The knowledge in the Virtual Art Academy courses originates from a long history of art over the centuries, and has been gathered from a wide variety of reputable sources.

Here are some artists that are recommended by the Virtual Art Academy, and whose knowledge and approaches have particularly influenced the content of the course materials. Some of these artists are contemporary artists with whom the author of he courses, Barry John Raybould, has studied personally. Others are contemporary artists who have written particularly useful and insightful books. Many are deceased artists who have either written books, or whose paintings have been analyzed to provide information for the courses.