Painting is a very traditional art form. That’s why some students assume they can’t learn much from painting classes online. It’s certainly a different approach than the old-style college art class, where students sit in a circle, sketching a live model who sits on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

But art schools have joined the internet revolution in a big way recently, and honed their techniques at teaching painting classes online. If you decide to make a real investment in the artist inside you, here are some key things to know about how painting classes online work, and what you should do to prepare for them:

• You can learn the full range of art techniques without attending live classes. Painting classes online programs teach everything from painting with oils, watercolors, and pastels to more technology oriented design skills like flash development, photoshop and illustrator. Media arts and animation courses are also widely available online if you wish to pursue a career in commercial art.
• A wide variety of advanced art classses online are available. Beyond basic drawing and painting, you can now find online schools that teach up-to-date art subjects like Chinese painting, working in stained glass, combining photography and painting and even sign painting.

Tips To Be Aware of Before You Start:

• Learn the technical terms involved in painting, so you know what the teacher is talking about. Terms like “chiaroscuro” (which means the interplay of very dark and very light areas in a painting) will come up in the course, so it’s good to know what they mean.
• Practice a great deal: As with musical study, good painting depends on practice. Don’t expect to get everything you need to know from painting classes online. You’ll need to put in lots of extra work on your own to really learn your art.
• Don’t be hurt by criticism: Most online painting classes today will give you an opportunity to get your work reviewed by a professor, and possibly even by other members of your class either through photographs or scans of your work. Don’t let criticisms knock you down! They can be the best way for you to find out which parts of your work are already successful, and which need to be improved upon.