10 answers
Paige
Student
Princeton, Massachusetts
1
Question
Asked
1136 views
What would I need to be a great artist?
My name is Paige and I am in 12th grade and I major in arts and my question goes thus, I want to know what I will need to be a great artist in the art world
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10 answers
Garima Lajras
Illustrator, 2D animator, Graphic Designer, UX/UI Designer
70
Answers
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Updated
Garima’s Answer
Hello Paige,
This is really important question and also a difficult one to answer because art means different things to different people. Some artists focus on aesthetics, while others want their art to communicate a message—like advertisers. Filmmakers create art for entertainment, some make art to raise awareness for important causes, and others, like UX/UI designers, provide services through their art. For some, art is even an escape from reality (when I was younger, this was my purpose, but it changed over time).
The purpose of art varies, and it's important for every artist to understand why they create. However, there are a few key aspects that are present in every great artist:
1. Purpose of Art:
Every great artist starts by understanding why they create. Knowing your purpose—whether it’s to express emotions, tell stories, or inspire others—is the foundation of your artistic journey.
2. Strong Foundation:
No matter what type of artist you are, whether a sculptor or graphic designer, having a solid grasp of the fundamentals is essential. Strong knowledge of the basics allows you to build and grow your skills further.
3. Adding Your Own Style:
A great artist develops a unique style that makes their work stand out. This is especially evident in animation—Studio Ghibli’s art style is very distinct from Disney’s, yet both are beloved because they are creative and authentic in their own ways.
4. Consistency:
One thing that all successful artists have in common is the discipline to practice their craft regularly. Making art daily, as if it’s a necessity, is crucial for growth and mastery.
5. Focus on Creating, Not Perfection:
This might be controversial, but I believe that while striving for greatness is important, it’s equally important to embrace mistakes. Artists who are afraid of making mistakes often limit their growth. Focus on creating, and greatness will follow naturally.
6. A Great Portfolio:
This is one of the most important aspects of an artist’s career. Your portfolio showcases who you are as an artist and is a tangible proof of your abilities and style.
I know this answer is long, but I hope it helps.
Best of luck to you on your artistic journey!
Purpose of Art
Strong Foundation
Uniqueness and Authenticity
Consistency and discipline to learn daily
Portfolio
This is really important question and also a difficult one to answer because art means different things to different people. Some artists focus on aesthetics, while others want their art to communicate a message—like advertisers. Filmmakers create art for entertainment, some make art to raise awareness for important causes, and others, like UX/UI designers, provide services through their art. For some, art is even an escape from reality (when I was younger, this was my purpose, but it changed over time).
The purpose of art varies, and it's important for every artist to understand why they create. However, there are a few key aspects that are present in every great artist:
1. Purpose of Art:
Every great artist starts by understanding why they create. Knowing your purpose—whether it’s to express emotions, tell stories, or inspire others—is the foundation of your artistic journey.
2. Strong Foundation:
No matter what type of artist you are, whether a sculptor or graphic designer, having a solid grasp of the fundamentals is essential. Strong knowledge of the basics allows you to build and grow your skills further.
3. Adding Your Own Style:
A great artist develops a unique style that makes their work stand out. This is especially evident in animation—Studio Ghibli’s art style is very distinct from Disney’s, yet both are beloved because they are creative and authentic in their own ways.
4. Consistency:
One thing that all successful artists have in common is the discipline to practice their craft regularly. Making art daily, as if it’s a necessity, is crucial for growth and mastery.
5. Focus on Creating, Not Perfection:
This might be controversial, but I believe that while striving for greatness is important, it’s equally important to embrace mistakes. Artists who are afraid of making mistakes often limit their growth. Focus on creating, and greatness will follow naturally.
6. A Great Portfolio:
This is one of the most important aspects of an artist’s career. Your portfolio showcases who you are as an artist and is a tangible proof of your abilities and style.
I know this answer is long, but I hope it helps.
Best of luck to you on your artistic journey!
Garima recommends the following next steps:
Steward "Tony" Pacheco
Minister, USMC Vet, John C. Maxwell Cert. Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Teacher, Straight Shooter
125
Answers
Kyle, Texas
Updated
Steward "Tony"’s Answer
What is your definition of "Great"?
Talent you obviously have?
Drive & Ambition? Yes! to promote your work (Fairs, exhibitions, online, community events, etc.)
Survival Capital? Of Course! You still must pay the bills till you sell your next work?
Networking Contacts? Definitely, to get the word out for showings,
Studio? Very important, even if its just a garage.
Remember Paige, your work makes its own statement and thatbstatement is you!
Have fun and speak to your colors in whatever form you use.
Talent you obviously have?
Drive & Ambition? Yes! to promote your work (Fairs, exhibitions, online, community events, etc.)
Survival Capital? Of Course! You still must pay the bills till you sell your next work?
Networking Contacts? Definitely, to get the word out for showings,
Studio? Very important, even if its just a garage.
Remember Paige, your work makes its own statement and thatbstatement is you!
Have fun and speak to your colors in whatever form you use.
John Graham
Music Producer
57
Answers
Bremerton, Washington
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Paige,
The “Art World” is quite a broad topic, and could include all or one of many aspects including:
The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, either in visual form such as painting, drawing, sculpture, or other branches of creative activity including music, literature, and dance.
That said, I see you have listed music as one of your interests, so my comments will relate mostly to what makes a great artist in that part of the “art world.”
Great musical artists have many characteristics, including:
They've got talent, and the ability to share and communicate it.
They work hard: They're consistent and make time to create every day.
They're patient and don't get stressed when they don't see results right away.
They practice consistently every day to improve their craft.
They're real, humble, and true to themselves.
They're open to alternative perspectives and can gracefully accept criticism.
They set realistic goals, starting with a hunger to learn and improve.
They collaborate with other musicians so they're exposed to different perspectives and challenged to adapt.
They know their instrument and keep mastering new aspects of it
They have fun and work to find their authentic voice
They strive to learn something about every part of their art; from the idea to the writing, performing, recording, mixing, and making the album or single artwork.
They get their work out there - whether its in live performing, streaming services, physical products like CD or Vinyl, or written lyrics & charts.
Good luck on your journey wherever it takes you - may it bring you joy all of your life.
The “Art World” is quite a broad topic, and could include all or one of many aspects including:
The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, either in visual form such as painting, drawing, sculpture, or other branches of creative activity including music, literature, and dance.
That said, I see you have listed music as one of your interests, so my comments will relate mostly to what makes a great artist in that part of the “art world.”
Great musical artists have many characteristics, including:
They've got talent, and the ability to share and communicate it.
They work hard: They're consistent and make time to create every day.
They're patient and don't get stressed when they don't see results right away.
They practice consistently every day to improve their craft.
They're real, humble, and true to themselves.
They're open to alternative perspectives and can gracefully accept criticism.
They set realistic goals, starting with a hunger to learn and improve.
They collaborate with other musicians so they're exposed to different perspectives and challenged to adapt.
They know their instrument and keep mastering new aspects of it
They have fun and work to find their authentic voice
They strive to learn something about every part of their art; from the idea to the writing, performing, recording, mixing, and making the album or single artwork.
They get their work out there - whether its in live performing, streaming services, physical products like CD or Vinyl, or written lyrics & charts.
Good luck on your journey wherever it takes you - may it bring you joy all of your life.
Napinder Gill
Singing
4
Answers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Updated
Napinder’s Answer
Great artists are the ones who are not afraid of potraying or deipicting their art to the world. They know how to deliver the hidden message correctly along with entertaining their audience. A great artist never stops learning from whatever can be learnt from daily routine of life and then adding that into their craft.
Darya Tsitova
110
Answers
Grodno, Hrodna Region, Belarus
Updated
Darya’s Answer
Hi, Paige! It’s great to hear that you're passionate about art and pursuing it in high school. Here are some key components that can help you on your journey to becoming a great artist:
1. Develop Your Skills:
Mastering the basic techniques of drawing, painting, and other mediums is crucial. Consider taking classes, attending workshops, or following online tutorials to build your foundational skills.
2. Find Your Unique Voice:
Explore different styles and mediums to discover what resonates with you. Experimentation is key in finding your artistic voice, so don’t be afraid to try new things.
3. Create a Portfolio:
As you create more works, start building a portfolio that showcases your best pieces. This is essential for future opportunities like college applications or showing your work in galleries.
4. Seek Feedback:
Share your work with peers, teachers, or online art communities. Constructive criticism can help you grow and develop your style.
5. Stay Inspired:
Surround yourself with inspiration. Visit galleries, read books, watch documentaries, and engage with other artists. Find what keeps your creative spark alive.
6. Network with Other Artists:
Building relationships within the art community can provide support, collaboration opportunities, and exposure to different perspectives.
7. Be Persistent and Resilient:
The art world can be competitive and full of rejection. Stay committed to your craft, keep creating, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks.
8. Continue Learning:
Always be open to learning and evolving as an artist. Whether it’s through formal education, self-study, or simply practicing, growth is a continuous process.
9. Express Yourself:
Ultimately, art is about expressing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Stay true to yourself and let your individuality shine through your work.
Remember, the journey to becoming a great artist is personal and unique to everyone, so embrace your path and enjoy the creative process. Good luck, and keep creating! With love, Darya
1. Develop Your Skills:
Mastering the basic techniques of drawing, painting, and other mediums is crucial. Consider taking classes, attending workshops, or following online tutorials to build your foundational skills.
2. Find Your Unique Voice:
Explore different styles and mediums to discover what resonates with you. Experimentation is key in finding your artistic voice, so don’t be afraid to try new things.
3. Create a Portfolio:
As you create more works, start building a portfolio that showcases your best pieces. This is essential for future opportunities like college applications or showing your work in galleries.
4. Seek Feedback:
Share your work with peers, teachers, or online art communities. Constructive criticism can help you grow and develop your style.
5. Stay Inspired:
Surround yourself with inspiration. Visit galleries, read books, watch documentaries, and engage with other artists. Find what keeps your creative spark alive.
6. Network with Other Artists:
Building relationships within the art community can provide support, collaboration opportunities, and exposure to different perspectives.
7. Be Persistent and Resilient:
The art world can be competitive and full of rejection. Stay committed to your craft, keep creating, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks.
8. Continue Learning:
Always be open to learning and evolving as an artist. Whether it’s through formal education, self-study, or simply practicing, growth is a continuous process.
9. Express Yourself:
Ultimately, art is about expressing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Stay true to yourself and let your individuality shine through your work.
Remember, the journey to becoming a great artist is personal and unique to everyone, so embrace your path and enjoy the creative process. Good luck, and keep creating! With love, Darya
Linda Mire
Interior Design
137
Answers
Lake Charles
Updated
Linda’s Answer
That is a very difficult answer because art is subjective, what that means it it evokes emotion to which people react according to temperament, experiences, social noise, and number of unpredictable vibes as artist we are forever trying to tune into.and sometimes do hit the right note like a Campbell's soup can becoming all the rage who knew.. So just be true to you and develope you aesthetic it may be what the masses want, for no one can predict how your way of assembling your artistic message will be absorbed. Follow your instincts and polish your skills so your intent is clear.
Aaron Bass
artist-educator
11
Answers
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Updated
Aaron’s Answer
At college try as many processes as you can. At this stage you have the creativity and the drive, but you may not have discovered what your medium is. After taking the prerequisite introductory classes, enroll in small metals, land arts, lithography, fiber arts and anything else you have not tried.
State universities and community colleges have facilities that are not easily accessible otherwise. Take advantage of this. Once you discover the medium that excites you, you will produce, connect with the community and have opertunities to exhibit.
State universities and community colleges have facilities that are not easily accessible otherwise. Take advantage of this. Once you discover the medium that excites you, you will produce, connect with the community and have opertunities to exhibit.
Taimir Gabriela Rivas Pinto
Fashion designer
4
Answers
Caracas, Capital District, Venezuela
Updated
Taimir Gabriela’s Answer
Hi Paige!
I think that become a great artist is not something that you can achieve with a specific method, I will say that become a great artist is a way of living your life.
With this thought in mind, you can start to fill your life with everything that improves your creativity.
You need to learn who are the great artists in the history of humanity and which of them are your favorites and why.
Is important to experiment with various methods, don´t be afraid of failure, every move that you make is gonna led you to improve your work.
Try to go to the theater, movies, art expositions, libraries and nature, all this places are full of inspiration for your work and you process.
A really usefull thing for inspiration, is to have a litle notebook where you can write ideas, process, words, designs, and beside you can have a place real or virtual where you can save all those things, for laters reviews.
Finally I will say, BE BRAVE, explore all the options, study a lot, take all the oportunities that comes to you, make mistakes and learn from them, is the only way to achieve the excelence in everything in life.
I think that become a great artist is not something that you can achieve with a specific method, I will say that become a great artist is a way of living your life.
With this thought in mind, you can start to fill your life with everything that improves your creativity.
You need to learn who are the great artists in the history of humanity and which of them are your favorites and why.
Is important to experiment with various methods, don´t be afraid of failure, every move that you make is gonna led you to improve your work.
Try to go to the theater, movies, art expositions, libraries and nature, all this places are full of inspiration for your work and you process.
A really usefull thing for inspiration, is to have a litle notebook where you can write ideas, process, words, designs, and beside you can have a place real or virtual where you can save all those things, for laters reviews.
Finally I will say, BE BRAVE, explore all the options, study a lot, take all the oportunities that comes to you, make mistakes and learn from them, is the only way to achieve the excelence in everything in life.
Linda Mire
Interior Design
137
Answers
Lake Charles
Updated
Linda’s Answer
That is a very difficult answer because art is subjective, what that means it it evokes emotion to which people react according to temperament, experiences, social noise, and number of unpredictable vibes as artist we are forever trying to tune into.and sometimes do hit the right note like a Campbell's soup can becoming all the rage who knew.. So just be true to you and develope you astectic it may be what the masses want.
Kim Matthews
Graphic Production Designer and Sculptor
25
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Paige,
That's a very big question, as John notes, but he's given you some good tips. First of all, though, you need a definition of what greatness or success looks like for you regardless of discipline. Because I'm primarily a sculptor, I can share some experience.
Luck is a major factor, but you have to work to make your own luck too. There are far more artists than there are venues to exhibit and sell art, or grant funders to fund work, or middle-class buyers to buy art from middle-class artists, for instance. And those venues and programs have certain criteria, such as genre, style, media, subject matter, target demographics (meaning what kind of artists they show, and for what audience), and so on. If you're going to be a career studio artist, it's a lifelong commitment of hard, steady work and a lot of ups and downs--so you have to learn to be resilient, accept criticism and rejection gracefully, make mistakes and learn from them, and just keep at it.
All that said, here are some tips to get started, and you can start at any time:
Get a studio discipline going: even if you can't work on an artwork every day, there are other things needed to maintain a practice, like research. Look at professional contemporary work on sites like Artsy. Subscribe to newsletters from publications like ArtNews or Art in America, and read artist interviews on line to get insight on artists' day-to-day lives. There are lots of options. Get acquainted with those tools and methods of research if you haven't already. Everyone thinks a studio means a big, open space to work, but it doesn't. Figure out how to work with what you've got; you'll do that for the rest of your life.
Search for art calls on sites like CaFE using terms like "emerging artist" and see if there might be some places you could submit to for free; you'll learn a lot from submitting your work to juried shows, and you might get into some of them! One thing you'll notice right away is that you have to follow directions exactly and follow through on commitments because everyone's really busy. If you don't, you're out. Speaking of which, you'll need to learn how to document your work if you haven't already. That includes photographing it, measuring it, coming up with titles and descriptions, and devising a filing system so your documentation is organized so you can easily retrieve it later. Oh yeah--then there's the dreaded "artist's statement" that everyone demands; I don't know any artist who enjoys writing them but you'll need to be able to concisely describe what you're doing and why.
That's kind of step one: getting the discipline and learning the context. Focus on your craft and set up efficient ways of working so you don't have to waste precious time. Be a sponge. Look at as much art in real life as you can. The steps to fame and fortune involve polishing your art to professional standards, learning how to talk and write well about your work, learning to identify appropriate opportunities, and getting the work out there--whether it's on Instagram or in a coffee shop. The longer you exhibit, the more you'll learn and will be able to show at more prestigious venues and get noticed.
The only other advice I'd add is to try to find jobs that will support your practice, whether that's a museum guard job on weekends, or a gallery assistant internship. You may find that you have to cobble together various jobs to make everything work.
I know that's a lot. But it is a lot. And if this is your dream, you must follow it.
Wish you all happiness and success.
That's a very big question, as John notes, but he's given you some good tips. First of all, though, you need a definition of what greatness or success looks like for you regardless of discipline. Because I'm primarily a sculptor, I can share some experience.
Luck is a major factor, but you have to work to make your own luck too. There are far more artists than there are venues to exhibit and sell art, or grant funders to fund work, or middle-class buyers to buy art from middle-class artists, for instance. And those venues and programs have certain criteria, such as genre, style, media, subject matter, target demographics (meaning what kind of artists they show, and for what audience), and so on. If you're going to be a career studio artist, it's a lifelong commitment of hard, steady work and a lot of ups and downs--so you have to learn to be resilient, accept criticism and rejection gracefully, make mistakes and learn from them, and just keep at it.
All that said, here are some tips to get started, and you can start at any time:
Get a studio discipline going: even if you can't work on an artwork every day, there are other things needed to maintain a practice, like research. Look at professional contemporary work on sites like Artsy. Subscribe to newsletters from publications like ArtNews or Art in America, and read artist interviews on line to get insight on artists' day-to-day lives. There are lots of options. Get acquainted with those tools and methods of research if you haven't already. Everyone thinks a studio means a big, open space to work, but it doesn't. Figure out how to work with what you've got; you'll do that for the rest of your life.
Search for art calls on sites like CaFE using terms like "emerging artist" and see if there might be some places you could submit to for free; you'll learn a lot from submitting your work to juried shows, and you might get into some of them! One thing you'll notice right away is that you have to follow directions exactly and follow through on commitments because everyone's really busy. If you don't, you're out. Speaking of which, you'll need to learn how to document your work if you haven't already. That includes photographing it, measuring it, coming up with titles and descriptions, and devising a filing system so your documentation is organized so you can easily retrieve it later. Oh yeah--then there's the dreaded "artist's statement" that everyone demands; I don't know any artist who enjoys writing them but you'll need to be able to concisely describe what you're doing and why.
That's kind of step one: getting the discipline and learning the context. Focus on your craft and set up efficient ways of working so you don't have to waste precious time. Be a sponge. Look at as much art in real life as you can. The steps to fame and fortune involve polishing your art to professional standards, learning how to talk and write well about your work, learning to identify appropriate opportunities, and getting the work out there--whether it's on Instagram or in a coffee shop. The longer you exhibit, the more you'll learn and will be able to show at more prestigious venues and get noticed.
The only other advice I'd add is to try to find jobs that will support your practice, whether that's a museum guard job on weekends, or a gallery assistant internship. You may find that you have to cobble together various jobs to make everything work.
I know that's a lot. But it is a lot. And if this is your dream, you must follow it.
Wish you all happiness and success.