Art Rules
These are some "rules" of art I have learned over the years on my own and from others. They are meant to inform and at times be humorous, but most importantly get you thinking.
1. There are no rules.
2. Know the rules. 3. Break the rules. 4. Know when to break the rules. 5. Know why you are breaking the rules. 6. Know that you are breaking the rules. 7. Experiment. 8. Make mistakes. 9. Think critically. 10. Think creatively. 11. Solve problems. 12. Create problems. 13. Brainstorm. 14. Evaluate options. 15. Predict outcomes. 16. Select and apply the best options. 17. Make decisions. 18. Analyze. 19. Clarify. 20. Assess how reasonable the ideas are. 21. Evaluate alternatives. 22. Go with the flow. 23. Draw! Draw! Draw! 24. Look at things more carefully than most people do. 25. Do your best. 26. Use humor. 27. Do something-do anything. 28. Don’t create and criticize at the same time. 29. Work. 30. Play. 31. Seek inspiration. 32. Set up limitations. 33. Push boundaries. 34. Innovate. 35. Try new things. 36. Carry and use a sketchbook. 37. The only wrong way is not trying. 38. Practice. 39. Do things that you can’t do well. 40. Listen to constructive criticism. 41. Work comes from work. 42. If you are the best artist in the room, find another class to take. 43. Embrace failure. 44. Rise from failure. 45. Attempt what is not certain. 46. Duds are part of the process. 47. Perfection can be the enemy of excellence. 48. Open your eyes. 49. Open your mind. 50. Open your soul. 51. It’s not a race. 52. Be patient. |
53. Be courageous. 54. Look at as much artwork as you can. 55. Discover heroes. Learn from them. 56. See things—make things. 57. Talent only goes so far. 58. Don’t give up. 59. Start with simple steps. 60. There is always more to learn. 61. Appreciate beauty. 62. Reject stereotypes. 63. The people giving you the most critical feedback are probably giving you the most help. 64. Be clear. What are you trying to communicate? 65. Be engaged. 66. Be consistent. 67. Discipline yourself. This means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self disciplined means to lead in a better way. 68. Be you-nobody else gets to. 69. Follow your intuition. 70. Do what you imagine. 71. Be ready to fail. 72. Take risks. 73. Go where you ’ve never gone before. 74. Do work that you are afraid of. 75. Enjoy the process. 76. Finish well. 77. Express yourself. 78. Evaluate your artwork. 79. Find your voice. 80. If you do what you do today and you do it properly, you will be prepared for tomorrow. 81. Be open. 82. Don’t worry about what other people think. 83. Learn by doing. 84. Work at the edge of your abilities. 85. Little things today lead to amazing things tomorrow. 86. Be connected. 87. Search for excitement. 88. Anything of value comes from hard work. 89. You will make a lot of bad art. Just keep working. 90. You and your artwork are always developing. 91. Art is art if the artist calls it art. 92. Compare your work only to your old work. 93. Create order out of chaos. 94. Observe. 95. Imagine. 96. Look at things from a different viewpoint. 97. Copy, Combine, Transform 98. Force yourself to move forward. 99. Don’t be envious of others’ artwork. 100. Work when others are resting. 101. Create every single day. Even if it’s all garbage, you can’t improve on a blank canvas. |