How to Teach Art Online – Tech Tips and Techniques 
with Brenna George
2022


I don't know where you are coming from. Do you want to teach through an organization or on your own? Try doing both!

Teaching art online - How it is different from in person
 
Be prepared, be over-prepared 

It is more relaxed because of no travel, intimate and a bit of a more casual feel. See into other’s lives more their living rooms, pets, and family. They see your home life too.

Not so much over the shoulder coaching as in person classes. Instead of a quick 15 min demo that I do in-person at the beginning of a class, the whole session I show my process and paint along with the students so in fact, I do a really long demo. 



5 steps of how I teach an online class from the idea stage, advertising, preparing slide shows, physical setup and teaching a live class.

1 physical setup

Start with a basic technical set up and build and make it better as you go along

Tools
Camera
I use logi HD Pro Webcam C920 10890p, love its tilting ability, its clarity of image
I use Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000  it is inexpensive, good enough to show me talking

1 camera, 
I started with one camera, I would cover it with my hand and move the camera from the top of my computer when I talked a head and shoulders shot 
Then tape it to a tripod leg over my painting for the painting demo. 

2 cameras
I keep one on the top of my monitor, to talk an head and shoulders shot
I keep one on a tripod to show my painting or palette, tilts to show palette or easel
I togel between the 2 in zoom cameras. the video camera icon select a video source.


Light 
lots of it
I have a 2 light setup
I like it very bright on my demo so you can see detail and colour
Light your face so your eyes have a sparkle 
I have Dracast led lights. I have these expensive ones because I bought them a while ago to make video art.I like how led put off very little heat.
Use any lights you have.


Audio, 
I haven’t mastered it I use headphones and the camera mic

Set the professional scene
A light, plant, art that matches what you are teaching
Stage your Zoom background
Light, eye-level, sparkle in the eye 
a lit object in the background

2 the idea stage
Decide what to teach, Don’t worry so much about what courses will sell, the people will vote by signing up. Different people like different things. 
So try to please yourself. What do you want to teach now?
Sometimes I like to teach what I am really good at and other times I want to learn myself so I teach something that stretches the boundaries of what I already do. I want to learn and I really have to learn it before I teach it. 
Research and try it out to see if you really want to teach it. 

3 Advertising
Write ups 
focus on what the customer/student will benefit from the class
What technical things they will learn, what product they will come out of the class with.
Keep it short 3 sentences

Price 
You decide. Usually I think per hour then bump it up for single classes and reduce it for a multiple class. $35 for a single session class and $60 for a two session class
It depends on the enrollment how much you will make. Also have a set rule for yourself how many students do you need to run a class. Offer refunds and don't teach if you have not reached that mark. Mine is low. If there are 3 students who have signed up, I will run the class.
 
Make a place for them to buy it
I use a Squarespace website it is easy for the participant to add to cart and pay with a debit or credit card.
I have sold the occasional class directly from instagram and payment through e-transfer.

Advertize 
Post on Instagram & Facebook, 
Do a emailing to your mailing list

Make a zoom link for the class
to have many participants for over 40 min you need to pay monthly about $20 usd
Make a scheduled meeting with a link

Welcome the student
As soon as I have a new registering student I send a welcome to the class email that is a brief outline and a short list of what to bring to the class( usually reference photos needed)  and the zoom link to the class.


4 preparing slide show
Google slides
step-by-step what I want to teach, 
organized and prepared with this structure and grounding 
I won't lose the information and can reteach the same class
Things I use often in Google Slides
duplicating a slide so I can add more information
Think of it as building an idea not everything in one slide
Each slide shows a piece of what you want to say. 
embedded video, 
the arrows, 


5 teaching a live class

Format of lesson for a A Hands on Class

I keep all people painting at the same pace by using this schedule for all my painting classes.

2hr 30 minute class

00 -05		Intro, logging in saying hello
05 - 30		Slideshow, Zoom Share screen with audio
30 - 45 	Sketching, on canvas, share it when done
45 - 1:00 	Palette mixing and share results
1:00 - 1:30	Painting time 
1:30 - 1:35	Midway point, show and talk about your work.
1:35 - 2:15	Paint
2:15 - 2:25  	Each participant briefly shows their painting and talks about how they 
implemented the new lesson/ technique in their painting, with positive feedback from other participants.
2:25 - 2:30	Upcoming class mini outline

 This time framework is a good rough guideline so I can keep everyone working at the same pace. If the schedule does not go as planned, I keep in mind where I need to aim for and speed up sections to catch up or lengthen other sections as needed. The mini check in points to share, sketches, palette colours, midway painting and the end show and talk are good to keep everyone at the same pace and connected.

Format of lesson for a goal setting, art writing, or preparing for an exhibition
A class with mainly discussion and writing
Breakout groups
Written exercises,
Set up pre-prepared google docs for them to write in and give them all access to each others to edit
Variety, breaks
Talking, action, reflection, mini-segments


One-On-One Mentoring Class
Keep track
Keep a binder with a section for each student
log the time of the sessions
Write a checklist of what they want to achieve and learn before the next meeting
Check next session of how they are progressing
Make new checklist each session

Research about their needs between sessions

Good luck! Be Yourself!