Kate Anisimova
Сourse creation · 7 MIN · 15.09.2024
How to create an online art course
Okay, let’s get it straight. When discussing creating online art courses, the main question will always be: Is it even possible? Especially when you are an artist who has studied in an offline art school for five, seven, or ten years. Art is complicated. Art requires a lot of practice.
Right?
But.
You can’t replace a full-scale art education with a short online course. However, it doesn’t mean teaching people something useful is impossible.
In this article, we’ll discuss the process of creating an online course and what you can and can’t do in this format.
Right?
But.
You can’t replace a full-scale art education with a short online course. However, it doesn’t mean teaching people something useful is impossible.
In this article, we’ll discuss the process of creating an online course and what you can and can’t do in this format.
Theory and practice
The most important thing about education is that you can look at it as a construction toy. Imagine Lego. As any Lego building consists of bricks, any competency consists of skills.
To be precise, skills, knowledge and attitude.
Put these bricks together in the right order – and you’ll get a beautiful thing.
Put these bricks together in the right order – and you’ll get a beautiful thing.
However, a big part of teaching art classes is practice. Let’s say you want to teach your students how to draw using pastels. Simple lectures won't be enough; to master this competence, they’ll need actually to start drawing.
Let’s look at two examples of KSAs for theory-based and practice-based courses to see how it works in practice.
Let’s look at two examples of KSAs for theory-based and practice-based courses to see how it works in practice.
Theory-based course: The Theory of Colour in Art
Knowledge:
- Understanding colour theory principles, including the colour wheel, colour harmony, and contrasts.
- Familiarity with colour psychology and how different colours evoke emotions or convey meaning in artworks.
- The historical and cultural context of how artists have used colour throughout art history (e.g., the use of light and shadow in Renaissance painting or colour symbolism in Expressionism).
Skills:
- Ability to analyse famous artworks through the lens of colour theory.
- Critical thinking to assess how colour choices affect composition, mood, and narrative in visual art.
- Recognising and applying various colour schemes (analogous, complementary, triadic) in theoretical exercises or critiques.
Attitudes:
- Be open to appreciating diverse uses of colour across different styles and movements in art.
- A reflective mindset to see how personal colour preferences may align with or differ from historical traditions.
- A proactive attitude toward experimenting with new ideas and interpretations of colour theory in future artistic projects.
Practice-based course: Drawing with Pastels
Knowledge:
- Understanding the properties of different pastels (soft, oil, hard) and how they interact with paper textures.
- Awareness of basic drawing techniques, such as layering, blending, and shading, specifically for pastel mediums.
- Knowledge of how light and shadow work in relation to creating depth and form with pastels.
Skills:
- Mastery of applying pastels to achieve smooth blending, layering colours effectively, and controlling texture.
- Ability to create gradients and tones using pastel colours, applying proper pressure, and handling smudging techniques.
- Problem-solving in real-time: adjusting the drawing when unexpected smudging or pastel breaking occurs.
Attitudes:
- Patience and persistence, as mastering pastel techniques can be challenging and require practice.
- Confidence to experiment with vibrant and soft colour combinations, trusting the process while embracing potential mistakes.
- A mindset geared toward continuous improvement, valuing both successes and setbacks as part of the learning curve in pastel drawing.
As you may see, they look pretty different. However, you can probably imagine that the pastel drawing course can be taught online.
The two KSAs above are just an example. For each course, they will look different – even if two courses are teaching the same thing. The main reason is that each course is created with a different goal.
The two KSAs above are just an example. For each course, they will look different – even if two courses are teaching the same thing. The main reason is that each course is created with a different goal.
The goal for your online course
Let’s meditate on this a bit. Sit straight, close your eyes, and ask yourself, “Why do I want to create an online course?” It may be quite a bothersome task, especially if you plan to do this alone.
Your personal goals may include:
- An additional income from course sales
- Enhancing your personal brand
- Promoting your business
- Attracting new customers
Most likely, you don’t want to do it just for art's sake, right? Come up with your primary goal because it’s the one that will help you answer questions that will inevitably come to your mind later. For example: “Do I want to pick a trending topic to sell my course better?” – or – “Do I want to create a niche course to show everyone my skill?”
There is another goal, the one you’ll help your students to reach.
There is another goal, the one you’ll help your students to reach.
The students' goal is the reason why they enrol in your course. Typically, they face a challenge and want to overcome it through learning.
Let’s take a couple of examples:
- Problem:I want to create beautiful watercolour paintings to hang in my apartment.
- Solution:A course that teaches foundational watercolour techniques.
- Course goal:Teach the practical aspects of watercolour painting, such as brush techniques, blending, and colour mixing.
Or, in a more advanced scenario:
- Problem:I want to become a professional portrait artist but only have basic drawing skills.
- Solution:A course focusing on advanced portrait techniques, including mastering proportions, anatomy, and realistic shading.
- Course goal:Teach the fine art of portrait drawing with a strong emphasis on realism, along with a deeper study of light, shadow, and form.
(Of course, becoming a professional portrait artist is a significant undertaking, but an online course can be a great starting point!)
To conclude, set two types of goals: one for you and one for students.
The lesson plan for your art course
By this moment, you should have a good idea of your course. How about putting it on paper? Here are five steps that will help you create a lesson plan.
Here are 5 five steps that will help you to make a lesson plan.
Step 1. List everything students must master when they finish your course
Use the formula ‘knowledge – skill – attitude” to do this. For example, in an art course on watercolour painting:
Aim for at least 5 KSAs for a complete course; more comprehensive programs should include ten or more.
Use the formula ‘knowledge – skill – attitude” to do this. For example, in an art course on watercolour painting:
- Knowledge: Understanding of colour theory and how to mix pigments.
- Skill: Mastery of brush techniques to create textures and gradients.
- Attitude: Patience and attention to detail when layering colours.
Aim for at least 5 KSAs for a complete course; more comprehensive programs should include ten or more.
- Step 2. Design a final assignmentDesign a final assignment that reflects the mastery of all KSAs. Think of it like an exam—what must students do to prove they’ve absorbed the knowledge, developed the skills, and cultivated the right attitude?
- Step 3. Create smaller assignmentsCreate smaller assignments for each KSA. These should be practical and guide students step-by-step toward mastering the final assignment.
- Step 4. Review your assignmentsReview your assignments to ensure they all build toward the final task. If they don’t, either simplify the final project or adjust your KSAs to better fit the course’s format.
- Step 5. For each of the assignments, make a lesson planWhat should you teach to ensure students can complete each task? Every lesson should serve a purpose and lead students closer to their ultimate goal.
Each step should align with the overall course objective. Be patient—this process can take time, especially if it’s your first course.
Finally, remember that creating a course is an ongoing process. Continuously refine your content based on student feedback and industry trends to keep it practical and relevant.
If you need support, Seturon has a team of learning experience designers with years of expertise to help you craft the perfect online course.
If you need support, Seturon has a team of learning experience designers with years of expertise to help you craft the perfect online course.
The content for your online course
Now, you have a lesson plan and a clear goal in mind. Time to create content for your art course!
If we’re talking about a prerecorded course, you’ll need to prepare the scripts and text you wish to include in it, plus presentations you’ll show on screen. If you prefer a text format, think about longreads. Modern learning management systems allow the creation of interactive and beautiful-looking text-based lessons. For example, Seturon offers one of those with a simple course constructor.
If we’re talking about a prerecorded course, you’ll need to prepare the scripts and text you wish to include in it, plus presentations you’ll show on screen. If you prefer a text format, think about longreads. Modern learning management systems allow the creation of interactive and beautiful-looking text-based lessons. For example, Seturon offers one of those with a simple course constructor.
If you aim to create something fancier, you may need a team of scriptwriters and designers. If you plan to record videos, consider working with a professional editor and an operator to film you. Good looks will be a great selling point for your course and help demonstrate your professionalism.
Seturon has a production team to help you prepare professional scripts and great-looking visuals for your online course.
Seturon has a production team to help you prepare professional scripts and great-looking visuals for your online course.
Publishing your course
You’re almost there! When everything is ready, the last thing to do is publish your course. There are several ways to do it. For example, you can choose a ready-made solution, like publishing your course on Udemy or using Seturon LMS. You can also host online sessions and art workshops using Zoom and similar services.
When picking a platform, think about what’s most important to you. Want a big audience? MOOC platforms like Udemy could be the way to go. Want complete control and to create engaging experiences? Then choose Seturon. Whatever you choose, ensure it aligns with your goals as a course creator.
When picking a platform, think about what’s most important to you. Want a big audience? MOOC platforms like Udemy could be the way to go. Want complete control and to create engaging experiences? Then choose Seturon. Whatever you choose, ensure it aligns with your goals as a course creator.
- Kate AnisimovaLearning experience designerDesigned over 100 online courses, built four LX teams from scratch, and established educational standards for five companies. But who's counting?
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FAQ
Expertise in the area is the perfect start for creating your online course! However, it’s essential to translate your knowledge into an educational product that will benefit students. This is why the whole profession of Learning Experience Designers exists. Think about it as translation services. You may know how to make a great speech in German, but it doesn’t ensure you’ll make an equally great in English. The same goes for the creation of educational experiences.
It certainly is. Any educational program is not more than a simple push for a student to start practising. Ultimately, a formal educational process takes no more than 10% of the time really needed to master the skill: one hour of lecture—ten hours of practising. However, it is essential to make this push perfect to help students keep their motivation for all these hours of practice they’ll need to perform.
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