The BEST Art Channels On YouTube In 2024

Books are amazing for learning art. There’s no doubt about that.

But, many people find it particularly hard to understand.

There’s just something much more comprehendible about learning from a video format. Everything just makes sense.

After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

How To Learn Art Through Video Format

However, online courses are pretty expensive sometimes. And when you’re just starting art, that can be a difficult pill to swallow.

Instead, you could opt for a completely free option!

Enter YouTube.

It’s a perfect alternative to online courses.

You can choose whichever topic you want to learn and can just start watching immediately. You can even switch between different teachers without paying a single dime. And of course, it’s literally the CHEAPEST option!

Now, all that’s left to decide is where to start.

There are hundreds of channels that provide unique art content. So, how to choose?

Well, hopefully, you won’t have any problem with that decision by the end of this post.

I’ve gathered a list of YouTube channels that provide some of the best art education on the internet. Each of them has its value in different areas of art, so you can pick and choose what you feel like learning.

Best Overall

Proko

Proko is awesome. Seriously.

If you’re even remotely interested in art, then you MUST have heard of Proko.

Stan Prokopenko is the founder of Proko and has a website where he has a whole bunch of amazing courses available for a fee.

However, he ALSO has a YouTube channel where he offers a part of his courses for free. And I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

His anatomy videos are the most in-depth ones I’ve come across. The course has EVERYTHING you would need to know about anatomy. It is amazing for all kinds of artists.

But, he’s not the only one that teaches on his channel.

Other professional artists have their courses too (for free) and you can check them out on his channel!

Proko also has a great number of artist interviews which is brilliant for motivating young artists.

The variety offered is crazy. He has videos from character design to caricature. Which is why I recommend everyone to go through his channel. You will certainly find something for yourself.

Proko ALWAYS has quality content and Stan is SUCH an entertaining teacher that you’ll definitely learn a lot. So, you can’t miss out on this.

Best For Manipulating Forms

ModernDayJames

If you ever need a tutorial on rotating boxes, then this is one for you.

James Douglas is the amazing animator who runs this channel. He has a brilliant understanding of the fundamentals of art and he strives to explain them to all beginner artists.

If you follow his manipulating volume tutorials and rotating boxes videos, I’m very sure that you’ll improve rapidly.

He teaches a LOT of solid fundamental skills you would need to know to be any good.

I also loved his ‘Drawing Like a Gi’ series as he broke down exactly how to practice to be able to draw from imagination.

The only issue you would face is that his videos are quite fast-paced. You won’t be able to draw alongside and there aren’t any step-by-step tutorials so you’ll have to figure out a lot by yourself.

Nevertheless, ModernDayJames is a SUPER helpful channel and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to upgrade their art skills.

Best For Entertainment Design

FZD Design Cinema

If you’re interested in entertainment design and are looking for more information about it, you can find it here.

Feng Zhu is the concept designer who runs the channel. He has a TON of industry experience and also has a concept art school, so he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

From concept design to storyboarding, you’ll find plenty of advice here on the different kinds of fields of art. You can learn something new in every episode you watch.

My favorite episode is his video on design breakdown which makes a lot of sense and taught me a LOT.

Feng Zhu also has a design cinema podcast and I really liked those series as well. He answers a lot of questions that beginners have in the podcasts.

He also talks about how to learn on your own and shares his tips on getting an accepted portfolio.

Although many of the videos are quite old, they are quite relevant today and it’s inspiring to hear him speak.

This channel will give you a great insight into the entertainment industry. It will also help you understand EXACTLY how the design process works.

Best For Animation

Aaron Blaise

Aaron Blaise is a veteran animator known for his work on Mulan, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and more.

He’s worked at Disney for over 20 years! I think that’s enough to say about his credentials. He has a TON of great tips to share.

He has a lot of information for free on his YouTube channel. His channel has a great amount of videos on animal anatomy, gesture drawing, and of course, animating.

Aaron Blaise also runs an online art store called CreatureArtTeacher that has more in-depth courses taught by him.

His courses are SO cheap for the sheer amount of content they have, I think it’s worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested in creature drawing.

His videos are calming and they are great to hear while drawing alongside.

If you ever want to learn about character design or animation, then this is a brilliant place to start.

Best For Digital Painting Tips

Sinix

Sinix is an art teacher who teaches at LCAD and has online classes at Brainstorm as well.

He also has a YouTube channel and gives out plenty of tutorials there as well. And his tutorials are pretty amazing.

I learned a LOT from watching just one of his videos, just because he packs his videos with SO much information.

Also, his digital painting videos are a gem.

Sinix’s style is beautiful and he explains so many fundamental concepts that you NEED to know to improve your digital painting skills.

If you incorporate his advice, you’re really going to grow a lot as an artist.

I especially loved his videos on rendering. They are done well and I learned a BUNCH of new digital painting tips that I never knew before.

If you don’t know where to start, you can take a look at his Anatomy Quick Tips. He mentions a lot of common beginner mistakes and explains plenty of ways to overcome them.

Best For Art Inspiration

Bobby Chiu

Bobby Chiu mainly has a channel focused on character and creature design. However, his videos have advice for all kinds of artists.

He has a LOT of interviews on his old channel as well as inspirational and thoughtful content.

His new channel, Chiu on This, has several tips on becoming an artist and the mentality you should have to succeed.

Bobby Chiu also has a course called Schoolism which is REALLY good and is worth taking a look at if you’re an intermediate artist seriously interested in improving.

I really love his mindset videos the most as he talks a lot about the journey to become an artist. This is equally as important as learning new art skills.

His new channel has few videos, as he has just started it.

While I recommend going through his old channel and watching the videos you like, you should really consider subscribing to his new channel as well.

This is because we just know he’s going to come up with some amazing content that will inspire us to achieve our goals.

Also, we should really support Bobby Chiu for coming up with new content for 17 YEARS on YouTube. That’s insane!

Bobby Chiu’s videos are super motivational and relaxing so if you’re feeling down, this is the perfect place to go to.

Best For Absolute Beginners

Alphonso Dunn

This channel is perfect for anyone who wants step-by-step tutorials on topics like rendering, texturing and line quality.

He will teach you the basics from SCRATCH, which is amazing for beginners who don’t know where to start.

Alphonso Dunn teaches you to draw with a pen as well as a pencil. Which is awesome.

TIP: Learning to draw with a pen will teach you SO many skills. It will seriously up your game and you’ll be able to draw SO much more confidently. You will also improve really quickly.

His texturing videos are amazing so I recommend you check them out.

Alphonso Dunn also gives plenty of helpful tips and tries to cover all the common doubts that beginners would encounter when starting.

This is definitely a resource I recommend to all beginner artists, as it will boost your confidence as well as your art skills.

Best For Concept Design

Tyler Edlin

Tyler Edlin is an experienced artist. But he’s not only a mature artist. He’s also well-versed in teaching and mentoring art students as well.

This means that he is skilled in explaining ALL problems that beginner artists would face when trying to make it by themselves.

Tyler Edlin gives a MASSIVE amount of information on his channel.

He goes over portfolio tips, as well as the mindset you should have when you’re breaking into the industry.

He is quite apt at picking up on newbie artists’ weaknesses and offers simple solutions that just make sense. These tips will also really elevate your artwork if you apply them.

TIP: You can also check out his Instagram handle. He posts quite frequently and it is usually tips on a range of topics. It’s perfect for an extra burst of motivation.

This channel is perfect for students studying concept design by themselves. It will give you plenty of portfolio and digital painting tips as well as boosts of motivation!

Best For Color And Lighting

Lighting Mentor

Jeremy Vickery is the creator of his channel and he has a LOT of experience. He’s worked on The Incredibles, Cars, Inside Out, Brave, Ratatouille and more.

He is filled to the brim with experience and he shares a LOT of it on his YouTube channel.

His channel has everything from lighting to understanding color theory. This knowledge is quite detailed and he also presents some exercises you should follow to practice and get better at light and color.

And these exercises are the ones he used while working in the industry.

How cool is that? You’re guaranteed to get much better and will improve quite fast if you actually listen and follow the valuable advice he’s sharing.

Much of the stuff he teaches is often overlooked by a lot of intermediate artists (myself alike).

He explains so many theories and fundamentals on light and color, that I don’t see how you can’t benefit from this channel.

And it really doesn’t matter if you’re planning on being a traditional artist. The fundamentals of light and color are common to ALL.

You would need to know all of this no matter if you want to become a character artist or an environment artist.

I think anyone going into the art industry would REALLY benefit from this channel. It’s going to be super helpful so don’t miss out on this one.

Afterword

Watching and learning from YouTube channels is a step forward in the right direction.

I want to applaud you for being willing to change and improve your skills. Not many people take the same initiative.

However, it’s only the beginning.

You need regular practice and application of this knowledge to reap the benefits from it. Please don’t only watch the videos once and walk away.

Rewatch the video. Analyze it. What can you take away from the video?

Just practicing and working on yourself for 15 minutes a day would be enough.

Yes, that’s right. 15 minutes.

It’s not a lot and I’m 100% sure you have that much time available.

CHALLENGE: Practice art for 15 minutes a day and you’ll be SHOCKED at the difference in your skills just 3 months from now.

So enjoy upgrading your skills with these incredible videos.

If you’d prefer alternative content, then you can click on the links below:

• Best Figure Drawing Books
• How to Become an Artist

Have fun and happy learning!