Be an Artist >> Browse Articles >> Starting your Visual Art Career
Nine Steps to Becoming an Artist
Valerie Atkisson/ArtBistro
Do you want to become an artist but don’t know where to begin? Here is a nine step guide to help you along the way. You will learn about the different paths to a career in the arts, how to choose a school, and how to get a job or a gallery show. This guide is meant for prospective, current, and second career visual artists.
Table of Contents
Please click on the links below to access a comprehensive description for each step.
Step One: Recognize Your Abilities
Step Two: Research Art Careers
Step Three: Narrow Your Interests
Step Four: Identify Lacking Skills
Step Five: Choose a School
Step Six: Networking
Step Seven: Internships
Step Eight: Studio Visits
Step Nine: Follow Up and Do Not Give Up
jencybevan
2 days ago
112 comments
It never that you can't draw, since everybody has the ability to draw. Its all just practice on what your drawing. If you don't feel comfortable then try some of the other steps, try learning from a few tutorials and such before you put your stuff out there. But don't take it too seriously. There will always be a person out there who doesn't like something even if it really is the best.
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Johny_Afroman
about 1 month ago
2 comments
I think this is a really good idea. maby i should try this
PinkSnowflakes
about 1 month ago
2 comments
Looks like I signed up for the wrong website. I can't afford to go to school so I guess someone out there will just have to notice my art and maybe I'll get a job one day.
lino
8 months ago
24 comments
I think this article is great but not neccesarily you have to follow it like a recipe.
I decided to join a small art school, to do that, I did some research, the teacher has the greatest CV in art I have ever seen. So I was pretty excited to start my "formal art" education with someone with more than one degree in Art. I join, I pay the inscription, was not cheap!!. But I was sure that I was going to get more back.
Shamefully life is more complicated than a selfhelp book. This teacher was happy to have a whisky everytime I was on he's class, he basically was just drinking away and not teaching anything!. Besides, He was eroding the little confidence that I have on myself as an artist, which happens to a lot of artist by the way, even the most succesful ones. Anyway, I decided that I would never pay anyone a dime to take my hope away and to drink in front of me!!!, if I want to drink, I go to a bar or stay home, I do not open an art teaching clasess.
I do believe in Do it Yourself, it may be complicated, but now days we have many tools to learn maybe faster, better and even more comfortable than with a drunk teacher!.
TheDesigner
9 months ago
160 comments
Sometimes i get a little put out with these "art schools" - Sucking in these young kids- how do they sleep at night? I could not recommend this profession to anyone who can Do anything else!!!
It was once a pretty lucrative business- but those days are pretty much long gone- ask someone in there 50s in the business if you can find one. It can be fun- and rewarding- i've won a sh_t load of awards- but someday you're going to be old- and wish you had two nickles to rub together- like so many other occupations- playing in a band etc. 1 in 1000 really make any money at it. Example: the going rate for design and production in the 70s was $20-30 per hour. That was great!! A 3 bedroom house cost $25,000 and new GTO car cost $3.500. Today a house cost $120,000. and a car is $30-$50 thousand...and young free lancers are out there cutting each others throats {including there own someday- by driving the price down} for free lance jobs at $25.ph. One told me if they liked the project- they would do it for $15 per hour. Hello!! How many hours will it take you to buy- your kids a pair of shoes, pay $100. ele. bill or $1,200 per month mortgage, your Iphone bill, cable, gas, car payment, food, insurance, clothes, and someday a baby, a teenage, and how about retirement. just to name a few items. Well i hope i opened some of your eyes. Use your head man.
JRBaldini
11 months ago
6 comments
A degree will not guarantee you a career in the art field. It will guarantee that you will have student debt for at least 12 years. Independent studies, hard work, networking and above all passion for what you do and believe in will help you create a comfortable life in the art field.
I, personally do not know any wealthy artists and I have been in the arts for over 30 years.
Find your passion,and be prepared to have lean years, recession or not.
MissDenise
about 1 year ago
16 comments
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Account Removed
about 1 year ago
This is good, but in my city were in a recession since xmas, My hours have been cut, and I'm trying to save for a wedding and help pay off my Fiance's school loan so I don't have an option to go to college. To make money you need a degree, and to go to college, you need a job, so I've been stuck for five years, so far. I love to do art on the side, I am designing my own wedding dress now, and will be making it hopefully in the next few months. I would be nice to go to school to learn how to perfect my skills and make me even better, but I've got to figure it out with books, and garment designs to help me make mine. Is anyone in the same state as me? No money for college and no option for extra hours or a raise above minimum wage? I hope I don't have to wait till I'm 40. I wont give up, I am an artist with many mediums of art methods, it'll just take some time. I enjoyed reading what everyone has commented on. I hope I'll get to read more.
fallenson75
about 1 year ago
2 comments
this is good stuff.
pkyusuf
about 1 year ago
4 comments
fine article. amazing! :)
valerie
about 1 year ago
1984 comments
I wrote it. The author is listed :)
pippy123
about 1 year ago
2 comments
I would like to know who wrote this.... I am doing a project in school and I need to know
ljbcreative
about 1 year ago
50 comments
Just because someone follows these steps does not necessarily make them an artist. I believe that your creativity comes from with in. School and any training only helps you perfect your creative nature.
stellinula
about 1 year ago
48 comments
It also needs perception, imagination, passion cause without them you do nothing. Kisses
Account Removed
about 1 year ago
I think learning from all of you is great. good thing we are all different with our ideas and thinking. This keeps life interesting and hopefully versatile.Art is to me is expressing our innerself and what holds our interest. Life don't have to be a bunch of rules to be an artist as I learned from my surrounding. I am open minded to critics who say what goes which is hypocritical.We're living in a BS world constantly adapting to new way of thinking and living and imatating new art forms.