Online art classes are often an affordable and convenient way to learn a new skill without committing to the expense of art school. While some online learning platforms focus on a specific type of art—like drawing, painting, photography, and even sewing—others let students explore a variety of skills.
The best online art classes are offered on-demand and make it easy for students to choose content that’s tailored to their interests and skill level. Whether you’re interested in beginner painting classes or adding professional skills to your portfolio, there’s a class for you.
To help you choose an online art class suited to your needs, we rounded up the best ones here.
- Best Overall: New Masters Academy
- Best Drawing: Proko
- Best Painting: Skillshare
- Best Ceramics: The Ceramic School
- Best Photography: International Center of Photography
- Best Yarn & Fabric Crafts: Craftsy
Best Overall: New Masters Academy
Key Specs
- Cost: $36 to $79 per monthClass Length: Varies; 1 to 5+ hoursAvailability: Open registration
Why We Chose It
New Masters Academy is our top choice because members get unlimited access to the platform’s extensive offering of drawing and painting classes, plus a community forum.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Students can sign up for a free 7-day trialAccess to more than 2,500 hours of streaming art instruction videosCommunity forum lets students network and learn from each other
Cons
- Does not include courses for other skills like photography or fiber crafts
Overview
As an online learning academy intended to replace expensive art school classes, New Masters Academy offers drawing and painting classes that cover a range of topics and experience levels.
Courses range from art theory and drawing to painting, sculpture, and digital art. Classes are tailored to artists of every skill level, so it’s easy to find lessons that will match your experience and needs. Beginner-friendly lessons include color mixing, a 24-part introduction to landscape painting, and two-hour portrait painting classes.
The Library Plan costs about $49 for a month-to-month membership (or roughly $36 per month when billed annually). Membership includes unlimited streaming access to more than 2,500 hours of instructional videos taught by true masters. Students can also make connections, share work, and solicit feedback in online community forums.
Alternatively, aspiring artists can join the Library+ plan for about $79 for a month-to-month membership (or $59 per month when billed annually). In addition to standard features, Library+ members get access to an extensive library of reference images to support daily practice and make it easy to find inspiration.
Note that student reviews are excellent and highlight the quality of instructors and the affordability of courses compared to traditional art schools.
Best Drawing: Proko
- Cost: Free, billed per class, or billed per course ($27 to $139 each)Class Length: Varies; 5 minutes to 1+ hoursAvailability: Open registration
Proko stands out because it offers a comprehensive collection of free videos and paid premium courses that are both informative and enjoyable.
Students can watch hundreds of free courses via YouTube or through the Proko websiteCourse bundles make premium courses more affordable
Premium courses are more expensive than some other options
Proko is an online art education platform that was created by talented artist and teacher Stan Prokopenko.
Premium drawing courses include Anatomy of the Human Body, Figure Drawing Fundamentals, Portrait Drawing Fundamentals, and Art of Caricature. These individual courses are priced at $65 to $139 each. Also, there are Model in Motion video sets which are priced at $27 each.
There are also hundreds of free videos available on the Proko website and YouTube. Not only can you learn from these videos, but they can also help you decide whether you like the instructor’s teaching style before committing to a premium class.
Satisfied students report that the courses are informative, enjoyable, and worth the cost.
Best Painting: Skillshare
- Cost: $13.75 per month (billed as $165 annually)Class Length: Varies; 15 minutes to 7+ hoursAvailability: Open registration
Offering a wide range of classes for every skill level at an accessible price point, Skillshare is our favorite platform for online painting classes.
Pros
Gives students the opportunity to explore numerous paint mediumsMembership costs as little as roughly $13.75 per month when paid annuallyStudents can join and preview courses for free
Courses are not as in-depth or advanced as some platforms
Skillshare is an online learning platform that features courses on everything from web development and graphic design to illustration, fine art, and painting.
The site really stands out for painting classes, however, students can explore a wide range of mediums, including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and oil. This makes it an excellent option if you want to get into painting but aren’t sure where to start. The availability of more advanced painting classes also makes it a great choice for artists who want to expand their skill set.
Premium memberships cost $13.75 per month ($165 billed annually). Not only do Premium members get access to thousands of classes, but they also have the ability to download those classes to their iOS and Android devices for convenient viewing anytime.
Best Ceramics: The Ceramic School
- Cost: $29 per month or $290 per year Class Length: Varies; 5 minutes to 2+ hours Availability: Open registration
The Ceramic School offers on-demand classes and live online workshops for a reasonable price and is solely centered on ceramics.
Students can choose from on-demand classes and live online workshopsIndividual courses and workshops are available for about $39 eachMembership offers unlimited access to workshop replays
Students cannot search for classes by skill level
The Ceramic School is an online learning platform and community centered around ceramics. Individual courses and workshops are about $39 each and cover introductory topics like wheel throwing for beginners and more advanced lessons like hand-constructing large vessels and carving a double-walled vase.
Membership is also available for roughly $29 month-to-month or $290 for an annual membership. The Ceramic School’s membership option includes access to two live workshops each month, all of the workshop replays, and monthly meetups with a global community of artists.
Students can also download The Ceramic School mobile app and join one of the school’s online communities to interact with other artists. The Ceramic School’s blog is particularly helpful, too, as it covers more business-oriented topics like “Should I Sell on Etsy?” and “How to Design a Logo for Your Pottery Business.” If you’re ready to take the next step, you can also sign up for The Ceramics MBA, a 12-week intensive to help you start selling your ceramics online.
Best Photography: International Center of Photography
- Cost: $35 to about $1,000Class Length: 3 to 5 hoursAvailability: Registration available by semester
We chose the International Center of Photography for its wide selection of beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses taught by passionate and talented faculty.
Classes are easy to search based on skill levelStudents can sign up for a mentorship with specific faculty membersICP members get a solid discount on all classes
Classes are more expensive than other platforms we considered
Founded in 1974, the International Center of Photography (ICP) is an institution dedicated to promoting photography through exhibitions, education, and community outreach and programming.
Online students can choose from more than 250 courses ranging from photography fundamentals, like light and subject matter, to street photography and portraiture. The cost of online courses varies by topic and skill level but generally ranges from $35 up to about $1,000. If you are or are looking to become an ICP member, you’ll receive about $25 off all courses.
Beyond ICP’s courses and workshops, students can opt to join the center’s full-time Creative Practices or Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism certificate programs, which take one year to complete.
Best Yarn & Fabric Crafts: Craftsy
- Cost: $4.99 to $335 per class or $10 per monthClass Length: Varies; 30 minutes to 2+ hoursAvailability: Open registration
Craftsy stands out because of its extensive course offerings in everything from basic sewing and embroidery to advanced knitting, crocheting, and weaving.
Courses are offered in sewing, embroidery, quilting, knitting, and crocheting Low monthly membership cost provides access to a huge selection of classesStudents can purchase individual courses if they’re not ready to commit to a membership
Craftsy doesn’t advertise a free trial, but members can cancel anytime
Craftsy is an online community of creatives that offers courses in quilting, sewing, knitting, and crocheting, among other skills and hobbies.
Sewing classes allow you to learn how to sew velveteen blazers, camp shirts, Fremont bags, and more. Quilting courses will help you learn how to make floor pillows, market totes, tree skirts, and more. Knitting lessons will teach you how to knit socks, hats and headbands, and reversible cables. You can also learn how to crochet a cactus garden and yarn dye.
Classes are taught by experts, and students can choose from more than 1,500 classes, each of which has an average of six sessions. Students can purchase lessons individually for between roughly $4.99 to $335, or sign up for a membership for just under about $10 per month. Alternatively, an annual membership costs around $97 (approximately $8 per month).
Final Verdict
Our overall best pick is New Masters Academy because of the school’s selection of high-quality drawing and painting classes that cater to all skill levels. New Masters Academy provides students access to an online learning community and is an affordable alternative to art school.
Compare the Best Online Art Classes
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Free Online Art Courses?
There are plenty of free online art classes that can be accessed at any time. For example, students don’t have to be enrolled to view all classes at schools like Proko and Skillshare. Other options include affordable monthly memberships for access to thousands of classes.
What Is the Best Online Art Community?
New Masters Academy is an online art school with digital community forums for students to interact freely with each other, ask questions, and spark new ideas. Additionally, art-sharing websites like DeviantArt, Pinterest, and even Instagram can be used to share artwork online with other creatives.
How Much Do Online Art Classes Cost?
The cost of online art classes varies depending on several factors like course format (live vs. on-demand), skill level, and the instructor. Some online course providers also offer student memberships that typically include unlimited access to lecture videos. In general, though, online art classes are available for between roughly $30 and $1,000, with memberships ranging anywhere from about $10 to $50 per month, or more; some platforms also provide access to free online art classes, like those available on YouTube.
Are Online Art Classes Worth It?
If you’re just getting started with a medium and want to learn specific techniques or other foundational topics, online art classes might be worth the investment. Likewise, if you’re a more experienced artist and want to expose yourself to advanced techniques, online art courses can help you develop those skills while interacting with other talented artists.
Finally, aspiring artists who are still exploring different mediums to see what they enjoy can benefit from platforms like Skillshare that let them try out different classes without a large financial commitment.
Methodology
To choose the best online art classes, we identified more than 15 course providers and compared them based on pricing, membership options, quality, format, and class selection. Because the learning experience is so important with online courses, we also evaluated the user interface of each provider, as well as whether students could access an online community.
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