Bring Digital Painting to Your Art Classroom 

Ctrl+Paint is a free resource for digital artists.  Inspired by the Khan Academy, these video lessons teach digital painting starting with the absolute basics.   

Designed for self-directed learning, these streaming lessons can be easily integrated into your existing curriculum.  These free videos are made possible through the sale of $10 lessons in the online store.

    Lesson Format

    Each free video lesson is roughly 5 minutes long.  Many of these demonstrations also include homework assignments to practice.

    Prerequisites

    These lessons focus on digital painting tools, and build on the student’s existing drawing skills.  For those without basic drawing experience, Ctrl+Paint offers a brief primer on traditional drawing (Free library, Section 2)

    Recommended Software

    Adobe Photoshop CC is used in the lessons, though Krita and Gimp are free alternatives that offer roughly equivalent features.

    Recommended Hardware

    Digital painting requires a USB digital stylus and a desktop/laptop computer. There’s no difference between Mac & PC for digital painting, but please avoid iPad, iPhone, and Android devices.  The Wacom Intuos  is a great beginner stylus.  

    Example videos

    Here are some quick samples of the free library. The first is more theory-heavy, while the second is a narrated demonstration.  Though the site has a wide variety of offerings, these two are representative of the 'Ctrl+Paint style'.