Art tips: the best advice for artists from artists

Every artist’s creative path and career is different: there’s not a series of strict rules that one must follow in order to achieve a successful career in arts. Everyone has their own set of personal guidelines and motivations. In this article we’ve put together a series of hacks and art-related advice for you to find inspiration, support and maybe even the breakthrough you were looking for. 

Read along to find shared experiences from your colleagues.

What’s the best piece of art-related advice you’ve been given?

There was a moment in time when you were probably looking to get better at drawing, work on new mediums, or better understand your main theme or subject. At that moment, you may have received an artist friend’s advice to guide you through new processes so that you could feed your creative spirit and produce that special thing that you wanted to share with the world. 

We asked some ArtPlacer artists (both ArtPlacer customers and artists that work at the start-up) to share their advice, and this is what they said.

Freely express your imagination

“I succeed as a self-taught artist by being myself. I think that’s what people want. When they buy something from an artist, they want something that’s personal. Something that’s unique.” – Didi LaBaysee

“Give yourself permission to be really creative and take risks.”  – Caroline Boff

“Stay curious. Try new ways of communicating and of sharing your work. Invite art fans and potential clients into your viewing rooms, whether they are physical or digital.” – DIVE Madhouse

“We need to stick to the essence of what we do. We don’t have to be distracted by the media… we need to slow down, paint what we are inspired to paint, and send out our message. Things will find their way.” – Emmeline Craig

Don’t aim for “perfect”, because “perfect” doesn’t exist. Practice and enjoy the journey.

Practice and dedication

“Make yourself an expert through education, practice, and writing about what you do.” – Rob Stern

“Keep perfecting your art craft, and in the meantime, share the process and your work online, so that more people can enjoy it and support it.” – DIVE Madhouse

“Make time for your passions.” – Agostina Milani 

“Subscribe to an art newsletter. Even if you often don’t read them, one day when you are idly browsing your emails you’ll come across something which is a great next step for you.” – Caroline Boff

“Women, we are multitaskers, in general. This is especially true being a mom of 3 kids. I have to find time to work in my studio, to take care of my kids, as well as taking classes online and running a business by myself. That has its challenges.” – Beatrice Dauge 

“Exercise your creativity every day, even if it’s just a doodle, a photograph taken with your phone or a lyric of a song you liked and decided to write down in your notebook.”- Erica Goldemberg

Build meaningful relationships

“Stop thinking about it as sales. Of course, you’re selling something, but first of all you’re building a relationship. You’re building a relationship with people. Make them tell you about them. Then tell them about you and your artwork. Explain why it is important.” – Wendy Sharpe

“I like to meet and speak with people interested in my art and IRL exhibitions and art fairs are a valuable way to do this. I think for the modern artist doing both, at a manageable time, is very important, expressive and thoroughly enjoyable.” – Tim Muddiman

“Looking back at certain points of my career, I recognize that a lot of the business of developing as an artist is about personal relationships. If I have impressed someone through my work, this has led, sometimes even years later, to an opportunity opening up for me.” – Frank Creber

Be personal and unique when crafting your art marketing strategy.

Market your body of work

“Take time to research and then contact individuals who might be interested in purchasing your work. Send visuals that speak for themselves along with a brief introduction. If someone decides to respond, try to reply quickly, and engage proactively to set up a call or meeting at their convenience.” – Suzanne Kaltbaum

“Develop some sales skills using open-ended questions or statements. For example, instead of saying: “Are you interested in my kind of art?”, say “Tell me about a location in your home where this piece would look the best,” or “If I were to paint/photograph a piece just for you, what would it look like?”.”- Rob Stern

“As an avid shopper myself, I wholeheartedly value brands that offer an exceptional customer-centric environment because it allows me to engage and connect with their products in a new way. Technology has really given me the freedom to be more independent and not have to rely solely on being showcased in a gallery or store. Taking advantage of digital trends is something all art professionals can do to create a better customer experience.” – Elena Dragoi 

Stimulate your creativity and experiment.

Spark your artistry with more art tips and exercises

If you want to get your creative juices flowing even further and inspire your audience, you can try exercising with a prompt guide, try a new technique or even start art journaling. 

Once you achieve your new creation, why not create a digital room mock-up to exhibit it? With ArtPlacer’s Room Mockups you just need to take a picture of your art piece and “drag and drop” it to a room that you love. Play around by adding a custom frame: design your own frames with a particular width, material, mat, and color! 

In a couple of minutes, you’ll have a social media-worthy cropped image to share or save. Remember to share your creations on Instagram with #artplacer to get featured!

Big thanks to Didi LaBaysee, Caroline Boff, Emmeline Craig, DIVE Madhouse, Elena Dragoi, Wendy Sharpe, Frank Creber, Erica Goldemberg, Agostina Milani, Suzanne Kaltbaum, Tim Muddiman, Beatrice Dauge and Rob Stern for sharing their insights.