We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Shopping Travel & Lifestyle Products The 10 Best Places to Sign Up for Online Drawing Classes Are you a beginner interested in portraiture? There's a course for you. By Caitlin Morton Caitlin Morton Caitlin Morton is a freelance writer based in Kansas City, with a decade of experience in the travel industry. She worked as a digital editor for Condé Nast Traveler for six years and has since written for Vogue, Thrillist, AFAR, TripSavvy, and many other prominent publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 12, 2023 Photo: Marcus Chung / Getty Images When it comes to releasing stress and expressing yourself, nothing compares to putting a pencil, paintbrush, or piece of charcoal to paper. Art is one of the best ways to unwind at the end of the day, whether you're a regular Van Gogh or just trying out a new hobby. Luckily, honing your skills doesn't require buying a bunch of new materials and going back to art school à la Pam Beesly: There are plenty of online art classes that let you learn the fundamentals from the comfort of your home at an accessible price. Whether you want to become a master of figure drawing, try your hand at animation, or simply want to test out a variety of mediums to discover your favorite, we've rounded up some of the best online art classes that are sure to fit your specific bill. Prepare to dust off your sketch pad and learn a new set of skills when you sign up for one of these online drawing classes. Best Online Drawing Classes of 2023 Best Variety: Udemy Best for Beginners: Skillshare Best Prerecorded Videos: Domestika Best for Portraiture: Vitruvian Studio Best for Animation: Art of Aaron Blaise Best for Fine Art: Proko Best for Digital Painting: Paintable Best for Oil Painting: Evolve Artist Best Value: New Masters Academy Best Community: Pencil Kings Best Variety: Udemy Udemy Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Can enroll in over 7,000 drawing courses Classes are offered in a variety of languages along with subtitles Offers completion certificates after completing any paid course Cons Instructors aren't vetted No individual feedback Why It Made the List With over 200,000 courses for you to enroll in, Udemy is one of the biggest online learning platforms out there. A quick search for "drawing" pulls up more than 7,000 results, so you're sure to find something that suits your needs and skill level. While this may seem overwhelming, it's very easy to filter your results by video duration, level of expertise, topic (watercolor painting, figure drawing, etc.), and more. Since Udemy doesn't vet its instructors, anyone can teach a course. For this reason, it's worth reading the user reviews before enrolling in a class to ensure you're getting your money's worth. Additionally, you won't receive any one-on-one feedback from instructors, so just be aware of this if you're looking to get a more individualized experience. Courses are purchased one at a time, but there are hundreds of free classes available to choose from. Price Range: $20 to $200 | Available Mediums: Pencil, watercolor, acrylic, Copic markers, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best for Beginners: Skillshare SkillShare Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Thousands of drawing classes are available, with options for all skill levels No rigid scheduling allows for flexibility when enrolling in classes 30-day free trial is included with membership Cons Can't enroll in classes individually; must have an annual Skillshare membership Doesn't vet its instructors Why It Made the List Skillshare is a great jumping-off point for artists in training who aren't exactly sure where to begin. The classes range from general Getting Started with Drawing to more focused courses like An Introduction to the Art of Figure Drawing, and Procreate for Absolute Beginners. However, thousands of options are available, so even established artists looking to further hone their craft can take specific lessons like How to Draw Eyes with Colored Pencils, Travel Sketching Essentials, and more. Unlike other companies on this list, Skillshare requires you to sign up for an annual membership as opposed to enrolling in individual classes. This costs $168 per year, but the membership includes unlimited access to the company's entire catalog of creative classes. Each Skillshare class is a bit different, but you can generally expect a set of prerecorded video lessons that you can watch at your own pace. Price Range: $168 for annual membership | Available Mediums: Pencil, ink, watercolor, digital painting, acrylic, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best Prerecorded Videos: Domestika Domestika Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros All videos are produced by a professional film crew Offers thousands of lessons that cover a variety of mediums Instructors are individually vetted by the Domestika team Cons No refunds after 14 days Doesn't offer free trials Why It Made the List With millions of worldwide users, Domestika is one of the largest online communities for creative minds. The platform covers most art mediums ranging from drawing to photography, allowing budding artists to pick and hone a variety of skills. However, one of the best things about Domestika is that all lessons are shot by an in-house production team, so every single video has a professional, high-quality look—no shaky iPhone videos here. While classes are available to purchase individually for around $70, Domestika frequently offers sales that can bring those prices down to $8. However, beginner artists may want to consider the Domestika Plus membership ($7/month), which grants access to thousands of free courses. Just be aware that the site doesn't offer any free trials, and refunds are only granted within 14 days of purchase. Price Range: Starting at $7/month | Available Mediums: Watercolor, photography, markers, ink, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best for Portraiture: Vitruvian Studio Vitruvian Studio Sign Up Now Key Specs Price Range: $100 to $200Available Mediums: Graphite pencil, oil paint, and clayCourse Type: Instructor-led, live streams and recorded videos Pros & Cons Pros Courses focus on portraiture and life drawing Professional-grade lessons taught out of an actual art school Access to course materials never expires Cons Can't download videos of lessons Feedback available for an additional $100 Why It Made the List Vitruvian Studio is an online platform of Chicago's Vitruvian Fine Art Studio, which primarily focuses on portrait and life drawing, laying a solid foundation for burgeoning artists. The Drawing Basics course is great for beginners, with over 22 hours of video content that never expires. Each class also offers demonstrations of each exercise and downloadable PDF guides to accompany each lesson. Once you master the basics, you can sign up for intermediate courses like Anatomy of the Face, which teaches about muscle forms by layering clay onto a plastic skull, or Cast Drawing, which focuses on replicating the work of famous artists like Michelangelo. Regardless of which course you sign up for, you'll find a Q&A section at the bottom of each lesson that addresses students' most common questions and concerns. If you need help beyond that, you'll have to purchase a ''Critique Extension'' add-on ($100) for in-depth, individual feedback and video critiques from instructors. Additionally, do note that you can't download videos of lessons, so be sure to take plenty of notes. Price Range: $100 to $200 | Available Mediums: Graphite pencil, oil paint, and clay | Course Type: Instructor-led, live streams and recorded videos Best for Animation: Art of Aaron Blaise Art of Aaron Blaise Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Lessons are taught by a former Disney animator Offers discounts and sales on lessons Can download lesson videos for later reference Cons Doesn't offer feedback May not be suitable for true beginners Why It Made the List Aaron Blaise is an artist who spent 21 years working on a variety of Disney animated projects, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and more classic films. His website, Art of Aaron Blaise, offers animation lessons and digital painting courses, which are admittedly tailored toward experienced artists. However, Blaise's academy does offer classes that teach drawing basics and tutorials on using mediums such as charcoal, oil paint, and more. Video tutorials are available to purchase and download, and thanks to site-wide discounts, you can enroll in classes for as low as $1. There is also an annual membership available ($249), which grants access to the entire course catalog and custom Photoshop brushes. Given Blaise's expertise, the animation tutorials are among the most popular—just note that there are no Q&As accompanying each lesson, so you may be left tying up some loose ends on your own. Price Range: $2.50 to $105 | Available Mediums: Pencil, ink, animation, digital painting, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best for Fine Art: Proko Proko Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Specializes in fine art lessons like sculpting and portrait drawing Has thousands of free tutorial videos Fosters an online community to share your work with other students Cons Limited course selection for beginners Some courses are pricey Why It Made the List Proko is an online art school that specializes in fine art, such as portrait drawing and figure sculpting, which may or may not be suitable for beginners depending on your skill level. Regardless, the instruction quality is equally impressive, with instructors based around the world with teaching credentials at Grand Central Atelier, the Florence Academy of Art, and more. Aside from its fine art offerings, Proko also offers classes in caricature drawing, comic book art, digital painting, and more. If you enroll in Proko, you can choose between "courses" which are longer and more in-depth, or "lessons," which are mostly free YouTube videos covering specific topics like drawing noses or lips. Courses do have several hours of free videos available, though buying the pricey "premium" courses comes with extra perks like extended and downloadable videos, assignment demonstrations, eBooks, and more. There is also an online community where you can share your artwork, swap critiques, and bond with your fellow artists. Price Range: $25 to $417 | Available Mediums: Pencil, markers, ink, clay, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best for Digital Painting: Paintable paintable Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Courses focus specifically on digital art and Photoshop Free 5-day boot camp for beginners Offers a 30-day refund policy Cons Doesn't offer a variety of classes or mediums Individual courses can be pricey Why It Made the List Paintable is all about digital art—more specifically, helping people learn the basics of digital painting from the ground up. To help you get started, the platform offers several free videos and free brushes to use in Photoshop, Procreate, and Clip Studio Paint. There's even a free 5-day "boot camp" available for you to try out to help determine if this is the right medium for you. Paintable also offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase if you're not completely satisfied with the courses you spend money on. Beyond the free tools and boot camp, users can enroll in Paintable's Digital Painting Academy (starting at $33/month), which offers more in-depth tutorials, access to the community forum, and monthly live Q&A sessions with a professional artist. There are also about a dozen premium art courses available, which you can purchase individually, though these start at a pricey $97 and go up to $799. However, with a Digital Painting Academy membership, you can access these for free. Just remember that since Paintable primarily focuses on digital art, students interested in other tangible mediums may be disappointed. Price Range: Memberships start at $33/month; courses range from $97 to $799 | Available Mediums: Digital | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Best for Oil Painting: Evolve Artist Evolve Artist Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Primarily focuses on oil painting, and materials are included in the price One-on-one mentoring and live group chats Private online student gallery allows you to share your work and get feedback Cons Pricier than many competitors Only offers a single course Why It Made the List If you don't have the time or money to enroll in physical art school, Evolve Artist is the next best thing. This online art program mimics the curriculum of its brick-and-mortar Art Academy in New Jersey, offering a course focused on creating full works of art from start to finish. The class touches on elements like value and form, proportional drawing, painting in color, direct painting, and other fundamental art skills. Though this is a single course, online students can choose how many hours per week they want to devote to their education, and materials like paint, a canvas, and brushes are included in the total cost. Unlike many online learning platforms, Evolve Artist doesn't just post prerecorded videos without any follow-up. Instead, students get twice-daily feedback on their assignments and one-on-one video calls with instructors, along with live chats and weekly video conferences with the rest of their classmates. There's also a private online student gallery where you can post your artwork and get feedback from other artists. Price Range: $2,500 | Available Mediums: Oil paint | Course Type: Instructor-led, live streams Best Value: New Masters Academy New Masters Academy Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Offers accessible membership prices All teachers have experience in art education One-on-one coaching sessions Cons Doesn't offer refunds Materials are not included in price Why It Made the List New Masters Academy (NMA) is a subscription-based online art school with more than 2,500 hours of instructional videos available. It's by far one of the most affordable programs available right now, with yearly subscriptions starting at just $36. Even the most expensive subscription option, which includes interactive live classes and group coaching sessions, is just $149 per year. Just note that the academy doesn't offer refunds if you aren't satisfied with your classes. Aside from its prices, one of the biggest perks of NWA is the quality of its teachers. All instructors are handpicked for their experience in both the workplace and classroom, with many of them teaching at prestigious art schools and working for major brands like Disney. Even better, you can sign up for the NMA Coaching Program, which lets you get direct feedback from instructors via one-on-one video calls. Materials are not sent to you when you enroll, so be sure to check the PDF list linked in each lesson before you begin. Price Range: Starting at $36/year | Available Mediums: Colored pencil, sculpting, ink, oil paint, and more | Course Type: Instructor-led, live streams and recorded videos Best Community: Pencil Kings Pencil Kings Sign Up Now Pros & Cons Pros Can share assignments and trade tips with other students Instructors are vetted and hand-selected Assigns monthly challenges to help with motivation Cons Course catalog is limited There aren't any one-on-one interactions with instructors Why It Made the List Pencil Kings lets you sign up for an annual or monthly membership to get access to hundreds of classes, but it stands out for its community support and guidance on how to kick-start an actual career in art. Once you sign up for a class, you're granted access to the community forum where you can ask questions and share assignments. Additionally, there are monthly “'challenges'' that focus on a different fundamental art technique, so users can enjoy some friendly competition and win prizes. The platform isn't as massive as other competitors on this list, but there are still about 100 courses to choose from, most of which specialize in drawing basics, comics, and digital art. There are also helpful courses that go beyond art instruction and dive into career-building, with blog posts and videos explaining how to sell your art on social media, how to make prints of your work for portfolios, and more. Just note that you won't get any one-on-one time with instructors. Price Range: $299/year | Available Mediums: Pencil, ink, and digital art | Course Type: Instructor-led, prerecorded videos Frequently Asked Questions What Are Different Mediums You Can Draw In? There are many mediums used in the world of drawing. Some of the most popular include:Graphite pencilsColored pencilsInkCharcoalPensMarkersChalkCrayonsDigital How Much Should You Expect to Pay for Online Drawing Classes? The price for online drawing classes varies greatly from platform to platform. Individual classes can cost as little as $2.50 for quick videos or as much as $799 for in-depth courses. Many platforms offer monthly or annual memberships, which offer much better value for artists hoping to sample a variety of classes. How Many Classes Are Included in an Online Drawing Course? Most online drawing courses can be purchased individually, typically offering one lesson that can range anywhere from 5 minutes to 20+ hours. However, more in-depth courses include multiple lessons that can last multiple weeks. One notable example is the Anatomy of the Human Body course from Proko, which features a whopping 364 lessons and more than 77 hours of video tutorials. How Long Does It Take to Learn to Draw? If you devote most of your days to taking classes and practicing your sketching, you could expect to be proficient in drawing in a couple of years. That said, you can still learn to draw without becoming a professional-level expert in a shorter time frame. Many online drawing classes teach the basics like how to sketch lines or shade in figures. Ideally, these less intensive classes aim to help you gain some elementary skills within an hour or two. Are There Drawing Classes for Children Online? Yes, there are drawing classes for children online. Udemy is an online art platform with more than 200,000 courses, many of which are specifically tailored toward kids and teens. Some of its most popular youth-oriented classes include Building Confidence Through Drawing, How to Draw Step-by-Step Cartoons, and How to Draw the Easter Bunny. Methodology To determine the best online drawing classes, we researched more than two dozen art academies and online learning platforms. We evaluated each one based on the following criteria: PriceAvailable mediumsCourse selectionSkill level requiredInstructor qualityMembership perks, such as one-on-one feedbackStudent reviews Companies that provide a wide range of courses at varying skill levels and accessible price points fared particularly well. We also favored classes taught by vetted instructors and took into account former students' experiences with each platform. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit