It has taken 6 years to come up with the second post on my Art for the Intimidated blog. Art for the Intimidated was a class I designed and you may read all about it on the tab labeled History. (It is not written, yet. I'll work on it.)
I get many requests for Design Tips. While it is easy to rattle off lots of tips, I read an article this morning that explains why *tips* are only half helpful.
You may read the full article here:
https://painterskeys.com/the-mother-of-all-tips/
Robert Genn gave me permission to reprint and link to his material. He has passed on and his daughter reruns articles that he wrote over the years. If you have time, go to the archive and read all of them.
The point he made that resonated with me is this:
...many would-be artists confuse interest with aptitude.
<snip>
Most of us who would make art need a bit of talent, a dose of character, and good work habits
IMHO taking classes or workshops is part of the work that is necessary. It takes work. That is why they call it artwork. Most of the work that looks effortless actually took a lot of work.
I am happy to share tips, but I also know that to really understand and apply design principles, you need to *work.* That is the value of taking formal classes. You get assignments and you struggle and then what you learn becomes second nature. Like learning to ride a bike or drive a car or fly a jet airplane. Three different levels of difficulty. It is obvious that the learning curve on each is different.
It is the same with art. You can learn a few tips to make your work look better. Or you can study harder and get to my level. Or you can immerse yourself in the topic and become a rock star designer. I'm no rock star. But, I do have some skill that pleases my eye from time to time.
People who are at the bicycle level are welcome to read my tips. There are endless ways to find other tips as well as full blown education. Enjoy the journey.
