Becoming a master painter requires time, a lot of practice, dedication, and discipline. If you want to be recognized as a world-class painter like Da Vinci or Picasso, then you need those requisites. Let’s take Vincent Van Gogh as an example. This man created 2100 pieces of work in just a decade. Were all of them good? Obviously no. However, he put the hours in, worked really hard, and he was always improving. Waking up early in the morning and sleeping late at night to master his craft.
Now, becoming a master painter is not an easy task. If you expect to become an expert in the next 2 months then I encourage you, even more, to continue reading this article and shift your mindset in the right direction. The secrets here are going to help you get on the right track, and take your painting skills to the top.
Do you know the 10 thousand-hour rule? Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book in which he introduced the rule of 10 thousand hours of practice.
There have been a lot of debates and controversies about how true and effective this rule is, but the main idea is that you can’t become a painter overnight.
Tips to Improve Your Skills
Get a teacher or mentor
Starting this journey on your own means figuring out most of the things about painting and art on your own. You’ll make a lot of mistakes on your journey, but a mentor will be there for you to not only call out your mistakes but they will help you. A mentor will assist you in building a strong foundation in painting, by teaching you the basic concepts of painting, painting styles, techniques, and movements that occurred throughout history.
You’ll learn from their mistakes, which will save you a ton of time. If you start painting on your own, you won’t be able to identify your mistakes. A more experienced eye will prove helpful during your journey.
Where to find a mentor? Many people in the world have mastered the art of painting and most of them are teaching how you can achieve the same thing. You can find mentors through YouTube or LinkedIn, or even Google. To find someone who is worth the money you can spend, it’s good to watch 5-10 of their videos, visit his/her website(if there’s one), and spend a little time studying his/her work through social media. Most of these people offer exclusive training (1-to-1, webinars and courses) which you can choose and learn.
After you spend some time analyzing some mentors, you’ll be able to identify who is the best for you. The process is a lot like choosing the right college for yourself. So, if you went to college then the process becomes easier.
If you don’t feel like spending money, then learning from their free resources it’s also a really good alternative. Free resources might be more helpful for you.
Start painting for family members and ask for feedback
Getting a mentor is surely one of the best things you can do to help you in becoming a master painter. Alongside that, it’s good practice to start painting canvases for some family members.
As your skills start improving, it’s time to start creating something unique, something that represents you. Painting on canvases and decorating your house or giving the finished paintings to your friends and family members means that you have to start to put your creativity into action.
Use what your mentor taught you, remember the mistakes you made along the way, and fuel your brain with some inspiration to create something beautiful. This step is maybe the most difficult one because you step out of your comfort zone. You are not being told what to do, you are starting from scratch and everything that you learned must be shown on the canvas.
In the beginning, it will be frustrating, but after 5-10 canvases, you’ll see what works best for you, you’ll identify your painting style and you’ll get a taste of what it means to be a professional painter.
Join groups and communities, subscribe to newsletters, and stay up to date
Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, Reddit threads, Twitter Groups and Instagram Pages. Use all of these, and start meeting other aspiring painters, who have the same dream as you. By joining groups and communities, you can share and exchange ideas, gain some helpful feedback from other experienced painters, and of course, learn from other people’s mistakes.
The painting world changes rapidly and constantly. Ideologies, movements, and styles come and go so you need to be aware of the changes around the world. Can investors put their money in something they know nothing about? No. Neither do painters. So, try to be as informed as possible and learn about the latest updates.
Your next steps
After you spend some time practicing, learning, and gaining experience, you will see yourself improving and developing some serious skills. Your canvases will be even more meaningful, powerful, and beautiful. Your work will be appreciated by your loved ones and you will be ready for new and more challenging projects.
If your work is so good, you can use it to make money through Etsy, a store that people go to find hand-crafted, true pieces of art. People that visit Etsy appreciate the good work and you’ll see how they react to your work.
Remember to always keep improving, and never get discouraged.
Start today, and who knows, your name might be at the bottom right corner of a canvas in an art gallery.
