I rarely call myself a self-taught artist and when I do, it feels as if I am being dishonest about the fact that 95% of what I learned came from other artists, mostly over the internet. I didn't teach myself what I know. They did.

I always loved drawing and coloring, but my decision to learn how to paint came much later in life, back in 2018 already in my late 40’s when I did my first watercolor workshop at a local community center near my home. From the first day I was hooked, but weekly classes were not enough for me, so I started binge-watching watercolor tutorials on YouTube, and on social media.

I don't remember how exactly I came across my first online art school, but it was probably through some of the artists I follow on Instagram. Whoever that artist is, I am eternally grateful to her. It was a complete game changer. Yes, these classes are not free, but prices are super affordable and I learn so much more from them compared to YouTube tutorials and demos. The beauty about them is that you can choose what class(es) you want to take, without having to commit to a monthly or yearly payment. When you purchase a class, you get immediate access to the videos and you can watch them at your own pace. Prices vary a lot from one school to another, but they often go on sale and you can purchase an entire class for as little as $40 with a coupon.

I will tell you a little more about my three favorite online art schools but if you do some research, you will see the list is much longer, and it keeps growing. I take classes in several other sites, but these are the three I keep going back over and over because there is always something new I want to try and experiment.

This is not a sponsored article, and this is my true opinion on these art schools. Also, this list is not a ranking. I love them equally and am an avid student of all three.

Kara Bullock Art School - Kara Bullock is an amazing artist from California and her online school has an immense catalog of classes, and although most of them focus on portraits and the human figure, you will also find some great lessons on animals, abstracts, flowers, landscapes, etc. If you love portraits as much as I do, you should try one of her year-long-courses “Lets Face It". Kara has a wonderful Facebook group where artists can post their work and other things art-related. It is a very active and inspiring community.

Olga Furman Art - Olga Furman is an incredibly talented portrait artist based in Pennsylvania and she also offers a one-year-long course called “Paint your Heart and Soul”, which includes all kinds of classes besides portraits. In addition to PYHAS , her school has a great and varied catalog of classes. Olga is a very kind and supportive person and I felt incredibly honored to be invited to create some classes for her art school. She also organizes an art auction on Facebook that happens every other month in which some artists sell original pieces at affordable prices for a very short period of time. Full disclaimer, Olga became my friend, and in this community I found incredible people, including other amazing artists, my first students, and new buyers of my art. This is what can happen to you as well once you start getting involved in the art world that does not come from conventional art education.

Bold School - Created by the Canadian artist Charla Maarschalk, this school is newer than the other ones I mentioned. When I first saw a Bold School ad on my Instagram feed, it stopped me in my tracks. I am fascinated by Charla's bold, colorful and powerful paintings and although her course is more expensive than the average, I just had to do it. To me, it was worth every penny. She paints my two favorite subjects, which are faces and animals and all the vibrant colors and texture she adds to her paintings make my soul happy. Her work and classes are by far the biggest influence on my current painting style. She has a students-only Facebook group where two awesome mentors offer thoughtful and helpful critique to students' works.

I hope you check those schools out and find the same inspiration and motivation I do in them. If you are reading this post, chances are these classes will resonate with you too. What art schools are your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

Finally, to learn more or purchase one of the my classes, here is the link to them. (Click each image)

Thanks for hanging out with me.

Love,

Pat