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11 Best FREE Drawing Courses with Certificate Online (2023)
For learning drawing and painting, self-teaching is a great method. It is a skill you can master at any age, and no real resources are needed to do that.
You will find various subject matters from basic beginner level drawing classes in drawing to more specialized ones such as life drawing, figure drawing, human sketching, digital art, sketching, cartoon drawing, oil painting, and much more. Taking a drawing class online is a very cost-effective way of becoming proficient in the chosen art field.
Following is a handpicked list of the Top Drawing Courses & Certifications to gather knowledge about various subjects. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) courses.
Best Drawing Courses with Certificates Online (Free/Paid)
| Course Name | Provider | Key Topics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Art School | Udemy | Character Drawing | Learn More |
| Ink Drawing Techniques | Skillshare | Ink Drawing | Learn More |
| How to Draw and Sketch for Absolute Beginners | Udemy | Sketch | Learn More |
| The Art & Science of Drawing | Udemy | Drawing Basics | Learn More |
| Anatomy for Figure Drawing | Udemy | Figure Drawing | Learn More |
Specs: Rating: 4.6 | Duration: 26.5 hours of on-demand video | Certificate: Yes
Character Art School is a complete course where you learn video course. You also learn how to draw professional characters for books, games, animation, comics, and more.
This digital art class teaches you all the core fundamentals and advanced techniques for drawing and sketching characters well. This course is suited for both beginner and intermediate levels. This drawing course offers a comprehensive 10 module guided video course.
Key topics:
- How to Draw Characters Well
- Learn to Draw Characters for Films, Games, and Animation.
- How to Draw in 3D.
- Learn to Draw Faces, Bodies, and Hands.
- Manga, Comics, and More.
- Draw with Pencils and Paper.
Features:
- 18 articles
- 25 downloadable resources
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Supported language: English and French.
2) Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style (Skillshare)
Specs: Duration: self-paced | Fee: Free | Level: Beginner
Ink drawing technique course teaches you all the skills need to become to learn the art of drawing. The Japanese drawing instructor Yuko Shimizu’s exquisite, detailed guide to essential inking and drawing techniques!
This free illustration class is ideal for beginner artists. The established articles also benefit from this all-access, on-location, 90-minute class.
Key topics:
- Basic brush, nib, and ink techniques
- Inking fundamentals
- Bonus Video: Da Vinci Artist Supply
- Setting Up Your Materials
- Learn about the Asian Brushes vs. Watercolor Brushes
- Brush Stroke and Nib Techniques
- Learn about textures in two parts
- Sketching and scanning essentials
- Final Touches and Tips
How to Draw for Beginners: Course Outline
There are 5 levels in this free drawing course with a total of 10 lessons (I may decide to add more). Each lesson can be completed at your own pace and comes with a series of homework assignments.
You can submit your homework assignments on the RFA facebook page and get feedback from me and other students participating in the course, just like in a real classroom. It will be a great way to track your progress as well!
I like to date all of my work (yes, even if it’s bad) so that I can go back and see my improvements later. It’s really fun and I highly suggest you do it as well 🙂
If you want to make some suggestions on what to cover in future lessons, let me know. I’m always taking in new ideas and since these lessons are for YOU, I want them to be more personalized.
You can access all lessons from this page, so make sure to bookmark it in your browser. You can even subscribe to my mailing list to get notified when new lessons are posted!
LEVEL 1: The Building Blocks of Art
Level 1 covers the very basics of drawing and why you don’t need to be perfect when it comes to sketching. You’ll learn how to draw faster and how to draw things that are more structurally sound.
Lesson 1: How to Sketch
If you can make a mark on a piece of paper, you can sketch! –> Go to lesson!
Lesson 2: Learn to see things differently
Learn how you can draw more accurately and quickly by breaking complicated objects down into simple shapes –> Go to lesson!
Lesson 3: Going from 2D to 3D
Step up your game and learn how to make your drawings go from 2D to 3D using various techniques. –> Go to lesson!
LEVEL 2: The Devil’s in the Details
Level 2 allows you to really pay attention to what you’re drawing and how you can make even your line drawings look realistic!
Lesson 4: How to draw with accurate proportions
Learn 4 awesome techniques to get your proportions more accurate. –> Go to lesson!
Lesson 5: Common Drawing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Are you paying enough attention? Learn how to analyze your artwork and easily identify areas that could use improvement –> Go to lesson!
