Abstract art is a visual art movement that began in the early 20th century. As the name suggests, it’s an art that is more abstract or not so literal. It generally refers to work that has little to no reference to things in the real world. Instead, it focuses on shapes, colors, and other visual elements, with little connection to real-world objects or ideas. If you are interested in learning how to create abstract art, here are some free online courses you can take so you can get started.

In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting

This course on Coursera is 27 hours of beginner-level lessons offered by MoMA that give you a grasp of what studio practice entails and how you can become sensitive to the physical characteristics of paint through studio demonstrations and gallery tours. You can also decide to participate in the studio exercises and written assessments.

Free Abstract Painting Lessons by John Beckley

This one gives you a thorough insight into abstract art and how to improve creativity skills. The videos in the course teach you the basics of abstract art and provide hands-on practices to help you implement them and improve your creativity.

How to Paint Abstract Art for Beginners

The Art Instruction blog designed this mini-course. A selection of well-chosen training videos is available to inspire and motivate you while you work on your drawings.

Introduction to Abstract Motif Sketches

This free Alison course will show you how to use hand-made or graphic software to transform a picture into an abstract motif. 

Create your First Abstract Painting in 30 minutes (Beginners)

The course is suitable for beginners. The instructor Josue Andrade teaches you how to get inspiration from your immediate surroundings. He further teaches some painting techniques and tools you can use for your art. 

Discover a variety of painting techniques with the help of a Certified Art Teacher

The course is available at takelessons.com. This course by Raya M. is not entirely free, but it offers its new students a special discount on the first three lessons.

Abstract Mini Art Class

Andrea Garvey, the course instructor, believes everyone to be creative in some way. Because of this, she provides step-by-step videos and notes that can help you create fantastic art paintings.

M.Lang Contemporary Art

Michael Lang shows examples of many abstract painting techniques in his painting videos playlist on his Tutorials on youtube. You can learn a lot from these videos and improve your knowledge and skills in abstract painting.

Painting and Understanding Abstract Art

Painting and Understanding Abstract Art is a downloadable e-book created by John Lowry, not a typical online course with video lessons. This book is a how-to manual for approaching art; by working through the exercises, you can pick up new techniques that will serve to motivate you to create your next piece. You can learn from other similar e-books that are accessible for download.

Abstract Approaches: A Free Abstract Art Painting Class

In 1 hour and 35 minutes, Tracy Verdugos will teach you a new method for creating an abstract painting. You are already halfway through creating your abstract art by entering your information and signing up to receive the course in your inbox.