6 Online Art Courses

Over the past year I made a goal to grow in my skill, learn new skills, and become a better artist overall. We had a year of transition while my husband was finishing up medical school and beginning his residency. We didn’t know where in the country we’d be living. We travelled across the entire US for residency interviews. I decided to slow down on markets and custom orders and really dedicate time to learning.

I describe myself as self-taught. I never took formal art classes or college-level art courses. Although I don’t believe a college degree in Art is necessary at all to create beautiful art or run a successful art business, I do think there are so many advantages to learning about color, composition, drawing, basics of different mediums like oil, etc. I love that because of courses I can learn in a week what would take me several months to learn on my own.

Some of the courses I’ve invested in have been art courses and some have been more focused toward creating a sustainable art business.

Here are some that I’ve loved.

Making Art Work with Emily Jeffords

Everything you need to know about running an art business. From defining your purpose, creating a vision, and reaching an audience that sees the worth of your work.

The Collective with Emily Jeffords

Originally this collective was created for students of Making Art Work, but any artist is able to join. This group is a supportive way to grow in together in a community of artists and learn all the exciting things about the industry.

Art to Print with Laurie Ann Gonzalez

This course has taught me everything I need to know about making recreations of my work. She teaches EVERYTHING. I’ve been printing at home for a long, long time, but it’s so valuable to learn what other artists are doing to make printing a more enjoyable process.

Studio School with Lucy Reiser

The basics of finding the voice, colors, and materials you love with an in depth insight into how Reiser creates her landscape and abstract pieces. 

Realistic Oil Portrait Painting with Daria Callie hosted by Monthly

This online class taught me Daria’s techniques creating her own portraits step-by-step. This course was very in depth - starting with taking photos, choosing the composition, mixing colors, and painting a beautiful, realistic oil portrait. This course has given me an incredible amount of confidence in my abilities as an artist.

New Master’s Academy

I’m not even really sure where to begin. NMA offers all kinds of classes through a monthly or yearly subscription. They offer a month free, which is a lot of time to go through classes. They offer a variety of classes with hours of teaching per class, teaching the way the Masters have learned and worked for hundreds of years. These courses are very in depth. My favorites were drawing, color, and oil painting.

Courses have been a great resource for me over the past year. They’ve allowed me time to experiment, discover my creative style, and have more control over my work.

Enjoy xx