Learning is one of the most important things when it comes to your life.
It not only gives you more opportunities for growth and success, it gives you direction and potential to do pretty much anything with your life.
And because of the internet, we can learn anything we want to learn, with so many free or paid resources to choose from.
If you are interested in learning more about a certain type of art form, whether it be learning how to draw, sketch, paint, graphic design, animate or more – Here is a collection of both free and paid online art classes you can choose from.
Disclosure: Some links in this blog post are affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
1. Skillshare
Skillshare is a massive online learning platform with classes for pretty much anything: Photography, Film, Design, Animation, Drawing, Painting, Business, Technology, Lifestyle, Writing, and so much more.
You learn from creatives and thus support creatives in doing what they love, while also learning essential skills of their trade.
- Skillshare can be used for FREE with the use of ads. Premium Skillshare is available $19 per month
- Thousands of classes available
- Millions of students have tried it
- App is available so you can learn from anywhere
- Wide variety of topics: From drawing, painting, illustration, graphic design, entrepreneurship, etc
- Great for anyone: Classes available for beginners, intermediates, or advanced levels
- Creative community supporting each other
2. Youtube
Youtube is a great platform for learning, as anyone can share their knowledge on there.
Plus, it’s completely free. If you want to learn anything, search for it on Youtube and you will likely find several videos on that very subject.
- Free (with ads)
- Thousands of videos with wide selection of topics
- For beginners, intermediates, or advanced levels depending on content
3. Creative Bug
CreativeBug is also an online learning platform, where members can watch instructional videos taught by experts to learn how to make arts & crafts.
It’s a platform dedicated more specifically to arts & crafts: with topics ranging from drawing, painting, crocheting, knitting, fabric design, jewelry making, and more. Get 2 months for free here or 3 months for $5 here.
Take their Daily Art Journal Challenge here!
- If you plan to continue after the free trial, the monthly subscription for CreativeBug is $7.95/month for the Unlimited Plan. The Unlimited Plus Plan is $9.95/month.
- Thousands of classes available
- New classes released every day
- Specific to arts and crafts: Learn painting, ceramics, print-making, crocheting, sewing, knitting, jewelry-making, and more!
- Downloadable templates, patterns, and recipes
4. ArtyFactory
ArtyFactory is a free resource for art lessons online.
It is more simple than other online lessons, with mainly just photos and blog post formats, but there is a fairly good selection of lessons for a free resource.
- Free art lessons
- Mainly covers topics of drawing and art history
- Lessons are mostly in blog post format
5. Artists Network
The Artists Network provides free art tutorials with lessons ranging from how to paint landscapes to basics about the color wheel. Most of these lessons are in blog post format.
- Free resource of art tutorials
- Wide selection of material in blog post format
6. The Virtual Instructor
The Virtual Instructor is a collection of online art classes focused mainly on drawing, painting, pastels, and basic Photoshop.
You can try them out with a free trial for 7 days. Courses include video, live, and ebook formats.
- After free trial, annual plan is $97/year ($8.08/month). The monthly plan is $19/month.
- 30 day money back guarantee
- Includes video courses, live lessons, illustrated ebooks, critiques, lesson plans and more.
- Topics include: How to draw, watercolor paint, acrylic paint, oil paint, and use mixed media, colored pencils, pastels, and more.
7. Masterclass
Masterclass is an online learning platform taught by 85+ of the world’s best minds.
Topics are more limited in terms of art, but if you are interested in learning from a master in a particular field that you admire, Masterclass may be of interest to you.
Although there are classes that teach skills of a trade, there are also ones that focus more on sharing wisdom, an interesting twist to online learning.
Sometimes we think art is all about the work, when really, art is more of a reflection of the mind.
- Price: $15/month
- Topics of photography, design, fashion, film, writing, music, etc
- Teachers include: Timbaland, Dr. Jane Goodall, RuPaul, Malcolm Gladwell, Marc Jacobs, Neil Gaiman, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Hans Zimmer, Christina Aguilera, Usher, and more.
- Classes that look like movies
- Some classes focus on career skills, while some focus on the mind
8. Will Kemp Art School
Will Kemp Art School includes both free and paid online art classes, with topics mainly focused on painting and drawing.
They also have Youtube videos that I used to watch when I was learning how to use acrylics, but they also cover topics like oil painting and drawing basics.
- Free and Paid courses available
- Courses are specific to painting and drawing
- Wide selection of free resources (Blog post format to videos)
- Great for beginner artists
9. New Masters Academy
New Masters Academy is a paid online art learning platform that is focused on teaching content to master your art skills, without the debt of going to an art school.
- Annual plan starts at $35/month
- Taught by professional artists for all levels
- Topics include how to draw, paint, and create ceramics.
- Wide selection of course material to learn.
- Courses are in streaming video format with hours of content to stream
- Learn advanced art from masters without the debt of going to art school
- Reference image library to practice from
Related Blog Posts:
30 Cool & Easy Things to Draw
Drawing Tips 101: How to Get Better at Drawing
How to Draw a Realistic Eye
40 Easy Acrylic Painting Ideas on Canvas
Thank you for stopping by here on this blog!
It is my belief that we live to learn in all aspects of our lives, and I hope that these resources may be of help to you if you’ve been wanting to learn a new skill in art.
Learning will take you far in life, especially when we learn to have fun in the process.
And I hope that whatever lessons and skills you learn will take you wherever you want to go… or even farther than that.