How to become better in Art

Welcome to another blog! My name is Aaliyah Venizze Estares, a self-taught artist with lots of things to learn when it comes to art, and for today I’ll be giving you tips on how to essentially become at art. I manage to get this so-called tips from my experience of doing art, and hopefully it helps you with your art journey!

1. Practice Foundational Skills

Beginner artists frequently overlook the importance of practicing foundational skills such as how the face works in order to draw a face or how lighting or shadow works in order to color your work. Basically, I’m saying that you should know the rules before breaking them.

However, practicing foundational skills is a broad topic that I cannot fully explain in this blog, so I recommend that you watch art tutorial videos of your choice on YouTube to learn and practice foundational skills in art.

2. Observe other artists

Do you have a favorite artist? Then you’re in for a treat! Simply scroll through your favorite artist’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platforms or if your favorite artist is a well-known artist that contributed to the world just simply seach his/her name up the net and observe what you like about their style. What did they do to accomplish this?

Now, I believe it’s okay to have a favorite artist and use them as inspiration in your own work, but do not go so far as to compare your own (“bad”) work to theirs. It will simply discourage you from learning, and remember that the artists you admire went through a phase where they didn’t know anything about art at all, which means they improved their way to that level, and so can you!

3. Redraw your older artworks

Another suggestion I have is to redraw your older artworks. At times, it appears as if Oh! I’m not getting any better! And don’t get discouraged, because improvement isn’t linear, and you won’t notice your improvement in your art if you don’t redraw your older pieces.

Heck! You can even compare your 3rd grade art to the art you create now instead of redrawing it! Basically, I’m saying that seeing your progress can help you feel like Hey! My art isn’t so bad after all and you can use it to help you improve.

4. Use references!

Using references is a significant improvement you can make to your art. Contrary to what some artists claim, this is not considered cheating. In fact, because references are usually taken from real life, it helps you visualize things more clearly.

For example, if you’re having trouble deciding on a design for one of my characters, simply search “Clothing Ideas” on Google and Pinterest and voila! You have a wide range of design ideas for your character. It is more efficient than to just sit at your desk and forcing your mind to come up with a design. What I mean is, don’t be lazy and look up references! It’s free, and it’ll save you a lot of time!

Final Message!

To conclude, I’d like to emphasize that art is a journey, not a destination. I say this because I’ve seen Art Gods who create masterpieces but are still dissatisfied with their work. So, don’t give up on art, and keep doing it because you enjoy it! :)