# Art Courses Online



## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

I've already done a thread about resources, inspiration... Now for actual courses.

The thing about being a self-taught artist is that it can be very difficult to do work without some guidance and/or motivation-- And art school is rather expensive. The latter is probably why a lot of people turn to self-taught art. 

But, the truth is, if you don't have motivation/initiative to do the work during your own time, you probably won't do well in art school anyway.

The reason a lot of people pay for these resources is that the money itself is a motivation to do the work everyday. So, if you're one of those people, then maybe it would be cheaper just to get straight to the important stuff, without superfluous ruffles of unnecessary courses in art school.

I've done some research, and have even paid for a few of these, so I can recommend or _not _recommend some of these. Others are just ones that I'm aware of and may put money in into the future (And if anyone has any experience with these, let me know.)

There are also plenty of resources online that are free!

Also-- Many of you may know of your own courses, free, or not-- And have your own experiences. Please feel free to add to this list.

So, let's get to it.

*Free Resources

*_Andrew Loomis Books:_ http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/

So, I've mentioned Andrew Loomis' free PDFs in the past. They are excellent for anyone wishing to learn to draw-- Particularly the figure. I can't recommend him enough. He may be technical and boring, but if you power through these books, and these exercises, and do enough repetition, you will be off to a great start.

_Ctrl Paint:_ http://www.ctrlpaint.com/

For those of you who are unaware of it-- It's a great stop for the fundamentals-- And even pros need to refresh their fundamentals constantly. So take advantage!

_Proko:_ https://www.youtube.com/user/ProkoTV/videos

Also free, but limited. It's very helpful little tips and bursts of info for the beginner. Particularly, once again, for the figure, but there is plenty of other information.
_
Scott Robertson videos_: https://www.youtube.com/user/scottrobertsondesign/videos

Great for more advanced artists, I think, this guy knows what he's talking about. He even has a couple of books which I'll mention later.

_Art communities! _

CGTalk

Polycount Forum

Permanoobs â€¢ Index page

Crimson Daggers â€” Art forum

Forums and their affiliated sites are excellent resources for the budding, or blossoming artist. Places like CGtalk, Polycount, Permanoobs, and Crimson Daggers are excellent havens for artists of any calibre, and I'd recommend them all! Start up your own sketchbooks and get cracking!

I no longer recommend conceptart.org. More on that in a bit.
*
Not-Free Resources

(Warning: Not *Recommended*): *_LevelUp Workshop_

Many of you may be aware of conceptart.org and its illustrious history. It used to be a haven for artists of all kinds-- It still is! (I have nothing against the artists who put up their sketchbooks here-- They're wonderful people and a great community despite the site's issues) However, then it became a sell-out. It started a money-sucking workshop called LevelUp. This is just my opinion, mind, but I paid for this for quite a few months. It gives you assignments, and you get critiques, sure. But, quite often the critiques from the _one instructor dude _(Jason Manley), are fairly curt, and not necessarily very helpful. 

The assignments are designed to be very lengthy, so the student will stay with the program as long as possible, so the company can get as much money as possible. 

The critiques you get from other students are enforced-- For every stage you move forward, you're required to critique other students. I think it was 10 critiques, and this had just started when I was trying it out. Now, critiques should go without saying-- It's important to try to help each other in a community. But, when you're paying for it, this is usually not the route that professional companies go for. Additionally, there have been legal battles in terms of the site's ownership, and Manley himself has a fairly dark past.

If you don't believe my analysis-- Great! Draw your own conclusions. But, make sure to do your research too.

If you're looking for starting up your own Sketchbook on an art forum, I would recommend the art communities I've already listed above, though! :kitteh:
_
New Masters Academy_: New Masters Academy

Here's a site's workshop that I paid for and _can _recommend: _New Masters Academy_. They have excellent instructors, and great videos. 

The only downside is that you're creating your own curriculum-- You have tons of videos and figure drawing gesture resources at your fingertips, but you're going to have to go through it in the way you've designed yourself, and it's probably best to retain the information if you take notes and follow along in your own sketchbook. You don't get assignments to hand in. 

This can be overwhelming to have so much information thrown at you, and having to organize it yourself, so keep that in mind. The team is very quick to respond to questions and whatnot, from what I've noticed, and the price is pretty decent for what you're getting.


_The Gnomon Workshop:_ The Gnomon Workshop - Professional Training for Artists

This one I've never tried, but have heard bucketloads about. It's to learn from professionals-- And it's moderately costly for a subscription to their instructions and resources. 59 USD per month, or 500 usd per year. There's a personal edition, and a studio edition. They _seem _to have project files available for download where applicable, but I'm not sure about how their feedback system works. It may very well be similar to New Masters Academy, just with a lot more digital art content. 

There's also a school in Hollywood or something, but you'll need a pretty tip-top portfolio to land it, as far as I'm aware. Again-- Feel free to do your own research! :kitteh:

_CGMA 2D/3D Academy_: Home Page - CGMA 2D Academy

Another one I've never tried, but have heard bucketloads about! This one seems pretty expensive. For example-- If you take what seems to be _two months_ of Perspective(?), that's gonna cost you around 700 USD. Another thing is that Photoshop and a wacom tablet are recommended for most of these courses, and it really depends on what you're taking. (If photoshop is too expensive for you, try Krita-- It's an amazing free and open source Photoshop alternative: https://krita.org/ ) It seems like a great art school type deal for the online student, though, but let's hope you get what you pay for! And know what you need to learn first! :kitteh: 

Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com/classes/...o-Character-Design-Know-Your-Basics/127728137

I put an example instructor there, but the site has a lot more courses and stuff. Seems pretty affordable, I dunno-- Good for you guys to know about and check out. :kitteh:

Gumroad! www.gumroad.com

Yay, free stuff, _and _stuff that costs money. Pretty affordable! I think 'nuff said.
_
Robotpencil!_ Robotpencil

Anthony Jones is behind this little pet project-- I'm a big fan of his work and have bought quite a few of his gumroads. His stuff is even available to buy off of Steam. He's really on top of new trends and keeps up with stuff, and he and his compadres are very amusing to listen to on youtube while drawing. Check out his channel by searching for 'robotpencil'. He has some free advice in all of his videos!
_
Learn Squared:_ www.learnsquared.com

This is one I'm planning to pay for when I've saved up enough money. It's very new-- And some new courses just came up today/yesterday. Really excited about trying it out. Anthony Jones is also in here-- He's a busy guy. I do think his painting with confidence course would be really awesome for those interested in really nailing fundamentals, by a really great instructor (and his apprentice).

Scott Robertson Books: 

This guy seems to know what he's talking about, and I'm planning to buy both of his books: "How to Draw" and "How to Render." I'll recommend these just because that's what I'm planning to do, but do your own research. :kitteh:
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Well, that's about all I can think of. I hope this stuff helps some people, and please, _please _feel free to add to this list! :kitteh:


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## Intricate Mystic (Apr 3, 2010)

Word Dispenser said:


> The reason a lot of people pay for these resources is that the money itself is a motivation to do the work everyday. So, if you're one of those people, then maybe it would be cheaper just to get straight to the important stuff, without superfluous ruffles of unnecessary courses in art school.


People pay for art school because you learn more and experience more there than when you're self-taught. An important aspect of formal art courses is the class critique component. You can't get the feedback that you need from a professor and classmates by reading or taking online courses. That said, if you don't mind being out of the loop and are just making art for fun then self-help sources are fine.


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Intricate Mystic said:


> People pay for art school because you learn more and experience more there than when you're self-taught. An important aspect of formal art courses is the class critique component. You can't get the feedback that you need from a professor and classmates by reading or taking online courses. That said, if you don't mind being out of the loop and are just making art for fun then self-help sources are fine.


Apologies-- I'm not attacking art school, or the art school experience. I've been for a year in foundations in art and design, and it was the best year of my life.

I was simply directing my attention to resources for artists-- Whether they be self-taught, or are in a formal learning institution. 

It is important to note that there are plenty of professional artists who have never gone to school and had to figure it out themselves. It's not only for the hobbyist, especially with communications being the way they are over the internet.

It can certainly be a lot more difficult-- and comes with its own advantages as well as disadvantages. But, it's not impossible to become great this way, as long as you are persistent and maintain focus. :kitteh:


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## Scarlet Eyes (May 15, 2015)

@Word Dispenser As a novice artist themselves, these resources seem very informative and helpful. I'll be sure to use them in the future :kitteh:


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## WickerDeer (Aug 1, 2012)

Thanks for the resources. I actually enjoy art classes (physical irl ones, not online) because it gives me a place to be with other people who value art (whereas some people are kind of hostile to those values), and it can also give insight into different techniques and criticism. 

I think one of my favorite aspects is being able to learn from people about their techniques in real time, and also I tend to feel a bit more "on the spot" when others are able to freely see my drawings, so that pressure pushes me a bit further at times than simply being alone and having only my eyes to critique them. But I agree with you that it's important to pursue resources on one's own time as well, and I appreciate the resources since I'm not going to art school any time soon.

Here's an exercise my old community college art instructor had us do that anyone can do even if not in school (and it kind of keeps you "in the loop" too, to a degree). He had us keep a sketch book and pick something like a hundred different works of art that spoke to us. We had to do this regularly though--and continually add new ones through the year. Then we were to spend time recreating very small versions (quick) in the sketch book, mostly focusing on value and composition, and lines. Like only a few inches tall etc. This is to teach composition and broaden and sharpen our vision and taste and to also keep abreast of the art scene.

He especially wanted us to look through art magazines and not just online, but there are some online sites in which you can view contemporary art. One online magazine I really enjoy is beautiful.bizarre https://beautifulbizarre.net/category/art/painting-illustration/ and there are many others.

I will look over your resources more carefully soon. I have decided to make creating a portfolio one of my official goals, though tbh, I am not particularly great at prioritizing my time. But I decided to make that change, so I do appreciate this.


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## Macrosapien (Apr 4, 2010)

Art Camp - Learn Together what do you think of this @Word Dispenser


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Macrosapien said:


> Art Camp - Learn Together what do you think of this @_Word Dispenser_


I've heard of it, and I've done some googling on 'Noah bradley art camp review' in the past, but I wasn't too wowed in terms of my initial impression. I think this is very likely similar to LevelUp workshop, with less scam and more critiques involved. I probably wouldn't go for it, myself. There is potential to benefit from it, as with anything-- But, no matter what, you'll get what you put in. 

It's really not fair of me to say this without pointing out that there are probably tons of people who have benefited from all of these courses and workshops-- An experience like this is individual, and therefore very subjective. What I get from it will be different than what you get from it. But, that's still my impression and my two cents. Just take it with a grain of salt. :kitteh:

I haven't seen students results or anything like that-- And his personal work seems above average, but it's not stunning me with its brilliance. Far better than my own work, certainly-- So I may be in no place to judge.

But, the truth is, you could likely do your own studies and push and draw/paint/etc for 5 hour per day for a couple of years and get professional without spending a dime. But, for those who need motivation, or some simple instruction-- It can really get you in the right head space.

Also found a neat site called 'habitica.com'... Gamifying your life. Drawing for 5 hours a day perhaps becomes much easier this way. :kitteh:


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## Macrosapien (Apr 4, 2010)

Word Dispenser said:


> I've heard of it, and I've done some googling on 'Noah bradley art camp review' in the past, but I wasn't too wowed in terms of my initial impression. I think this is very likely similar to LevelUp workshop, with less scam and more critiques involved. I probably wouldn't go for it, myself. There is potential to benefit from it, as with anything-- But, no matter what, you'll get what you put in.
> 
> It's really not fair of me to say this without pointing out that there are probably tons of people who have benefited from all of these courses and workshops-- An experience like this is individual, and therefore very subjective. What I get from it will be different than what you get from it. But, that's still my impression and my two cents. Just take it with a grain of salt. :kitteh:
> 
> ...



O that's fine, I wanted to get your input because you have tried these "online" resources and courses out. This is all pretty new to me. My concern is basically just learning digital art -- the other stuff, I have great color sense, a natural at that, sketching is something I am getting to become more loose with, you could say, I understand the human body to a decent degree, but I want to be able to draw figures without ANY reference whatsoever, I am getting to that point, but am not completely confident. But for me, my focus is on getting to draw the figure without any need of reference and getting to learn how to work with digital programs for art, that's basically my sole aim at this point. but of course I am willing to do basic stuff as well, as its always good to work on those things. 'habitica.com', seems cool.

What do you think of this online source? Schoolism @Word Dispenser


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Macrosapien said:


> O that's fine, I wanted to get your input because you have tried these "online" resources and courses out. This is all pretty new to me. My concern is basically just learning digital art -- the other stuff, I have great color sense, a natural at that, sketching is something I am getting to become more loose with, you could say, I understand the human body to a decent degree, but I want to be able to draw figures without ANY reference whatsoever, I am getting to that point, but am not completely confident. But for me, my focus is on getting to draw the figure without any need of reference and getting to learn how to work with digital programs for art, that's basically my sole aim at this point. but of course I am willing to do basic stuff as well, as its always good to work on those things. 'habitica.com', seems cool.
> 
> What do you think of this online source? Schoolism @_Word Dispenser_


My best advice is to get a book called 'Constructive figure drawing' by Michael Hampton, and the free figure drawing PDFs by Andrew Loomis. Also look into George Bridgman! All of which were, and are, very helpful for my figure drawing learning. And nothing beats drawing from life, so draw yourself in a mirror or take advantage of life drawing classes in your city. :kitteh:

Also-- A piece of advice I should have listened to sooner, from someone who became a very successful concept artist is to draw what you see, and then afterwards, draw it from memory. Do that a lot.

As for Schoolism, I'm glad you found it. That's one I've heard great things about-- Particularly Craig Mullins. The artist community loves him. :kitteh:

If you really want to make sure you're getting a good instructor, google is a great resource. Google the artist and see what they've made. Also-- Youtube. It's pretty important that you like their teaching style and way of speaking, too.

Here's Alex Woo results-- Even an interview and his work. Looks really good: https://www.google.no/search?q=alex+woo&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=-uqQVuyMM4KjsgHcoo2YAw#q=alex+woo+art


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