10 Free Online Illustration Classes to Help You Start Drawing

Discover expert tips to develop and inspire your drawing practice, from warm-up exercises to learning new skills like creating a color palette

As Pablo Picasso famously said, "in drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt." But how do you get started? Whether you’re an illustrator looking to learn different techniques, or a beginner in search of a new hobby, looking to other artists for inspiration can also be a great way to improve your practice.

Regardless of your experience, drawing allows you to connect with your creativity, bring ideas to life, and express yourself. And, thanks to its flexibility, it’s accessible to almost everyone—all you need to start is a pencil, paper, and a bit of imagination.

In these free illustration classes from top creative professionals, discover a variety of tips and tricks to improve your drawing. Learn basic drawing exercises, new illustration skills, and even tips for sharing your finished artwork. Keep reading to find out how to draw from observation, use the gridding technique, experiment with watercolors, and more.

These free classes will be available until September 30, 2022. After that date, you can access the classes by signing up to each teacher's full course. Click the red links to access the free class page, and click the play button on the video player to watch.

1. Free Class: Warm-up Exercises

Before you launch into your project, get warmed up with some practice drawing exercises. These will give you the ability to experiment without the pressure of needing to create something perfect. Here, digital visualization artist Albert Kiefer (@housesketcher) guides you through a series of warm-up exercises for sketching using fine liners.

Begin with the smallest fine liner you have and discover his creative process for doing so, using simple shapes to create symbolic drawings. Explore different strokes, then see how to layer and blend colors to create depth and dimension in your illustrations.

2. Free Class: Set a Theme and Collect Drawing References

If you're not sure what you'd like to draw, there are all kinds of ways to find inspiration for your illustration. In this lesson by artist and illustrator Karmen Loh (@Bearbrickjia), discover how to create a mood board of references for your next project using Photoshop.

With over 10 years of experience in her field, discover Bearbrickjia's process of coming up with a theme for your piece and developing a digital mood board to inspire it. Start by choosing a theme and character, then give them a story, and decide which colors and lighting tell it best. Next, see how to use Pinterest as a source for your references, and explore different tools in Photoshop to import, rotate, resize, and reposition your images in preparation for the drawing process.

3. Free Class: Studying From Observation

Drawing from observation might seem like a simple skill but it's one that takes practice. Freelance illustrator Sorie Kim (@soriekim) is passionate about using it to sketch animals, plants, and imaginary creatures. In this observational drawing class, she demonstrates how.

Begin by compiling a board of references and discover the importance of using them to inspire your work without copying them directly. Then create a profile view of your chosen subject by outlining shapes, creating direction lines, and adding ink using a brush pen for texture. Explore tips for training your eye for observation, and create a second, ¾ view of your chosen animal that features contours for volume and depth.

4. Free Class: The Gridding Technique

Sarah Stokes (@sarah_stokes) is a self-taught artist whose prints can be found ​​worldwide in places like Next, Wayfair, and Amazon. She also has a number of courses with Domestika in which she shares her expertise. In this lesson, she teaches you how to use the gridding technique to illustrate a subject in preparation for watercolor.

Start by learning how to apply a grid to a reference photo, either digitally or by hand, as well as how to scale it to suit different sizes. Then it’s time to study your reference photograph and begin replicating the easiest sections, counting the number of grids from the edge of your paper to ensure each of the features is in place.

Watch as Sarah works in triangles to recreate her subject using a 3D pencil, changing the angle of her photo to help her see in shapes.

5. Free Class: Basics of Light

Light is an essential element to consider when establishing mood and atmosphere in a painting. For German illustrator Ramona Wultschner (@ramonnelli), observing the way light works and recreating it is a fundamental part of her process which has seen her work on animated film products, children’s books, and games.

Here Ramona takes you step by step through the process of representing light in your illustrations.

Look at the different kinds of light that exist, from direct to diffused, then learn how to paint them, taking into consideration shadows, gradients, colors, and more. Throughout the lesson, Ramona refers to a series of real-life images to help you see her steps in practice, and she goes into more detail about capturing both light and color in her online course.

6. Free Class: Designing a Color Palette

An artist’s choice of color is often the most defining thing about their style so learning how to choose a palette of colors that works well together is important. In this class, award-winning illustrator Owen Davey (@owendaveydraws) teaches you how to do just that.

Learn what to consider when creating artwork digitally, then see how to preview your work in different formats. Use the color wheel to see which colors work well together and how the context they appear in impacts the way they are seen.

Owen then shares his biggest tip: testing a color palette using old pieces of artwork. Learn how to create new layers in Photoshop and use the Color Picker tool to experiment with different combinations.

7. Free Class: Color Theory

Take your knowledge of color further alongside animator, illustrator, and concept artist Michael Relth (@michaelrelth), who has worked on projects for clients including Procreate and Warner Animation.

In his free color theory class for illustration, explore the three dimensions of color: value, hue, and saturation. Discover what each of them is along with how to work with contrast to create interesting compositions.

Throughout the class, which is taken from his Procreate illustration course, Michael also guides you through various Procreate tools—including the Hue, Saturation, and Brightness tool—to show you how to manipulate color and enhance your illustrations with color theory in mind.

8. Free Class: Texture is Life

Details make all the difference and digital illustration tools make creating it easier than ever. Software like Procreate has become essential to artists of all styles and specialties thanks to its extensive library of brushes that replicate traditional effects on a computer or tablet.

Izzy Burton (@izzyburtonart) is a director, artist, and author who worked for clients including Nickelodeon, McDonald's, Lego, and Penguin Random House. Procreate is an important tool for the work she creates, especially when it comes to designing tactile artwork.

In this lesson, she teaches you how to create artwork filled with texture using different brushes in Procreate. Discover where to find both free and paid-for brushes, how to use them to achieve different effects, and more.

9. Free Class: Playing with Watercolor

If you'd like to explore analog techniques, learn the fundamentals of watercolor alongside illustrator Julie Mellan (@julie_mellan).

Julie specializes in children’s book illustration and has had her work published by the likes of Penguin Random House. In her Domestika course, she teaches watercolor illustration for children’s books.

With her as your guide, see how to paint a flawless solid color, a smooth gradient, and experiment on wet paper to achieve interesting textures with watercolors. Julie also shares her advice throughout, from choosing different sizes of brushes to playing around with salt.

10. Free Class: Share and Promote Your Work

Whether you want to share your work with the creative community for feedback (or if later down the line you'd like to explore turning your passion for illustration into a career), understanding how to share your work is key.

Louise Lockhart (@theprintedpeanut) is an illustrator who has built a product range that includes everything from homeware and cards to toys, games, and decorations. As part of her course on marketing your artwork, she talks about the different channels you can use to promote your work. Learn how to optimize your social media presence, and collaborate with fellow artists to help spread the word about your latest creations.

Remember, these online classes will be available to watch for free until September 30, 2022. After that date, if you want to see the classes you will need to sign up to the teacher’s full course.

Discover more online illustration resources

If you want to continue building on your newfound drawing skills, explore all of Domestika's online illustration courses, and read on for more...

- Learn how to tackle the fear of the blank page with these sketchbook tools and tips to overcome creative block.

- Loosen up your hand with three quick-fire illustration exercises to optimize your drawing technique.

- Looking for more motivation and inspiration to develop your drawing habit? Get involved with these monthly online art challenges!