The Virtual Instructor: Structured Art Education for Traditional Media Artists

The Virtual Instructor is one of the most comprehensive and systematically organised online art education resources available for artists who work in traditional media, offering structured drawing and painting courses, hundreds of free tutorials, and a supportive community that has helped hundreds of thousands of artists develop their skills since 2009. Founded and operated by Matt Fussell, the website provides a level of curriculum structure and pedagogical organisation that is rare in online art education, making it particularly valuable for beginners and intermediate artists who benefit from a clear, progressive learning path.

The website's focus on traditional media is one of its defining characteristics. While digital art content dominates much of the online art education landscape, The Virtual Instructor maintains a commitment to drawing, watercolour, oil painting, acrylic, and pastel, reflecting Fussell's conviction that traditional media skills are foundational and that the experience of working with physical materials has a value that digital tools cannot replicate.

The Structured Curriculum

The structured curriculum is what most clearly distinguishes The Virtual Instructor from the majority of online art education resources. Rather than offering a collection of individual tutorials without clear progression, the website organises its content into structured courses that guide students through a logical sequence of skill development. Each course builds on the previous one, and students who follow the curriculum develop skills in a systematic way that produces more reliable results than self-directed learning from individual tutorials.

The drawing curriculum begins with the absolute fundamentals of mark-making, line quality, and basic shapes, and progresses through proportion, perspective, value, and the specific challenges of different drawing subjects. The progression is carefully designed to ensure that students develop the foundational skills they need before attempting more complex subjects, and the exercises at each stage provide the practice necessary to consolidate the skills being taught.

The watercolour curriculum covers the full range of watercolour techniques, from basic wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry approaches through more advanced techniques including glazing, lifting, and the specific challenges of different subjects. The curriculum is designed for artists who are new to watercolour as well as those who have some experience but want to develop a more systematic understanding of the medium.

Oil painting and acrylic curricula follow similar structures, covering the specific properties and techniques of each medium in a progressive sequence that builds competence systematically. The oil painting curriculum addresses the specific challenges of working with a slow-drying medium, including the management of drying times, the use of mediums, and the specific techniques for different painting approaches.

Free Tutorial Content

Beyond the structured courses, The Virtual Instructor offers an extensive library of free tutorial content covering a wide range of subjects, techniques, and media. These free tutorials provide a valuable introduction to the website's teaching approach and allow artists to explore specific topics without committing to a full course.

The free tutorials are well-produced and clearly taught, reflecting the same systematic, encouraging approach that characterises the structured courses. They cover both technique-specific topics, such as how to paint a specific subject in watercolour, and broader conceptual topics, such as colour theory and composition, providing a range of content that is useful for artists at different levels and with different specific interests.

The Community

The Virtual Instructor's community connects artists who are working through the same curriculum, providing opportunities for peer feedback, accountability, and the kind of shared experience that makes the challenging work of developing artistic skills more sustainable. The community forum is active and supportive, with a culture that reflects the encouraging, non-judgmental approach that characterises the website's teaching.

For beginners who are working independently without access to a local art class or community, the Virtual Instructor community provides a connection to other learners that can be genuinely motivating and supportive. The ability to share work, receive feedback, and engage with others who are facing the same challenges makes the learning process less isolating and more enjoyable.

Matt Fussell as an Educator

Matt Fussell's teaching style is characterised by clarity, patience, and genuine encouragement. His explanations of techniques and concepts are accessible without being condescending, and his demonstrations show the complete process of creating a drawing or painting in a way that is easy to follow and replicate. His consistent message that artistic skills are learnable by anyone who is willing to practice and follow a systematic approach is both genuinely believed and genuinely true, and it creates a learning environment that is supportive without being falsely optimistic.

Fussell's commitment to traditional media is evident in the depth and quality of the curriculum he has developed, and his genuine enthusiasm for drawing and painting communicates itself to students in ways that make the learning process more engaging and enjoyable.

The Bottom Line

The Virtual Instructor is one of the most systematically organised and beginner-friendly traditional media art education resources available online, offering structured curricula in drawing, watercolour, oil painting, and other media alongside an extensive library of free tutorials and a supportive community. For artists who are new to traditional media and who benefit from a clear, progressive learning path, The Virtual Instructor is one of the most valuable and accessible resources available.