Online Art Lessons for Teens
I received a short term membership to Sparketh and was compensated for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right resources for fine arts instruction.
As homeschooling parents, we may not have all the skills or confidence to teach it on our own.
Adding another destination and class time to our teen’s already busy schedule is not always an option.
Thank goodness for the Internet!
And online courses.
Reasons to Try Online Art Instruction
Some families have a hard time giving up the personal touch of a live instructor or interaction with a teacher. Online art courses have many advantages. Do any speak to you?
- Less Expensive– online formatting is often less costly than local art classes
- Fits Your Schedule– as long as they are not live classes taught remotely, you can choose when and where to do your art class each week.
- Work at Your Own Pace– you can go as fast or as slow as you need to with online art classes.
- Save Time for Art– rather than driving to and from art classes. Online classes are a time saver where time counts.
- Choose the Lessons that Build on Your Skills– rather than following someone else’s scope and sequence for your art. You can pick up where you need to and go from there.
Required Materials for Online Art Lessons
Specific materials may be required by the course instructor, but our experience is that the following supplies are always good to have on hand:
- Art Canvas– in a variety of sizes like 8×10, 9×12, and 12×12. Sometimes it depends on what you’d like to do with the finished product. We have a lovely gallery in our powder room.
- Watercolor Paper– a nice weight and we prefer cold pressed (with texture) to the hot pressed
- Colored Pencils– we like the smooth, rich colors of Prismacolor pencils
- Drafting Ruler– in metal so that it is sturdy and doesn’t break or wear out
- Art Acrylics– student grade will do, but these are thicker than craft acrylics and I love the color and texture
- Paint Brushes– we prefer open stock in various shapes and sizes
- Paint Palette– most online classes offer opportunities to mix paint.
- Sketch Pencils– a set with various graphite softness and thickness is a good start
- Blending Pencil– sometimes they come with a set of colored pencils and sometimes they do not
- Kneadable Eraser– a must for artists, these don’t leave debris on your paper
- Pencil Sharpener– for your art pencils
- Mobile Device or Laptop– for viewing the course material. Our older teens have purchased their own laptops, but a mobile device allows you to take the course on the go.
- Broadband Internet Connection– the classes are taught via video that you stream in order to learn the material. If you don’t have one at home, consider taking the course on location with good internet (the library, a local cafe, etc).
Benefits of Sparketh Online Art Lessons
Sparketh is art education at home for homeschoolers, after- schoolers, and those who want to be life-long learners. A few things I noticed which make Sparketh stand out:
- Popular Art– there are a number of anime lessons along with other popular art subjects that teens will enjoy.
- Perfect for Beginners– these art lessons don’t require previous art expertise. In fact, these lessons are just right for reluctant and beginning art students.
- Variety in Instructors– the lessons are taught by more than one teacher. So, if you don’t click with one style, you’ll have other teachers in other lessons.
- Multiple Video Lessons– the lessons are broken down into sub sections and don’t have to be done in one sitting. You can see the total teaching time on any given lesson, but the process is broken up.
- Skill Builder Lessons– there are lessons which are designed to build a particular skill rather than produce a specific project. This is nice for targeting a certain skill.
- Provide Details– the videos contain all the steps, without skipping ahead, so if you like to follow along the whole way or don’t like working on your own, this is a plus.
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Find time for creative pursuits.
Adding art to your high school schedule is easy to do with online art lessons for teens.
