Becoming an artist doesn’t require a formal degree or expensive courses. Art is about creativity, passion, and practice – things you can develop on your own. Many self-taught artists have mastered their skills through dedication, experimentation, and continuous learning. With so many resources available online, from tutorials to communities, you have everything you need at your fingertips. All it takes is the willingness to start and the patience to grow.
The First and Most Crucial Step – Believing in Yourself
Before you pick up a pencil or a brush, the most important thing you need is self-belief. If you doubt your ability to become an artist, you’ll hesitate to even try – and trying is how all great artists begin. You don’t need to be confident from the start, but you do need to trust that you can learn and improve over time.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner. Even if you’ve dabbled in creativity before, don’t expect instant mastery. Growth in art, like anything else, takes patience. Some days will feel frustrating, but every small effort adds up. The more you embrace the process, the more natural it becomes. Techniques like grid drawing can also make learning easier by helping you break complex images into manageable sections.
If self-doubt creeps in, remind yourself that progress happens one drawing at a time. Each stroke, each sketch, each attempt is proof – you are an artist in the making.
Ignite Your Creativity: Finding What Inspires You
Every artist, no matter how skilled, needs inspiration to keep creating. When you’re teaching yourself art, finding what excites you is just as important as learning techniques. Inspiration fuels creativity, making the process enjoyable rather than just another skill to master. Some days, ideas will flow effortlessly, while other times, you’ll have to go looking for them – but that’s part of the journey.
The best part? Inspiration is everywhere. It’s in nature, in music, in everyday life. Keep exploring, stay curious, and let your artistic spark grow with each new discovery.
Build an Inspiration Bank
Inspiration is all around us, but we often rush past it without noticing. To grow as an artist, train yourself to see beauty in the ordinary. The next time you step outside, slow down. Notice how the sunlight creates patterns on the pavement, how shadows stretch across buildings, or how colors shift in the sky. Imagine how you’d capture these details – would you turn them into a painting, a quick sketch, or try a photo to sketch conversion to study them more closely?
Art isn’t just about what you create; it’s also about how you see the world.
The more you immerse yourself in art, the more inspiration will come naturally. Keep a journal, take photos, or collect images that spark ideas. When creativity feels distant, your inspiration bank will be there, ready to bring your next masterpiece to life.
The Secret to Growth: Practice, Practice, and More Practice
The last key to becoming a self-taught artist is practice. But not all practice is the same. There are two types, and both are essential for your artistic growth:
- Intentional Practice – where you focus on improving specific skills – mastering shading, understanding proportions, or studying light and shadows. It’s structured, sometimes challenging, but it pushes you forward. If you ever feel stuck, using a photo drawing app can help you break down complex images, making it easier to study details and refine your technique.
- Casual Practice – This is where you let go of expectations, experiment, and simply enjoy creating. Doodle, sketch, or play around with different styles – no pressure, just pure creativity. It’s what keeps the artistic journey exciting rather than overwhelming.
Balancing both is the key to growth. Some days, you’ll push yourself with focused exercises. Other days, you’ll just have fun and let your imagination take the lead. So, keep going, keep exploring, and let every stroke bring you closer to the artist you’re meant to be.
Build an Art Habit in Just 20 Minutes a Day
If you only have 20 minutes for art, make every moment count. Keep your supplies simple – something easy to set up, use, and pack away. The less effort it takes to start, the more likely you’ll stick with it.
What Can You Draw in 20 Minutes?
Even with limited time, there’s plenty you can create:
- Objects Around You – Draw everyday items in your home. They may seem ordinary, but they can be part of a visual diary of your life.
- Abstract Scribbles – If you’re stuck, just doodle. Playing with shapes and colors might spark an idea or look good on its own.
- Something You’ve Drawn Before – No need for a new idea every day. Redraw past sketches with a twist or experiment with a different style.
- Simple Characters – Start with easy, fun characters. You don’t need detailed features – just something that tells a little story.
You won’t love everything you create, and that’s okay! Over time, you’ll have a mix of great sketches, average doodles, and a few you might want to hide. But every sketch, no matter how simple, helps you learn and improve in ways you might not even notice.
The Key to Staying Consistent
Motivation comes and goes, so make art effortless – like listening to music or watching your favorite show. If 20 minutes feels too long, start with five. Even a quick photo to line drawing sketch can keep your creative habit alive. If life gets in the way, pair sketching with another routine, like sipping your morning coffee or unwinding before bed.
Your art habit doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to exist. So grab your supplies and start sketching – one small step at a time.
3 Tips for Setting Goals for an Artistic Practice
Setting goals can help artists stay on track with their creative practice and business. Here are a few tips that have helped many artists establish achievable goals.
1. Focus on What Can Be Controlled
Goals and outcomes may seem similar, but distinguishing between them can make a significant difference. A goal is something an artist can actively work on, whereas an outcome is a result influenced by external factors.
Instead, artists who focus on controllable goals – such as practicing their art three times a week and posting it online – see better progress. This approach not only enhances their skills but also increases opportunities for professional growth.
When setting goals, it’s helpful to ask: Is this something within my control? If yes, it’s a goal. If not, it’s an outcome. From there, artists can define actions that increase the likelihood of achieving their desired outcomes.
2. Prioritize What Matters Most
With limited time and energy, prioritizing goals ensures that important tasks get the necessary attention. Some artists organize their goals into three categories to maintain clarity:
- High Priority: Goals that are crucial for progress, such as improving skills, expanding portfolios, or launching products.
- Medium Priority: Goals that contribute to overall growth but aren’t as urgent.
- Low Priority: Fun or creative side projects that can be pursued when there’s extra time.
This system helps artists stay focused on what truly matters while allowing flexibility. If time permits, they can shift focus to lower-priority tasks without feeling guilty about leaving them unfinished.
By categorizing goals, artists can work efficiently while ensuring that nothing important gets overlooked.
3. Use the SMART Acronym for Goal Setting
The SMART framework is widely used in various fields, and many artists find it useful for setting clear, achievable goals. SMART stands for:
- Specific – Be clear about what you want to accomplish.
- Measurable – Include quantifiable aspects to track progress.
- Actionable – Focus on tasks within personal control.
- Realistic – Set ambitious yet achievable goals based on available time and resources.
- Time-bound – Establish deadlines to stay motivated and on track.
While not every goal needs to follow the SMART method strictly, it is particularly useful for objectives with a clear outcome. Many artists use it to structure their plans and maintain progress over time. Whether you’re improving your skills or exploring a photo drawing app, setting specific and achievable goals helps you stay on track.
By implementing these strategies, artists can set meaningful goals that align with their creative aspirations and professional ambitions. A well-structured plan not only keeps you motivated but also ensures steady growth in your artistic journey.
Building Momentum as an Artist
With these key elements in place, creating art becomes a continuous, self-sustaining cycle. Each completed piece strengthens confidence, fuels inspiration, and reinforces artistic growth. Removing any part of this loop can make the process more challenging, but every small step contributes to becoming a better artist. There’s no need to have all the skills, ideas, or resources from the start – progress happens one day at a time.If the goal is to become a self-taught artist, all it takes is belief, inspiration, and practice. Tools like GridSketcher can help simplify the process, making it easier to refine your skills and bring your ideas to life. So why not start today?
