3 Fantastic Online Digital Art Classes or Tutorials for Homeschoolers or E-Learning

Artistically challenged, I am fascinated and intrigued by the advent of digital art. Recently, I listened to a podcast that referred to my kids’ generation as “digital natives”. So true! I truly believe that no matter what career path they choose, knowing how to produce eye-catching digital art, whether it be Photoshop, Procreate, or whatever program is popular tomorrow, is a MUST. Picking the online digital art class was the first step!

Like most 8th graders, my daughter is obsessed with Instagram and Youtube. She has a mission to create her own Youtube videos and now that she’s getting older, I think it’s a great time to learn how to appropriately use a camera to record herself and just overall, how to be a videographer or photographer. So, now what?

Three Fantastic Online Digital Art Classes or Tutorials For Homeschoolers, Middle Schoolers, or High Schoolers

So, You Wanna Create?! Mixed Media & Digital Art – via Open Tent Academy

Oh, how I wish I could go back to middle school art and take this online course instead of the dreaded required art! For someone like me who simply is restricted by talent to stick-figure drawings, a step-by-step process to using Photoshop, Procreate, and things like PhotoMash would be a dream come true.

Like most classes offered by Open Tent Academy, this is a 10-week course with a once-weekly 90 minute live, online session. Students are given homework assignments to complete between classes. My daughter definitely doesn’t complain about homework in this class. She voluntarily plays with Procreate on the iPad and edits images for me.

I’m sure most of the topics covered in this class are also covered in a video on Youtube (I love both platforms by the way). To me, the difference in taking a 10-week course that has a live component is that it keeps us on track. If my daughter starts watching a Youtube video on Procreate, it’s likely she will get distracted and watch another, unrelated video that pops up and go down the Internet rabbit hole.

Although I love creativity, I also love accountability and that’s what this e-learning art class provides. In addition, it’s super fun for homeschoolers to share their work with each other- it can get lonely and this is a low-stress way to encourage participation in an online digital art class.

Various Online Digital Art Classes on www.outschool.com

I fully admit I am addicted to the class options on www.outschool.com. The options for both homeschoolers and kids like my youngest daughter who attends public school, continue to expand. We’ve used the platform with success for a ton of subjects, including some specific to digital art. If you are looking for a one-time or an ongoing course in a specific subject area, I suggest searching under “Find Classes” by keyword AND changing “Any format” to Live Online.

Example courses my kids have enjoyed and benefited from include:

• Learn To Use Sketchup
• I Can Fix That: Photoshop Mix and Fix for iPhone, iPad and Android Devices
• Get Creative With Graphic Design to Make Your Social Media Look Great
• Travel Photography For Teens
• Editing with iMovie on an iPhone or iPad

These were all one-time courses, and the exact class may not be available at this time. However, if you complete the search, you will likely find something that would fit your needs. My daughter is currently completing a 4-week session on Becoming a Podcaster and/or Youtuber for Beginners that includes instruction on graphics and tips for digital media. Beware: once you start to search, you will become addicted to Outschool learning like us!

Skillshare

I love that Youtube is free, but in certain cases, I like the structure of an app like Skillshare. If you type “Canva” (https://www.canva.com/) into the search feature of Skillshare, you currently come back with 224 potential classes. It’s relatively simple to narrow down based on what you are looking for. In our case, I wanted my daughter to be able to create a flyer for her gymnastics fundraiser. We were able to find a 22-minute course for her to participate in that taught her the basics she needed. The opportunities on Skillshare are endless, and I think most middle schoolers are adept enough with technology to follow along with the tutorials.

Technology isn’t going away any time soon, and learning to learn from online instructors, live or recorded, is a necessary skill moving forward. Online digital art classes are not just fun, they are incredibly useful for both students and parents alike. One goal I have is to have my kids create their own flyers, photo gifts, birthday cards with images, and newsletters.

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