Heimir...when you stated that you can't seem to find a better place to practice art online...it rang a bell in my mind. I recently visited a page on DA where I found a link to a relatively new online resource for artists. It's called Wysp. (I would provide a link...but I'm not sure how to do that...so just Google-it.) I've visited the site, but I haven't tried it out. When I have more time I will probably join (which is free) and discover what it has to offer.