painting is f***** dead
Out of context: Reply #8
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- miracola0
bca,
Your stuff is great. The only thing stopping an artist from being a success, however they define that, is themself.
Don't think you can't make it commercially as a "fine artist" though. Just pick up a Society of Illustrators book and you'll see that people like Anita Kunz, Brad Holland, Marshall Arisman, Skip Liepke, Gregory Manchess, John Jude Pelancar, etc have made quite a living from doing work that is more cerebral or artsy than the art on the back of a Cocoa Puffs box.
There are many kinds of illustrators. Illustration is where the money is as an artist. If you want to exhibit in galleries around the world, hoping that someone will pay $10,000 for a painting, then you'll be waiting a long time. Why not paint a cover for a book or a full page spread for a mgazine and get paid $3,000 to $5,000 and be able to retain the original painting for yourself. Then you can make prints of your work and sell them. But the fact is, you'll never sell much or make much monay if your art doesn'y have some mass appeal.
You can certainly combine your painting and design skills. As painters, we are designers. Sometimes more so than someone who uses photoshop to fade to images together and apply a filter.
Just choose which way you want to take your art. Do you want to paint for yourself, exhibit in galleries. Hopefully find a few patrons that are willing to buy your work. Or do you get more business-minded, approach big publishing houses and do work-for-hire. Each has there advantages and disadvantages. Your work has the ability to go in either direction.
Kent Williams (Comic book artist) tends to do both. He exhibits in galleries and manages to get work published. Check him out if you get the chance.
Sorry for the lengthy letter. I enjoy yor work.
Jeff