1 – Read, read, read
There is a ton of literature about pretty much everything to do with art out there. Head to your local library and you’ll find plenty of books on art. But where do you begin? You don’t want to start by reading up on a very specific branch of art. Instead, find a book for beginners that’s very broad and offers more of a general overview of art without going into too much detail. You want a book that explains things clearly but is still informative and interesting. Look online as well for books on art. If you’re keen on practising art, you’ll find plenty of useful books and guides for beginners, as well as plenty for more advanced artists.
2 – Visit galleries
A great way to expand your knowledge of art is to visit art galleries. Most galleries display works of art with a short overview of the work. Many galleries offer audio commentaries that are available via headsets or some other device that you can borrow. Listening to the commentaries is a lot more useful and informative because they delve into more detail about the works and different genres and periods of art that are represented in the gallery. Visiting galleries offers the chance to view all sorts of art works – you never know what you might come across.
3 – Join an art club
Joining an art club can be great fun. It can also be really useful because you’re spending time with likeminded people who have something in common with you: a love of art. Even if you’re a complete beginner, art clubs can be a great way to expand your art knowledge because you’ve got a group of people right there. Everyone’s different – get speaking to people about art and you’ll find yourself picking up lots of tips and hints. Don’t worry about going if you don’t know anything about art – unless the club specifically states it’s for professionals, you’ll be made to feel welcome. People do love it when newbies come along because they’re interested in art!
4 – Do an art course
Doing an art course offers a more academic approach to art. Whilst art clubs tend to be more relaxed and less formal, art courses tend to be more focused and educational. You’re likely to have lots of information thrown at you, no matter what sort of art course you take, whether it’s art history or practising art, for example. The great thing about art courses is that the emphasis is on learning. Man courses will also offer you the chance to study more in-depth branches of art.
5 – Learn by practising
You can appreciate works of art by looking at them. However, you can only understand the creative process once you’ve created art works of your own. The only way to understand everything about a painting is for you yourself to have some painting experience, for example. Practising art gives you experience that you can’t get from reading. It gives you a much better understanding of what goes into creating a work of art.
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