What Are the Best Online Art Classes?

What are the best online art classes? With most of the world having been stuck at home for more than a year now due to COVID19, this is one question that has popped up pretty consistently over the months. Interestingly, the question comes from both beginner artists and those a little more seasoned.

These days it seems there are hundreds, if not thousands of online art classes. But which are the best? (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 51337298 Copyright: Freddy Cahyono)

I guess being cooped up for months on end has some folks looking for new outlets. I mean, once you’ve incessantly binge watched your favorite shows, spent hundreds (if not thousands) of hours gaming or catching up on podcasts, Kindle books, etc., what else is there? One person I know started indoor gardening with a passion. Another started fostering wild birds. For those who always wanted to learn how to draw, there’s no better time to do that than during a pandemic!

So, which are the best online art classes?

Without even thinking about it, my answer is always the one that gives you the most bang for your buck. There’s no need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars anymore. Trust me. Tuition for private art schools now rivals the tuition for medical schools. It’s absolutely ridiculous! There are a growing number of really great teachers teaching their crafts online. In fact, most of my favorite sources offer classes for under twenty bucks.

Work in the privacy of your own home at a cost that won’t break the bank. Can’t beat that, right?

To answer the question as to which the best online art classes are…well, as far as I’m concerned, that depends on you. I could give you a list of my favorite sources (and I will), but what if you have no interest in the subject or medium? For example, if your interests lie in learning how to draw human portraits, but mine is animal portraits, then the classes that are my favorites will be a waste of time for you. Likewise, if you’re interested in digital art and I’m busy taking graphite or charcoal classes. The answer then becomes, the best classes are going to be the ones that pique your interests and gets you engaged in the activities which in turn develop your skills.

One consideration is whether or not the class piques your interest. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 94936923 Copyright: VITALY AGABABYAN)

Rather than individual classes, I can offer you the sources that I prefer and let you browse through them and pick your own classes. Each of them has a wide range of topics and mediums you can pick from.

My top go-to sources are separated here by price range.

• In the roughly $15-$25 range there’s Domestika (watch for their bundle specials), Skillshare, and Creative Live.
• In the $50-$150 range we have Sketchbook Skool, Creature Art Teacher (he’s having a huge sale right now, and should be in the first group!!) and Proko (you can bundle classes to save money).

Investing for a rainy day.

What I started doing some years back was to buy courses whenever I saw them on sale. I created a folder on my browser that held all the links to the various courses I purchased. I invested in a good selection of courses that focused on things that I wanted to improve in, like figure drawing. But I also purchased courses that I had an interest in but were way outside of my comfort zone, like basically anything dealing with color. I didn’t get to the courses right away. In fact, many have been sitting there for years.

But with the pandemic basically shutting the world down and my intentionally not accepting commissions to take a break, I suddenly had lots of free time to explore these courses. And I had plenty to pick from!

In my book, the best online art classes are the ones that excite you,
that are within your budget, and will stretch your skills.

Most (if not all) of the sites I listed above have intro or demo videos so you can get a feel for each class before you buy. This can be beneficial not just so you can get a taste of the class, but also of the instructor. Let’s face it, you might not jive with an instructor (it happens even on video).

So, if you’ve been considering online art classes, why not take the leap? What better way to learn than in the privacy of your own home and without the exorbitant tuition rates of traditional art schools? Or…you might take an online class or two and decide you actually do want to learn traditionally regardless of the exorbitant tuition rates. If you do, more power to you!

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