21 Draw

What 21 Draw does

21 Draw is a Stockholm-based online learning platform that teaches drawing, illustration, and character design through video courses and companion books, serving aspiring artists and hobbyists globally. Founded in 2013/2014 and operated by the Swedish private limited company 21 Solutions AB, the platform delivers over 70 video courses and approximately 1,700+ lessons taught by instructors with professional credits at Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and Pixar. Course content spans drawing fundamentals, anatomy, character design, animation, manga, Procreate and Photoshop workflows, watercolors, and other traditional and digital mediums. The platform runs on an on-demand streaming video architecture with a course management system delivering 10-20 lessons per course averaging 7 minutes each, plus downloadable PSD/PNG assets, exercise sheets, assignments, and instructor-signed completion certificates. The website is fully localized in 10 languages.

The company operates a pure direct-to-consumer model with two self-serve digital storefronts (21-draw.com for memberships and courses, and books.21-draw.com for ebooks and physical books), with no physical retail or B2B enterprise channel. Payment processing is handled by Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify Payments. Go-to-market relies on organic social media across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, multi-language SEO, a free 1h 22m preview of Mark Kistler's beginner course as top-of-funnel acquisition, and Kickstarter crowdfunding (9,400+ backers, $200,000+ raised on a single book campaign) for community-validation and brand-building.

Revenue comes from three streams: an annual all-access membership subscription (listed at $235/year, currently offered at $59/year — a 75% promotional discount — with auto-renewal and price-lock on consecutive renewals if not cancelled), individual course purchases with lifetime access ($24.99-$39.99 per course), and ebooks and physical books ($25-$45 per title). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, has 11-50 employees, and has cultivated a community of 330,000+ students since inception.

Name

21 Draw

Legal name

21 Solutions AB

Website

https://21-draw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

21 Draw is a Stockholm-based online learning platform offering video courses and books on drawing and illustration, taught by industry professionals from Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and Pixar, serving a global community of 330,000+ aspiring artists across 10 languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Art Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL), Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Online art education
• Video drawing courses
• Illustration training
• Character design tutorials
• Art instruction books

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Subscription: Annual subscription providing unlimited access to all 70+ courses plus new courses as released. Standard price $235/year, currently offered at $59/year (75% discount). Subscription auto-renews on rolling basis.
2. Single Course Purchase: Individual one-time course purchases with lifetime access to the purchased course content. Separate from membership subscription.
3. Ebooks and Physical Books: Learn-to-draw ebooks and physical books sold through books.21-draw.com. Includes bestsellers like '21 Days to Learn Anatomy', 'The Character Designer', and collaborative works like 'Illustrator's Guidebook' featuring multiple instructors. Prices range from $25-$45 per book.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

21 Draw operates a direct-to-consumer online learning platform that delivers 70+ video-based art courses (1,700+ lessons) taught by industry professionals from Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and Pixar, covering drawing fundamentals, character design, anatomy, animation, digital illustration (Procreate, Photoshop), manga, watercolors, and other mediums. The platform is sold primarily through an annual all-access membership subscription (currently $59/year, down from $235/year) and supplemented by a separate e-commerce store (books.21-draw.com) selling e-books and physical art instruction books. Content is available in 10 languages, includes downloadable teaching resources and instructor-signed completion certificates, and serves 330,000+ students globally.

Product overview

21 Draw is an online learning community offering two integrated product lines: video-based courses on www.21-draw.com and books through books.21-draw.com. The platform provides over 70 video courses taught by professional artists from Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and Pixar, covering drawing fundamentals, digital illustration (Procreate, Photoshop), character design, animation, anatomy, and various art styles. The companion book store offers e-books and physical books including the popular 'Illustrator's Guidebook' (raised $200K+ on Kickstarter), 'The Character Designer', and '21 Days to Learn Anatomy'. The membership subscription ($59/year) provides unlimited access to all courses plus new releases, while single purchases and books are sold separately. Both products are delivered by the same roster of industry-leading instructors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• books.21-draw.com: E-commerce platform for purchasing digital and physical learn-to-draw books

Products and services

• 21 Draw Online Courses Video-based online art education platform offering 70+ courses covering drawing fundamentals, digital illustration, character design, animation, anatomy, manga, watercolors, and other artistic techniques. Courses include 10-20 video lessons averaging 7 minutes each, with exercise sheets, assignments, and layered PSD/PNG files. Instructors are industry professionals who have worked for Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, and Pixar.
• 21 Draw Annual Membership Subscription Yearly subscription providing unlimited access to all 70+ courses plus new courses as released, priced at $59 USD (currently 75% off the regular $235/year). Includes the ability to download course resources and receive instructor-signed completion certificates.
• 21 Draw E-books and Physical Books Digital and physical art instruction books sold through books.21-draw.com, covering character design, anatomy, illustration techniques, and artistic inspiration from industry professionals. Several titles have achieved major success through Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns.
• Learn from 100 Famous Artists Reference art book featuring 100 famous artists, designed to inspire and amaze aspiring illustrators and artists.
• Illustrator's Guidebook Collaborative art instruction book featuring lessons from industry legends. Raised over $200,000 on Kickstarter. Designed as a resource for illustrators covering character design, techniques, and professional insights.
• The Character Designer Tutorial art book about character design with lessons by industry professionals who have worked for Disney, Marvel, DC, and other major studios.
• 21 Days to Learn Anatomy Popular anatomy drawing book sold through Kickstarter and the 21 Draw book store, teaching human anatomy through a structured 21-day curriculum.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Domestika: Online learning platform specializing in creative courses taught by industry professionals, sold via subscription and individual course purchases. Direct competitor to 21 Draw in the illustration, drawing, and design education space.
• Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning community with thousands of creative courses including illustration, drawing, and animation. Overlaps directly with 21 Draw's target customer (aspiring creative hobbyists) and business model (all-access subscription).
• Proko: Art education platform founded by Stan Prokopenko offering structured figure drawing, anatomy, and portrait courses via video lessons. Highly comparable in instructional format and target learner to 21 Draw's character design and anatomy courses.
• New Masters Academy: Subscription-based online art education platform offering drawing, painting, and anatomy courses from professional instructors. Direct competitor in the structured online visual arts learning category.
• Schoolism: Online art school offering video courses in drawing, painting, and character design taught by industry professionals. Closely overlaps with 21 Draw's instructor-led, professional-artist model.

Emerging players

• Draw with Jazza: Art education content creator offering drawing tutorials and courses via YouTube and paid platforms. Comparable audience (aspiring character/illustration artists) with overlapping instructional style, though lighter on structured curricula.
• Ctrl+Paint: Digital art education platform offering structured video courses on digital painting and drawing fundamentals. Comparable in instructional approach and target audience of digital artists using Photoshop and similar tools.
• CGMA (Computer Graphics Master Academy): Online academy offering structured courses in CG art, character design, and environment design taught by industry professionals. Comparable instructor talent and curriculum, though more focused on professional-track students than hobbyists.
• Cubebrush: Art education and digital asset marketplace offering tutorials, courses, and brushes for digital artists. Comparable digital art instructional audience and complementary product offering (downloadable resources) to 21 Draw.

Broad incumbents

• Gnomon School of Visual Effects: Established visual effects and animation school offering both degree programs and short-form online courses. Adjacent to 21 Draw in entertainment arts curriculum but serves a broader institutional/student market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/21_draw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-GsUQ3v-Quk8QmdpJ2c8UA
• Facebookfacebook.com/21draw
• Instagraminstagram.com/21_draw
• Pinterestpinterest.se/21drawofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/21-draw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 21 Draw