Comments on: Advice for Art Students

By: dinesh

dinesh — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:26:20 +0000

great advice dani!! thanx so much, it was very informative and enlightening! :)

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:31:16 +0000

As far as I know the school I attended didn’t have classes on marketing yourself. Everything I’m doing now is pretty much new territory to me. I’m glad to have found this blog because, without it I wouldn’t know what to do at all.

Originally, I hadn’t planned on using my blog to market myself. I had only thought to upload a whole lot of unfinished and some finished art onto it. Now, I’ve got to finish those incomplete works.

Thank you again for your advice Dani.

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:31:44 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Caleb – I think some kind of education would be wise if you want to get into an art career. While a lot of your skill depends on your own time and effort and while you can get pretty far on your own, it is very hard to be strictly a “self-taught” artist. There are some basic principles that simply require academic study. Whether or not your go to a school or work privately depends on the quality of education you can get from them. IF you can find a a good teacher who has both the EXPERIENCE and the TIME to really show you the ropes, you might be able to get away with it. I personally would prefer a school, where the instructors are generally experienced and a curriculum is enforced. Plus you have the benefit of studying under several instructors with different viewpoints, and not just the one or two you would get working privately.

So, I think art school is necessary, but not for job leads or connections. Although I got a few of those in school, most of my marketing effort after graduation has been built from the ground up. You don’t have to go to a large school or an expensive school. There are a lot of big-name reputable art schools, but they will put you in BIG debt, which probably isn’t necessary. If you can just find a place that you can take a few classes, great. The rest will depend on your own work ethic and determination anyway.

By: Caleb Morris

Caleb Morris — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 03:03:57 +0000

Thanks for the advice Dani, I’m currently struggling to figure out if I should go into large debt w/ student loans to attend art school or study under accomplished painters privately. Do you believe that school is not necessarily essential, but maybe almost so in the way of job leads, connections, etc?

By: Tanya

Tanya — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:43:42 +0000

Thank you for your honest answers. Appreciate the advice!

Tanya

By: destinycreature

destinycreature — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:15:24 +0000

Thank you Dani, for your great advice as usual. This post has been very enjoyable and informative. It is so true that one’s experience in school and in the work field are universes apart…for some its a tough wake up call. Unless you’re an in-house artist, staying on top of your game (being a freelancer) is so crucial. But whatever discipline of art that one may be involved in being proactive, flexible, discerning and having an attitude to be in constant learning puts you a step above the rest.

By: Gina

Gina — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:00:21 +0000

All great advice Danny – I think you put the emphasis on web/tech because often that’s what is MISSING from those programs. And in general, the transition from college to the real world is often hardest when programs don’t tell you how to logically get work in your chosen field. Great pointers for anyone considering this career!