In my opinion, art Youtube can be separated into two main groups: The art Youtubers that educate and the art Youtubers that entertain.
The educating group can be again divided into two subgroups:
- The ones that educate in a more academic style
- They show common techniques and examples of these techniques and beginner’s courses
- The ones that teach by showing you how they do it
- They show time-lapses of their work and they teach by doing step-by-step tutorials
The entertaining Youtubers are the ones that try different products and do challenges. You watch them mostly because it’s fun!
These groups are purely how I view the art realm on Youtube and are by no means how these artists identify themselves. I hope this categorization makes sense to you.
Now, let’s see which artists are worth watching on Youtube!
1. James Gurney
James Gurney is a successful artist and author. His plein-air videos are full of tips and tricks you’ve never thought of. You learn so much by watching him paint.
- Educating art youtuber
- He shows his painting process in real-time and time-lapses
- James mostly paints with gouache and watercolor
His videos are not only educational but he also put a lot of work into his videos and it shows. I have his popular book on color and light and it’s fantastic! I highly recommend it.
Here’s my favorite video of his:
2. Proko
Proko is a name that almost every beginner artist knows. Proko is the art channel of Stan Prokopenko and he’s mostly known for his anatomy lessons. With over 3 million subscribers Proko proved itself to be a great art resource.
- Educating art youtuber
- He shows step by step and anatomy
- He mostly teaches drawing techniques
Here’s a classic video of Proko:
3. Paint Coach
I recently got into oils and boy have I stumbled across an art channel that teaches oils best: Paint Coach. Paint Coach makes videos about how to deal with oil paint. His videos are very to the point and helpful when you’re a first-time oil painter.
- Educating artist
- Shows step-by-step techniques and examples
- Works with oils
Here’s a great video by Paint Coach:
4. Etchr Studio
Technically Etchr isn’t a person but a brand. I don’t like recommending brands when it comes to art Youtube (because I’d rather support independent artists). But Etchr Studio is different. Their youtube channel is all about featuring artists that show their process LIVE! This way you can ask questions and paint/draw along.
- Educating art channel
- Shows step by step live lessons of all kinds of artists
- you can live ask questions and follow along
- They do painting to drawing
They always announce their live videos ahead of time and you can set a reminder. I’ve attended several live streams and it’s always very interesting.
Here’s my favorite video of them:
5. Jess Chung
Jess Chung is an artist from Australia who paints with watercolors and gouache. I found her through Instagram when she did a 30-day paint challenge. At the time I DM-ed her asking a question on a certain technique and she kindly answered (which I really appreciated!). Jess explains her process really well and has a super relaxing voice. A win-win!
- Educating artist
- Shows step-by-step process on how to paint certain landscapes
- Mostly paints with gouache and watercolors
Here’s my favorite video of Jess:
6. AhmadArt
AhmadArt is an art channel that features beautiful paint tutorials. They are non-spoken but there are subs that tell you what to do. If you don’t know what to paint AhmadArt is THE channel to check out! Also, if you’re into ASMR this channel is for you.
- Educating artist
- Shows step-by-step tutorials (non-spoken)
- Paints with watercolor, gouache, and acrylics
Here’s one of my favorite videos:
6: Sam Does Arts
SamDoesArts is a Canadian digital artist and is very popular on social media. His Youtube channel has over a million followers and chances are you’ve seen his artwork. He makes fun videos in which he roasts his subscriber’s art, he does challenges and more.
- Entertaining artist
- Does challenges and fun videos
- Digital artist who does stylized character art
Here’s a popular video of his:
7. Chloe Rose Art
Chloe Rose is a self-taught artist that does these super fun art videos. From doing murals to customizing items, she does it all! I love her bubbly personality and how she keeps art fun.
- Entertaining artist
- Does challenges and fun videos
- Works mostly with acrylics
Here’s my favorite video of Chloe:
8. Super Rae Dizzle,
SuperRaeDizzle is an artist similar to Chloe Rose as they both do challenges and test out art supplies. Rae’s videos are highly entertaining but also informative as she goes above and beyond when testing art supplies. With almost 2 million subscribers Rae sure knows how to captivate an audience!
- Entertaining artist
- Does challenges and tests out and compares art supplies in a fun way
- Works with oils, watercolors, acrylics, colored pencils (basically everything!)
Here’s my favorite video of SuperRaeDizzle:
9. Doodle date,
I’ve came across Doodle Date right before I went to college back in 2016 and I’ve been subscribed to them ever since. Adam and Steph are the most wholesome artist couple you’ll ever meet. They do fun stylized character art, together!
- A super kind couple who arts together
- Very entertaining because of their amazing chemistry
- They do it all: watercolors, alcohol markers, colored pencils, and more
Here’s my all-time favorite video of theirs:
10. Jazza
Jazza is probably the most popular art youtuber With a whopping 6 million subscribers he sure knows what his audience wants. I think he appeals mostly to younger subscribers as his videos are silly, and fun.
- Entertaining artist
- Does mostly challenges and fun videos but has some tutorials
- Uses all kinds of art supplies: digital, paints, pencils
Here’s Jazza’s most popular art video to date:
11. Ross Draws
Ross Draws is similar to Sam Does Arts as they are both digital character artists. Ross’s videos are very fun to watch because they’re very dynamic and entertaining. In addition to his fun videos, he makes tutorials so you can categorize him as both an educator and an entertaining artist.
- Educating and entertaining artist
- Does challenges, paints his subscribers, does studies, and makes tutorials
- He uses digital art
Here’s a fun challenge video of Ross Draws:
There you have it! My top 10 11 art YouTubers I recommend to you. Making an art channel isn’t just for people who are good at art.. It’s also a lovely way to document your process for yourself to look back on later.
Interested in starting a Youtube account on your own? Here’s an article I wrote on how to film your art.
Feel free to check out my art youtube channel as well. I’m planning to upload a ton more!
♡ Laura
