Art Competition Archive

how-to-paint-Self taught artist trying to become a professional

Self taught artist trying to become a professional!!

Artwork by Lucy Ambler

I’m a 27 year old self-taught oil painter. I live in London and i’m trying to make a living solely from art (i.e teaching, commissions, etc). We all know this is a hard hustle! I love painting, it brings me so much peace and it allows for self reflection and expansion in a time where the world is crowding in on our sense of identity. …

… I want to achieve the life-like quality of the old masters portraits. They had the ability to use technical skill to bring a portrait to life and I would like to learn how to breathe life into my subjects and make the process look somehow ‘effortless’ which is the real mastery behind the great painters. …

I decided to become a full time artist

Artwork by Jenifer Sherina Edwin

I’m interested in learning the techniques and styles of the old masters and honing my skills as an artist. This is exactly what the old masters academy is trying to teach prospective artists. As a person who took up art for a profession without a formal training in art, I would like to inspire people to follow their dreams.

how-to-paint-self-thaught-artist-teaching-herself

I am a career artist that is teaching herself how to paint

Artwork by Lib Mason

I am a career artist that is teaching herself how to paint. My art was in commercial illustration, so that was fast and furious, then product brand licensing where I created “Artist Brand Licensing” for large companies globally.

I retired 5 years ago and have been teaching myself how to “really paint” the realism that I would like to portray. All my paintings are allegorical with hidden contemporary messages, hopefully in a beautiful image.

I can’t imagine my life without art

how-to-paint-focus on studying painting

I started to focus on studying painting on my own

Artwork by Ozlem

… I felt as if I was playing a role which was not my own. In addition, while I faced an unfortunate injury on my hand, I finally understood that I only felt sad that I may never be able to paint again.

After deciding to focus on painting, I started to grasp the vastness of knowledge that I must learn such as , how to use brushes, mix colors, prepare canvases, draw perspective, build layers, etc. Although I visited museums as much as possible last year, I realized that there is indeed a limit on what you can learn by only looking at old & new masters works or reading art books. That was when I finally found Old Masters Academy. …

how-to-paint- i want to be like old masters

I am a born artist

Artwork by Sana Salah Ud Din

I am a born artist . When i was child i draw eyes. I felt so happy with it made me more powerful to be an artist. Day by day my art grow-up and i have decided that i will be an artist in my future.

Art take me beyond the world now i am a powerful girl. I love my art. My art is my life otherwise i am nothing. …

how-to-paint-self-thaught-artist-I long to be home and just paint

I long to be home and just paint

Artwork by Katherine Nightingale

My story is simple, I have been retired for 3 years now. All those days working as a chef I long to be home and just paint.
When I did retire I moved to the city, joined The Fredericton Artist Society ( of which I am now Vice President) It is great to be a part of such an artistic group to see the different styles and medium’s of painting. …

how-to-paint-self-thaught-artist-I could never go to an art school

I could never go to an art school

Artwork by Gilda Kallai

… There was time when I did not hold the brush for a year. Now I’m thirty-two years old, and I realized that nothing is matter in life, but to do what you’re the best in, and what makes you feel happy. Because God gives a gift at birth to every single person in the world, and for me its to be a painter. And I want to get better and better and catch every single possibility that God give in my way to learn.

When I saw your website Old Masters academy and the videos I was so excited that I can learn anatomy, colours, composition and perspective and I started to draw and paint again. For me, thats the only chance to learn from these excellent teachers.

how-to-paint-self-thaught-artist-I-like-painting

The Mona Lisa was not a product of a 6 hour workshop…

Artwork by Arthur Marlin

The second problem is that in many of these, one ends up copying the instructor, step by step, close but not quite painting by the numbers – a picture done in just a few hours. I think this approach is fine if the desired result is a decorative piece of craft. I don’t, however think that it is likely to produce a work of art – something that is transformative, inspiring, perhaps even enduring. Something that is not a product of chance.

I believe that the best way to produce a piece of art stems from methods tried and true. It requires a strong infastructure. The old masters knew that and it was in inherent part of their work. The Mona Lisa was not a product of a 6 hour workshop or even a week workshop.

how-to-paint-I was born with a brush in my hand

I was born with a brush in my hand

Artwork by Polytime Kern

Daughter of a talented artist — graduate of the Fine Arts Academy of Athens. Was born, so to speak, with a painter’s brush in my hand. Creation as a whole is a work of art, beautiful inside and out.

We emulate what we see in nature through various mediums, so art is and should be an intrinsic part of our life and in particular my life. …

how-to-paint-self-thaught-artist-From puppet heads to portraits

From puppet heads to portraits

Artwork by Joan

Over the next many years I taught myself as best as I could the fundamentals. I painted in the middle of the night as this was the only time I was free from work and family duties. I took a course here and there but couldn’t afford and didn’t have the time for a serious art course.

I have always been fascinated my the Old Masters’ paintings, especially the Dutch portraits. To me, the Old Masters define art.

Now at the age of 70 it would be a dream come true to finally be able to take a course teaches the skills of these master artists.

Watercolor Academy
Life Drawing Academy
Drawing Academy
Anatomy Master Class