If you’re looking for an online art school that provides instructor feedback and critique, there are a lot of options out there. To help, we’re comparing the Top Online Art Schools to the Evolve Artist program.
At Evolve, we’re on a mission to teach aspiring artists to create art without limitation … even if it’s not with us. Today we’re looking at New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist.
A few disclaimers:
- We’ve done our research, but student experience is the most important factor! If we’ve gotten something wrong, let us know in the comments section or email us at hello@evolveartist.com.
- We back what we do, but everyone has their own learning style, goals, and budgets. We genuinely respect any program that helps artists reach their potential.
- Always do your own research. In the end, it’s your time and your money. While this post is detailed, it’s not exhaustive.
Comparing New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist
Here's a quick summary of the main differences when comparing New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist.
Evolve
Artist
Foundations program
Cost (annual)
$2,500
Tuition Type
one-time
Coaching
Included
Peer Support
Included
Extra Classes
Included
Materials
Included
Time
~1 year
New Masters Academy
+ coaching program
Cost (annual)
$432-$1,788
Tuition Type
Subscription
Coaching
$948-2,988 ADDITIONAL
Peer Support
Included
Extra Classes
with HIGHER sub
Materials
not included
Time
~4-5 ACADEMIC YEARS
- Both programs at Evolve and New Masters Academy are designed for beginner to experienced artists.
- There are many different courses, instructors and art forms on New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist's consistent curriculum in realism and oil painting. At Evolve, you can’t get distracted by other styles or different teaching styles.
- A subscription-based service at New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist's all-inclusive one-time pricing.
- Personalized coaching is a premium add-on at New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist's approach where coaching, critique, 1-1s are all included.
- In the end, New Masters Academy offer an a la carte style education, compared to Evolve's all-inclusive guided experience which produces proven results.
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve: The Program
At Evolve Artist, we believe that technical mastery is the necessary foundation for any artist to freely express themselves. Our step-by-step oil painting program moves students from beginner to professional grade art in one year.
Our Foundations Program consists of 4 blocks where we break down the fundamentals of art - value, edge, perception, and color. The Advanced Program is for those who want to go even deeper and learn advanced techniques and more stylized approaches.
Our lessons and assignments are laid out in easily digested parts. We provide a deep dive into our curriculum on our website.
New Masters Academy is a subscription-based online art school. You get access to all the content on their base Library Plan, which includes a two-part Oil Painting for Beginners course and courses on drawing fundamentals.
New Masters Academy provides a guide that organizes courses into 10 Learning Tracks to help students navigate which courses to take and in what order based on a specific art field.
New Masters Academy Subscription plans offer access to different benefits, like a reference library of 50,000 images and 3D models.
Evolve also provides reference images. These images are focused on quality, not quantity - created in-house to specifically build on the skills being taught.
While New Masters Academy provides a course guide, students guide themselves through it which means beginner students may move on before they are ready.
Evolve is a guided online art school experience. Students move on to the next block once an instructor assesses they are ready.
In the end, New Masters Academy offer an a la carte style education, compared to Evolve's all-inclusive guided approach.
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve: Coaching
Coaching is an important feature of any quality online art school.
Evolve instructors guide students through each step of their education. Assignments are uploaded to our online Homework Tool and checked twice daily, so personalized feedback comes within 24 hours. There is 1-1 mentoring, instructor office hours, live group chats, and homework rooms.
At New Masters Academy, if you’d like feedback on your coursework, it requires a higher tier membership.
Group Coaching is included in the mid-tier LIVE subscription plan (2 sessions a week that don’t roll over). These sessions are topic-specific and run on specific dates and times.
You can access more group coaching sessions and individual coaching sessions if you sign up to their Coaching Program.
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve: Experience level
Both art programs have been created for beginners and experienced artists.
At Evolve, many of our students are beginners picking up a paint brush for the first time, or experienced artist who have hit a wall and don't know why.
New Masters Academy has beginner level courses and other courses catered towards more experienced artists. The courses range in subject matter and medium, so could be good for those students who wish to explore different art forms.
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve Artist: Cost
Cost is a big factor when considering an online art school.
Evolve Artist has a one-time all-inclusive price for the program. The Foundations Program (Blocks 1-4) is $249/month on a 12-month plan, or a $2,500 one-time payment (saving $488).
The Advanced Program (Blocks 5-8) is the same - $249/month on a 12-month plan, or a $2,500 one time payment.
When you sign up, you receive all the materials you need (high-quality paint, canvas, brushes, references, etc.) - with free worldwide shipping.
New Masters Academy is a subscription service. You can pay monthly, or you save by paying annually. Plans include:
- Library Plan - $49 monthly, $432 annually.
- Library+ - $79 monthly, $708 annually (includes access to the reference library, and access to live classes)
- LIVE - $199 monthly, $1788 annually (the above plus interactive live classes and scheduled group mentoring - 2 sessions a week, which do not roll over)
Access to NMA Coaching is additional:
- Group Coaching - $79 monthly, $948 annually - unlimited access to scheduled group coaching sessions.
- Master Mentorship Plan - $249 monthly, $2988 - bi-weekly 1-1 coaching sessions (for an additional $149 you can pay to choose your coach), plus full access to group coaching.
- Artist Consultation Sessions - $149 per session.
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve: How long does it take?
If you dedicate 7 hours a week to Evolve , we estimate you can complete the Foundations Program in 1 year, and the same for the Advanced Program.
We know life can get in the way. The calculator on our website shows you what results you can achieve based on the number of hours you commit per week.
For New Masters Academy, if you follow the course guide, each Learning Track represents 4-5 academic years of training. Each module within a Learning Track represents about 1-2 years of study. This is assuming you can dedicate approximately 8 hours a week to lessons and assignments.
Evolve Artist Pros and Cons
Pros
potential Cons
New Masters Academy Pros and Cons
Pros
potential Cons
How much would it cost to get the Evolve experience at New Masters Academy?
Below offers some possible combinations of what New Masters Academy offers if you dedicate a year to your training and receive personalized coaching.
- Library Plan subscription ($438) PLUS Group Coaching Plan ($948) = $1386 annually
- Library Plan subscription ($438) PLUS Master Mentorship Plan ($2988) = $3426 annually
- LIVE subscription ($1788) PLUS Master Mentorship Plan ($2988) = $4776 annually
+ materials cost (not included)
Our final word: Which program is best for you?
When looking at New Masters Academy vs. Evolve, which online art school you choose comes down to one question: How much do you value 1-1 coaching and a guided experience?
If you've been dabbling in courses for a while or need that hands-on support only coaching can offer, Evolve Artist offers the highest quality art education for the best value.
If you want a taste of what the Evolve program is all about, register for our Masterclass - CLICK HERE. Kevin Murphy, Founder of Evolve, will walk you through how you can create realistic art through our proven program.
Ready to join Evolve?
Begin your journey to pro-art skills with our proven, hands-on program.