Art involves three components: design, creativity and sales. To become a better artist, you need to get in touch with the experts who can teach you advanced techniques, develop an original style and think about how to make some useful money to finance your works if you wish to become a professional artist.. On the other hand, if you just want to be good at art in school, specifically in elementary school, you don't really have to think about the business aspect and advanced techniques. As soon as you get started, hopefully you will improve your artistic works, since your talent will earn you the funds that will help you to improve yourself further.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Improve Your Art
Step 1. Find your form of artistic expression
It is essential to determine the type of art that you appreciate. To do this, you may try several forms of expression to identify the one that excites you the most. Try drawing, oil painting, watercolor painting, charcoal drawing, sculpture, art installation, and woodcarving. Be open to trying out various art forms.
- You can take a trip to the art store to make up your mind. Some art media are more expensive than others. Start with something accessible like drawing that doesn't require expensive materials, and move on to other forms of expression when you have the skills and funds.
- You may notice that as your skills evolve you will move on to more complex art types. As soon as you are able to reproduce the shapes in a drawing, you can go coloring and move on to painting.
Step 2. Visit art stores
It is not easy to be gifted in the artistic field without the right equipment. Put the essentials first so it's affordable for you to try out. Once you have fun with this type of artistic expression, you can enrich your material by adding sophisticated tools until you have enough of them.
If the tools are beyond your means, search online for local artists who are reselling their equipment
Step 3. Find a teacher
Go to arts events or search for local artists online. Once you find one you like, ask them to become your teacher. Keep in mind that it is not necessary for you to review all of the artistic techniques that have been implemented over the previous two millennia. There are people who can teach them to you.
An expert's gaze can be very useful for your development. Learning from your mistakes is vital, and for that to happen, someone else needs to be able to appreciate your work objectively
Step 4. Get an education
Usually the best way to get a master's degree is to go to an art school. However, if you are struggling to register or cannot complete a four-year program, you have other options. Some institutes offer art courses that you can take individually. These trainings are not expensive and can even help you improve your skills so that you can enroll in a better school.
Do not be afraid. Although art school is a golden opportunity to improve yourself, the degree is not that important in this area. Ultimately, you will be evaluated on the basis of your works
Step 5. Read continuously
There are always other ways to learn new techniques and styles. Although the Internet is teeming with content, these techniques are discussed in detail in books. Start by reading the art books available in your local library and then search online for the best books.
Step 6. Practice
If you don't, you won't improve. Daily exercise should be part of your habits. Schedule time for this or even better, set a specific time of day for practice. Don't be afraid to push your limits and try new things.
- Try things that you don't feel you can do. Indeed, you will learn more by familiarizing yourself with it than by limiting yourself to taking things that you already master.
- Don't worry about the quality of what you are doing. Trying new techniques is the only way to learn new things.
- Try to study other works. To do this, take a work of art from a great artist and strive to reproduce it. It is not likely to be a success. However, you will learn from the best in this way.
Step 7. Give yourself time to improve
Give yourself this time and assess the direction your art is taking. In other words, you need to be patient and allow yourself time to take a step back and take a broader view of your leadership. The most important thing is to persevere.
It takes time to develop your personal style. Don't expect it to be innate. Much like the sculptor who carves the rock, it can take years for your talent to reveal itself
Part 2 of 3: awaken your creativity
Step 1. Be strange
Psychologists at Vanderbilt University have found that the odd ones are the most creative. One-of-a-kind art often sells better than art that demonstrates a high level of skill. Having a particular lifestyle is usually part of an artist's signature. In other words, going against the norm can help you be a unique artist, if so you will be well known.
Step 2. Get out of your house a bit
Art is about recreating a personal experience in an original way. To do this, you need to have other experiences instead of staying glued to your computer screen. Get out of the house and explore the world!
- A walk in the middle of nature in the woods or on the beach is known to be effective in stimulating creativity. Indeed, these walks allow you to find yourself alone with your thoughts and to live extraordinary experiences.
- Going to another country can introduce you to a new culture and new experiences. Numerous studies have shown that staying abroad can stimulate creativity. Even just thinking back to a time when you were in another country can cause a temporary explosion of creativity.
Step 3. Be aware of your influences
It is common that large works of art influence the works of other artists. It is also easy to reproduce other artistic works without realizing it. For example, some remarkable image may be etched into your memory so that you unconsciously reproduce it while seeking new inspiration. Expose yourself to a lot of influence and when making a work, ask yourself whether it does not look too much like the work of another artist.
Step 4. Be prepared to change your style over time
Keep the flame alive and be open to other horizons in your development as an artist. Even if you have a distinctive style, it can gradually lose interest in you. Experimentation does not necessarily mean abandoning your previous works, but rather consists of expanding your artistic repertoire.
Part 3 of 3: Building a career
Step 1. Judge the value of a career
You don't necessarily become an artist for money. However, it's easier to volunteer your time for artistic design when you don't have a part-time job. Think about the money you can make from art by devoting yourself completely to your passion. A career can cascade: as you earn money to support yourself, you can spend more time developing your skills and building a reputation as an artist.
Step 2. Advertise
You need to design a portfolio of your accomplishments and take steps to put them up for sale. Nowadays, this is most done online. Publish your works on social networks and design a website that showcases your best achievements.
If you want to do it the old-fashioned way, look for a cafe that needs extra decorations. Show the works in your portfolio to the owner. Offer to show them off, while recommending you to clients. He will take advantage of this business for a better atmosphere in his cafe and you can promote your work
Step 3. Make contacts
Subscribe to a local arts journal to stay informed about upcoming art exhibitions, festivals and seminars. When you participate in these events, be natural and sympathetic. Try to network with those who can find clients or galleries where you can sell your work.
- Develop an elevator pitch. It's just a quick overview of your work that should be able to be given to someone on a short elevator ride and spark their interest in getting in touch with you. In a few sentences, you must talk about what makes your achievements original. If your sales pitch doesn't sound very catchy, keep editing it until it makes it appealing.
- Carry enough business cards with you so that when you meet interested people, you can easily exchange contacts. Include on your map your website that presents your projects. Keep track of all the business cards you have received and schedule appointments for meetings after the events.
Step 4. Join a community of artists
Become popular in your artistic community as a cooperative member with a genuine interest in the development of their colleagues. Make constructive observations, not the other way around. Help people learn by giving them constructive advice and feedback. Use this community to receive feedback on your work and to meet potential buyers.
- Don't be envious of others. If you have a good reputation and help other artists, they will help you in return.
- Consider bringing together all of your accomplishments. You can rent a space to exhibit your artistic works or even share the rent of a studio with several people. In the end, you won't just save money, but you will introduce new buyers to each other.
Step 5. Knock on all doors
Ultimately, the majority of artists do not make ends meet by doing just one activity. They have multiple sources of income so that when one is no longer viable, they always have other options. For example, you can sell your works online, exhibit some in galleries, find public art projects, apply for a grant, and teach. These are not only solutions to make ends meet, but also opportunities to identify the best economic models.
Advice
- As stated above, it is impossible to improve overnight. So be patient, practice more and you will get better with time.
- Being "good" is both subjective and objective. You may appear brilliant to some, but don't think you've reached your peak. You may also feel like you are doing a good job, but not many people will agree. Try to balance things out to see if you have unrealistic expectations or if you are ahead of your time and your distinctive role is not yet properly recognized.
- Try out a variety of media and practice continuously. Do not abandon !