The Self Taught Artist
You can call me an abstract artist, forever learner, creative, or seeker. All of these would be correct.
Back Story
Like most artists, I fell in love with art at a young age. It was something to fill my time, but not something to be taken seriously.
After many career changes, life ups and downs, and finally finishing my English degree, I decided writing was for me. I wrote a few books for a curriculum company and did freelance writing, but I knew there was more to create.
One day I decided I needed a change. I picked up some art supplies and fell in love all over again. A blank piece of paper wasn’t so daunting with a brush in my hand. The childhood love of drawing was creeping its way back in.
The problem was I didn’t have the time or money to go to art school. I would need to be a self taught artist.
Beginning the journey of learning art was exciting. A whole world of possibilities opened up. Books, YouTube videos, documentaries, and art supplies were easy to consume. My extra time was spent devouring anything and everything to do with art, art history, artists, how to videos, and trying what I learned in countless sketchbook pages. Most of it was terrible. Slowly, I was began to learn what I enjoyed creating.
Abstract art wasn’t my first choice because I was always taught it wasn’t art. To my surprise, the one art form I was strongly steered from pulled me in by the freedom it offered.
Curriculum
Take these steps for learning art techniques. They apply whether you are learning, watercolor, oil, abstract, landscape or still life. The only factor will be how much time you are willing to dedicate to learning.
Books
The best place to find books, is the library. There is an entire section on learning a chosen medium. If you aren’t sure what medium you want to explore, try Artist’s Painting Techniques. In this book, you will be able to experiment with watercolor, acrylic, and oils. It’s a good starting point.
Find an artist or several you admire, and check out books about them from the library. Look closely at their artwork, read about their techniques, and how they practiced making art. This will give you great insight. The more you understand and appreciate the artist who have come before, the more rich your art will be. We build on their art and techniques.
In my collection of art books, I have museum collections, artist technique books, women artists, old masters, and modern contemporary works. Learning from old masters has helped me create composition in my abstract art. You can learn from any artist, but especially those that you enjoy looking at.
Recommended Reading:
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Keep Going by Austin Kleon
Artist’s Painting Techniques by DK Publishing
Real Artist Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins
Women Artist: An Illustrated History by Nancy G. Heller
Cut Paper Pictures by Clover Robin
A Big Important Art Book by Danielle Krysa
Broad Strokes byBridget Quinn
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon
The Artist’s Journey by Nancy Hills
Great Paintings by DK Publishing
Draw Your World by Dion Baker
Art: The Whole Story by Stephen Farthing
A Dictionary of Color Combinations by Seigensha
Museums
When going to a museum allow enough time to look closely at a painting. Study the brushstrokes and the composition. Take a sketchbook and colored pencils to sketch your favorite piece. Copying while you are learning is fine. Always give credit to the person you are copying and never pass it off as your own work.
By copying the museum piece you will learn techniques and how to layer the paints. Understanding color mixing, value, and composition will take time, but don’t discourage. The more you study, the better you will become. If you don’t have a museum close by, then buy a museum collection book. It will offer many different types of artwork in one book.
Art Supplies
When first starting out, you don’t need to buy the most expensive supplies. Purchase the best paints, pencils, and paper you can afford. Stay within your budget, but buy quality over quantity. Scribble away, experiment with color mixing, and play with value in your sketchbook. Your sketchbook will be your best friend. It’s a safe place to try new ideas. Take it with you to the park or doctor appointment. Whenever you have a few minutes, fill a page up.
Try different types of mediums. I started out with watercolor, and now I mostly paint with acrylics and pastels. Don’t be afraid to try inks, pastels, oils, and collage. You will start to prefer one medium over others, and that’s great. You will find what you enjoy and then hone your craft from there.
Documentaries and How To Videos
Watching documentaries on your favorite artist, is a wonderful way to learn and often entertaining. Youtube is great for learning technique. There are many artist on Youtube who share their process and favorite supplies in their videos. Find a few that you enjoy watching, but don’t limit yourself to just your medium of choice or style. You can learn from a landscape artist about composition and learn color mixing from an abstract artist. Again, don’t copy their art and show it as your own. Learn how they paint, and then take that knowledge and experiment.
Online Classes and Community Classes
If you have the money, invest in taking a class or two. Many artists offer educational material on their websites. You can view their work on Youtube or Instagram to see if their work resinates with you.
In some communities, local artist will offer in person classes. They are usually a week or a month long. Look for local workshops, and ask the library if they know of any artists that offer classes. Your community resources can be a huge help in your self taught adventure. Don’t neglect the local community. They are a wealth of information.
Final Thoughts
The self taught journey is long, but exciting. As an artist, you never stop exploring new techniques and styles. Being a self taught artist requires a love for learning. Without it, your art will be stagnate and dull.
There is still more to learn, and I hope you join me for the journey.
