Key takeaways:
- The best online drawing lessons combine fun, structure, and accessibility to keep kids engaged.
- There are drawing platforms for every skill level, from beginner apps to advanced courses.
- Both free and paid drawing lessons make it easy to find options that fit different budgets and needs.
- Drawing helps kids build fine motor skills, express emotions, boost creativity, and reduce stress.
- Interactive platforms like Aqua by Adobe engage younger artists by blending play with learning.
Drawing is one of the first ways kids learn to engage in art. It’s simple—hand them a crayon and a blank page (or a paper napkin at a restaurant to keep them busy, the back of a receipt, a discarded tissue box top, or anything close by will do) and let them go to town. Even from a young age, they’ll grab the drawing instrument however they can and scribble away just for the joy of it.
Later on, they’ll begin to have more control over their hands and want to figure out how to transcribe what they see in the world onto the page. That’s where drawing lessons online can help. Kids can explore on their own and see how things look, but that extra bit of support and education provided in a fun way can improve their skills much faster. Studies have shown that “Artistic activities bear the potential of enhancing spatial abilities,” improving not just their art skills, but visual reasoning skills that will help them throughout their life.
Learning to draw with drawing lessons online can be an enjoyable and exciting way to engage with art. With professionals there to guide the way, kids can learn the basics of creating their favorite animals or how to draw their favorite people. This helps them find their own unique way of expressing themselves through art.
Best drawing lessons online
The best drawing lessons online are accessible and engaging. For kids, these lessons should be fun and work for their age group. We’ve taken a look at the options available today and analyzed details like level, cost, and style to create the list below.
1. Aqua by Adobe
Aqua by Adobe is an app designed to get kids playing with art. Kids can explore different islands that feature themes like tracing, free drawing, and coloring, all made just for kids to help develop their drawing skills. At Video Viewpoint, kids can watch tutorial videos made by real illustrators and follow along with their own artwork. Superhero Rock helps kids design their own comic book superheroes and bring them to life with the AI magic tool.
Along with the app, Aqua has a YouTube page full of drawing tutorials. These videos are geared toward kids, and many feature kids learning to draw alongside a professional illustrator. Kids can choose between drawings featuring their favorite animals or fantasy elements and create their own artwork right in the Aqua app—no extra supplies needed.
Experience level: Kids aged 5-12
Cost: Free
2. DrawSpace
Drawspace offers both guided and self-directed learning for users at all levels. Courses are composed of short lessons and modules designed to move learners along at a steady pace. The website primarily focuses on pencil drawing in black and white or color, but some painting courses are also available.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Cost:
- Lessons by credit: 10 credits for $20
- Membership: $4.75/month
- Unlimited member: $74.50/year
3. DrawingCoach.com
DrawingCoach.com is an archive of video and blog-style tutorials on how to draw. Artists can opt for lessons by level or look for specific topics or figures to draw, like animals or people. More advanced topics like caricatures and figure drawing are also available. The coach accepts ideas for new drawing lessons through his contact page.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced cartoonists
Cost: Free
4. Free Online Art Classes
Free Online Art Classes covers a wide variety of topics like basic drawing, collage, conte crayons, and oil painting. The website is accessible to young artists, but it may be more suited to preteens and teens rather than elementary-aged kids. Supplementing the drawing and other art courses, users can find art-related topics for those interested in the wider world of art.
Experience level: Intermediate
Cost: Free
5. Udemy
Udemy collects a variety of courses offered by different teachers in one place. Users can choose between drawing lessons that focus on the basics or opt for more specific and advanced skills like figure and perspective drawing. Course listings show how many hours and lectures are included in the purchase, so users can opt for the experience that fits with their needs.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Cost: Prices vary by course
6. Proko
Proko provides a wide variety of art instruction videos that include both basic and advanced drawing lessons. Classes like figure drawing and gesture help teach traditional methods, while other classes like character concept and creating a comic page can help artists expand their style.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Cost: Price varies by course
7. Watts Atelier Online Courses
Watts Atelier offers both in-person and online courses in drawing for all skill levels. While in-person courses are only for those 18 and older, teens may enjoy the online learning options available. Drawing is a major focus of this platform, but it also offers lessons in portfolio development and painting. Throughout these self-paced courses, users can submit their artwork to be graded and critiqued by professionals.
Experience level: Geared toward adult learners
Cost:
- Full access plan: $99/month
- Mastery access plan: $129/month
8. DrawABox.com
DrawABox.com uses a highly structured and directive method to teach drawing to beginners, although intermediate level students looking for a refresher on the fundamentals might also benefit from this course. Beginning from the basics of materials, this course moves step by step through various techniques and skills essential to the craft of drawing. Challenges and drills offer an additional way for students to work with what they’ve learned.
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
Cost: Free
9. ShaeferArt
ShaeferArt offers a few accessible drawing courses for beginners. The art teacher focuses on finding your voice within your art alongside learning useful skills for drawing. Various supplemental materials focus on nature, mindset, and working as an artist.
Experience level: Beginner
Cost: Price varies by course
10. Dan Beardshaw
Dan Beardshaw is a YouTube creator teaching pencil drawing through free short- and long-form videos. Playlists like perspective and realistic drawing organize the videos into a structured path for learning. Dan also has a Patreon where he releases additional courses, resource materials, and tutorials.
Experience level: Intermediate to advanced
Cost:
- YouTube: Free
- Patreon: Cost varies by type of content
11. Shayda Campbell
Shayda Campbell teaches drawing within a broader focus on exploring creativity. Courses on her platform include Me and My Mini Art Party: A Course for Kids and their Adults and Shayda’s Introduction to Floral Illustration. This artist has a strong focus on color and less of a focus on traditional pencil drawing. Other more focused topics and videos are available on her YouTube page.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Cost: Price varies by course
12. OutSchool
OutSchool offers a variety of online classes geared toward various interests and age levels. Kids can choose from weekly classes or self-paced courses paid for with credits. Geared in part toward the homeschool community, this website has a much broader focus than just art. Some drawing and art classes are available.
Experience level: 3-18 years
Cost:
- 80 credit free trial
- 144 credits: $70/month
- 248 credits: $120/month
- 500 credits: $240/month
13. Art for Kids Hub
Art for Kids hub includes a variety of drawing lessons for kids among many other art topics. Many of the video lessons feature characters and creatures kids will recognize. These single-item lessons are short and can be watched in any order. Video and ebook lessons are available depending on the child’s preferred learning style.
Experience level: Pre-K-8th grade
Cost:
- Free with ads
- $5.99/month
- $64.99/year
14. Sparketh
Sparketh has a library of courses designed to teach specific skills in the art world. Some of these courses are geared toward more advanced learners, like realistic drawing and cubism portraits. Others are targeted toward specific interests like manga or toward younger kids. Courses are self-paced videos and are included with membership.
Experience level: 6-18 years old
Cost:
- $25/month
- $250/year
15. Art Projects for Kids
Art Projects for Kids provides lessons for kids and projects that teachers can use in the classroom. Lessons are arranged by level, medium, season, and theme, and general drawing lessons are also available. For teachers, mini-units are an option, as well as guidance for creating a full mural.
Experience level: Pre-K-8th grade
Cost: Starting from free, and varies by lesson
Why are drawing skills important?
In kids, drawing skills can support many key development stages. From the earliest age they can hold a crayon, kids enjoy simply creating marks and begin to observe how they interact with their environment. Preschool-aged kids practice making shapes, lines, and objects as they begin to develop fine motor skills.
When kids reach elementary school, they begin to draw with more structure and might develop stories with their pictures. At this age, drawing has even been shown to help lift kids out of a sad mood because of the enjoyment they get through the process.
Dr. Richard Jolley writes, “Drawing allows children to take their experiences of the world and transform these by making new connections and relationships through their inventive minds.” Kids get inspiration from all kinds of places, including from siblings and parents engaging with them in the creative process. This makes drawing an important avenue for building relationships.
Older kids have the fine motor skills and cognitive capability to begin representational drawing. At this age they can begin to develop their own style and personality through their artwork. As they enter the preteen and teenage years, stress levels can rise. Engaging with creative expression like drawing for just 45 minutes a day can help reduce that stress, making art an essential tool for making it through the tough parts of growing up and learning lifelong coping skills.
Get inspired by drawing lessons online
Creative thinking and expression in kids is an important part of child development. Whether your kids are young and just beginning to draw more than scribbles or older and getting interested in more realistic drawing, it’s good to encourage them.
Drawing lessons online can provide an easy and fun way for kids to increase their drawing skills. Along the way, they’ll increase their dexterity, improve their technique, and learn about colors. The lessons they learn in drawing can impact their entire life, improving mood and helping them develop their own style.
Aqua by Adobe provides a solid base for kids to begin to understand how shapes and lines work together to form figures, characters, and more. Through interactive lessons within the app and with video tutorials on the YouTube page, kids can learn how to draw their favorite creatures and expand their knowledge about art.
Give your kids drawing lessons online with Aqua.
Drawing lessons online resources
Can I learn drawing online for free?
Yes, there are many places that offer drawing courses for free. Most of these are geared toward older learners and adults, so choosing the right course for a younger child might be tricky. Aqua by Adobe is geared toward the youngest learners. In the app they can get inspiration and play fun drawing games to help them develop their creative side—and it’s always 100 percent free!
What is the best online drawing course?
The best online drawing course is the one that suits your kids’ interests and level. For kids under 12, Aqua by Adobe offers a fantastic way to engage in the drawing education process. Art education and game options within the app make learning to draw fun and exciting.
For young artists who want to learn even more, check out the Aqua YouTube page for fun tutorials that will stimulate creativity and teach essential drawing skills
What is the best way for beginners to learn drawing?
The best way for beginners to learn drawing is through free creative expression. Playing with elements like shapes, lines, and contours is the best way for kids to figure out how to interact with art. They’ll work on fine motor skills and figure out what they like best, and doing so in a fun environment can help develop a lifelong love of art.
What are the 5 P’s of drawing?
The 5 P’s of drawing are proportion, placement, perspective, planes, and pattern. These are simple ideas that help artists create drawings that feel balanced and realistic. Proportion is about getting sizes and shapes right, while placement focuses on how everything is arranged on the page. Perspective helps show depth and space, and planes refer to how light and shadow define form. Pattern ties it all together by organizing tones and details so the drawing feels clear and complete.
For kids, these don’t need to feel technical. They can start by noticing where things go on the page, how big or small they are, and where the light hits. Over time, these ideas naturally come together as they draw, helping them build stronger, more confident artwork.
What is the 70/30 rule in drawing?
The 70/30 rule in drawing suggests spending about 70% of your time observing your subject and 30% actually drawing. Kids can keep this simple by slowing down to observe shapes, colors, and details before putting pencil to paper. This practice helps them draw what they really see, not just what they think something looks like. Make this into a game by asking kids to observe the silliest detail or the most interesting part of the object, and keep your kids engaged in the practice of looking hard.
Is drawing talent or skill?
Drawing is a skill, first and foremost, though it’s true that some people have a natural knack for transposing what they see onto paper. While some kids may take to it quickly, anyone can learn to draw with time and practice. Give kids the space to experiment, make mistakes, and try again without judgment. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress and enjoyment.
Kids won’t master everything right away, and that’s the point. Encouraging them to keep going, stay curious, and enjoy the process helps them grow naturally. When drawing feels fun instead of a task, artistic habits tend to develop on their own.
What do most artists struggle with?
Most artists, especially beginners, struggle with confidence and comparing themselves to others. It’s easy for kids to feel like their work isn’t good enough if they’re looking at other kids’ work as better than theirs. Kids may also get frustrated when drawings don’t turn out the way they imagined.
Parents and teachers can help kids deal with these struggles by emphasizing that it’s important to focus on creativity over perfection. Encouraging kids to explore, play, and express themselves, like in Aqua by Adobe, helps take the pressure off and keeps them motivated.
At what age does creativity peak?
Creativity doesn’t have a fixed peak, it’s something that changes and grows over a lifetime. Young children can have wild imaginations because they’re less worried about the norms of the world or specific outcomes. As kids get older, creativity may become more or less important and expressed in their personality depending on their environment and the encouragement they receive.
The key is to keep nurturing creativity. Give kids regular opportunities to draw, experiment, and explore ideas, and help them build their creative strengths through their whole childhood.