How to Become a Better Artist – 10 Years of Tips
Do you want to learn how to become a better artist? Well, most artists are primarily self-taught. So the journey to improve at art can feel both exhausting and lonely at times. Especially if you are a beginner just starting out. That is because, art is like a mountain that we must climb in order to master it. But until we climb it, it is hard to know the fastest and easiest path to get there. However, this article is like a map, giving you a clear shortcut up the metaphorical mountain of mastery.
So if you want to become a better artist, no need to go through the struggle alone. In this article, I share ten years worth of art tips that I have accumulated. This is knowledge I have gained first hand through actively teaching myself to draw for ten plus years. By reading this, artists can avoid repeating my same mistakes.
Furthermore, of course there are a million things I could share about how to become a better artist. But here I have condensed down that knowledge to some of my favorite and most helpful tips. Simply continue reading to find out detailed advice for how to become a better artist. But first, here is an overview of the tips:
- Draw a Lot to Become a Better Artist
- It Is Okay to Fail & Hate Your Art
- Study to Become a Better Artist
- Do Art Challenges – They Are Fun!
- References Are Not Cheating!
- Have Things to Show For
- Beat Art Block Easily Every Time
- Time is of the Essence
Draw a Lot to Become a Better Artist
My top tip to becoming a better artist is to just draw a lot. When I was a beginner, I kept wondering why my art was not improving. Then, I realized I had only drawn a handful of things over an entire year. I had never even completed a sketchbook.
So I took note of what my favorite artists were doing. And what they were doing is drawing a lot. It became clear that the only way up the mountain of art mastery is by putting in the mileage. Some artists claim that you need to draw everyday to become a better artist. But I believe you do not need to draw everyday, you just need to draw a lot. And making my webcomic, certainly helps me get a lot of drawing in.
It Is Okay to Fail & Hate Your Art
A second tip to getting better at drawing is learning to accept “failure.” For all of the drawings I have made, I dislike a lot of them. Even after drawing for ten years, I still make art that I consider ugly all the time. But that is just a part of the process. When it comes to art, you have to learn to take the good with the bad. As well, just know that you are not alone in that feeling; no artist loves every single thing they create.
Moreover, there is a well known quote reassuring artists that it is okay to fail. The quote by Stanchfield is, “we all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better.” So you see, it is okay to fail. Because making lots of bad drawings is part of the journey to making good art.
Additionally, “failing” is actually a useful tool to improve at art. On top of that, it is totally normal to create multiple failed variations of a drawing. For instance, concept artists purposely make multiple iterations. Sure they end up scrapping a lot of their designs. However, the process enables them to experiment until they find the best option. For example, I have tons of scrapped concept art for my comic.
Study to Become a Better Artist
A third tip on how to become a better artist is to study. I used to think art was just something you feel or intuitively know. For example, I thought that art is a talent that you either have or do not. But now I think of art like math. No one is born knowing how to do math equations. However, if we study, we can improve at them. Likewise, the same goes for art.
Moreover, actively studying art is a much faster way to improve than just drawing random things. But studying art does not have to be boring. You just have to find the methods that work best for you. Over the years I have found a variety of helpful methods and challenges to improve at art.
Do Art Challenges – They Are Fun!
Another tip on how to become a better artist is to do art challenges. This is a great way to make improving at art more fun. For instance, art challenges give you something to strive for. As well, art challenges give you a finished product to enjoy. Additionally, group challenges can help you gain a sense of connection with others in the art community. Furthermore, completing art challenges gives you a sense of accomplishment.
So if you want to make improving at art more fun, be sure to try an art challenge. I have a list of 50+ popular art challenges for you choose from. Personally, being a comic artist, one of my favorites is the month long comics challenge that I created.
References Are Not Cheating!
The next tip on how become a better artist is something that everyone needs to hear. And that is, using references to create art is not cheating! Artists can feel this sense of guilt and dread when it comes to using references. If they do use references, it can feel like they are stealing or unable to stand on their own two feet. On the hand, if they do not use references, the quality of their art can suffer, and they can struggle to depict the images in their head.
However, when used correctly, references are not cheating. I have collected some tips for using references in your art. By using references properly, you can see your art improve immensely.
Have Things to Show For
Another tip on how to become a better artist is to have things to show for. By this, I mean have some completed art projects. It can be discouraging to look back and only have a pile of sloppy sketches to show for. So be sure to spend the time to make some polished art as well. After all, the only way to get better at art is to actually make some finished pieces.
So here are example things to show for. (No need to do them all, just choose what you like.) For example, complete a sketchbook or drawing challenge. Another idea is to find a place to publish your art, or make a website. Similarly, make a series of illustrations, a children’s book, or a comic book. Personally, my biggest accomplishment so far is publishing my 68 page comic, Derailed. It took a while to make, but I am glad I did because the process of making it helped me improve my art.
Beat Art Block Easily Every Time
My next tip for how to become a better artist is one that took a while to figure out. This tip is how to beat art block easily every time. Beating art block can often seem hard to do. And if you are not drawing, you are not improving. However, artists can to learn how to beat art block fast. That way they can quickly get back to improving their art.
Another thing of note is that art block can be brought on by a variety of things. Sometimes, we are actually just lacking ideas for what to draw. But using a big list of drawing prompts and projects is one helpful way to solve that problem.
Time Is of the Essence
A final tip on how to become a better artist is to learn that time is of the essence. It can be tempting to put off improving for another day. Sometimes, artists feel like they do not have the time to draw. Sometimes, we are not being productive at drawing. And sometimes, we are being too slow to make much progress. But if we act like this, we may never achieve the artistic abilities we want.
Instead, we need to focus on the time we have right now. One way to do so is to learn productivity for artists. By more affectively managing our time, we can ensure that we climb higher up the mountain of art mastery. Another way to climb higher up the mountain, is to learn how to draw faster. This is because increasing our drawing speed means we can improve at art faster. So do not forget that time is of the essence when it comes to art.
Those Are My Tips on How to Become a Better Artist!
Those are the tips I have learned so far on how to become a better artist. I do not view myself as a master of drawing or the ultimate authority on how to improve your art. I am still a long ways from reaching the top of the mountain of mastery. However, I have come a long way from where I started. So that is why I am sharing these tips – because I hope that they can help other artists improve their art as well!
Which of these tips will you try out? Is there one you never realized? Let me know in the comment section below! As well, be sure to share this article with other artists, so they can more easily improve their art too. Additionally, subscribe for more content like this. Furthermore, if you like my art, be sure to read my comic, Kindred Not.
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