Home Art The Best 11 Online Art Courses If You Are on a Budget

The Best 11 Online Art Courses If You Are on a Budget

Nowadays, many more companies and organizations are requesting the services of professionals, in the aspects of graphics illustrations, comic artistry, concept developments, and some other representational art scopes. In order to fulfill the conditions for a possible hire in any of these fields, the individual must have learned and possibly mastered a number of relevant art courses that would make them do well on the job.

Now, considering many of the inconveniences of conventional physical classrooms, the online art education programs have become a massive source of relief and innovation to the learning processes. There are recognized online courses that you can participate in if you’re looking to become a professional in record time.

Why you should consider taking online art courses

There are a number of reasons why we think that adopting the best online art courses, is the way to go in recent times. The structuring of the programs are usually those that ensures reasonable levels of convenience for participants, which is a contrast to the physical school- where students have to mandatorily resume at their desk at a decided time. Many of the best online art courses provide detailed prerecorded short videos,as wellas live classes- which may be recorded and easily accessed subsequently. The fact that the classes or tutorial videos are for short durations, helps the attention span of the students, which consequently increases their overall cumulative learning.

Another advantage of the different online art education is their relatively lesser cost implications on the participant. This factor is germane to the number of persons that are able to enroll for basic and advanced art studies, and the statistics show how much the online channels has helped people gain sufficient knowledge in aspects like 3D modeling and creative design, which would have cost reasonably more- if student had to learn from the physical school structure. Now, you would find good online courses to enroll in, with prices starting from as low as $10, to some others costing up to a comparatively meager $50 or $60. In fact, some courses- some of which are listed in this article, are subscription based. What this means in essence, is that you can save even more on the service fees- with monthly subscription fees ranging between ten to fourteen dollars.

The best online art courses and their category classifications

We have classified the relevant online courses that can be taken, into three blocks- based on their use applications, and some other individual training requirements. These classifications would help the user identify the choice course easily, as well as recognize what benefits they would be deriving from taking those courses.

The category blocks are as follows:

The drawing block category courses

In this category, listed courses are those intended to teach students on the fundamentals and basics of how to draw characters- including the public’s cherished and loved superheroes, as well as other creature characters. The following are the relevant courses in this category, together with their service sources and the course descriptions.

Character Art School: “Complete Character Drawing”

What you will learn?
How to draw human anatomy and how to apply this knowledge when drawing characters.
Length 26,5 hours of video tutorials.
Medium You can use pen and paper or digital tools.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, and films.
Price If you stay tuned for the usual Udemy offers you can get this course for over 15$

The Character Art School’s “Complete Character Drawing” classes are intensive and straight to the point, on giving a udent the best in this aspect. The aim of this program is to solidly build professionals in character drawing. Note that the complete character drawing course is complete in every sense of the word because users are entitled to every training information that is needed for them to excel in the art. This is a reason why the course is suitable for all categories of persons- whether you be the beginner or the intermediate individual who needs to hone the skill.

The school makes use of teaching video tutorials which takes the classes step by step- starting from the preliminary contents of character drawing and sketching, to the core advanced levels. There are advantages in this type of teaching roadmap, since every aspect that must be learned, have been categorized into different video materials. This makes the student sufficiently learn one concept, before moving onto the next.

At the end of this program, participants should have a knowledge of how to carry out character concept drawings, for films and games, as well as professional looking comics, manga, Disney animation styles, and several other illustration models.

The complete character drawing program is a ten weeks program, and all the course contents have been shared out within ten comprehensive video modules that have adequate guide inputs.

The course has been designed to make the learning easy, such that even the very beginner- who has no prior idea of digital painting, finds it easy to start painting using Procreate.

Foundations of Figure Drawings| Proportions (Comic Book Style)

What you will learn? This is an anatomy and proportions course for comic artists. Basic anatomy knowledge is required.
Length 6 h. of video tutorials.
Medium Pen and paper.
Professional
Fields
Comic, but this knowledge can be useful in another fields like concept art and illustration.
Price The course is less than 20$. Also, Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 11.99$

This course is open to all categories of learners- beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. The aim of the course is basically to teach American comic book style illustrations, to participants, as well as how to execute proportionate illustration projects. We recognize the importance of a course like this, considering the many unnecessary mistakes that have characterized some artworks in this section- hence robbing them of the intended effects and results. Students need to be taught on the ways of ensuring that their character illustrations are made devoid of proportional errors. There are peculiarities to achieving these, and that is part of what this course would be impacting in its students.

In this course, you would learn how to draw the human shape to proportion- from the front to back, sides, angles, and every other important consideration that is pivotal in aligning the illustrations to a reasonable presentation balance.

Proportion is important in everything, and you’ll understand how significant this trait is, for the success of your art work.

Characters in Motion: How to Capture Motion in Illustrations

What you will learn? You’ll learn to sketch a character in a scene by illustrating your own Super Hero or Super Villain in dynamic action. Basic anatomy knowledge recommended.
Length 42 min.
Medium Pen and paper or digital tools.
Professional
Fields
Comic, but this knowledge can be useful in another fields like concept art and illustration.
Price The course is 20$ but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 11.99$

These are one of the non-beginner classes, that is open to interested members of the public. This means that only people with basic background knowledge or those with pretty advanced knowledge, are expected to take part at this stage. This course is instructed by Patrick Brown, thus you can expect to get the best of tutorial and coaching. The aim is to teach students how to represent moving characters in a scene, on a sketch pad. As you know, there is lots of movement in gaming, movies, and comic arts. Hence, the reason for a course facilitator like Patrick, whose areas of interest and specialization includes modern comic design that is characterized by enormous movement and energy display.

You will be taught how to represent characters in motion, using a tailed knowledge of shading and lighting, in collaboration with the other details of professional sketching. This would be performed in such a way that agrees with anatomy and the positions of the body in motion.

In order to have a superb digital illustration imagery output, it is essential to have a well defined solid digital art. Once there is a pencil sketched imagery, there is an increased tendency to have more quality work when the finished models are made on photoshop.

Environment Art School: Perspective Landscape Drawing Course

What you will learn? Environment Art School is a learn-anywhere drawing course where you learn how to draw landscapes, backgrounds, scenes and professional environments.
Length 10 hours
Medium Pen and paper or digital tools.
Professional
Fields
Concept art, but this knowledge can be useful in another field like storyboarding.
Price The course is 199$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 12.99$

In this class, students would learn about environment design and all the tools need it to improve your drawing skills, like perspective, depth, volume and many more.

Regarding the author of the course, Scott Harris is an accomplished artist with several courses successful courses produced. His narrative style and charismatic voice make his teachings very easy to understand and assimilate.

Some of the main aspects that would be touched in the cause of the lecture would include how to appropriately use references in your drawings, how to translate your ideas and visions into a successful design.

At the end of the course, you should have learned how to identify elements that contribute to creating the best visual storytelling materials, as well as how and when to incorporate them into your environment designs.

Whether you wanna work using traditional materials like pen and paper, or digital tools like Photoshop, this course will teach you how to draw environments using the best tools available for any medium. You will learn from the basic drawing principles of perspective to the more advanced digital painting techniques.

How to Improve your Creature Design Drawings

What you will learn? In this course, you will learn how to draw a variety of creature concepts step by step
Length 4 h. of video tutorials.
MediumFor concept art is advisable to use digital tools but if not pen and paper will do the trick.
Professional
Fields
Concept art, but the skills learned in this course will be applicable in other fields like animation, film, and illustration.
Price The course is over 80$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 11.99$

This course is intended to teach participants on how to combine step by step drawing procedures, in obtaining a finished creature concept output. Now, if you want to know how artists come up with creative imaginative concepts, then this is the course that lets you in on the supposed secrets, and how to put them to use by yourself.

The focus of this class is centered on how to make use of different animal traits, in coming up with new concepts, that are yet relevant to the audience appeal. Note that there are many elements to the activities in this scope, however, all of these revolve around making use of animal features for the creation of new products. In order to ensure that the right proportions are achieved, the class also includes tips that aids the student choose within from within proper dimensions.

The Concept Art Courses

The concept art courses are aimed at bringing out the genius in you because they are designed to teach you how to think and create like a professional that you are. As such, all participants under this category, require some basic artistic foreknowledge, if they must follow and learn well.

The Digital Painting MEGA Course: Beginner to Advanced

What you will learn?
The Digital Painting Mega Course will show you how to create advanced art that will stand up as professional work
Length 12.5 hours of video tutorials
MediumYou can use the digital software you are more comfortable with. The author uses Procreate for iPad as his main working tool.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, and films.
Price The course is usually 199$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you check often you can get the course as cheap as 11.99$

With this course, you’ll get access to the 14 sections that will teach you the fundamentals of digital painting from the ground up. The course is supported with over 13 hours of clear content that I walk you through each step of the way.

  • The course starts with the basics. You will get an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of digital painting. Fundamentals are the most important part of creating professional art. You will learn everything from sketching fundamentals all the way up to photorealistic rendering. 
  • Next,you’ll learn how brushes work and how to incorporate them into your art. You will be learning how to create your own custom brushes as well.
  • Once you’ve learned brushes you are going to learn about the fundamentals of light and color and how to apply it to your drawings.
  • Then you are going to learn how to paint various surfaces and textures.
  • At this point,you’ll be ready to start painting in different art styles. We will spend 5 whole sections learning how to paint in different styles.
  • Lastly you will gain access to the bonus section where I’ll teach you how to build a professional art portfolio and build a following on social media.

All at your fingers tips instantly.

Digital Painting

What you will learn? Introduction to digital art. Perfect for beginners seeking to break into the digital art field.
Length 2 h. of video tutorials.
MediumDigital Tools. Photoshop.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, medical illustration, and films.
Price The course is over 25$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 9.99$

This aspect of the best online art courses entails the fundamental and comprehensive scopes of digital painting. This means that you’re guaranteed to learn virtually all that is needed for carrying out effective top-notch digital painting activities. Although the fundamentals would be taught, applicant’s at this section are ideally required to have a basic knowledge of general art appreciation, at least. For instance, persons in digital painting business who want to have an expanded understanding of what it takes to increase customer turn over and sales, may apply.

This training informs you of the special digital painting elements and techniques- such as master key to effective art and illustration practice, use of sidebar methodologies, etcetera. These definitely are useful tools to help you on your business.

The Art of Face Painting using Photoshop

What you will learn? Sketch and render realistic and beautiful depictions of the human face
Length 3,5 h. of video tutorials.
MediumDigital Tools. Photoshop.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, medical illustration, and films.
Price The course is over 60$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 9.99$

This aspect focuses on educating you on how to make perfect digital paintings, via the Photoshop editing tool. However, the contents of this course are way more than the regular use of Photoshop. The lessons go into details of how to obtain right human facial paintings. In fact, the student is expected to have a basic knowledge of the use of the software tool.

Asides this, there is also the professional character design and painting, all of which is also executable using the Adobe Photoshop. Note that with a good application knowledge of this character development, you could make very lucrative deals with clients.

Light and Color for DigitalPainting: From Beginner to Master Level

What you will learn? You will learn how to paint realistic lighting and color schemes. Also, how to understand and interpret real-life lighting situations.
Length5 h. of video tutorials.
MediumDigital Tools. Photoshop.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, medical illustration, and films.
Price The course is over 140$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and if you are quick you can get the course as cheap as 9.99$

Under this class, students are taught the best ways to make use of digital light colors, as well as how to achieve output designs that possesses just the required color textures and light view intensities. There are salient things to learn here, and you definitely be glad you did.

There may be so much use of the Photoshop than you may have reasoned, the digital landscape and painting classes, exposes you to a knowledge of how to transform the ordinary into something remarkably impressive, and qualified to be termed extraordinary.

The Cell Shading Course Categories

Cell shading in art design refers to a non photorealistic style in which computer designed graphics, are made to resemble the hand drawn samples. There are different elements that makes these type of work come out fine, and there is the need to incorporate them in just the required bits. Courses under this category aims at educating you on the dynamics to it.

Cell Shaded Arts (The Procreate Art)

What you will learn?  This course will show you how to create high-quality cell shaded images.
Length2 h. of video tutorials.
MediumDigital Tools. Procreate.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, and films.
Price The course is over 65$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and you can get the course as cheap as 9.99$

This is probably the main course work that teaches you how to carry out well-shaded artworks, that meets the standard requirements. The technical skills taught in the classes are of immense relevance to the main design and editing medium. Thus, irrespective of whether you use the Photoshop or the manga studio more, there’s just nowhere that you can’t effectively put what is being learned to good full use.

According to design, users of this course are estimated to get perfected in producing professionally toned cell shaded images, in the very least possible time.

2D Cell Shading in Photoshop

What you will learn?  This course will show you how to create high-quality cell shaded images.
Length1.5 h. of video tutorials.
MediumDigital Tools. Photoshop.
Professional
Fields
Animation, concept art, comics, illustration, and films.
Price The course is over 20$, but Udemy has usually sales promotions and you can get the course as cheap as 9.99$

This course would focus on how to insert right color combinations for cell shaded works. It would cover aspects revolving around output quality, as well as the way in which the adopted shades can be channeled to increase the product’s public appreciation value. Some of the techniques that would be discussed are the methods of isolating scanned artworks on a prepared transparent background, use of clipping masks, adjustment layers, and other color/shade inclined tools that are peculiar to Photoshop.

The course also aims at facilitating user speed, which would merge with other gradients and dimensions, to produce various types of artworks.

Conclusion

Now, as much as all of the listed online art courses are available and open to interested participants who have met the requirements, it is important that individuals carefully decide the course combinations that match their own specific needs. This would enable them channel all the required efforts to those scopes, and consequently provide an increased tendency for achieving more results.

Making the right decisions may require you to investigate the total course content for each course- which you can easily do by checking up the attached links. Sometimes, two or more of the courses may be closely related, but there would always be that distinguishing trait that makes one more appropriate for your type of activities, than the other.

Questions and comments can be attached at the comments section below. If there are any answers or assistance thatwe can give, we would definitely not fail to get in touch with the requester.

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