The digital art world is a vast, diverse, and exciting realm, overflowing with potential and creativity. It is a domain where the only limits are those of your imagination. Yet, for those unacquainted with the medium, the starting point might appear daunting.
With an array of software, techniques, and genres to explore, where does one begin? This is where online digital art courses come into play. They provide a structured learning path, guiding you from the fundamentals to the intricacies of digital art creation.
But with a plethora of options available online, how do you identify the one that’s just right for you? In this article, we will navigate through the digital seas of online art education, highlighting key considerations and illuminating paths towards the most effective and engaging courses.
Our guide will help you find the digital art course that matches your skill level, fits your budget, and aligns with your creative goals, ensuring your journey into the world of digital art starts on a strong note.
Benefits of online digital art courses
Primarily, the unique nature of digital art diverges from traditional art, leading to a substantial online consumer base. The possibilities in the online realm exceed those in any other context.
Additionally, due to a wealth of online resources and classes, art enthusiasts can share their innovative ideas and talents with the world more efficiently and promptly than ever. Digital art is believed to be the future of all art forms, and there are reasons to uphold this view.
This belief is reinforced by the proliferation of online platforms providing courses, tutorials, and lessons in digital art. But why should you consider online digital art classes? Here are some compelling reasons:
1 – Networking opportunities with leading digital artists: Online classes grant you the opportunity to engage with established digital artists who are familiar with the requirements of being a top-tier creative professional.
Regardless of your location, you can connect with mentors from renowned companies and film studios worldwide. This allows you to learn from industry leaders and gain insights into becoming successful in the industry.
This forms a crucial aspect of your digital art learning journey.
2 – Flexible learning schedule: Online courses undoubtedly provide you with the flexibility to manage your time effectively.
You can arrange your study hours at any time, enabling you to handle other responsibilities like work and family.
3 – Reduced distractions and heightened engagement: Studying digital art demands dedication and a distraction-free learning environment. Online courses offer these benefits as the tutor’s attention is less divided.
Asking questions in such a setting is easy and comfortable, setting you on the path to becoming a professional digital artist.
Top picks for digital art courses
A multitude of digital art courses exist across various online platforms. Depending on your comfort and familiarity with a platform, you can choose a course that could boost your digital art skills. Here are some top picks from popular platforms:
Drawing and Painting on the iPad with Procreate – Udemy
This course enables interaction with one of the finest digital drawing apps for the iPad.
You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of Procreate, learning how to create Speedraw videos, generate and import custom brushes, and more. You can readily share your learnings on your online platforms.
Before enrolling, you’ll need to possess a recent iPad or iPad Mini and have a basic understanding of using an iPad. Also, you should be able to download and install the Procreate app from the Apple Store.
After ensuring these prerequisites, you can embark on this course and enjoy learning how to paint on an iPad. Plenty of drawing techniques on Procreate will significantly enhance your drawing abilities, enabling you to draw varied subjects from anywhere.
If you’re seeking an easy-to-follow digital drawing course, this is the right pick for you. The course demystifies painting, making it fun and accessible.
The lessons are clear and straightforward, suitable for anyone. The course includes more than 20 video demonstrations teaching how to draw different elements. You will acquire numerous simple painting and drawing techniques that you can readily incorporate into your art.
Ink Illustration Techniques in Procreate – Skillshare
Here’s yet another invaluable digital art course tailored for those wishing to expand their proficiency in the field. This course imparts knowledge on how to adeptly operate the painting software, enabling you to produce stunning pieces of art.
The course also enlightens you on how to employ dots and ink lines effectively to introduce shadows, depth, and highlights into your creations. You’ll pick up various strategies and methodologies for hatching, stippling, and cross hatching.
Furthermore, the course guides you through the process of incorporating vibrant colors into your linework. This not only introduces contrast but also infuses variation, making your artwork pop and stand out.
This course continues to employ Procreate, a quintessential application for designing and creating compelling art. To maximize its potential, you’ll require an iPad and an Apple Pencil. Additionally, inking pens, a stylus (preferably an Apple Pencil), and sheets of paper will be necessary.
Lighting your Illustration with Blending Modes in Photoshop – Pluralsight
Should your passion lie in working with Photoshop, or if you find yourself eager to grasp its complex concepts, this course is tailor-made for you. It delves into an array of blending modes, instrumental in illuminating your illustrations.
You’ll be exposed to the versatility of layer and tool blending modes, which serve as invaluable additions to your digital art toolkit. It’s important to note that you will require Photoshop CC to effectively participate in this course.
Digital art courses for beginners
Embarking on your digital art journey can feel daunting, but with these courses at your fingertips, guidance is just a click away. We’ve selected offerings from a range of online platforms to ensure a comprehensive learning experience.
Complete Beginner’s Guide to Digital Art – Udemy
- A perfect stepping stone for those entering the realm of digital art, this course covers all the basics you need to evolve from a novice to an adept digital artist. It’s designed to give you a robust understanding of the essential tools and techniques used in this field.
You’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of line drawing, understanding the connection between shapes and lines, the intricate details of digital software, crafting a basic human figure, and creating simple shapes.
Furthermore, the course equips you with skills to utilize shapes and lines for observational drawing, introduces you to the essentials of digital coloring, and demonstrates the usage of Sketchbook Pro.
To undertake this course, you’ll need a computer or drawing tablet, along with paper and pencil. No prior knowledge of art is necessary; everything you need to know will be covered here. This introductory course extends beyond digital art, providing a general foundation in art principles. It’s an excellent opportunity to refine your art skills.
Getting Started in Digital Art (for Beginners) – Skillshare
- If you’re ready to embark on your digital art expedition, this course is your launchpad. By the time it concludes, you’ll have acquired a host of skills ready to flaunt.
No previous digital art experience is required – your instructor will deliver all the necessary knowledge. All that’s expected of you is a passion for drawing.
This course doesn’t confine you to any specific software. Whether you’re comfortable with Photoshop or another platform, the processes taught remain applicable.
The curriculum covers setting up your workspace and establishing the correct canvas, understanding basic tools and options, presetting tools, mastering basic layer options and organizing layers (with practical examples), sketching and refining line drawings, adding and blending colors, adding details, and saving the final piece.
Required materials include a desktop or laptop, and Photoshop (CS6 or later). A graphic pen tablet is highly recommended if accessible. Alternatively, a computer mouse can be used, though this may be more time-consuming and challenging.
Foundational Elements of Art for the rest of your Life – Pluralsight
This course offers a foundational exploration of the artistic principles essential to honing your skills as an artist, applicable to both traditional and digital art forms. It delves into the various line types, teaching you their usage for effective visual communication.
Furthermore, you’ll gain insights into the constituents of shape and form, and how to blend diverse shapes and forms, both in two and three dimensions. Coupled with an understanding of critical composition principles, you’ll learn to construct visually captivating art.
Additionally, this course will familiarize you with the fundamental characteristics of color, vital to effective artistic expression.
Best free digital art courses
Art Fundamentals – Building Blocks of Digital Painting – Udemy
Tailored for the novice looking to dip their toes into the world of digital art, this free course offers the opportunity to learn directly from established digital artists. The curriculum is structured in an interactive, entertaining manner, focusing on the fundamental concepts and terminologies that professional artists swear by. It enables you to adopt an artist’s perspective and vocabulary, along with revealing the path to a successful digital art career.
Anyone with an affinity for art, yet uncertain about the related concepts and terminologies, will find this course beneficial. Please note, to keep pace with the course, completion of the “Photoshop Fundamentals in One Hour” course is advised. This course structure includes a 5-minute lecture followed by an approximately 44-minute detailed session on ‘Art Basics’ forming the major portion of the course.
The Procreate Class: Beginner Basics + Beyond – Skillshare
Intended for budding digital artists keen on mastering Procreate, this course guides you through the Procreate basics, along with some advanced features employed by professionals to add a touch of brilliance to their work. Considering that Procreate is an essential tool for creating digital art on an iPad, mastering its basics is crucial.
Since the app is regularly updated to incorporate new features and enhance user experience, having access to this course could prove pivotal in your artistic journey.
The course comprises a multitude of topics including document creation for web or print use, color palettes and color usage, importing and modifying custom brushes in Procreate, using the Selection Tool for object movement, text addition and editing, and application of Transparency masks and clipping masks. It also offers tips on how to utilize layers effectively.
Beginner’s Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop – Pluralsight
This online course is a comprehensive bundle of lessons designed to impart fundamental terminology, principles, and workflows for digital painting in Photoshop.
Beginning with the very basics, you’ll be guided on how to create, save, and navigate within your digital documents.
Key tools for digital painting, specifically Photoshop’s brush and eraser tools, will become your familiar friends. The course also enlightens you about the role of layers, selections, and masks in your creative process.
These insights promise to enrich your digital painting voyage. An opportunity to paint a digital image will bring these lessons to life. To participate, make sure you have Photoshop CS5 installed on your computer or laptop.
Digital Art Bootcamp – CLASS 1.1 (FREE TUTORIAL) – YouTube
Rossdraws and Stella invite you to embark on an enlightening journey through a series of lessons, designed to hone your skills and turn your digital art aspirations into reality.
Despite being a 2.5 hour-long video, time will fly by as you immerse yourself in a flurry of new ideas.
Catering to artists of all levels – from beginners to advanced practitioners – this class offers insights and techniques that could revolutionize your approach to digital art. After all, fresh perspectives in our digital art journey empower us to continually improve and evolve.
This course strikes a perfect balance between practicality and enjoyment. The stellar work of Rossdraws and Stella makes this course an absolute gem in the world of digital art education.”
FAQs about digital art course online
What is the most suitable online course for digital art?
The ideal course for you will largely depend on your current proficiency and experience in digital art. For beginners, introductory courses can provide a firm foundation. Even if you are an intermediate artist or a professional, revisiting the basics can be beneficial. Several platforms such as Udemy and Skillshare boast an extensive selection of topics. If you prefer video-based learning, YouTube can also be a worthwhile choice.
Is learning digital art a complex task?
Absolutely not! Digital art is an enjoyable and user-friendly discipline to learn. You might find it surprising, but a passion for art is the primary prerequisite for understanding digital art. Far from being excessively technical, digital art offers a unique avenue to perceive and represent the world around us. It streamlines and enhances the creative process with the aid of technology.
Do I require a degree for digital art?
No, a degree is not necessary for proficiency in digital art. Numerous free online courses can kickstart your journey if you’re enthusiastic about art. Most of these courses do not confer degrees unless specifically pursued. To begin, all you need is a suitable computer or tablet and a love for art.
In conclusion…
Identifying the right online digital art courses might seem challenging due to the plethora of available options. Nevertheless, with a clear understanding of what you’re seeking and a genuine interest in digital art, you can locate the perfect course for you. Various platforms offer these courses at reasonable prices, and there are also complimentary beginner courses to assist novices. Choose a course that resonates with you and meets your requirements to embark on your digital art journey.
