There are many artistic careers, from singers to sculptors. Some of them are far easier to get into. The fine arts is an interesting career angel that can bring you money and make you famous, or it can leave you in the dust as a starving artist.
Before you leap right in, you want to make sure that your creativity is at its peak, which could mean taking some additional classes, according to artist Lori McNee. When pursuing a career as an artist, it can also help to do some trial and error with your work, like entering into contests in order to get some feedback.
Getting StartedIf you are ready to get started in your career as an artist, whether you want to paint beautiful canvases or sculpt amazing things, one artist told the Artists Network that the most important thing is commitment.
Just like with any job or career move, if you are not committed to the art and to your success, then it will be pretty difficult to succeed. You also need to have some backlogged work built up. When you get started with your medium always take pictures of works in progress and finished pieces.
You need to have a portfolio of your work so that people can see it. This will not only help you get into galleries, but it works great when looking for commissioned work as well. Your portfolio can be online or on hand, or both.
Your First Gallery ShowOne of the most important moments of a new artist's career is getting their work into their first gallery show. This can be rewarding and stressful, so it helps to have a plan ahead of time.
Talk to the gallery about what is expected of you at the event. Make sure that you promote the event. While it's likely the gallery will be doing promotions, you want to step in and ensure it's a success.
Some ways to promote your work, other than your portfolio, that is good for gallery shows or just general promotions, include social media, business cards, brochures and the local newspaper. Send a press release to the paper about your show and it's likely they'll want to do a story on it.
Social media is a great promotional asset to all business, including the business of art. You can invite friends, share your work, and you can even set up an event page for your gallery show. Brochures and business cards can be done pretty cheap online and can include pictures of your work.
When setting up for your show, Park West Gallery in Michigan suggests that there are certain ways to display your art for optimal viewing. In a recent blog post they talk about displaying sculptures and how both room and lighting matter.
Take time to look at the placement of your work and make sure it feels right. The gallery is sure to take your suggestions in placement into account if you have a good reason and a good eye for design.
Use your first show as your springboard into more and don't forget to add it to your resume!