Best Online Courses for Artists

Discover the top platforms and courses to elevate your artistic skills:

• Skillshare: www.skillshare.com
  Popular for drawing, illustration, and digital art.
• Udemy: www.udemy.com
  Affordable courses on drawing, painting, and digital art.
• Domestika: www.domestika.org
  Creative courses in illustration, design, and traditional art.
• Proko: www.proko.com
  Master figure drawing, anatomy, and portrait art.
• Schoolism: www.schoolism.com
  Learn from industry pros in character design and storytelling.
• New Masters Academy: www.nma.art
  In-depth courses on classical drawing and painting techniques.
• ArtStation Learning: www.artstation.com/learning
  Free and paid tutorials for concept art and digital painting.
• CG Spectrum: www.cgspectrum.com
  Specializes in 3D art, animation, and game design.
• MasterClass: www.masterclass.com
  Learn from legends like Annie Leibovitz and Jeff Koons.
• Drawabox: www.drawabox.com
  Free foundational drawing course for beginners.

The best online courses for artists depend on your specific goals, medium, and skill level. Here are some highly recommended platforms and courses across various artistic disciplines:

General Art Skills

1. Skillshare
   • Drawing and Illustration: “Character Illustration: Drawing Faces, Figures & Clothing” by Gabrielle Brickey.
   • Digital Painting: “Digital Painting in Photoshop: Create Amazing Concept Art” by Hardy Fowler.
   • Watercolor Painting: “Modern Watercolor Techniques” by Cat Coquillette.
2. Udemy
   • Drawing Fundamentals: “The Art & Science of Drawing” by Brent Eviston.
   • Portrait Drawing: “How to Draw Faces: Step-by-Step for Beginners” by Jasmina Susak.
   • Digital Art: “Learn Procreate: Draw Awesome Digital Art” by Kurt Michael Russell.
3. Domestika
   • Illustration: “Digital Fantasy Portraits with Photoshop” by Karmen Loh.
   • Character Design: “Introduction to Character Design in Cinema 4D” by Aarón Martínez.

Digital Art and Design

1. Ctrl+Paint
   • Free resource for learning digital painting and concept art fundamentals.
   • Focuses on Photoshop and traditional art principles.
2. Proko
   • Figure Drawing: “Figure Drawing Fundamentals” by Stan Prokopenko.
   • Anatomy: “Anatomy of the Human Body for Artists.”
3. Schoolism
   • Offers courses by industry professionals like Bobby Chiu and Nathan Fowkes.
   • Topics include character design, environment painting, and storytelling.
4. 21 Draw
   • Character Design: “How to Draw Characters” by Disney animators.
   • Storyboarding: “The Art of Storyboarding” by Sergio Paez.

Traditional Art

1. New Masters Academy
   • Offers in-depth courses on drawing, painting, and sculpture.
   • Focuses on classical techniques and anatomy.
2. Drawabox
   • Free course focused on developing foundational drawing skills.
   • Emphasizes perspective, form, and construction.
3. The Art Students League of New York (Online)
   • Offers live and recorded classes in traditional mediums like oil painting, watercolor, and sculpture.

Photography and Filmmaking

1. CreativeLive
   • Photography: “Fundamentals of Photography” by John Greengo.
   • Filmmaking: “The Art of Video Editing” by Ashley Kennedy.
2. MasterClass
   • Photography: Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography.
   • Filmmaking: Martin Scorsese Teaches Filmmaking.

3D Art and Animation

1. CG Spectrum
   • Offers courses in 3D modeling, animation, and game design.
   • Taught by industry professionals.
2. Blender (Free)
   • Blender Guru: “Donut Tutorial” for beginners.
   • CG Boost: “Blender Launch Pad” for 3D modeling.
3. Gnomon Workshop
   • Focuses on advanced techniques for 3D artists and animators.
   • Courses on ZBrush, Maya, and more.

Art Business and Marketing

1. The Art Career Project
   • Offers courses on building an art career, marketing, and selling art online.
2. CreativeLive
   • “How to Sell Your Art Online” by Laura C. George.
   • “Building a Creative Business” by Tara Gentile.

Free Resources

1. YouTube Channels
   • Proko: Drawing and anatomy tutorials.
   • Draw with Jazza: Fun, beginner-friendly art tutorials.
   • Marco Bucci: Digital painting and color theory.
2. Khan Academy
   • Free art history and appreciation courses.

Specialized Platforms

1. ArtStation Learning
   • Free and paid tutorials by industry professionals.
   • Focuses on concept art, game design, and digital painting.
2. ImagineFX Workshops
   • Offers workshops and tutorials for fantasy and sci-fi artists.

Tips for Choosing the Right Course

• Skill Level: Choose courses tailored to your experience (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
• Medium: Focus on courses that align with your preferred medium (digital, traditional, 3D, etc.).
• Instructor: Look for courses taught by industry professionals or artists you admire.
• Reviews: Check student reviews and ratings to gauge the quality of the course.