose formal training did not influence their artistic practice. Self-taught artists may or may not work as professional artists in the mainstream art world.

How do I train my art skills? ›

For those who want to draw better, here are a few recommendations:
  1. Go draw something. Repeat. ...
  2. Look at drawings. Whether simple line drawings or meticulously detailed renderings, you can learn a lot from looking at the work of others. ...
  3. Draw from drawings. ...
  4. Draw from photographs. ...
  5. Draw from life. ...
  6. Take a class.

What is the number 1 art app? ›

The free Adobe Photoshop Sketch ranks among the best drawing apps for giving users a set of expressive drawing tools. Users can choose from utilities that mimic a graphite pencil, ink pen or marker. The app supports a variety of Bluetooth styluses on the market such as Adobe Ink, Pencil, and others by Wacom and Adonit.

What website do most artists use? ›

Our Top Website Builders for Artists Showcasing Their Work:
  • Squarespace – Best overall builder for showcasing art.
  • Wix – Best for promoting your work.
  • GoDaddy – Best for getting started quickly.
  • Duda – Best for a technically polished art website.
  • Zyro – Best for simple, grid-based drag and drop.
6 Oct 2022

What is the most popular art website? ›

Top Websites Ranking for Visual Arts and Design in the world
RankWebsitePages / Visit Average website pages viewed per visit
1pixiv.net10.70
2deviantart.com11.84
3behance.net6.49
4artstation.com8.78
46 more rows

Which online courses are legit? ›

These are the best online courses websites to find high-quality online courses :
  • Reliablesoft Academy.
  • Udemy.
  • Coursera.
  • MasterClass.
  • Google Skillshop.
  • LinkedIn Learning.
  • Codecademy.
  • Skillshare.
4 Jul 2022

Which is the best site to learn online courses? ›

14 Best Sites for Free (or Cheap) Online Courses That'll Boost Your Skills
  1. ALISON. ...
  2. Udemy. ...
  3. Coursera. ...
  4. edX. ...
  5. Udacity. ...
  6. LinkedIn Learning. ...
  7. General Assembly. ...
  8. Skillshare.
11 Mar 2022

Which is the No 1 online learning platform? ›

1. Coursera. Coursera is a popular online education platform that offers courses from top education providers around the world. Over the years, the company has grown rapidly and provides the world's best standards of education through MOOC.

What is the best free art website? ›

Top Free Sites for Creating Digital Art
  • SculptGL. Remarkable 3D digital sculpting web app that functions through your browser or as a free downloadable program. ...
  • Random Art Prompt Generator for Kids. Sometimes even the most creative among us need inspiration. ...
  • Mondrimat. ...
  • ManadalaGaba. ...
  • Bomomo. ...
  • GIPHY. ...
  • JacksonPollack.org. ...
  • KRITA.
7 Jun 2022

What apps do pro artists use? ›

Apps for Drawing Professional Illustration and Painting
  • Photoshop CC (Windows/macOS)
  • Clip Studio Paint (Windows/macOS/iPad/iPhone/Android)
  • Corel Painter 2022 (Windows/macOS)
  • Procreate (iPad)
  • ArtRage 6 (Windows/macOS)

Are art courses worth it? ›

Absolutely. Figure drawing classes with a live model and sessions of gesture drawing can greatly improve your ability to see form and improve your ability to draw the figure. Painting classes with a good instructor can help you see values and mix paint colors more accurately. I highly recommend life drawing classes.

What is the largest online art community? ›

Founded in 2000, DeviantArt is one of the oldest and largest art-sharing websites around. And, with over 65 million registered members and around 45 million unique visitors per month, it's still going strong.

What kind of art is trending in 2022? ›

The company's findings show that the most popular art styles in 2022 are expected to be abstract (54%), followed by contemporary (48%) and modern (42%) while 48% of designers indicating they anticipate an increase in use of sculpture.

What are 5 things an artist needs to be successful? ›

Artists need persistence to:
  • Improve and/or perfect skills.
  • Learn new skills.
  • Finish individual pieces of art.
  • Build an exceptional body of work.
  • Build a successful art career.
  • Sustain an art career.
29 Aug 2016

Which arts job has highest salary? ›

Graphic designer is one of the highest paying jobs in India in arts field as they earn an average salary of INR 3 LPA, but the number can go up to INR 6.2 LPA with experience and skill and one of the highest salary jobs for arts students.

What is the most useful degree in arts? ›

The following is a list of the best 10 degrees for artists:
  • Fine Arts. A fine arts degree gives you an education in the visual arts. ...
  • Graphic Design. ...
  • Business. ...
  • Digital Arts. ...
  • Game and Interactive Media Design. ...
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production. ...
  • Theater Arts. ...
  • Fashion Design.

Which subject is hardest in arts? ›

Fine Art. Art is a deceptively difficult subject, and a Fine Art degree is no exception! The sheer volume of work you have to do for a Fine Art degree is often more than for the hardest science subjects.

What is the hardest thing to learn to draw? ›

Ready to Advance Your Art? Draw These 8 Challenging Subjects
  • Animal and pet portraits. Drawing animals can provide many challenges for an artist. ...
  • Glass. How can something see-through be so tricky to draw? ...
  • Eyes and facial features. About face! ...
  • Human figures. ...
  • Hands and feet. ...
  • Automobiles. ...
  • Flowers. ...
  • Water.
29 Feb 2016

What is the hardest art medium to learn? ›

Some say watercolor painting by far is the most difficult medium.

What is an untrained artist called? ›

NAïVE ART. This term refers to untrained artists who depict largely realistic scenes, often in skilled detail, with people, animals, and other aspects of the observed world, sometimes combined with fantasy images.

Are artists born or taught? ›

Artists are both born and taught, says Nancy Locke, associate professor of art history at Penn State. "There is no question in my mind that artists are born," says Locke. Many artists arrive in the world brimming with passion and natural creativity and become artists after trying other vocations.

What should I learn first as an artist? ›

A beginner artist should learn to draw the fundamentals first. He/She should start by learning to draw simple shapes, and continue by learning 1-point and 2-point perspective. Afterward, he/she can learn lighting and shading and finally concern himself/herself with color.

How can I improve my art in 30 days? ›

7 exercises to become a better artist in 30 days
  1. Have a five minute artistic “free time.” ...
  2. Color! ...
  3. Work on the same subject every day. ...
  4. Draw the same subject in different styles. ...
  5. Mix up your media. ...
  6. Work while watching TV. ...
  7. Follow a different prompt each day.
15 Oct 2017

What skills do fine artists need? ›

Skills and knowledge
  • knowledge of the fine arts.
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
  • the ability to work well with your hands.
  • design skills and knowledge.
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning.
  • thinking and reasoning skills.
  • the ability to use your initiative.

What skills do artists require? ›

Skills
  • artistic talent.
  • determination and commitment.
  • self-belief.
  • the ability to come up with and develop good ideas.
  • good visual communication skills.
  • business and self-promotion skills.
  • technical ability.
  • good organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.

Which social media is best for art today? ›

We have created a list of 10 social networks for artists to explore in 2022!
  • DeviantArt. Founded in August 2000, DeviantArt is the largest online social network. ...
  • Artstation. ...
  • Renderosity. ...
  • Behance. ...
  • Dribbble. ...
  • Discord. ...
  • Twitch. ...
  • Artist Network.
15 Feb 2022

What is digital art called? ›

Digital art, once called computer art or new media art, refers to art made using software, computers, or other electronic devices. Anything produced or made on digital media, such as animations, photographs, illustrations, videos, digital paintings, and such can be classified as digital art.

What is the biggest art platform? ›

DeviantArt. Founded in August 2000, DeviantArt is the largest online social network and platform for artists and art enthusiasts to exhibit, promote, and share their works.

Do artists really need a website? ›

Having a website helps to build your credibility as a professional rather than a hobbyist. People expect to be able to find the website of a well-known artist, maker, or creative. If someone is looking for your website and discovers you don't have one, this may send the wrong message.

What software do online artists use? ›

Comparison Table of Best Free Digital Art Software
Software/Tool NameSupported Operating Systems
GIMPWindows, macOS, Linux
KritaWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, and Chrome OS
ArtweaverWindows
SketchpadWindows and macOS
3 more rows

Where can you study art for free? ›

We have compiled a list of outstanding and free art schools that have no tuition.
...
Art Schools with No Tuition
  • University of the Arts Bremen (Hochschule für Künste Bremen) ...
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. ...
  • University of Bergen.

How can I learn digital art for free? ›

Free Digital Painting lessons
  1. Drawing and Painting Brushes. 12min video.
  2. Two Tone Shading. 12min video.
  3. Blending. 12min video.
  4. How to Block Out a Painting. 16min video.
  5. The Elements of Light and Shadow. 12min video.

How can I learn painting online for free? ›

30 Best & Free Painting Tutorials Online For Beginners
  1. Kevin Oil Painting.
  2. The Art Sherpa.
  3. Proko.
  4. The Art of Aaron Blaise.
  5. Livepaintinglessons.com.
  6. Virtual Instructor.
  7. Drawmixpaint.com.
  8. ArtistsNetwork.com.
7 May 2020

Can you self study art? ›

If you are disciplined, then you can achieve anything as a self-taught artist that a trained artist could achieve. In fact, formal art training can be restrictive to the learning of some artists, who may be better suited to the self-taught path.

Can I learn art if I have no talent? ›

Even if you believe you have no talent, anyone can learn to be an artist with the right training, tools, and passion. While becoming an artist will likely take more work than for someone who has a natural talent as an artist, art is like any skill that can be learned and improved upon.

What do artists need to study? ›

You can also become an artist by studying visual arts, creative arts, fine arts or design at university. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education.

What are 3 tools used for digital art? ›

However, for digital art, all you need is a PC, a pen tablet, and illustration software! Overall, digital Illustration is a more economic choice for those who want to try out various styles of art.

What are the 9 common mistakes for digital art drawing for beginners? ›

10 digital art mistakes we do while becoming digital artists by...
  • No. 1: Not using a drawing tablet. ...
  • No. 2: Not using pressure sensitivity. ...
  • No. 3: Abusing the Airbrush. ...
  • No. 4: Over-blending. ...
  • No. 5: Using gradients to shade. ...
  • No. 6: Using smudging wrong. ...
  • No. 7: Saving the image wrong. ...
  • No. 8: Not using the digital tools.
22 Oct 2019

Which app is best for learning painting? ›

A Great Selection of Free and Paid Painting Apps for Android
  • Ibis Paint X.
  • Adobe Illustrator Draw.
  • ArtFlow.
  • MediBang Paint.
  • Infinite Painter.
  • Sketchbook.
  • PaperColor.
  • Pixel Studio.
6 Apr 2022

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