You don’t need to go to art school to be an artist with credentials.
Art school is expensive. Why pay thousands of dollars for classes when you can have someone else teach you through social media…for free!
Becoming an artist is a tedious personal journey; a journey where you must consistently put in the effort to become better and putting your work out there for the public. There are some who invest in expensive art schools to help improve their skills, and there are others who aren’t as financially lucky. But that shouldn’t stop someone from learning and succeeding. With social media, artists who once faced the struggle are teaching other artists their techniques and how to draw for free.
With social media’s sharing capabilities, both amateur and professional artists can share their artworks and influence other artists from around the world. Artists like itsbirdy, create videos on both his Youtube channel and Instagram profile about the process of him making artworks. Artists record themselves drawing to show the viewers the drawing process and the effort put into their artworks. They also add in commentaries and side notes in sections of the drawing process to let the viewers know what they did or why they did it. After the piece is completed they creatively place the materials they’ve used beside their artwork and post it on Instagram. This allows the viewers to see what materials were used and if they like it, they can go to their local art store and pick up their own materials and practice themselves.
In one of his video blogs, the artist itsbirdy made a visit to the art store and found out that one of his preferred brands of markers had a problem in their factory and the markers were having a big sale. This influenced itsbirdy, who couldn’t pass on the opportunity, to buy multiple packs of them and informed his followers about the deal. As an artist, I understand that there is nothing more pleasing then having new art materials, especially if they were on sale. The video convinced me to visit my local art store and take advantage of the sale. It also gave me an excuse to buy new materials.
While growing up, making art was always seen as an extracurricular activity and a hobby. My parents were against me in taking the artistic path and told me that art school is a waste of time and money. I understand now that while school itself is expensive, art school is even more expensive. I had to buy my own materials with my lunch money during high school which taught me about the importance of coupons and sales. Artists and art-theme profiles on Instagram became my teachers; teaching me how to draw a hand properly or how to create a proportional face. Instagram lets us look at the works of other people to get inspiration and motivation from them. Based on what you follow, some of the advertisements on Instagram would show art supplies that are on sale to help artists find the best deals.
The majority of Instagram artists I follow are self-taught artists who believe that you don’t need the educational degree to succeed in the art world. They believe that if you do the art and keep on doing it, your work will get better and eventually be noticed.
Everyone has an audience and there are people out there who will connect to your work. Instagram makes it so easy for potential clients to find these artists. A vast majority of people are on their phones these days actively scrolling through Instagram posts. With the enough number of artworks and likes, people will stumble upon your activity and your followers will increase.
There is no right way to get from point A to point B. Everyone has their own way of doing things. Whether it’s having an art degree under your belt or countless hours of watching other artists draw, you can achieve a successful art business if you have the determination to put in the time and effort into your work. Do what works for you and do what is achievable. You don’t need to base your path on another person’s success story, just do what you can with what you know and what you have.
