Ten Tips for New Artists

I decided to share some bits and pieces I have learnt over the past few years, in the hopes that they'll prove helpful to someone else and maybe save them some trouble! Some are the result of my own experience, and some are really useful tips I picked up from other artists. In no particular order...

1) Just because a medium is 'permanent' doesn't mean it won't fade. Prismacolor markers, for example, fade horribly in strong sunlight in a matter of just a couple of weeks! If you're not sure whether a medium will fade it's a good idea to try it out by making a sample sheet of the different colours and leaving them in direct sunlight. If you cover half the sheet with a piece of card it's a lot easier to see the fading. (It's also important to try all the colours as some will fade a lot faster than others, and some may not fade at all)

2) When you make prints, make sure they are printed with archival inks on archival paper and have some idea how long you can expect them to last. Also, don't assume the colours will automatically turn out right...make sure you match the colours to the original.

3) If you're looking to make money from your art it's a good idea to offer 'useful' items such as greetings cards or calendars as well as prints and originals. People may love your art, but they only have so much wall space!

4) I cannot recommend Julia Cameron's 'The Artist's Way' enough! It's an inspiring book about living creatively which can change your whole perspective.

5) Internet forums are a brilliant source of practical information and also emotional support! FAE Forum is great for fantasy artists and WetCanvas is extremely useful.

6) There are a lot of amazing resources available on the internet which are free and legal! For example, Gimp is a good alternative to Photoshop and 1001 Fonts offers a huge range of fonts you can download for free, with detailed information on what you're allowed to use them for.

7) Drawing from life is extremely valuable and it's a good idea to do it regularly, whether that means drawing what you can see out of your bedroom window or enrolling on a life-drawing class.

8) Don't be afraid to learn from other artists' work, whether that means visiting a gallery or looking at an artist's website. It can be very illuminating if you get right up close to a famous painting and take a look at the brushstrokes!

9) There are a huge range of ways to promote your artwork online. Having your own website may be part of this, but getting involved with other sites means people will be more likely to see your work. DeviantArt, ArtWanted, Etsy, eBay, Twitter and blogs are just a few of the possible ways of exposing your work to more people.

10) If you are based in the UK, it may be useful for you to become a member of AIR. This organisation lets its members know about opportunities for artists and provides very good value insurance which you might need if you are, for example, taking your work to a craft fair.