Being a self-taught artist is very glamorous. When you are a self-taught artist, the journey ahead will be tough but rewarding. You will not be privileged to enjoy the structure or guidance given by a top art school. Nevertheless, you will be at liberty to learn as you please. Through discipline, you can accomplish anything as a self-taught artist that a trained artist can achieve. Even some of the great painting masters, including Albert Dorne, were self-taught. Therefore, if you want to learn how to be a self-taught artist, here are a few tips that will come in handy.
The first tip is being your worst critic. If you want to learn and grow, you must learn how to judge your art fairly and critically. On the flip side, if you are your biggest fan, you will never point out your weak areas and the places you need to work on. If you notice that your pride is getting in between your learning, you can showcase yourself out there and present your work in competitions and art galleries.
Learn from the masters. Oftentimes, the ideal way to master the techniques and processes of the masters is to try and copy their work. From this, you will comprehend the challenges they faced, the strokes they made, the colors they chose, and how they approached art. The purpose of copying the masters is not to try and make a replica of what they did, but, for you to experience how the artist worked. However, this should form a small percentage of your studies, because you must come up with your style.
Make sure that you are consistent. For you to prosper as a self-taught artist, it is paramount that you sacrifice the hours for your work. Sadly, this is the most challenging part of being a self-taught artist? Most people have day jobs and various hobbies. You may not be privileged enough to study 7 hours daily in an art school. You will have to create time for this. You will distance yourself from the world to ensure that the sessions count. Most artists have the habit of waiting for the perfect time to practice, and this will never come. Quick and straightforward paintings will make your inspirations fresh and will ensure that you are not slowed down by a larger piece.
Avoid comparing yourself to other people. If other studying artists do not surround you, you might tend to compare yourself to established professional artists that you come across on the internet. But, you need to bear in mind that all professional artists were learners at some point in their lives. Look up to the professionals to get inspired and do not compare yourself with them. Concentrate on yourself and the areas where you can improve.
Make sure that you document everything. During your early stages of becoming an artist, you must document everything you do. There will come a time when this artwork will be vital to you. By looking at your artwork collectively, you can quickly identify your weak areas that it may have been impossible to notice from a single piece of artwork. Take advantage of social media to keep a record of your activity as an artist. It could represent your storyline that highlights your progress.