Free Resources for Beginner Artists

The world would be far less colorful (and interesting) without art.

If you're an aspiring artist or just looking to bring some creativity to your life, there are tons of online resources to help you along.

With over 100 free online art tools, courses, and even scholarships and internships, this resource guide is a great place to start (or continue) your art practice.

Tools

Whether you want to get into art as a career or just think of it as a personal hobby, the below tools can help expand your practice and enable you to create anything you dream of.

• Krita: Krita is a professional free painting program.
  
• GIMP: GIMP is a free image manipulator that are useful for graphic designers and illustrators.
  
• Anatomy 360: Anatomy 360 shares free references of human anatomy.
  
• Artweaver: Artweaver is a free digital painting software.
  
• Paint 3D: Paint 3D is a Microsoft software that allows artists to draw 2D/3D.
  
• Fresh Paint: Fresh Paint is a free Microsoft painting app.
  
• My Paint: My Paint is a free painting software.
  
• FireAlpaca: FireAlpaca is a free digital painting software.
  
• Medibang Paint: Medibang Paint is a free drawing software that counterpart with every device that artists have.
  
• Jackson Pollock: Jackson Pollock is a free fun digital canvas for painting à la Jackson Pollock.

Courses and Tutorials

You'd be surprised how many free online resources there are for learning art. Whether you're new to art or want to refine a specific technique, pick a few from the list below to start learning.

Art Courses

• MoMA: MoMA opens free online course of "In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting" on Coursera.
  
• Practical Advice For Artists: This website provides free courses for artists.
  
• Duke University: Duke University opens art online course "ART of the MOOC: Public Art and Pedagogy" at Coursera.
  
• Harvard University: Harvard University opens art online course "Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology" at edX.
  
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: School of the Art Institute of Chicago opens art online course "Charting the Avant Garde: From Romanticism to Utopic Abstraction" at Kadenze.
  
• California College of the Arts: California College of the Arts opens art online course "Comics: Art in Relationship" at Kadenze.
  
• California Institute of the Arts: California Institute of the Arts opens art online course "Ideas from the History of Graphic Design" at Coursera.
  
• Yale University: Yale University opens art online course "Age of Cathedrals" at Coursera.
  
• Draw Space: Draw Space provides free drawing courses.
  
• Open University: Open University offers free art courses.
  
• Art Coursework: Art Coursework provides free beginners learn how to draw and paint course.
  
• Draw Mix Paint: Draw Mix Paint offers free full drawing course and tutorial videos.
  
• Art Graphica: Art Graphica provides free drawing courses and tutorials online.
  
• Rapid Fire Art: Rapid Fire Art shares free beginner courses.
  
• Digital Visionary Art: Digital Visionary Art provides free course of "The Introduction to Digital Art".

Tutorials

• Draw with Rob: Draw with Rob is a site providing free video drawing tutorials.
  
• Artyfactory: This website offers free art and design lessons.
  
• Drawing Coach: This website provides How to Draw Lessons.
  
• Toad Hollow Studio: Toad Hollow Studio is a blog that provides online drawing lessons, videos, and exercises.
  
• How to Draw It: This website provides step by step online drawing tutorials.
  
• How to Draw Cartoons: This website provides online cartoon drawing tutorials.
  
• Free Online Art Classes: This website provides free online art classes.
  
• The Virtual Instructor: Virtual Instructor provides free art lessons and tutorials.
  
• Empty Easel: Empty Easel provides free art business advice, art tutorials, and art research.
  
• Guide to Oil Painting: Bill Martin shares his oil painting guides for free.
  
• Ctrl Paint: Ctrl Paint is a website of free digital painting learning resources.
  
• Will Kemp Art School: Will Kemp Art School provides 7+ hours of free acrylic painting videos.
  
• John Lovett: John Lovett provides free painting lessons online.
  
• Watercolor Painting: This website provides free watercolor techniques, tutorials, and lessons.
  
• Kara Bullock: Kara Bullock shares free art tutorials.
  
• 3D Total: 3D Total provides free digital art tutorials online.
  
• Art Workshop with Paul: Art Workshop with Paul provides free art tutorials, workshops, and tips and tricks.
  
• How to Draw Comics: How to Draw Comics provides free drawing comics tutorials.
  
• Tutsplus: Tutsplus shares 100 easy drawing tutorials for beginners.
  
• Let's Make Art: Let's Make Art provides free art educational videos for beginners.
  
• Art Prof: Art Prof provides free visual arts learning tutorials.
  
• Julia Trickey Art: Julia Trickey shares some free botanical art tutorials.
  
• CG Spectrum: CG Spectrum is a website that provides free concept art tutorials.
  
• Proko: Proko provides free video tutorials.
  
• Draw A Box: Draw A Box offers free art exercise-based lessons.
  
• Art with Flo: Art with Flo provides free art tutorials.
  
• Draw with Me: Draw With Me provides free video tutorials (beginner, intermediate, and advance).
  
• DragoArt: DragoArt provides step-by-step tutorials.
  
• Drawing Now: Drawing Now offers free how to draw, step by step, easy drawing lessons.
  
• Easy Drawing Tutorials: Easy Drawing Tutorials provides free drawing tutorials.
  
• How 2 Draw Animals: How 2 Draw Animals provides free animals drawing tutorials.
  
• Drawing How to Draw: Drawing How to Draw provides how to draw step by step tutorials.
  
• Paintable: Paintable provides free tutorials & resources for digital art.
  
• Creative Bloq: Creative Bloq provides free digital art tips and tricks.
  
• Concept Art Empire: Concept Art Empire provides free digital painting tutorials for all skill levels.
  
• Digital Art Tutorials: Digital Art Tutorials provides free download classic tutorials (latest tutorials excluded).
  
• CGArena: CGArena provides free graphic design tutorials.
  
• Digital Arts Online: Digital Arts Online provides free digital art tutorials.
  
• PSDFan: PSDFan provides free digital painting tutorials using photoshop.
  
• Deviant Art: Deviant Art provides free art tutorials.
  
• Stars Portraits: Stars Portraits provides free drawing tutorials.
  
• Duey's Drawings: Duey's Drawings shares free drawing tutorials.
  
• Autodesk: Autodesk provides free tips and tricks of digital art using sketchbook pro.
  
• Painter Artist: Painter Artist provides free digital art and digital painting tutorial.
  
• Learn with SFC: Steph Fizer Coleman shares painting tutorials.
  
• Design by Stavri: Anyone can download and watch video tutorials from this website.
  
• David Revoy: David Revoy provides free digital art tutorials using Krita.
  
• User Base: User Base provides Krita free tutorials.
  
• ArtStation: ArtStation provides free art tutorials.
  
• Photoshop Tutorials: Photoshop Tutorials provides free drawing and digital art tutorials using photoshop.

Scholarships

If you already know you want to study art in college, be sure to consult this ultimate list of scholarships from universities around the country.

Remember: each organization has different scholarship requirements, so check carefully.

• Against the Grain Productions: The Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship worth $1,000 provides financial assistance for Asian American college students who pursue visual arts program.
  
• AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship: Scholarship awarded to underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students who are studying photography, illustration, and design disciplines in colleges and universities in the United States.
  
• Cyndy and Al Baran Fine Arts and Music Scholarship: Eligible applicants for this scholarship is sophomores, juniors, seniors in college, and graduate students in fine art or studio art major.
  
• Iowa Culture: Iowa Culture provides scholarship worth $1,500 for students who pursue post-secondary education in the arts.
  
• NPG: NPG offers scholarship contest each year for art college students (hand drawn and digital poster contest).
  
• Academic Works: The scholarship worth $1,500 is granted for Ventura County college students majoring in the arts (performing, visual, fine, creative language arts).
  
• Congressional Black Caucus Foundation: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation grant scholarship for Black students who are pursuing a degree in the visual arts.
  
• Dorian De Long Arts & Music Scholarship: Dorian De Long Arts & Music Scholarship is granted for graduating high school student who intends to pursue advanced education in the arts.
  
• Betty Harlan Memorial Art Scholarship: Betty Harlan Memorial Art Scholarship graduating high school students who will pursue Visual Arts, Visual Art Education, or Visual Art History.
  
• Layton Scholarship: Mount Mary university grants scholarship worth $3,000 every year for students who enroll in arts or designs major.
  
• Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids Minority Scholarship: College students of color majoring in all visual and performing art can apply for this scholarship.
  
• Mathilda & Carolyn Gallmeyer Scholarship: Kent County college students of color majoring in painting/visual arts can apply for this scholarship.
  
• Paul Collins Scholarship: Students of Aquinas, Calvin, GVSU, GRCC or Kendall studying fine or applied arts can apply for this scholarship.
  
• Distinguished Artist Award: First year students can get $3,000 scholarship based on academic excellence and creative abilities in art.
  
• National Cowboy Museum: Stacey Scholarship Fund is a scholarship for students who study classic and traditional fine art.
  
• Marion Barr Stanfield Art Scholarship: Marion Barr Stanfield Art Scholarship is granted for fine arts graduate or undergraduate Unitarian Universalist students.
  
• The Frederic Whitaker and Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Foundation: The Frederic Whitaker and Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Foundation provides scholarship worth $2,000 for bachelor students who study fine arts (watercolor emphasis) or art history and museum studies.
  
• Zinggia Art Scholarship: Zinggia Art Scholarship is granted for high school seniors who are going to pursue arts career interests.
  
• Arts for Life Award: Arts for Life Award is a scholarship for Florida graduating high school students who are going to pursue art career interests.
  
• Buddy Pierce and Maggie P. Speight Scholarship Fund for the Arts: This scholarship is granted for low-income college students who study arts.
  
• F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship: F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship is scholarship for Northeastern Pennsylvania art students.
  
• Franklin County Arts Guild Scholarship: This scholarship is granted for students in Franklin County who pursuing Creative Arts.
  
• NWWF Scholarship and Barbara Pitts Award NWWS Foundation: This scholarship is granted for promising visual arts students.
  
• J.Y. Carter Excellence in the Arts Scholarship Fund: This scholarship is granted for Macon County High School seniors who participated visual and performing arts events.
  
• Rose J. Navratil Art Scholarship Fund: This scholarship fund is for Carnegie Mellon University art students who reside in Allegheny County.
  
• Sub Pop Loser Scholarship: High school seniors who interested or involved in creative arts are eligible for this scholarship.
  
• The Virginia E. Lewis Scholarship Fund: This scholarship is granted for undergraduate students having declared a major in Art or Art History.
  
• Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest: This art contest is for high school students with the prize worth $31,500 in total.
  
• CINTAS Visual Arts Fellowship: Any students who are in visual arts major can enter this program to get scholarship prize.
  
• Concordia College Visual Arts Scholarship: First-year students (renewable) in visual arts are eligible for this scholarship application.
  
• Laurie P. Poole Scholarship for the Visual Arts Fund: This scholarship is for high school seniors from Davidson County who are going to major in visual arts.
  
• Art Renewal Center Scholarship: ARC Scholarship worth $3,000 is granted for students who study fine arts at ARC approved schools.
  
• Krylon Clear Choice Art Scholarship: Krylon is awarding five scholarships to future fine artists and giving ten students a gift pack of Krylon art supplies.
  
• McMillen Scholarship: McMillen scholarship is a scholarship for women pursuing an artistic career.
  
• TLMI Scholarship: Any graphic design or fine arts college students are eligible for this scholarship.
  
• David Barrett Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship is granted for students who study classical design elements and traditional elements.
  
• National Gallery of Art Fellowship: This fellowship is for graduate students (with minimum 3 years art experience) to support government conservation programs.
  
• Student Scholarship: Student Scholarship Competition is for art college-level students.

Internships

Looking for hands-on experience? This list of internships and research opportunities is great for both undergraduate and graduate students looking to dive deeper into the field.

• MoMA Internships: MoMA opens full-time, seven-month internships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in museum and art.
  
• Americans for the Arts Internship: Americans for the Arts International provides several art internships.
  
• Whitney Museum of American Art Internship: Whitney Museum of American Art provides full-time paid summer internship or part-time paid internship during academic year programs.
  
• SAAM and the Renwick Gallery Internship: SAAM and the Renwick Gallery provides two internship programs for undergraduate and graduate art and museum students.
  
• National Gallery of Art Summer Internship: Summer Internship is held by National Gallery of Art every year for students with relevant major.
  
• Met Museum Internship: Met Museum opens two internships program (high school students' internship, undergraduate and graduate internship).
  
• American Federation of Arts Internship: American Federation of Arts opens internship program for master's degree art students.
  
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Internship: SF MOMA provides full-time, ten-week paid summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• Folk Art Museum Internship: Folk Art Museum provides semester or full year internship for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• Asheville Art Internship: Undergraduate and graduate students are welcomed to join the internship projects related to the arts, arts education, and arts administration.
  
• Barnes Foundation Internship: Barnes Foundation offers summer, spring, and fall internships for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• Museum of the American Revolution -- Summer Education Intern: Museum of the American Revolution offers paid summer internship for students.
  
• Birmingham Museum of Art Internship: Internship is open for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in art and museum.
  
• Chinati Foundation Internship: Chinati Foundation offers paid internship for art students.
  
• Creative Time Internship: Creative Time is offering internship for contemporary arts undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• Denver Art Museum Internship: Denver Art Museum opens paid museum education internship for students.
  
• Guggenheim Museum Internship: Guggenheim opens spring, summer, and fall internships every year.
  
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston Internship: Museum of Fine Arts Boston opens spring, summer, and fall internships for undergraduate and graduate students every year.
  
• Dallas Museum of Art Internship: Dallas Museum of Art offers paid internship for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• The Art Institute of Chicago Internship: The Art Institute of Chicago offers internship for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• Crystal Bridges Museum Internship: Crystal Bridges Museum offers internships for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.
  
• FAPE Global Internship: FAPE Global opens internships for undergraduate and graduate students from art related fields.
  
• GDEcD Intern Program: GDEcD Intern Program is internship program for students and recent graduates located in Georgia.
  
• Hammer Museum Internship & Fellowship: Hammer Museum offers year-long internships for students and fellowships for recent graduates.
  
• Houston Center for Photography Internship: Undergraduate and graduate students, also recent graduates who interested in photography and visual arts are eligible for this internship.
  
• Getty Internship: Getty offers several internships for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• LACMA Internship: LACMA offers student internships every year.
  
• Morgan Library Internship: Morgan Library offers student internships every year.
  
• Philadelphia Museum of Art Internship: Museum Studies Internship Program is an internship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
  
• RISD Museum Students Opportunities: RISD Museum provides internships, assistantships, and fellowships program for students.
  
• Newark Museum Art Internship: Limited number summer internships are awarded to students who are entering their second year of college.
  
• LASC Internship: LASC provides fall, summer, spring internships for students.
  
• NCMA Internship: NCMA offers internship program for college students, recent graduates, graduate students, and nontraditional students.
  
• Bemis Center Internship: Bemis Center offers internship for students who college students and recent college graduates.
  
• Visual Arts Center Internship: Visual Arts Center offers visual art student internships program.
  
• High Museum of Art Internship: Internships are offered to rising college juniors and seniors and to graduating seniors.
  
• National Museum of Woman in the Arts: NMWA offers fall, spring, and summer internship for students in sophomore year of undergraduate study (or higher) and recent graduates.
  
• Anderson Ranch Summer Arts Internship: Anderson Ranch offers undergraduate, graduate or recently graduated students from an art program.
  
• Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Internship: This internship program is offered to undergraduate, graduate, and recently graduated students during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
  
• Art Bridges Internship Program: Internship program is held every summer for students.
  
• Likable Art Internship: Likable Art offers internship for art students.
  
• Dayton Art Institute Internship: Dayton Art offers internship for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.
  
• Institute of American Indian Arts Internship: IAIA offers student internships for students.

Art News and Media

If art is your passion, consider keeping up with local or national art-focused publications to see how the field evolves and learn new things. The sites below are a good place to start.

• Art Biz Success: Art Biz Success provides free audit checklist for artists to check their art online presentation.
  
• Lori McNee: Lori McNee shares fine art, business, and social media tips for creative entrepreneurs.
  
• Skinny Artist: Skinny Artist is a website that shares collective wisdom, art world experiences, and business and marketing strategies to help artists sell their work.
  
• Abundant Artist: Abundant Artist shares free library including information on the best websites, print-on-demand services, and other resources for selling art online.
  
• Artist Network: Artist Network shares art techniques, mediums, inspirations, free video workshops, and free art tutorials for artists.
  
• First Site: Anyone can get free activity packs inspired from famous artists from this website.
  
• Art Maze Mag: Art Maze Mag features latest favorite progressive contemporary art, also some interviews.
  
• Maria Brophy: Maria Brophy shares art business tips and tricks for artists so that they can get income from their art.
  
• The Artist Market: The Artist Market provides free guide of "Steps to Create an Artist Marketing Plan".
  
• Creative Boom: Creative Boom is a website that provides inspirations, tips, and resources of art.
  
• THRIVE Art Studio: THRIVE is a community platform supports female visual artists where all THRIVE Members connect, ask questions, share resources, and give support.
  
• The Inspired Editorial: The Inspired Editorial is a digital magazine that covers inspiration and education to new, creative entrepreneurs.

Bottom Line

We hope this list of resources can enable all aspiring artists to discover the wonders of creativity and make the field of study just a little more accessible. Have fun!