210 Best + Free Digital Painting Courses & Certificates [2026]

A 5-hour, hands-on Procreate walkthrough from illustrator Brad Colbow that gets iPad owners comfortable with the app fast, though it hasn't been updated since 2021.

Best for: iPad owners who want to learn Procreate's tools by making a comic strip and a painting rather than sitting through a feature list.

A free, one-hour primer on value, form and color from concept artist Hardy Fowler, ending with a small Photoshop exercise, and taken by over 121,000 students so far.

Best for: Total newcomers who need the vocabulary of art explained before committing to a long paid painting course.

Seven style-by-style painting projects, from cel shading to photorealism, taught by a working concept artist who does most of it in Procreate on an iPad.

Best for: Hobbyists who already know their painting app's basics and want to try seven distinct styles with a finished project for each.

The only Krita-specific pick on our digital painting list: a 7.5-hour walk through the free Photoshop alternative, from tablet setup to a finished non-destructive illustration.

Best for: Complete beginners who chose Krita because it's free and want every tool explained before they start painting.

A software-agnostic, five-hour course on painting light, shadow and color, taught by a working concept artist, for people whose digital paintings look flat or muddy.

Best for: Digital artists who can already draw and want their shading and color to stop looking flat and muddy.