Four steps to becoming an in-demand artist

As a business coach, working with designers, artists and creative community for over a decade, I have found that every creative talent, no matter what medium they focus on, must have four specific skills to help improve their art, their business, and themselves.

Be detailed

Some artists are often accused of having a ‘broad brush stroke’ to their own talents and that can be seen in their art, too. So the need to be focused and detailed in every creative part of your art is very important.

The first basic point of art is the ability to transfer detail from everyday life to canvas. There’s a huge difference between ‘perceiving’ something and really ‘seeing it’.

For example, you can “perceive” a yellow car just flew past you, but did you really take the time to “see” it. The point here is to take the time – to study, to immerse, to soak up the detail, even on a fourth look, and to note the visual differences.

A quick glance at the picture of flowers below shows several pink roses. Our minds will see just see “flowers”, but if you study them, you’ll discover the flower I’ve circled has characteristics that sets it apart. That’s the type of “seeing” that artists need to develop.

Real life, real art

Again, rather than draw what you ‘think’ is there and only getting a general, vague drawing, set about looking intently at the detail and ‘see’ what is there. If you are specialised in drawing cats, then take time to draw a specific cat, not a generalised idea of one.

“Same, same but different,” states artist Helen Durovich. Her statement reflects the fact that no two items – cats, flowers, cars – are the same. No two cats are the same. There are a hundred different characteristics that differ and getting a few of those details right in a portrait, will make the difference between a happy artist and a contented client.

I.am.Promoter

The pitfall of being an artist is that you then have to sell your works, your talent, in the big wide world. Being creative within the four walls of your home won’t help pay the bills. So you need to get out and interact with the public (your paying clients).

Even if you have a gallery representing you, you still need to know how to promote your work because you will have to attend gallery openings if you’re a featured artist.

For the past two years, ArtSHINE Gallery has held 30 shows and  some artists still have difficulty in talking about themselves and their art. So what does promotion mean?

Sharing your talent: Think what drew you to a subject and what’s the story behind it? Then learn to tell that story. Potential art buyers love having a background behind a piece as it makes the work unique.

Talk: Not in that way, but about how you paint and approach a subject. It gives flesh on the bone to a potential buyer in looking ‘into the head of the artist’

Be passionate: If you can vocalise your passion about the subject, then you will be able to convert viewers into buyers easily.

Promote yourself: Be bold and open your studio in conjunction with a local event, and invite buyers in. That way they will get a connection of who you are, and what you as an artist are all about.

The power of ‘No’

This is a very important skill to possess even as an artist looking to promote themselves. People will always be looking for something, such as charitable donations, commissions on subjects outside your area of expertise, or too many commissions. Even distractions and having your fingers in different pies, means you will being getting away from who you are as an artist and why you took up art in the first place.

Your time is precious, so learn to protect it by refusing certain commission. In doing so, you are an artist of independence, you can focus better and then you will see your art and your career flourish.