Become a Professional Artist for not a Lot of Money

Who wants to be a starving artist? Well, no one I can think of. Art is exploding today, especially with the advent of the Internet. There are numerous ways to take advantage of that explosion, whether you're a part-time artist or dream of making your living off of art.

There are several myths surrounding the art world, the first of which is that artists are born that way. There may have been a few artists in history who had such perfect hand/eye coordination that art came easily, but most professional artists have studied their craft over a number of years. Most of the great artists of Renaissance fame participated in apprenticeships that lasted for years. In fact, the Greek term for artist is "techne", directly translating to "master of a craft". The Greeks did not hold artists in the high regard we do today because they saw artists as technicians, masters of a set of skills, not divinely inspired beings. To a degree, the Greek perspective is true, there is a set of techniques that anybody can learn which will produce decent art. As far as inspiration goes, is freely available to any human who looks for it. Techniques can be learned either by investing in a costly education, or by the much cheaper alternative of reading a lot of books.

The next object to be solved is the availability of art materials. Throughout history, art materials have never been less expensive than they are now. If money is really tight, choose an art form that doesn't require as much outlay. Such forms include Conte crayons, pastels, colored pencils, and charcoal. All you really need is a good online supplier of art supplies and artist grade personalized backpacks or other usable items for their own use and for sale. Remember, you're a visual artist. Show, don't tell. Let your work speak for itself, and you will find those who must have it. Good luck, and may your art career skyrocket!

Loni L. Ice is a freelance writer/editor, who lives in Lawrence, KS, caught in a happy cyclone of rampant creativity. Visit her website, Ice and Ink for a look at what solutions she can offer for any writing need.
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