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Painting Lessons with Marla vs Artist's Academy

Friday, November 1st

2024 Painting Lesson Reviews

Painting Lessons with Marla Review 4 Star Rating

Painting Lessons with Marla

4 Star Rating
  • Monthly subscription for $39.99 or yearly for $395
  • Over 73 lessons available
  • Free mini-lessons
  • Lessons available on any device
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Cancel monthly membership anytime
  • Lifetime access to one-time payment workshops
  • High student ratings

Painting Lessons with Marla provides a variety of opportunities for people to improve their painting skills. You can do a monthly subscription with access to new lessons on different subjects and skills, or pay for lifetime access to workshops with hours of content with a variety of mediums and subjects. We like that you have a lot of options here, all of which are reasonably priced. You could also try out Marla's free mini-lessons before paying for anything else to see if you like her teaching style. This platform has been rated highly by students, so we recommend giving it your consideration.

Artist's Academy Review 2 Star Rating

Artist's Academy

2 Star Rating
  • Pay monthly ($8.50) or yearly ($102)
  • Stream on phone, TV, computer, or phone
  • Some free videos
  • Cancel anytime
  • 30-day refund policy

Artist's Academy has tons of videos on different skills and techniques needed for learning how to paint or draw. But, unless you pay extra (on top of your membership fee) for a specific class, you'll be shuffling through jumbled videos that all seem disconnected and random. It's hard to know which videos match your skill level, so Artist's Academy would be a really hard starting place for new painting students. Their $8/month membership fee seems like a steal of a deal, but people complain that after your first year, prices go way up and they make it difficult to cancel or get refunds. We don't feel like Artist's Academy gives any solid direction, so we can't recommend their painting lessons.

Where is the Best Place to Take Painting Lessons?

Painting is a beautiful, creative, artistic outlet. It gives you the ability to see a stunning nature scene and recreate it, use your own style to capture a moment in time, or pour your emotions into a project and make a visual representation of what is inside of you. It's one of the most calming and soothing hobbies you can take part in, leaving your mind and body grounded.

Finding someone who teaches painting in-person is much harder than finding a piano teacher or a dance class, so quite a few companies have created online programs for you to do from home. It's significantly less expensive than in-person lessons would be and you can go at your own pace, pause, or rewind different sections to hone in on a technique you're struggling with. You can do a few minutes at a time or spend hours on a masterpiece - it's up to you.

The Best Painting Lessons Compare Painting Lessons Compare Painting Lesson Reviews What are the best Painting Lessons Best Painting Lesson Reviews

Painting Lesson FAQ

When you sign up for an online painting class, you'll usually receive downloadable videos that have a series of lessons to watch. You'll get step-by-step guidance from a master painter. Depending on the type of painting you're interested in learning, you'll be instructed in all the techniques that you'll need to know to improve your painting skills. Some classes also offer an eBook with helpful tips you can always refer to, as well as the option to submit your artwork for critique.
Taking painting lessons online is just like being in-person, except you can pause, play, and rewatch anything you're learning. You'll have your own papers, brushes, and paints at home to work with and you'll follow along with what you see in the class to create your own artwork. The idea is that you can create your own masterpieces from home on your own time and not have to find a local studio to go to.
Most classes have downloadable videos that can be viewed from nearly any electronic device. If you're using a smartphone, iPad, tablet, or computer, you should have no problem viewing your painting lessons. Some older courses have you buy DVDs that ship to your home, so you might watch those on your laptop or TV. In short, you can plan on being able to access your painting class from anywhere at any time since they are more accessible than ever now!
Any and all! You could select a paint class that specifically teaches a paint medium you're interested in like acrylics or watercolor. The other option would be to find a class that touches on a little bit of everything so you can dip your toes in the water and decide what you like best. Online learning is so popular now that you can find painting lessons that cover all mediums, topics, and techniques with just a few clicks.
Compared to the cost of doing in-person painting classes, online courses are fairly inexpensive. Not only are you avoiding driving to an art studio at scheduled times during the week, you also can spend as long as you want learning from your online class without worrying about the cost. Some companies offer online courses on a subscription basis and you pay month-to-month, or you can purchase the class outright and have it forever.
If you have a question about the class itself, you should always be able to reach out to customer service and get answers that way. If you're wanting help with your painting, we suggest choosing a course that offers live Q&A sessions, the chance to submit your artwork for critique, or video chatting with an instructor. Although online painting courses are done remotely, there are still many ways you can connect with other students and teachers as you learn.
The beauty of an online painting class is that you can start, stop, and rewatch any parts of the lesson. You don't have to "keep up” like you would in a face-to-face class. You can master techniques by watching them over and over again and take as long as you want to finish the whole lesson. Online paint classes are 100% flexible and can be done around your schedule.
Not all online painting platforms allow you to get your money back if you're unsatisfied. If you're unsure if a painting course is right for you, it would be wise to choose one that offers a trial period or money-back guarantee if the class isn't as you'd hoped. Companies want customers to be happy with what they're offering, so if you don't want to use your painting class anymore, you'll likely be able to cancel your subscription or get a refund within the first few weeks.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Painting is great for people of any age to take part in. Whether you've got a finger-painting toddler or you're a retired professional exploring new hobbies, painting suits everyone. If you're like most of us, the majority of your artistic "training” and painting experience came through the classes you took in school while you were growing up.

Some of these may have even been mandatory, so you might not have appreciated them at the time. Unless you took extra painting credits, dove deep into all the episodes of Bob Ross you could get your hands on, or found a private studio that teaches classes, you may have hit a dead end in your training and are wondering what your options are.

Online painting lessons are as convenient as it gets. The class you choose can reflect the style you're interested in learning. If you're wanting to learn to draw people rather than nature scenes, you could find a class for this. Maybe you're interested in acrylics, watercolor, or oils specifically. There's a class for that too. With our help here, you'll be able to match yourself to online painting lessons that fit your experience level within just minutes. Before getting started, you'll likely be given a list of materials you need so that you can get your own in-home studio set up and ready to go.

We've done a lot of the important research regarding some of the best online painting classes available to you and recommend keeping the following things in mind when you're looking around:

  • Art style. Are you looking for general education on painting so you can discover the type you like best? Do you want to dabble in all different styles and learn the basics of each? Or are you looking for something in particular? Explore the styles taught in the online classes and choose the one that piques your interest.
  • Price. Although you're spending pennies on the dollar compared to private painting lessons, the cost is still a big consideration. Does the company offer a program with a one-time cost that you'll have lifetime access to? Or is there a subscription fee to continue your education month after month?
  • Instruction type. Do you like the idea of a live masterclass that adds a personal touch to your training? Or do you prefer separate video lessons that you can progress with, pause, or reflect back on if you need to? Consider your preferred way of learning when choosing a painting program so that you get the most out of the lessons.
  • Reputation. What have others said about the painting program? Does it have glitches or is it always running smoothly? Is customer service easy to work with if you need to cancel a subscription or have an issue with your account? What do students have to say about different instructors and what they've learned from them?

The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the most popular online painting lessons available to you. We hope this information helps you find a company that accelerates your painting skills and gives you a relaxing, enjoyable experience!

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