10 best people to follow if you want to learn how to paint

There’s no time like the present to start a new hobby.

Thanks to an overwhelming number of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok accounts addressing virtually every topic, learning a new skill like painting has never been more accessible.

Getting into painting can be a soothing daily practice and a creative outlet. There are an plethora of painting Instagram and TikTok accounts out there, so we’ve sorted through and found ten that have great tutorials, process videos, and paintings that will inspire you to pick up the brush.

Warning: Looking at these accounts will make you want to go out and spend an ungodly amount of money on art supplies.

1. @paulwang_sg

Paul Wang is an urban sketch artist and watercolorist from Singapore. He paints buildings and scenes from restaurants and cafes. His style is whimsical and he uses unique shapes and textures. Wang posts short process videos and demonstrates painting warm ups on his Instagram. Follow him to learn texture and shape work. For more free teaching content of Wang’s, check out his YouTube. There he posts longer process videos as well as sketch along videos with fellow urban sketcher @suhitasketch.

2. @polina.bright

Polina Bright is a visual artist from Sydney, Australia who paints women, flowers, birds and other wildlife. Follow her to learn how to draw and paint faces and birds. She frequently posts sketching process videos and tutorial videos. In her Instagram story highlights you can find tutorials on drawing and painting eyes, lips, and birds.

3. @augustwren

Jennifer Orkin Lewis paints bright, joyful gouache and watercolor paintings of nature. You’ll probably recognize her distinct style from her collaborations with popular brands like Anthropologie and Kate Spade. She frequently posts painting process videos and her feed is ripe with inspiration for your own painting.

4. @sdionbakerdesign

Samantha Dion Baker is the author of Draw Your Day and Draw Your World. She posts watercolor paintings of her days from her sketchbook as well as process videos. She also does Instagram Lives where she paints in real time. Follow to get into the habit of painting images from your life everyday.

5. @rosies.sketchbook

Rosa is a Canadian painter who paints using primarily oil pastels and acrylics. Her feed is full of lush green paintings of nature and plants. She posts tutorials on her Instagram Story like how to add clouds to watercolor paintings and how to paint a peacock feather. Follow her to learn how to paint plants using different types of paints.

6. @lizsteelart

Liz Steel is a sketcher from Sydney, Australia who posts images of her sketchbook. She mostly works in watercolor and posts process videos on her Instagram. Head to her website for tons of free tips on everyday and travel sketching.

7. @hannahhh.mp

Hannah Pickerill is a watercolorist who paints primarily natural landscapes. She posts her completed work on her Instagram and has a series called “Art 101” on her TikTok where she posts a variety of tutorials. She has tutorials on perspective, painting ocean waves, color mixing, and much more.

8. @matthewmanalo_art

Matthew Manalo is a watercolor portraitist from Davao City, Philippines. He posts process videos of his paintings and watercolor tutorials. Check out his playlist “Watercolor Tutorials” to learn watercolor blending techniques and color theory.

9. @sparketh

Sparketh is an online art course provider for kids and teens, but their TikTok has great free art tips. The account isn’t painting specific, but has plenty of tutorials. The Sparketh TikTok has videos on all kinds of things from how to paint grass to how to capture neon lighting to how to paint a butterfly.

10. Shayda Campell

Shayda Campell is a watercolorist who posts YouTube tutorials. On her YouTube she teaches watercoloring, journaling, and illustration. Head to her YouTube to learn lettering and how to paint different flowers.