You have always wanted to learn how to paint. In college, you never did take that art class, opting instead for art history. You didn’t think you were artistically inclined and didn't want to embarrass yourself in a class with people who might know what they were doing. It was something you've regretted. Now you're older and realize what other people think shouldn't matter. You pull up the course catalog for the local college only to find that any class you might be interested in taking falls during the middle of your workday. Not only that, but the cost is a bit over your budget. What is an aspiring artist to do?
While you're searching for alternative places to attend, you come across a plethora of websites purporting to offer online art classes. Painting, drawing, digital media — it's all right there for you. Can an online art class be beneficial? Can you possibly learn something so new and complex from a video online?
In this age of convenience, you can find classes online to do just about anything. Art is something you can learn online. For starters, you won't have to feel intimidated by what others think because it's just you. You can also work around your busy schedule and take classes at your own pace. You can even replay a course that you found particularly challenging. With so many choices at your fingertips, the thought of spending time trying to find the one that fits just right is daunting. Finding something that you’ll enjoy is going to take forever. You may never get to start a class at this rate.
That's where we come in. We have done all the hard work for you. We've pored over a multitude of choices to find the best that you can choose from. How did we do it?
How We Chose Our Rankings
We took our time going through some of the top results for online art classes. We looked at many factors but focused on the reputation of the company offering the class, the variety of courses offered, the different experience levels dictated by the course, the price, and user reviews and feedback, and finally developed an overall rating. We aim to provide you with the best list of options to make your final choice easier. We know how valuable your time is, and we want to help make the best of it by putting together a comprehensive list of the best online art classes you can take. This way you can spend more time picking out art supplies instead of picking out classes.
The Top 5 Online Art Classes
Company reputation: Schoolism is the brainchild of artist Bobby Chiu. Bobby specializes in creating imaginary characters for digital media such as Pixar. He founded Schoolism to teach various forms of artistic media to a broader audience.
Courses offered: There is a total of 27 courses available through Schoolism. Some of the highlights include oil painting, advanced character design, digital painting, fundamentals of lighting, landscape sketching in watercolor and gouache, realistic portraits, characters for animated film and sculpting. There are also in-person workshops offered throughout the world.
Level of knowledge required: Schoolism is intended to serve all levels; however, we feel that for some of the classes some fundamental knowledge might serve you well.
Price: A monthly fee of $39 gives you access to all courses. Once you complete one course, move on to the next. Schoolism also offers critiqued video sessions from the course instructor for $998.
User reviews and feedback: User reviews for Schoolism indicated a high level of satisfaction. Students reported they felt the classes were well worth the money paid. The instructors were knowledgeable, and students enjoyed the learning experience. The negative reviews had to do more with the workshops and the difficulty in seeing and hearing the instructors.
Overall rating
Company reputation: Craftsy is an all-inclusive instructional format bringing together all forms of arts and crafts. It was founded in 2010 and features interactive video classes and workshops.
Courses offered: At the time of writing there were over 1,000 lessons offered on Craftsy. These include knitting, drawing, watercolors, weaving, cake decorating, acrylic painting and photography. They also offer individual weekend sessions detailing "projects" that are intended to be completed in two days. The variety of lessons in relatively all forms of artistic media is impressive, and one of the biggest reasons Craftsy is ranked so high on our list.
Level of knowledge required: Craftsy allows you to choose the level of class that fits you. We think this is an excellent feature as it will enable you to gain new skills at any level.
Price: A monthly cost of $14.99 or an annual fee of $120 gives you unlimited access to their full catalog of courses. They offer a free seven-day trial, so you have the opportunity to try it out risk free.
User reviews and feedback: Craftsy has been featured on many media outlets due to its innovative and plentiful offerings. Students indicate their love of the format, the programs available and its easy-to-use interface. One negative was that once you finish a class and subscribe to a new one, you lose the previous lessons. You do have the option to re-enroll if you want to go back and see something again.
Overall rating
Company reputation: Skillshare is an online course innovator, offering classes in a variety of subjects including business, technology, design and creative arts. Instruction is done through a series of videos in which an instructor begins and completes a project. Students are urged to follow along. Materials suggested are listed before the start of each lesson. We concluded the content offered at the low price point warrants a place on our list.
Courses offered: There are over 21,000 lessons provided on Skillshare. Creative arts topics include animation, fine art, film production, graphic design and illustration.
Level of knowledge required: The lessons cater to differing levels of prior experience and expertise. Therefore, it is easy to find something at any skill level you currently have.
Price: Skillshare offers some of their material for free. These videos usually come with ads interspersed between lessons and because the free offerings are changed often, there is no guarantee you'll be able to go back to one if needed. The premium subscription is billed yearly at $96, or $8 per month. It gives you unlimited access to all the classes.
User reviews and feedback: The reports were quite varied. The users who left positive feedback indicated the variety of course offerings was a significant positive and that the price was low enough they felt the value was equal to the skills they learned. The negative reviews indicated that some of the videos were dated and didn't play correctly. The interface was not always easy to use, and customer service was lacking when problems arose. Some negative feedback was updated to indicate that customer service was changing and was far more useful as of a few months ago.
Overall rating
Company reputation: Artists Network is an online community of artists presenting material in all forms of artistic media. The website includes free articles on current trends and techniques, as well as an extensive art history collection. Videos teaching various methods are available for purchase. We believe this is an excellent way to learn classical elements of art from knowledgeable artists. It feels the most like an art school which is why it ranked here.
Courses offered: Artists Network provides an excellent variety of art lessons in drawing, acrylics, watercolor, oil, pastel and pencil.
Level of knowledge required: You can choose the level of classes based on your current experience level.
Price: Skillshare offers some of their material for free. These videos usually come with ads interspersed between lessons and because the free offerings are changed often, there is no guarantee you'll be able to go back to one if needed. The premium subscription is billed yearly at $96, or $8 per month. It gives you unlimited access to all the classes.
User reviews and feedback: The reports were quite varied. The users who left positive feedback indicated the variety of course offerings was a significant positive and that the price was low enough they felt the value was equal to the skills they learned. The negative reviews indicated that some of the videos were dated and didn't play correctly. The interface was not always easy to use, and customer service was lacking when problems arose. Some negative feedback was updated to indicate that customer service was changing and was far more useful as of a few months ago.
Overall rating
Company reputation: Stratford Career Institute is unlike any other school on our list. Its art course is formatted and taught like an art-school class. It has many modules, and the syllabus is comprehensive covering all facets of art. It is not accredited; however, you can get a certificate of completion after finishing the course. You do not get college credit but can apply what you have completed toward a vocational career in art. We felt as though this was an excellent choice for those looking for traditional college-style structure.
Courses offered: The specific course we reviewed was described as a distance-learning course in art. Stratford Career Institute offers a wide range of vocational classes above and beyond art. The lessons are focused on watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oil techniques. The materials needed for the course are included in the price. Each student is sent an art kit containing everything needed to complete assignments along the way.
Level of knowledge required: This class is for anyone interested in learning basic principles of art, from history to skills. Therefore, there is no previous experience required. This doesn't mean it won't be beneficial for someone who already has a working knowledge of the material.
Price: Stratford Career Institute is a tuition-based school. The cost of the online art class is current $589. It does offer a monthly payment option of $38.60 after a down payment of $10. This includes materials for the course which are sent in advance of the start date.
User reviews and feedback: Stratford Career Institute had some mixed reviews, but we found that most of those were aimed at their high school program. When we delved deeper, we saw positive reviews from those who were students of the art class. Many commented on the ease of completing the lesson at home without the pressure of attending a classroom environment. The art kit provided was sufficient to complete all assignments. Many former students report having sold paintings after taking the class. The few negative reviews were about the lack of accreditation and college credit for a college-caliber level.
Overall rating
Additional Resources Not Fully Reviewed
In our research we found many accredited colleges and universities offering online art classes as part of a curriculum. Since there is an increase in the number of colleges and universities offering courses online, we did not review these. We do want to say that companies such as Coursera and Udemy provide open access classes and some of these include art classes.
Buyer's Guide
We have made every effort to provide you with a list of classes to advance your artistic ambition. Our list is filled with a variety of courses offered for usually nominal fees. As with everything, we recommend you take some time going through this list to see which of the programs will work for you. If you are currently enrolled in a college degree program, check out the online courses offered to see if you can earn credit for your efforts. With the internet being an open forum, the choices available for online art classes are limitless. One of the best parts is that you can gain the knowledge and skills you desire for a fraction of the cost of art school, and you can do it from anywhere in the world you can get on the internet. If you are shy or worried about being in a class and being judged by classmates, this is the way to go for you. If you want to try something you've never done, to develop a creative hobby and to do it while working, online classes always offer the best in flexibility and learning.
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