Ctrl+Paint
Ctrl+Paint is a free, ad-free digital painting learning platform founded in 2011 by concept artist Matt Kohr, offering a curriculum-structured library of hundreds of short Photoshop tutorial videos to beginner and intermediate digital painters worldwide, monetized through $10 premium video collections sold via a Shopify store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ctrl+Paint does
Ctrl+Paint is a free, ad-free digital painting learning platform founded in 2011 by professional concept artist Matt Kohr as a solo, bootstrapped operation. The platform's core product is a curriculum-structured library of hundreds of short (approximately 5-minute) video tutorials progressing from traditional drawing fundamentals through Photoshop techniques to advanced digital painting and concept art, with new free videos released every Tuesday and Thursday. The technology stack is intentionally minimal: content is hosted on a Squarespace-built website with a companion Shopify storefront for premium purchases, and free downloadable custom Photoshop brushes complement the video lessons as ecosystem assets.
Ctrl+Paint firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ctrl+Paint
- Legal name
- Ctrl+Paint
- Website
- https://ctrlpaint.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Ctrl+Paint is a free, ad-free digital painting learning platform founded in 2011 by concept artist Matt Kohr, offering a curriculum-structured library of hundreds of short Photoshop tutorial videos to beginner and intermediate digital painters worldwide, monetized through $10 premium video collections sold via a Shopify store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ctrl+Paint industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Art Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Art Department (VAD) & Environment/Digital Matte Painting (MPADAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Look Development, Shading & Lighting (Animation) (MPAHACAI)
Keywords
Ctrl+Paint business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Video Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling $10 premium video collections in the Ctrl+Paint store (Shopify). These video collections cover in-depth topics ranging from beginner to intermediate difficulty. Delivery is via automated email download links upon purchase.
- Free Ad-Free Content (Non-Revenue): The free video library is supported by premium sales rather than advertising. The site explicitly states it is ad-free with no subscription fees or gimmicks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Library Access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Video Collections |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ctrl+Paint product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ctrl+Paint is a free online learning platform that delivers digital painting instruction through a library of hundreds of short (5-minute) videos organized into a progressive curriculum from foundational drawing to advanced Photoshop and concept art techniques. The core offering is the free video library, supported by a small catalog of $10 premium video series sold via a Shopify storefront covering in-depth topics such as Basic Photoshop Rendering, Custom Brush Design, Perspective Sketching, Grayscale to Color, Creating Realistic Surfaces, and Design Basics. Free downloadable custom Photoshop brushes accompany the lessons.
Product overview
Ctrl+Paint is a free digital painting learning platform offering a comprehensive curriculum of bite-sized (5-minute) video tutorials. The core offering is the Free Video Library with hundreds of videos covering traditional drawing fundamentals, Photoshop techniques, masking, vector tools, composition, color theory, and mindset training. Premium content is available through the Ctrl+Paint Store ($10 video series) including specialized series such as Basic Photoshop Rendering, Custom Brush Design, Perspective Sketching, Grayscale to Color, Creating Realistic Surfaces, and Design Basics. The Concept Art Playbook provides game-industry-style challenges. Free downloadable custom brushes complement the learning materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ctrl+Paint Free Video Library A free library of hundreds of short (5-minute) streaming videos teaching digital painting fundamentals, organized in a progressive curriculum from basic to advanced topics. Available without registration or payment; targets individual learners from beginners to intermediate digital painters.
- Concept Art Playbook A hands-on set of game-industry-style challenges for learning concept art problem-solving, featuring collaborative episodes with game designer Ryan Darcey. Targeted at aspiring concept artists and intermediate-level digital painters.
- Ctrl+Paint Store (Premium $10 Video Series) A Shopify storefront selling $10 premium video series covering in-depth topics on digital painting and concept art, including Basic Photoshop Rendering, Custom Brush Design, Perspective Sketching, Grayscale to Color, Creating Realistic Surfaces, and Design Basics. Purchases trigger automated email delivery of download instructions.
- Design Basics Premium Series A lecture-based premium series exploring the rules of visual language and design principles for concept art, designed for intermediate digital painters and concept art students.
- Basic Photoshop Rendering Premium Series A premium series covering the fundamentals of form, light, and shadow in Photoshop, described as the foundation of painting. Designed for beginners transitioning to digital rendering.
- Custom Brush Design Premium Series A premium series exploring custom brush design including real-world test cases for Photoshop. Targeted at intermediate digital painters seeking to develop custom tooling.
- Perspective Sketching Premium Series A premium series teaching perspective drawing through freehand sketching techniques, designed to make perspective natural rather than stiff and technical. Targeted at intermediate artists and concept art students.
- Grayscale to Color Premium Series A premium series covering indirect painting methods for glazing colors over grayscale underpainting. Targeted at intermediate digital painters progressing to color rendering.
- Creating Realistic Surfaces Premium Series A premium series dealing with methods for adding realistic detail including custom brush techniques and photo overlays. Targeted at intermediate-to-advanced digital painters.
- Free Custom Photoshop Brushes Free downloadable custom brush sets for Photoshop, including the Basic 3 brush set, Block-in brush, Diffuser brush, and Machinegun brush pack. Complements the free video library for learners practicing digital painting techniques.
Companies that use Ctrl+Paint
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ctrl+Paint technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Ctrl+Paint partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Ctrl+Paint competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Udemy: Massive online course marketplace with hundreds of digital painting, Photoshop, and illustration courses at low price points, providing price and convenience competition for Ctrl+Paint's premium catalog.
- Skillshare: General-purpose online learning subscription with a large catalog of digital art and illustration classes, competing for the same hobbyist learner budget with a broader portfolio.
- ArtStation Learning: ArtStation's marketplace for video tutorials covering digital painting and concept art, sitting within the broader ArtStation community platform and serving both free and paid creators in the same domain.
Direct peers
- CGMA (Computer Graphics Master Academy): Online academy offering structured courses in concept art, illustration, and entertainment design, overlapping with Ctrl+Paint's target learner of aspiring concept artists and illustrators.
- Schoolism: Subscription-based online art school offering video courses on concept art, illustration, and digital painting led by working professionals, directly competing in the same digital art instruction niche.
- Drawabox: Free, community-driven drawing education site with structured lessons and homework-based progression, sharing the same 'free curriculum+' philosophy and zero paid advertising approach as Ctrl+Paint.
- Proko: Free and premium online art education platform focused on figure drawing and fundamentals, with a similar instructor-led, video-curriculum model and freemium pricing structure targeting the same beginner-to-intermediate art learner.
- Learn Squared: Mentor-led video courses for concept art, illustration, and 3D, targeting aspiring concept artists and entertainment industry professionals with a similar higher-ticket curated model.
- Gnomon Workshop: Long-running library of professional video tutorials covering digital painting, VFX, and game art, mirroring Ctrl+Paint's focus on industry-grade digital art instruction at a similar per-course price point.
- SVSLearn: Subscription-based online education from the Society of Visual Storytelling covering comics, illustration, and concept art, competing for the same intermediate-to-advanced digital art learner.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ctrl+Paint social profiles
Digital presenceCtrl+Paint financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ctrl+Paint leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ctrl+Paint funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ctrl+Paint M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ctrl+Paint
What does Ctrl+Paint do?
Ctrl+Paint is a free online learning platform that delivers digital painting instruction through a library of hundreds of short (5-minute) videos organized into a progressive curriculum from foundational drawing to advanced Photoshop and concept art techniques. The core offering is the free video library, supported by a small catalog of $10 premium video series sold via a Shopify storefront covering in-depth topics such as Basic Photoshop Rendering, Custom Brush Design, Perspective Sketching, Grayscale to Color, Creating Realistic Surfaces, and Design Basics. Free downloadable custom Photoshop brushes accompany the lessons.
Is Ctrl+Paint a public or private company?
Ctrl+Paint is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ctrl+Paint founded?
Ctrl+Paint was founded in 2011.
How does Ctrl+Paint make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Premium Video Sales are the primary driver. The others are free Ad-Free Content (Non-Revenue).
Who are Ctrl+Paint's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Udemy, Skillshare and ArtStation Learning. Direct peers are CGMA (Computer Graphics Master Academy), Schoolism, Drawabox, Proko, Learn Squared, Gnomon Workshop and SVSLearn.
Does Ctrl+Paint have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ctrl+Paint.
What industry is Ctrl+Paint in?
Ctrl+Paint's product category is Online Art Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAHAG, Virtual Art Department (VAD) & Environment/Digital Matte Painting, with a secondary code of MPAHACAI, Look Development, Shading & Lighting (Animation). Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 7330.