Thank you for your report!
We have received your report and it is currently under investigation by a forum moderator.
Online painting classes
Welcome to the forum.
Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.
Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.
Hang on Studio Wall
This is a Studio member-only feature!
Join our Studio membership and save your favourite Painters Online content, from gallery artwork to step-by-step guides, to your own online mood boards. Create your go-to place for inspiration and learning. Plus, members can also enjoy a range of exciting features including monthly art videos and a digital magazine library.
If you are already a Studio member, simply login to your account.
Not a Studio member? Why not try our free 30-day trial - no commitment, no credit card required
Message
Posted
I just can’t see how this form of virtual teaching/ instruction can be effective! But I’ve never had to go down this route, so I may be wrong.
Get a subscription to Leisure Painter Nadia, it’s packed with ideas and projects to help the amateur artist in getting started or progressing further.
Sylvia is right, pick up a pencil or paint brush and just go for it! You may well be surprised how easy and enjoyable painting can be, whatever your skill level.
Join in on the gallery by posting some of your work, and ask for advice on this forum, there’s always someone on here who will be happy to help, myself being one of those.
Posted
I moved my guitar-teaching work online whilst we're all locked in our homes so maybe my perspective will help a little:
Online learning of anything that requires a physical action needs to allow the real-time ability to see what a student is doing. If I say "This is a Gmaj7 chord" and the sound that comes back is "thththppppp" then I need to work out what's gone wrong, and that's a visual exercise; if I can't see my student's hands I'm, ... what's the word ...., buggered.
Online lessons need to provide a two-way conversation, and you'll find things like Youtube don't. As in face-to-face lessons the questions will vary - "what's that chord" or "what fingers do I use for that chord" or "is there an easier way to play that chord with less notes" or "I'm eight years old and playing my Grandad's Dreadnaught and my fingers can't reach or hold the strings down" - and as a tutor I need to have answers available for all of them. Yes, I've learned stuff from the Proko channel on Youtube (and others) but it requires me to be able to interpret and absorb and then sometimes re-interpret what's being said.
I have concerns about step-by-step stuff too. "How to paint Donald Trump in three easy steps. 1 - Draw Donald Trump's head. 2 - Put all the features in the right place. 3 - Make it look like Donald Trump" won't teach you anything and there's a lot of that about.
There are, however, real positives to online learning - you can study with an expert who lives three days away from where you live without having to travel there every week. Just make your choices wisely and carefully and make sure it's possible to have an ongoing two-way live conversation.
Edited
by Alan Green
Posted
Something I have never done. Only you can test effectiveness of on line study. Why not pick up a brush and experiment for yourself.Since I have not held a brush since my middle school, there is no idea about technique and tools. I am afraid that my actions will result in deception and abandonment. I am looking at a variety of new interesting online schools. I wonder, how does it feel to draw professionally? If the person has no talent, but he/she wishes to paint, is it still possible to make not a shameful artwork?
Posted
I just can’t see how this form of virtual teaching/ instruction can be effective! But I’ve never had to go down this route, so I may be wrong. Get a subscription to Leisure Painter Nadia, it’s packed with ideas and projects to help the amateur artist in getting started or progressing further. Sylvia is right, pick up a pencil or paint brush and just go for it! You may well be surprised how easy and enjoyable painting can be, whatever your skill level. Join in on the gallery by posting some of your work, and ask for advice on this forum, there’s always someone on here who will be happy to help, myself being one of those.I appreciate it a lot! It might be quite interesting to try various studying methods.
Posted
I moved my guitar-teaching work online whilst we're all locked in our homes so maybe my perspective will help a little: Online learning of anything that requires a physical action needs to allow the real-time ability to see what a student is doing. If I say "This is a Gmaj7 chord" and the sound that comes back is "thththppppp" then I need to work out what's gone wrong, and that's a visual exercise; if I can't see my student's hands I'm, ... what's the word ...., buggered. Online lessons need to provide a two-way conversation, and you'll find things like Youtube don't. As in face-to-face lessons the questions will vary - "what's that chord" or "what fingers do I use for that chord" or "is there an easier way to play that chord with less notes" or "I'm eight years old and playing my Grandad's Dreadnaught and my fingers can't reach or hold the strings down" - and as a tutor I need to have answers available for all of them. Yes, I've learned stuff from the Proko channel on Youtube (and others) but it requires me to be able to interpret and absorb and then sometimes re-interpret what's being said. I have concerns about step-by-step stuff too. "How to paint Donald Trump in three easy steps. 1 - Draw Donald Trump's head. 2 - Put all the features in the right place. 3 - Make it look like Donald Trump" won't teach you anything and there's a lot of that about. There are, however, real positives to online learning - you can study with an expert who lives three days away from where you live without having to travel there every week. Just make your choices wisely and carefully and make sure it's possible to have an ongoing two-way live conversation.Yes, I totally agree with you. I played accordion for 6 years and back at that time, we did not even have the phone. Now technology has made a significant advancement. Art studios are closed, so the best way is to study painting online since most of us now still work online also.
Posted
Hello Nadia,
I'm absolutely no expert, but I'm of the opinion that the only way to learn is by doing it / using it / playing with it (the paint, that is). I paint in acrylics, and apart from one group 'painting afternoon' a decade ago, I've had no other teaching on the 'how to'...
I think that anyone who paints (in any medium) has different ways of using their medium than anyone else. Just look at the variety in the POL gallery.
And then the Composition, inspiration, subject matter, (to me) are all very personal things. We all see differently.
We can get fantastic guidance from experienced artists (I like to read The Artist, and Leisure Painter, for example), and just talking to someone (not necessarily an artist) can provide other perspectives. Plus, like others have commented, the Forum here is a great place for another viewpoint on your work.
In my mind, there are no hard and fast rules (I'd quit if there were), and if I didn't ENJOY it, I wouldn't do it (whether my husband says it 'looks wrong' or not!)
Posted
Hello, I am a beginner in art learning. I would like to start taking lessons in watercolor or pastel drawing. Please, share your experience and the effectiveness of the online study. NadiaHi Nadia I had always thought that if I just painted and drew I would automatically get better but I didn't find this to be the case as some things you don't learn this way. I finally enrolled in an online College and am just completing a Painting and Drawing Course. I can honestly say the feedback and advice has been exceptional. I could work at my own pace and It has encouraged me to try things I would never have done and my work and confidence has come on by leaps and bounds. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Go for it.