It can be difficult to major in the arts because of how varied and different the disciplines are.

Painting, cartooning, and graphic design require similar but different skills and experience, and it can be hard to decide which field you want to fully apply yourself to.

But no matter what you inevitably decide on, there are a few skills that aspiring artists should have in their knowledge base to get them started down their journey and benefit them in their future careers.

Be Open To Multi-Media Projects

You may go into school with a firm understanding of what you’re interested in, whether working with graphite pencils, oil paints, charcoal, or random objects; but being open to expanding your artistic vision will benefit you greatly and make your work more diverse.

Take advantage of different classes that explore vastly different styles and art media and get outside of your comfort zone.

• Discovering New Passions

  You may believe that you have found what you want to do as a career post-college but exploring your options can give you different perspectives on what you’re interested in as an artist.

  You may find out that your art can benefit from motion graphics, or that your chosen discipline of art may have shortcomings and limitations you never realized before. 

Study Color

Color can be tricky, and many artists can underestimate the power that having a good color palette can have on a piece, no matter what the project is—whether you are organizing the colors on a book cover or implementing colors into a still life.

• CMYK and RGB Colors

  One of the most critical color skills you can learn is the difference between CMYK and RGB. RGB is the color you see on a piece when it is digital, when the piece doesn’t physically exist except on a computer screen, while CMYK is the color used to print out those same pieces onto physical paper.

  The two will produce different colors, and understanding how they work with and against one another will significantly improve your color design.

Know How To Market Yourself

The skills that an artist should have go beyond the understanding and application of art; it also means knowing how to market yourself to potential clients.

The field of art can be oversaturated at times, and it may be hard to distinguish yourself among the crowd, but that is a problem you need to solve to advance in your career.

other related articles of interest:

Embrace Your Creativity: 4 Degrees to Consider for an Artistic Career

Don’t Be a Starving Artist: 4 Degrees to Consider if You Love Art

• Online Presence

  Marketing yourself doesn’t have to require large banner ads on websites or applying to online job search engines; it can be as easy as posting your work online.

  Have a presence online and a hub where you can host your various works to showcase to potential clients, whether it be a personal website or utilizing social media platforms like Instagram.

Go in Prepared

Head to your classes with a solid base to build upon. The learning process and your career post-college will benefit from setting yourself up for success by learning the necessary skills early.

Image Credit: skills that an artist should have by Pixabay

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