Being an artist is something you ARE — not something you do — and I know that every artist I have met has that same burning fire inside them that I do. They ache to be able to make the works they dream of making. And I believe it is my responsibility to share what I know about making art as much as I can while continuing to provide for my family, of course. After all, as the great Richard Schmid says, I don’t own this knowledge. It was passed down to me from my master teachers, in the form of lessons, workshops, books, videos and through their examples and mentorship and every artist who loves art has a responsibility to make sure this precious knowledge is passed down to the next generation. 

I feel so strongly that I have a responsibly to share what I know that I myself teach over a dozen workshops across the U.S. and abroad annually. I also give lectures, write for a couple of publications, publish this this blog and my newsletter and I’ve published a comprehensive 5 hour instructional video on painting from photos. Additionally, I donate one 8-month long mentorship to an artist through the Portrait Society of America’s Cecelia Beaux Forum each year and I accept up to 15 artists at a time, though an application process, into my mentorship program which costs $375 for three one-on-one session, once a month for three months. 

With all of that said… 

If you cannot invest financially in bettering your work here is some more free advice:

Visit artrenewal.org (ARC) and study their extensive catalog of free images of master works. Find your three favorites and compare those three to your best three works. Scrutinize the differences. Remake your top three with the knowledge you can glean from the masters. Rinse and repeat as needed. 

Follow the blogs and social media of your favorite painters. Read them and follow them from the perspective of a learner, not just a fan. For instance, when you see a fantastic painting by your favorite artist, scrutinize it, don't just say to yourself, "Wow! That's amazing!" Instead say, "What is the value range on this piece?", "Is there a harmony in the palette?", "Where did they use intense color, aka chroma and where is it less saturated and more grey?" "What do the edges look like? Are they hard, or broken, jagged, fragmented or diffused?" 

In reality, nothing is free. So what you are saving in money you are paying in your own time and mental capacity to ask questions and do the work on your own. 

If you have a small amount of money to invest in your art, do all of the above and:

Read everything published by Richard Schmid, Anthony Ryder and any artist you admire. What I mean to say is actually read these writings like they are workbooks. Read them through once. Read them through again and the second time use a marker, pen, paper clips etc., to identify the actual practical instructions. Go back the third time and do all the practical instructions…make paintings and drawings from those instructions. Yes, that means actually doing the color charts, small studies, etc. Then go back and do the same thing with their instructional videos. 

Purchase a high quality print of a master work from the Art Renewal store and make a master copy. Note: Your master copy is a derivative work. That means you have a legal obligation (when you display or share online) to say, "This is a master copy of ___________." You cannot enter it into competition, however you can sell it. 

If you have a good amount of money to invest in your art, do all of the above and:

Take a workshop at an ARC approved atelier like The Scottsdale Artists’ School, Village Arts of Putney or Denver Art Students League. I and many fabulous painters teach workshops (usually 3 or 5 days) where you can learn about specific topics such as: Starting Methods or Painting from Photos, etc. Be sure to take notes and when you are back in your studio, read and use your notes when you make your new works. You can access the map of ARC approved ateliers at artrenewal.org

Be sure to apply for scholarships! My very first oil painting workshop was on scholarship at the Scottsdale Artists' School. My second workshop was at the Scottsdale Artists' School and while I was attending that workshop I received another scholarship! 

If you have substantial ability to invest in your art, do all of the above and: 

Take private lessons and or multiple workshops with your favorite artists. Try to stay in the same philosophy of painting…that is to say, don’t skip around from medium to medium, doing basket weaving today and pottery tomorrow while expecting your oil painting skills to progress in a rapid fashion. 

Pay for or apply for mentorship through an organization like the Portrait Society of America or through an established artist, like me and many others. Be sure to do your homework when selecting your mentor. Look for testimonials and look for concrete benefits you'll receive through the mentorship such as actual time with the mentor, access to their knowledge, for example: Do they share their practical methods, business contracts, forms and other inside knowledge with their mentees, or are they only letting you be in their studio as an observer. Important: Once you have a mentor and/or are taking lessons...do the homework...work as hard or harder than your teacher.

Attend a conference like those offered by the Portrait Society of America and Oil Painters of America. Be sure to take notes and then, when you are back in your studio, actually use your notes. Make connections with artists that are more established and more accomplished than you are and ask for critique. (I'll be writing a blog soon on how to gain the most you can from critique!) Follow up with any connections that you make at these events. This means: take business cards and then email or call the people you meet. When running your own art business it will not pay off to be shy. 

ON THE BUSINESS END

If you cannot invest financially in creating or improving your art business:

If you literally cannot invest financially in creating or improving your art business you’re going to struggle. I highly recommend you not try to be in business at this time if you have zero capital to invest in it. You will first need to save money or gain credit so that your business can do the business of working. That is not to say you have to have millions, but by nature, businesses have expenses and income and all of them need working capital. You cannot make much income if you cannot reinvest in your business. For the first 3 years of my painting business my husband worked 3 full-time jobs so I could take every penny my art business made and invest it in more art supplies, more lessons for myself, more promotion and more equipment. I gradually began paying myself a wage, gave myself little raises each year and today my darling husband works only one job. I thank him everyday for giving me that most precious investment.

I tell my mentees that the most successful painters I know are working all the time. They are painting consistently, they are learning consistently and they have support from their spouse, family and friends to do so. Successful artists are savvy and unapologetic in their self promotion (and in the promotion of other artists — because real artists LOVE art and other artists and never feel threatened by another artists’ great works.) They belong to art organizations that offer real ways to participate and benefits. For an affordable website, it goes without saying you should use FASO. Use social media for free promotion and marketing, (look for upcoming blogs on this subject). Successful artists take calculated risks and they learn from them. They have goals written down and they do tasks to achieve those goals. Successful artists hire people when they need to accomplish something for their business that they cannot do well themselves, for example, I have an accountant do my taxes, I hired a marketing consultant to refine my strategy and this year I hired a personal assistant. She is not an artist, she is a pragmatic, fast learning, computer savvy, organized, sharp woman who can assist me with administrative tasks so I can paint instead. Yes, each of these things cost money, but that doesn’t mean they are a cost. They are an investment that pays dividends in time and money which I spend on making art.

To sum up: 

Keep looking for free advice where you can find it while also investing your time and your money in yourself and your art. 

Tina regularly teach about 14 annual workshops across the country and abroad and teaches annual workshops at the Scottsdale Artists’ School, Village Arts of Putney, The Florence Studio in Italy and the Hull Academy in Texas and Terry Lee’s Studio in Idaho. Though the workshop at the Denver Art Student's League in late June is sold out, there is an artist talk that is open to the public for a $5 entry. In 2020 Tina is scheduled to teach 11 workshops so far including at the Protegé Atelier in Alabama, Australia at Vicki Sullivan’s Studio and the Netherlands at the Dutch Atelier of Realist Art.