Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist – Which is Better for You? (2023)

Do you want to upgrade your art skills? Taking online art courses is a great way to learn the fundamentals from the best, but it can be hard to know which program is right for you.

To help, we’re comparing the Top Online Art Schools to the Evolve Artist program.

• 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 start@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 and is based on publicly available information.

Read our other in-depth comparisons here:
New Masters Academy vs. Evolve 
Watts Atelier vs. Evolve
Milan Art Institute vs. Evolve

Comparing Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist

Here is a summary of the main differences between Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist. 

• Both Vitruvian Studio and Evolve Artist are committed to providing detailed instruction in realism to equip artists with foundational training in art. 
• Both programs are beginner friendly. 
• Vitruvian Studio offers a selection of detailed one-off pre-recorded and live courses, while Evolve Artist provides a guided curriculum where each block progressively builds on the last to develop a student’s skills in art. 
• Vitruvian Studio offers courses in drawing and painting, while Evolve focuses on oil painting. 
• In-depth critique is an additional membership at Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist where coaching, critique, and 1-1s are all included in the program.
• Overall, Vitruvian Studio offers a more ala carte experience - students can pick and choose which courses they take vs. Evolve Artist’s Foundation Program, a full-education and guided experience designed to deliver pro-level art results. 

Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist: The Program

At Evolve Artist, we believe that technical mastery is the necessary foundation for producing art without limitation.

Our step-by-step oil painting program moves students from beginner to professional-grade art in one year. 

The 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. 

Kevin Murphy, Professional Artist, Portraitist, and Evolve Founder, lays out each lesson and assignment in easily digested parts. We provide a deep dive into our curriculum on our website. 

While the curriculum is detailed, it is streamlined. We teach traditional techniques of the old masters, but we are not wedded to tradition if it makes things more challenging for our students. 

For example, we use a four-value gray scale rather than an 11-value grayscale. 

The curriculum is designed to provide our students with exactly what they need to learn the fundamentals of art, no more and no less. This constant refinement is how we can get students to pro-level art skills in just one year.

Evolve also offers live classes for its students. Instructors answer questions live, and there is a discussion forum. The subject of these classes range from mindset to skills training. All students can access recordings of the live classes to watch, with no time limit.  

Vitruvian Studio trains its students in realism.  Founded by David Jamieson and Melinda Whitmore, professional artists and experienced art instructors, Vitruvian Studio classes are known for providing very detailed, step-by-step instructions. 

Rather than a set curriculum focused deeply on a specific medium, Vitruvian Studio offers individual courses that students can take in any order. 

There are five pre-recorded classes available for purchase that cover drawing basics, still-life painting, anatomy of the face, portrait drawing, and cast drawing. Each class represents about 10-25 hours of content.

The classes come with detailed workbooks, diagrams, exercises, free lifetime updates, and lifetime access.

Vitruvian Studio provides a detailed course outline for each class and suggested materials on its website. 

To emulate an in-person class, Vitruvian Studio also runs Live Streaming Classes. These consist of 4-8 sessions and are presented in real-time. They are unedited and are scheduled at a specific time and day.

There is instructor interaction and a discussion forum where students can ask questions and share progress. If a class is missed, classes are recorded and stay online for a week before the next class. 

Vitruvian vs. Evolve Artist: Coaching

Evolve's Foundation Program is all inclusive, and that includes coaching.

Evolve Instructors guide students through each step of their education.

Assignments are uploaded to our online Homework Tool and checked twice daily by instructors, so personalized in-depth feedback comes within 24 hours.

There is 1-1 mentoring, instructor office hours, live group chats, masterclasses, support groups, and homework rooms.

At Vitruvian Studio, if you purchase a pre-recorded class, there are Q&A discussion forums available for each lesson. You can also purchase a Critique Extension to receive individual in-depth feedback. 

For Live Streaming Classes, students can ask live real-time questions during the lesson. In between lessons, students can ask the instructor and other students on a forum. 

Students can receive more in-depth feedback by joining the Studio Practice Community, available at different tiers of membership. This is where students can get peer feedback via a discussion forum when not taking a course, access to references and a back catalog of live streamed classes, and at higher tiers of membership, 1-1 critique feedback sessions with instructors.

Vitruvian Studio describes the community as a place where students can receive support while they practice and hone the skills they have learned from the Vitruvian courses.

To join the community you need to be a past or existing student. You have to have taken at least one class or course with Vitruvian Studio. 

Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist: Cost

Evolve's 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.

Evolve Artist's pricing is all-inclusive.

When you sign up, you receive all the materials you need (high-quality paint, canvas, brushes, references, etc.) - with free worldwide shipping. 

And again, all instructor critiques, 1-1 meetings, study groups, live classes and master classes are included.

There are no extra complicated subscriptions. Just everything you need to get pro-art skills fast in an all-inclusive program. 

At Vitruvian Studio, pre-recorded classes are $100-200, depending on the class length and subject matter. If students want more 1-1 support, a Critique Extension can be purchased for $100. 

Live Streaming Classes are $275.

The Studio Practice Community is an additional cost and is a tiered membership. 

• Basic membership is $40 a month or $400 for a year but does not include private critiques.
• Advanced membership is $100 a month or $1,000 for a year, and includes 1 x 30-minute private critique with an instructor.
• Premium membership is $150 a month or $1,500 for a year and includes 2 x 30-minute private critiques with an instructor.

A 2-month enrolment minimum is required for all tiers. 

There is limited space in the Studio Practice Community, so students can only join if there is availability. 

Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve Artist: How long does it take?

If you dedicate only 7 hours a week to the program, we estimate you can complete Evolve Artist’s Foundation Program in 1 year, and another year for the Advanced Program. 

Life can get in the way.  At Evolve, you can start or pause whenever you need to, or take things are your own pace. 

The calculator on our website shows you what results you can achieve based on the number of hours you commit per week.

At Vitruvian Studio, Live Streaming Classes run over a month - a month and a half. Online courses can be taken at your own pace. 

Evolve Artist Pros and Cons

Vitruvian Studio Pros and Cons

Could you get the Evolve experience at Vitruvian Studio?

When comparing Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve, while both focus on realism, it's clear both offer different approaches to art education.

You could take all of Vitruvian's pre-recorded and live-streaming classes ($100-$200 each), but it would be difficult to emulate the depth of the Evolve experience because the classes are standalone rather than connected to a curriculum. 

If you wanted to get the coaching experience, you’d need to subscribe for a Studio Practice Community Premium membership ($150 monthly, $1500 annually).

However, the membership comes with monthly limits to instructor private critiques at Vitruvian Studio vs. Evolve’s unlimited 1-1 and assignment critique model. 

While Evolve is more of an investment, you are paying for a hands-on fully guided education that delivers real results.

Our final word: Which program is best for you?

If you are interested in brushing up your skills in a specific area, paying for Vitruvian Studios pre-recorded and live-streamed classes could work for you. Taking specific courses is also a good way to dip your toe into art.

Evolve offers the best value if you are committed to developing the skills you need to produce pro-level art.

Most programs, like Vitruvian Studio, will offer in-depth instructor support as a premium add-on. 

At Evolve, we strongly believe that without 1-1 support and an end-to-end education, your results will vary. 

That's why we deliver consistent pro-level results in our program through providing all the support and materials our students need to succeed. 

If you want a taste of what the Evolve is all about, register for our FREE Masterclass - CLICK HERE. Kevin Murphy, Founder of Evolve, will walk you through how you can create realistic art through our proven program. 

Happy Painting everyone! 

Read our other in-depth comparisons here:

New Masters Academy vs. Evolve 
Watts Atelier vs. Evolve
Milan Art Institute vs. Evolve