Improve your art skills in 3 easy steps

Create art with a unique approach. Here is what you should know to improve your art skills

1. Add skills to your toolbox as often as possible. 

No matter how confident you are with a certain medium or technique remember that there is always room for improvement. Make time for your Research and investigation to avoid getting too comfortable with a particular style. You never know when you might want to change and it is helpful to have a few options to diversify your style without disrupting your overall research subject.

2. Follow some guidelines for composition to improve your art skills

A well-executed composition can sometimes make up for any weaknesses in your technique or even the choice of your subject. No amount of technical skill will fix a poorly composed drawing or painting. If you want to make better art, there are several basic guidelines that you can use.

1. Chose a focal element

The focal element of your work is the subject that you want your viewer to focus on the most. Use supporting elements to reinforce the direction of the desired focal area. This will frame your main subject and make your composition look much better.

2. Organize how the elements will fit on the page

Organizing the various elements of your artwork will give a better structure to your composition. You can follow many guidelines, but I recommend trying a few variations to ensure you are setting up your work correctly. Composition guidelines are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Knowing how and when to break the rules is just as important because ultimately making better art starts with great ideas.

3. Make sure your design elements are well-balanced

The design elements of your artwork are made up of your subject or focal element and possibly some supporting elements. To put additional emphasis on particular areas you can use techniques like:

Contrast | Size variation | Color pairing | overlapping | scale

to help you create a balanced image. These techniques are used to trigger visual senses that direct the viewer to explore the art in a way that flows consistently with the subject. Your art will instantly change for the better when you can understand and manipulate elements convincingly.

Improve your art skills


3. Remind yourself to be unique.

The 3rd tip is to remind yourself to remain as unique as possible. This is by far the most important element to focus on if you want to improve your art skills.

Relying on a predetermined composition from a photograph or sketch even a reference from a book will not help you improve your decision-making for great composition. Being a unique artist is about knowing and controlling the process of your work so that you are making informed decisions each step of the way. Applying these tools will help your viewers experience your art the way you intend them to.