How To Get Started As An Artist: Building An Art Career

One of the most common questions I get from people is, “How do I start being an artist?”

It’s a tough question to answer because it has many different answers. The best thing you can do is figure out what type of art you’re interested in and go from there.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to build a career as an artist using visual art as an example. We’ll cover things like finding inspiration, establishing your style, practicing your craft, and having the confidence to show off your work.

Studio Space

Having a place to create art is an important part of being a creative person. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just somewhere that is yours and only you can use it. If you’re not in college or don’t already live on your own, it may even be something as simple as setting up a small desk space in the corner of your bedroom for painting canvases or sketching ideas. If you have the room, you might want to invest in a drafting table.

As soon as you commit to yourself, things will start coming together more easily than before. The environment will begin shaping itself around what inspires you and fills your day with creativity instead of making it difficult to do anything because there’s no room for creating art anywhere.

Finding Inspiration

When you are starting, there will be times when you feel less than motivated to create. This is normal. It happens to everyone. It can be challenging when you are just starting because of the lack of resources or skills from being an “expert” in your chosen medium (even if you have never touched a brush before).

When this happens, head outside for fresh air and find something beautiful to create art about. It may not always be right in front of you, but there will always be something worth looking at as inspiration with creative thinking.

Sometimes we get so caught up in trying our best that we forget why we started creating art in the first place- and what made us want to keep doing it.

One way to stay motivated is by having a list of painting prompts or drawing prompts to choose a different subject to paint from every day. This way, you will have a new supply of creative ideas and won’t get bored with the subject.

Another way to stay motivated is to keep yourself accountable, which can be done by entering art challenges. Art challenges are competitions with specific prompts, such as drawing your favorite thing or painting portraits.

And last but not least: never stop creating art because you may eventually find yourself where the act of making something beautiful becomes even more important than what you’re making.

Strengthen Your art Skills

Enhancing your art skills is essential for artists because it helps them improve their art. Working on different techniques will enable you to create art collectors are interested in.

An artist should always work on their art skills, even when they are famous or have achieved fame. There is no need to stop practicing and improving your skills because you know everything there is to know about art.

Artists who continue working hard will likely be more successful than those who do not care about their careers in the arts. It takes a lot of time and effort to become an accomplished artist, but it is worth all your energy!

How To Enhance Your Art Skills:

Enlist in art courses – Art courses teach different styles, techniques, and artwork methods. Udemy is a great place to look for online art tutorials.

Work on your craft – Continue to work hard and practice to perfect the skills you have acquired.

Approach it like a job – If you want to make a career in art, you will have to treat it like a job.

Sharpen up those drawing skills – Drawing is one of the most basic skill sets as an artist because everyone needs to know how to sketch or draw something before they create their final piece. Sketching out ideas will help them come alive better than just thinking about them would ever do, so don’t neglect this important step when working on art projects.

Do not compare yourself with others – There will be people in the art world who have more talent than you, and there will also be those who don’t. It is important not to compare yourself with them because it is exhausting, pointless, and can lead to hopelessness.

Practice on Your Techniques Daily – Practice makes perfect. The more you practice, the better your art will be.

Ask For Constructive Criticism – Do not be afraid to ask for constructive criticism when you think it is needed. Your art will only improve by listening to other opinions and critiques about your work.

Find Your Artistic Voice

As you work on your artistic skills, you will start to find your unique style to be a memorable artist. When you find your artistic voice, it will separate you from all of the other artists out there.

You have to find what your artistic voice is all about so that you can build on it and make something new of your own.

What are some styles of artists out there?

These are just some ideas, but these will help you get started:

– Abstract artist uses shapes and colors to create their artwork (think Jackson Pollock)

– Expressionist painters use emotion as a way to express themselves with paintbrush strokes on canvas

– Realists who capture realistic images by focusing on details such as texture, form, and color contrast for the subject matter (think Norman Rockwell)

Ask yourself:

What is unique about my style compared with other artists?

What are my favorite subjects to paint, and why do I like them so much?

Where am I finding the most inspiration for my art pieces from?

The answers to these questions will help you when it is time to promote your artwork.

Write Weekly Goals

Having a clear vision of your objectives will help you stay focused.

– What is my goal for next week?

– How will I know if I have achieved this goal by the time it’s due to be completed?

– Who else can provide me with advice or support in achieving these goals?

It sounds simple, but often when working on a project, we get so caught up in what needs to be done that we forget how much progress has been made already. Achieving your weekly goals and reflecting back after completing them allows you to learn from where things went right and change strategies for future projects accordingly when things didn’t go according to plan.

Start a Sketchbook Journal

As time goes by, you will start to feel that you might not be progressing as quickly as you would hope for. Having a sketch journal will help you remember and capture all the designs you are working on, and as time goes by, you will be able to see the progress you have made over time.

-What is an art journal?

An art journal is a book where ideas, sketches, paintings, or other artwork can be documented in any way they please. This allows artists to experiment with new styles without fear of making mistakes. It also helps them develop their skills by forcing themselves to work on different projects, making for more vibrant work later down the line.

How do I start an art journal?

Check out your local craft store or online art store and purchase a blank sketchbook – these are usually cheap, so it shouldn’t break the bank too much if you want to get started immediately. Start sketching new ideas you want to work on. Use the sketch journal to work on specific techniques so you can watch your skills grow over time.

What are the benefits of art journals?

– Keeps ideas fresh in your head by documenting them and revisiting them later on

– Allows for experimentation without fear of mistakes

– Works as a study buddy to keep you accountable with practicing art techniques, sketching styles, or painting variations

Create A Portfolio

Why is it essential for an artist to have a portfolio?

– An artist’s portfolio is a representation of their work. It shows clients and art directors samples of the artwork they can create.

What should be included in a portfolio?

– A portfolio should include samples of the artist’s work in different mediums: pencil, paint, and photographs.

How To Create Your Portfolio

There are many ways one could go about building a portfolio; however, there are four standard options: DIY, using templates/apps like Squarespace and WordPress, hiring someone else to do it (graphic design freelancer), or outsourcing the project overseas through sites such as Fiverr.

Network With Local Artists

Once you have a portfolio and art to sell, it is time to get your name out there and network with other artists. This includes joining a local artist community group.

Why Is It Important To Network With Other Artists?

Networking is important because it helps you build connections within the industry, meet new people, and learn from other artists in your field. It also helps you create a network of referrals for future work opportunities and develop good relationships with clients.

Local Artist Groups To Join

As an artist in the US, one such group that may be worth joining is AIGA (American Institute Of Graphic Arts). This organization has chapters all over the country that help promote graphic designers through education and networking events.

Another example would be SCBWI (Society For Children’s Book Writers And Illustrators), which provides resources on writing children’s books while helping its members find professional support and build their careers through workshops, conferences, critiques-by-mail programs, contests & awards ceremonies.

The easiest way to find artists in your area is through social media. Check out Facebook or LinkedIn for more information on local artists and listings of events, classes, and workshops to attend.

Start Promoting Yourself Locally

The easiest way to start selling your paintings and drawings is to build name recognition locally.

You can do this by attending local events and promoting yourself. This will allow you to meet other artists in your community.

It’s also a great way to find people interested in buying artwork from you or commissioning an original piece they want to be made for themselves or someone else.

The next step is getting noticed online. There are many ways to go about doing this. Still, the easiest one may just be making sure your website reflects how professional an artist you wish to portray yourself while still retaining some personality, so if it’s whimsical art, then keep the color scheme lighthearted and fun.

At first, you might find it difficult to find local craft fairs, but you will notice there are more than you thought once you get started.

Popular places for local craft fairs:

• High school
• Churches
• Community center

Enter Art Competitions

Building name recognition is essential if you want to become an artist and build a successful art career. Just like selling art at craft fairs, joining art competitions is a great way to get noticed and build name recognition.

How to find different art competitions:

– Find an art competition that is local to you

-Search on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

– Search for competitions using a search engine such as google or yahoo. Make sure the site has current information and links to all its partners in one place – this will save time from having to go through each website individually

It’s important to stay organized when seeking out art contests, so invest in some calendar systems like Google Calendar, iCalendar, Microsoft Outlook, etc. This way, you can keep track of deadlines and event details.

How To Get Your Art Noticed Online

Becoming an artist takes time and dedication. However, the internet has made it possible for artists to build a lucrative art career without gallery representation.

There are different ways an artist can promote their artwork. Social media, online art galleries, websites, and blogs are some of the most popular places.

Artists can use social media to share their artwork with friends and family, create a fan base of followers on Facebook or Twitter, or post work online for sale in an online gallery. They might also blog about their creative process and show step-by-step instructions on how they created the piece.

Blogging is the best way to drive traffic to an artist’s website.

Blogs serve as a consistent flow of content to keep viewers interested. Blogging is also an effective way for artists to get their name out there and show off new work.

Artists can blog about any art-related topic, such as technique tips, inspirations, or behind-the-scenes looks at the creative process. By consistently creating quality content that speaks directly to your target audience and linking it back to your website on each post you publish will increase the traffic coming into your site from other sites via links in the article itself or references within text posts.”

Learn How To Run A Business

Starting an art business aims to make money and live the life you always dreamt of.

Learning how to run a business is important because you will have to know how much money you can spend on materials and marketing and what kind of artwork people are willing to buy.

If you are an artist who wants to sell your work, the business must be well-organized with a plan for success. When starting as an artist, there are many steps one needs to take care of before even beginning production on any art or trying to make money off their talent.

Learn About Digital Marketing

Making art is the most enjoyable part of being a professional artist. Still, you will need to learn how to promote yourself to become a professional artist. Digital marketing is now a crucial part of any artist’s marketing plan. Every day, people use social media to promote themselves and their work, so it is an essential skill that every professional artist should know how to do.

Commitment Is Everything

It takes time to master anything in life. Focus on your goals and be patient with yourself. It takes time to get good at something new, like marketing.

Don’t give up – keep practicing and learning as much as possible to grow in your artistry.

How To Get Started As An Artist FAQ

How do I start making money as an artist?

There are many ways to make money as an artist. You can sell your art, sell prints or digital downloads of your work, set up a website in which you showcase and sell your artwork online, create custom items for clients such as clothing or home decor using the skills from your artistic field, teach classes on how to become better at drawing or painting. There are many opportunities that artists have available to them!

What do I need to start being successful?

The most important thing is time. Dedicating yourself fully will take hard work, but it’s ultimately worth it when you see the results come in! If you want success immediately without putting in any effort, then this might not be your profession. The critical ingredient for success is hard work.

Where should a beginner artist start?

The first place to start is by doing a lot of research. Find your niche, find the genre you feel most comfortable with and focus on it until you become an expert – or at least get good enough to make a living off it!

Final Thoughts On How To Get Started As An Artest

The first step to becoming an artist has a strong work ethic. If you want to be successful, prepare yourself for long hours and hard work. You may not always enjoy honing your craft or making artwork, but if it’s something that you love, this will help keep you going when things get tough. There are many ways in which artists can make money from their art–through commissions, teaching classes on various topics, and selling their paintings online through sites like Etsy. With dedication and patience, anyone can become an artist.

Where do you stand?

What steps have you taken toward achieving your goal as an artist?

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