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Online Art Lessons Review

Wednesday, February 12th

2025 Painting Lesson Reviews

Online Art Lessons Review 2 Star Rating

Online Art Lessons

2 Star Rating
  • $9/month or $50/year
  • Hundreds of free classes
  • Beginner drawing and painting lessons
  • Over 100 free classes
  • VIP members get over 400 paint-along courses
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Online Art Lessons by Paint Basket is a site where people can hone in on their painting or drawing skills (not to be confused with their sister site, Paint Basket... very confusing). All of the classes are provided through online videos which aren't available for download or offline viewing. They're created by Nolan Clark, a professional artist and tutor with over 20 years of experience. You can view live replays or search specifically for whatever type of painting or drawing classes you're interested in.

A mix of styles and mediums

Online Art Lessons says their drawing and painting lessons are perfect for those just starting out. They cover all the basics and then help you reach intermediate level. The classes include a mix of acrylic, oil, watercolor, and soft pastel, pen and ink, and pencil drawing. The subjects range from realistic animal painting to portrait painting, water-soluble oil paint, and advanced watercolors.

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Topics for everyone

Classes include topics like painting Monet's garden, pairing complementary colors, painting shadows, using abstract shapes, flower reflections, painting lace work, statue busts, and hundreds of other topics. Surely there are video lessons here that would get anyone excited about advancing their painting skills.

Confusing pricing

After we scrolled the home page for what felt like way too long, we found a button that said we could join for $5 to get instant access. We don't fully understand what this means since nowhere else on the website do they advertise that you can get anything for $5. In fact, pricing here is pretty confusing and by the end we still weren't confident in the cost of it all. On their "Join Now” page, you could sign up for a $9/month membership until you cancel or instead pay $50 upfront and get access for a year. This supposedly guarantees you access to all the courses, but some courses are advertised for Silver+ members and others for Platinum members, but it is unclear if these cost extra. In short, this company is in bad need of a pricing page that clearly lays out the cost for each level and what it includes.

Hundreds of freebies

There are quite a few free videos that are available to anyone, which is nice. Online Art Lessons has a "free classes” tab on their website with specific lessons like "Girl with the pearl earring”, "Painting rock formations”, "Flower reflections”, "Tuscany steps”, "Bluegums in forest”, and so many others. The length of these classes can be over 2 hours long and all of them are labeled with the skill level it takes to successfully complete and understand the instruction throughout the course.

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Wish they had unfiltered customer reviews

There is no Better Business Bureau rating for Paint Basket or Online Art Lessons. There aren't many student reviews either, but it doesn't help that they have a very generic company name and it's hard to find third-party ratings because of it. Paint Basket itself seems to have overall good ratings from some students, but technically this is a sister site and they aren't the same thing. Online Art Lessons is probably not a first pick for many people who are just picking up a paintbrush for the first time and need step-by-step guidance through the process.

Just go for the free stuff

Truthfully if it were up to us, we would mostly just take advantage of the free classes on this site. They seem really similar to what you'd be paying for, so if you find some that you're interested in that fit your skill level, you might as well go ahead with them. If pricing and this website were more straightforward, we might be more excited about paying for courses here. Due to confusion and lack of straightforwardness, Online Art Lessons has not earned one of our highest ratings.

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.

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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.
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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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