Art Lessons/Portfolio Review (Online only)

Meredith P.Jan 2026

If I could highlight all categories I would! Best Art teacher! I've recently gone over my art work, from three years ago, and compared it to my current art projects, and I am amazed how far I've come. I had no intentions of starting a new hobby, but after seeing how well two of our kids (and our nephew) progressed with dean, I decided to give it a try. And I am thrilled with my own progress!! Dean is helpful with any questions I have and is extremely patient with his students. I have learned so much over the past couple years and have used my new knowledge for other crafts that I make. I am excited for the new things we learn every week. 5 Stars!!

Monica R.Jan 2023

Dean is a phenomenal art teacher. He has been working with our 13 year old daughter for 6 months now and I have seen tremendous growth in all aspects of her art. I am not sure how he does it but I am amazed by how much she has learned. She comes out with beautiful art every class. He is also very professional, keeps me informed on how she is progressing and proactive about keeping things on track from schedule perspective. He is just an amazing artist and teacher! Here are couple examples of their latest lessons

Asena S.Jan 2023

We think Dean is a wonderful teacher. It is really good to have someone outside his family support and believe in Alex. Alex, (who is 13 and has ADHD) is definitely a quirky personality when it comes to doing difficult work. Yet he listens to Dean, feels Dean pushes him to try new things, and feels challenged enough by him that he grows in his artistic talent. We are very grateful for your expertise and ability to pass your skills to your students.

Tiffany M.Oct 2022

Last week marked the year mark that I have been working with Dean. He is such a gifted talented artist and teacher. I came to him with a professional goal and he never lost sight of why I am there. He chooses assignments that will help me reach my goal. He reminds me of an art doctor it’s genius how he can immediately look at your work and diagnose what the problem is and where you may have went wrong and when you make the correction you see the image start to come alive. He is very professional, patient and friendly. He gives valuable feedback and critique that keeps you wanting to do better. I would highly recommend him!

Pengcheng C.Nov 2020

Mr. Dean Liao is great. I have never done drawing before. Through the first lesson, I was able to draw a 3D object reasonably well. He is good at explaining the concepts and techniques to an outsider like me. And he is very patient. I highly recommend him.

David H.Sep 2020

Just started with him, but he is very aware of paid time. He also seems very considerate. Online lessons. He is in CA I am in NC.

Cory T.Sep 2019

Dean was so helpful in my introduction to drawing! I started at stick figure level and was able to progress quite quickly. He has a progressive lesson plan that reinforces and builds on various techniques. Dean provides great feedback to help improve your skills, and he's also a nice guy to chat with! I wholeheartedly recommend.

Alan L.Mar 2019

I took a few online lessons with Dean. I came in with a rather unusual request, asking him to help me review a digital art project I was working on, in addition to standard fine art lessons. He was very flexible with working around this request, which I really appreciate. Additionally, he is good at explaining the basics of drawing and fine art (which is my current level). Unfortunately, the teaching quality is limited by the resolution of the camera. I don't think there's much that can be done about this, unless I upgrade to a faster internet service, but otherwise I would not hesitate to recommend Dean as a teacher.

Lisa W.Mar 2019

I requested a drawing instructor via Thumbtack and Dean was the first to respond - he is a talented artist with a gift for teaching. I have been taking lessons for approximately six months and have learned so much! This is my first professional art class and Dean is very patient and attentive. He breaks down drawing concepts at a pace that has been so helpful to me as a novice drawer. I am so pleased with my progress and would highly recommend his services to others looking for a drawing instructor! Lisa

Claudia M.Sep 2018

Dean gave us a free trial lesson. He was a very nice guy and my daughter really enjoyed spending time with him. I was unable to hire him due to other circumstances, but I would have wanted to. In my opinion he is very knowledgeable and would probably be a great instructor.

Susan V.Aug 2018

We haven't started yet but he is very helpful. I look forward to working with him.