Self Taught Artist

This is the podcast episode I wish I had during a really tough time in my art journey. I'm peeling back the curtain on today's episode and sharing the low moments I've had dealing with a bad review on Etsy and trying to appease unhappy customers. Thankfully, it is rare that I have to deal with an unhappy customer. Unfortunately, they happen from time to time, even if you're doing your best to make...

Let's make it a summer to remember. Today's episode is about how to have an Art STAYcation. Even if you're not traveling somewhere this summer for vacation, you can make awesome art memories at home. Today I'm talking about how to plan a memorable staycation, what kinds of projects are perfect for an artist staycation, and the benefits of doing an art staycation in the first place! For me, summer...

It's summer time and I know a lot of people go traveling this time of year. On today's podcast, we're talking about how to bring your art supplies with you on vacation! I'm going to share my favorite way to paint on vacation and share my art with others (hint: postcards!!), my favorite vacation painting medium, and the supplies I'd pack if I had a trip coming up.  Don't leave your creativity...

The artist's signature is such a small part of a painting, but it carries huge weight! Today we're talking about why you should sign your art, how to sign your art, and why I think signing your art is an important part of the process of really owning the title of "artist." You (yes, you!) are an artist!! So you should be signing your art. I had some hangups that led me on a journey from not signin...

This week's episode is a quick and easy hack to improve your color mixing. When I say it's an easy artist hack, I mean it! It's a shame that I didn't do it for YEARS! I had no idea I was holding myself back and mixing muddy colors for this reason. Any painter needs to listen to this episode to make sure you're not making the same mistake I was. I think this podcast applies to acrylic painters, wat...

I saved the best tip for last. I think this method is a *game changer* for Self Taught Artists because it helps to train your eye with what is important! If you want to loosen up your painting, or just become better at painting from a reference photo, this episode is for you. I'll walk you through my favorite method for loosening up my painting step by step.  It takes just a little bit of tec...

This episode was a listener suggestion! You can contact me at @laurenkristineart on Instagram or email laurenkristineart@gmail.com How to loosen up your painting! I’ve heard from many of you artists that you would love to learn to paint in a looser style but you don’t know how! It's a very common artistic goal to loosen up your painting. Loose paintings are expressive, masterful, and confident – a...

Today's episode has some "tough love" for people who want to sell their artwork. Selling artwork is hard and it takes a lot of time to build up an audience and collector base. In the early stages of selling your art, or if you aspire to sell your artwork I have a big tip for you: conduct market research. What do I mean by this? Listen to the podcast to find out! Today's episode is for people who a...

Can’t draw? No problem! Today on the podcast I'm sharing 3 methods to bypass drawing altogether and just get painting. A perceived lack of drawing skills stops a lot of people from getting into painting. They think they can't paint if they can't draw well. Guess what!? That's 100% not true. You don’t have to draw to be a good artist. If you are good at drawing, you may also be interested in today'...

Do you hoard your art supplies? Do you buy the "good stuff" and then find yourself waiting for the "perfect" time to use it? I do!! I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that I'm not the only person who does this. I've been working on it and have 5 ideas to share with you. I think it's usually my inner perfectionist that emerges and stops me from using my favorite art supplies. I will per...

Let’s talk about impostor syndrome as an artist! The #1 way that I see Impostor Syndrome come up for artists is a belief that they're not a "Real Artist" if they didn’t go to art school. Guess what, even if you have ZERO formal training, you are still an ARTIST . If you enjoy making any kind of artwork for fun or as a business, you are an ARTIST.  We’re talking all about Impostor Syndrome tod...

So much of painting, art, creativity is mental! The easiest way to feel more free, expressive, and painterly is to reduce the pressure from yourself when you're painting or making art. My secret to better painting is to work on multiple pieces of art at one time. Sometimes I am painting 3 or 4 canvases at a time in my art studio! Painting Multiples is such a great method of painting and on today's...

If you are new to Etsy, click this link for 40 FREE LISTINGS: https://etsy.me/2QuEqrL  The Self Taught Artist Podcast is BACK! Painters, Creatives, Artists, and Aspiring Artists -- It's time for Season 2 of the Self Taught Artist podcast and I'm so glad you're here with me. On today's podcast episode we are talking all about the Etsy fee increase that just went into effect this month. It has...

Thank you to our guest artist Debbie Igram ( @DebbieIgram ) for participating in this episode! Go check out her gorgeous art on Instagram and hit the follow button so you can follow along with her journey. https://www.instagram.com/debbieigram/ Today we have an extra special episode. You may remember a few weeks ago I threw out an idea to all of you listeners out there - I was looking for a volunt...

Today on the Self Taught Artist podcast I share three apps I cannot live without! These have helped me so much as an artist to share my work and do a better job of marketing my work. If you want to share your work on social media or sell your work online, you have to get good photos of your work. It's a necessity. If you want to build up an audience for your artwork - how else will you get people'...

If you are new to Etsy, click this link for 40 FREE LISTINGS: https://etsy.me/2QuEqrL  This week we're talking about how to sell more art on Etsy. The secret is to invest some time improving your Etsy SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. There are millions of listings on Etsy, so the question is how can you stand out? I'm sharing my practical tips for improving the reach of your Et...

I think finding your own artistic style the topic I see talked about the MOST among Self Taught Artists. I have been collecting my thoughts for a while and thinking about three big questions: Do you need to have a distinct artistic style? If so, how do you find your artistic style? Does it make you a better artist if you have your own style? Let's discuss… Here's what we cover in today's episode:...

Today the agenda is pretty relaxed… we'll talk about art shows, markets, and fairs and I'll give you the update from my art show last week. Second, we'll talk about trying new things and branching out to painting new subject matter. Do you have to be consistent as an artist? Finally, I finish up the episode talking about my favorite paint colors right now and an encouraging note to keep your eyes...

I'm sharing why you need to LOVE your artwork and 3 secrets to creating art you love. It's an artistic pep talk to get you falling in love with your art all over again.  This episode is great for all kinds of artists, painters, and creatives of any kind.  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkristineart/   Website: https://www.laurenkristineart.com   Etsy: https://www.ets...

How to Achieve Special Effects with Acrylic Mediums and Additives An acrylic medium is a substance that is added to paint to change one or more of its properties. Essentially, Acrylic mediums and additives are liquids or gels that you mix into your acrylic paint. They can help you create different effects, textures, and finishes by making the paint thinner, thicker, glossy, matte, slow-drying, tex...

So you've made a sale... now what? You have to manage all the logistics to get your masterpiece safely delivered to your art buyer. This episode talks all about packaging and shipping art. I'm diving into all the details on how I ship stretched canvas, paintings on paper, and more like where to buy discount shipping supplies. Shipping art isn't my favorite part of being a Self Taught Artist, but i...

This week you get not one, but TWO new episodes. This episode is part one: How to Elevate Your Buyer Experience and Turn a One-Time Buyer into a Repeat Collector. We're talking about artist branding, including little extras in your packages, and finishing touches that can WOW your buyers. When I sell a piece of art, I look at it as the beginning of a special relationship between me and the collect...

This episode is about how to know when a piece of art is finished and also about diagnosing any issues your art might have. Sometimes when you're painting you have a clear finish line -- you put the last color on and you step back and go "WOW" it's complete. Frequently, however, the finish line is less clear when you make artwork. Perhaps you just feel like your art is missing something, but you'r...

Get the free MEGA LIST of value art supplies here: https://selftaughtartist.vipmembervault.com/  Today we're talking all about what art supplies will give you the best value. We want to make great archival quality work that will have vibrant colors and look really professional… but we don't want to break the bank. Today, I'm sharing how to get the best bang for your buck with acrylic paint, w...

Don't let fear stop you from creating! Fear is a very common emotion, but it can hold you back if you're not intentional about pushing past it. Letting fear stop you from moving forward creatively would be a shame. Today, I'm sharing my 4 step process for pushing past fear and creating your best art yet. I get personal about my 2 biggest fears that I experience sometimes when making art.  Wha...