11 Best FREE Drawing Courses with Certificate Online (2024)

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

1) Character Art School: Complete Character Drawing Course (Udemy)

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.

Character Art School

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.

Enroll Now >>


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.

Ink drawing technique course

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

Enroll Now >>


3) How to Draw and Sketch for Absolute Beginners (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.6 | Duration: 13 hours of on-demand video | Certificate: Yes | Level: Beginner | Prerequisites: There is absolutely no prior experience required to take this course.

How to Draw and Sketch for Absolute Beginners is a course that suggests that anyone who wants to learn how to draw using a pencil and paper.

This best online drawing class teaches how you can make lines, shapes, and volumes. You will also learn observational skills and draw what you see. To learn this course, you do not need any device, only a pencil is enough.

Draw and Sketch for Absolute Beginners

Key topics:

  • How to draw, see and observe
  • Draw basic lines and shapes
  • Learn the basics of light, volume, shadow, and composition
  • Learn about everything is made of a few basic shapes

Features:

  • 3 downloadable resources
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV

Enroll Now >>


4) The Art & Science of Drawing / Basic Skills (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.8 | Duration: 4.5 hours on-demand videos | Certificate: Yes | Level: Both for absolute beginners and intermediate level artists | Prerequisites: Ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to draw

The Art & Science of Drawing is an important program that will teach you how to draw one day at a time. This certification course is simple. You can watch one video lesson each day that teaches you an important drawing skill and then do the recommended practice.

This beginner’s art class is full of powerful insights into the drawing process. It offers some of the most accessible drawing instructions.

The tool and techniques you will learn in these digital art classes are rarely seen outside of private art academies. This one of the best online drawing courses is highly recommended for anyone interested in painting. The skills you will learn in this online drawing class will dramatically improve your art & design no matter what medium you work in.

The Art & Science of Drawing

Key topics:

  • How to observe and analyze any subject.
  • How to draw basic shapes before adding dark lines.
  • Use can use light lines and basic shapes to set an accurate foundation for finished drawings.
  • The correct method to hold a pencil.

Features:

  • 2 downloadable resources
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Certificate of completion

Enroll Now >>


5) Anatomy for Figure Drawing: Mastering the Human Figure (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.5 | Duration: 65 hours of on-demand video | Certificate: Yes | Level: Beginner to advanced

Anatomy for Figure Drawing: Mastering the Human Figure is an online drawing course where you will learn the basics of proportions and how to simplify the skeleton. You will learn in-depth knowledge about drawing the skeleton and how to draw muscles. You will also learn a simplified muscle map, mannequin, and more.

You will learn how muscles change when in different poses. You will also learn how you can draw different body types.

Anatomy for Figure Drawing

Key topics:

  • To learn anatomy for the human figure.
  • Learn the muscles and where they attach, which helps you to draw the figure with your imagination.
  • How to draw skin and fat, where fat builds up.
  • Learn how to draw parts of the body on motion
  • How to draw heads, hands, faces, and feet.

Features:

  • 2 articles
  • 1 downloadable resource
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV

Enroll Now >>


6) The Ultimate Drawing Masterclass: Start Drawing Better Today (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.4 | Duration: 26.5 hours on-demand video | Certificate: Yes | Level: Beginner to Advanced

The Ultimate Drawing Masterclass is a course which helps you to create advanced art that will stand up as professional work. This drawing course will take you from having little to draw advanced art and knowledge of drawing fundamentals. The course starts with the basics. Then you will learn about the fundamentals of drawing, which is an important part of creating professional art.

Next, you will learn how perspective works and how you can incorporate that into your art. Lastly, you will be able to learn how you can draw animation styled characters step by step.

Ultimate Drawing Masterclass

Key topics:

  • How to draw different art from your imagination
  • Understand drawing fundamentals and concepts like a pro
  • Draw shapes and add perspective to your artwork
  • Draw using shading and light to improve your art
  • How to draw gestures that look natural and realistic
  • Know how to use composition in your drawing
  • Become confident at drawing, even if you’re a complete beginner

Features:

  • 7 articles
  • 1 downloadable resource
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Supported language: English, French

Enroll Now >>


7) Basic Skills / Getting Started with Drawing (Skillshare)

Specs: Rating: NA | Duration: self-placed | Fee: Free | Certificate: No | Level: Beginner

Basic SKILLS is a drawing course offered by the skillshare website that provides insights into the drawing process and provides some of the clearest, most available drawing instruction. In these illustration courses online, you will learn many techniques in this one of the best drawing courses that are rarely taught outside of private art academies.

This is one of the best online drawing course that teaches some basic to advanced techniques like perspective drawing and shading.

Basic Skills

Key topics:

  • Getting Started with Drawing
  • Drawing with Expression & Creativity
  • 3D Drawing & Perspective
  • Drawing with Accuracy & Precision
  • Learn about the Art of Dynamic, 3D Figure Drawing
  • Drawing with Compelling Contours & Foreshortening:
  • Learn to Draw the Figure in Dramatic Light & Shadow

Enroll Now >>


8) Portrait Drawing: Art of Drawing and Sketching (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.5 | Duration: 7 hours on-demand video | Certificate: Yes | Level: Intermediate | Prerequisites: Anyone who wants to learn to draw beauty portrait with pencils and brushes

Art of Drawing and sketching course covers how to draw facial components, including the eyes and eyebrows, the nose, and the lips. It also teaches how you can draw the hair of a portrait using this technique.

You will learn art lessons for adults like how to cover the skin, shading, and volume making of hands and dark and light clothes. You will also learn how you can draw beauty portraits with your pencils and brushes.

Portrait Drawing

Key topics:

  • Draw the facial components like Eye, Nose, Eyebrow, etc.
  • Learn to draw the hair of the model
  • How you can draw the hand and dress of the model
  • Learn to draw a beautiful portrait with pencils and brushes

Features:

  • 1 article
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Certificate of completion

Enroll Now >>


9) Learn to Draw: Daily Practices to Improve Your Drawing Skills (Skillshare)

Specs: Duration: Self-placed | Fee: Free | Certificate: No | Level: Beginner | Prerequisites: There is absolutely no prior experience required to take this course.

Learn to draw is a course which helps you to improve your fundamentals to build your drawing skills. In this drawing course, you will also learn how you can see your subjects and place your subject on your paper.

This course also gives you some measuring tricks that will help you draw accurately, exercises that enhance your drawing creativity.

The illustrator also provides five project ideas that help you to practice the techniques learned in class. This drawing course also allows you to know how you can apply these techniques in each example.

Improve Your Drawing Skills

Key topics:

  • Breaking Things Down into Shapes
  • Drawing the Negative Space
  • Learn how to measure techniques
  • Drawing and sharing Forms
  • Drawing Rhythmically
  • Experimenting with Materials
  • Drawing from Photos
  • Copying the Masters
  • Quick Sketches
  • How to draw from Your Imagination

Enroll Now >>


10) Drawing with the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator (Coursera)

Specs: Rating: NA | Duration: 2 hours of content | Fee: Free | Certificate: Yes | Learning material: 10 items of learning content

Drawing is an essential skill for working in a creative role. This drawing course, Improve Your Drawing with the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator Courses Online, shows how you can enhance and enrich your drawing skill. Explore additional sketching methods, rendering shadows, etc.

Drawing Adobe Illustrator

Key topics:

  • Drawing Foundations: Fundamentals
  • Working with Figure
  • How to work with Light and Shadow
  • How to do Urban Sketching and Perspective Drawing
  • Know about vector Graphics

Features:

  • Helps you to advance your career
  • Practice to reinforce what you learned
  • Certify your achievement
  • Unlimited library access

Enroll Now >>


11) Character Illustration: Drawing Faces, Figures & Clothing (Skillshare)

Specs: Duration: Self-paced | Certificate: No | Skill: Intermediate level | Prerequisites: Prior knowledge about drawing is advisable but not necessary.

Character Illustration is a course where you will learn about sketching fluid poses to mastering facial expressions; you will learn how to draw characters. These art lessons are ideal for new artist as instructor Gabriel’s thoughtful, thorough methods will unlock your ability to create compelling characters on paper or screen.

After taking this best online drawing class, you will know how to create your characters, helping you communicate story, emotion, and movement with ease.

Character Illustration

Key topics:

  • Drawing Your Character’s Pose
  • Drawing the four core expressions
  • How to draw Female vs. Male Faces
  • How to add color with an eye for contrast and style
  • Creating a character which exudes personality

Enroll Now >>

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FAQ

❓ Do I get a Printable Certificate?

Yes, you will get a printable certificate in many courses. Some course providers will ship a hard copy of the certificate to your desired address.

🏅 What eligibility is required to join a Drawing courses?

For most of the courses:

  • No previous drawing experience is necessary!
  • A basic understanding of the drawing software of your choice.
  • Motivation to learn!

💻 What if I miss a class?

All the classes are recorded and can be replayed later.

⚡ What if I do not like a Drawing course I purchased?

Most courses come with a 30 day return policy or have a 7 day free trial.

🚀 How can I ask my doubts or questions?

Most courses have a forum that allows you to raise questions that are frequently answered by course authors.

💻 How to choose the right online art class?

Here are the three most important points that you need to remember while selecting your online art classes:

  • In your art class section, you need to consider your current skill level – beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Not all classes will be relevant to your level.
  • You should also check, who is teaching the course, and what their credentials are. It is always worth checking out the reviews and testimonials on their site.
  • You also need to understand that different art classes require different media. So should check what materials you will need, which could affect the overall cost of taking the course. It is also worth seeing whether videos are downloadable, whether coursework is provided or not.