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Milan Art Institute

Online Art School for Adults

A year of drawing, painting, and learning to sell your art, with weekly coaching for two years.

You've been making art long enough to know a weekend class won't get you there. You want a school: a sequence, a teacher who sees your paintings, and a way to sell the art once it's actually good.

That school is the Mastery Program.

See the Mastery Program and enroll

Eternal Breath, oil on canvas by Elli Milan: a red horse and a white horse nose to nose among flowers and clouds
Eternal BreathElli Milan. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in.

The studio

Paintings by the artists who teach

Elli, Dimitra, and John Milan made these.

Soul Sisters, an oil painting by Elli Milan of two women wearing crowns of flowers, standing shoulder deep in water
Soul SistersElli Milan. Oil on canvas.
You're the Dawn, an oil painting by Dimitra Milan of a face in warm light with blue wings and butterflies
You're the DawnDimitra Milan. Oil on canvas, 48 x 60 in.
Woodland Dreams, mixed media oil on canvas by Elli and John Milan: birch trunks and yellow leaves in a forest
Woodland DreamsElli and John Milan. Mixed media oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Dare to Dream, a watercolor by Dimitra Milan
Dare to DreamDimitra Milan. Watercolor.

What you get

The full drawing and painting curriculum, in the order the skills actually build.

Two years of coaching and feedback, including weekly calls.

Training in the business of selling your art.

Lifetime access to the lessons, so you can replay a demonstration the week you need it.

Optional personal artist mentors if you want a private studio relationship on top of the group coaching.

Elli Milan and Dimitra Milan in the studio, standing in front of their paintings
Elli Milan and Dimitra Milan, 2025

The artists

You learn from painters who sell their art

Elli and Dimitra Milan built the curriculum. John paints and teaches in it too. The Mastery Program is their school, taught online, with coaching on the paintings you make.

What it costs

Pay in full for $3,999. Or $399 a month for 12 months ($4,788), or $229 a month for 24 months ($5,496). There's a 30-day money-back guarantee.

See payment plans and enroll

If you want one class

We also teach standalone on-demand classes in oil, acrylic, mixed media, and drawing. Buy one of those when you want a single course. Come here when you want the school.

Before you enroll

Is this an online art school for adults?

Yes. The Mastery Program is Milan Art Institute's year-long online art school. Adults enroll from home, work through a sequenced curriculum, and get coaching on the paintings they make.

How is this different from your online art classes?

The on-demand catalog is individual courses you can buy one at a time. The Mastery Program is the full school: curriculum, two years of coaching, and business training, at one price.

How long does it take?

The lessons are at your own pace. The curriculum is built to finish in a year if you stay with it, and you can take up to 24 months. Group coaching runs for two years from the day you enroll, with weekly Zoom calls. The video lessons stay yours after that.

Are the lessons live, or recorded?

The drawing and painting lessons are recorded, so you can pause a demonstration and paint along. Coaching is live: weekly Zoom check-ins, critiques, and feedback on the assignments you turn in, for two years.

Can beginners enroll?

Yes. Milan Art Institute doesn't turn people away. The center of the program is artists who have been painting for years and still can't get the results they want, and complete beginners enroll too.

I already went to art school. Why would I enroll?

Plenty of people enroll after a degree. The sequence still starts with drawing and painting, because those skills compound. The business training is the part most college programs never taught, and our instructors sell their art for a living.

I just want to paint better. Do I have to sell?

No. The selling lessons are in the program because a lot of students want them, and you can use them when you're ready. Plenty of people enroll to paint paintings they're proud of, and that's enough.

Do I get a college degree?

No. This is a professional art school, not an accredited college. You don't receive a bachelor's or an MFA. You get the curriculum, two years of coaching, and the business training, at one price.

What supplies do I need?

Paint, brushes, paper, and canvases. We sell kits built for the curriculum at the Milan Art Store if you want them in one order. If you already have a studio, buy locally from the supply list you get when you enroll.

What's the difference between coaching and a personal mentor?

Group coaching is included: weekly Zoom calls and feedback on your assignments for two years. A personal artist mentor is optional and extra. That's a private studio relationship on top of the group, if you want one person looking at your paintings.

Can I join from another country?

Yes. Artists enroll from home and join the same coaching calls on Zoom. The student community is worldwide.

Is this for children?

This school is for adults. If you're looking for a program for a teen, see the Young Artist Program.

How much is the Mastery Program?

$3,999 paid in full, or $399 a month for 12 months, or $229 a month for 24 months.

What's the refund?

Enroll on any of the three plans. If the program isn't right, email info@milanart.com within 30 days of your purchase for a refund. After 30 days, a payment plan runs to completion.

When can I start?

You can enroll any day. New groups start on a Saturday.

How does this compare to a university art program?

We already wrote that out. Start with Is Art School Worth It, then self-taught versus art school. The short version: this is a professional art school, not an accredited college. You get the curriculum, two years of coaching, and the business training, at one price.

Where can I read reviews?

Student reviews live on our reviews page, and on Trustpilot.