Sourcing of the dream career

Ngaire Winwood · 06-05-2004, 05:50 PM

With the profound abillities of members on this forum, the encouragement and mentoring is exceptional and second to none. We all had to start somewhere and it intrigues me how members got their break or got started.

Which brings me to these questions:

1. What was your own personal drive words or methods you needed or used, to get you where you are today?

2. How did you source your career in the beginning?

3. When did your Art career take off?

4. Art materials and frames are expensive and if you started with limited cash, what avenues did you pursuit to help out in this area.

5. What were your first sales, what subjects, what medium?

6. Ultimately, what or who was it that gave you your artistic break to allow you to pursuit your career full time?

7. Who was your mentor then and now?

I have read different threads on some of these subjects but I thought more recent views would be interesting.

Ngaire Winwood · 06-08-2004, 02:15 AM

These weren't supposed to be personal questions just generalised so that a beginner portrait artist like me and others, can get the feel of the normal road one takes to perfection or at least of that unique moment you are happy with your skills.

Ngaire Winwood · 06-08-2004, 06:10 PM

From advice I have received, I will shorten these:

1. What is the best way to source your career if you have no job?

2. Did you get that lucky break - what or who was it that gave you your artistic break to allow you to pursuit your career full time.

3. Is there a stage when you don't need a mentor after a certain level achieved?

Michele Rushworth · 06-08-2004, 06:31 PM

1. I'm not sure what you mean by "source your career".

2. I guess my luckiest break was coming across this website and learning about the field of portraiture.

3. I think a mentor is helpful at any stage of one's artistic development, though I've never had one!

Ngaire Winwood · 06-08-2004, 06:48 PM

Michelle, I probably should have used the words fund/finance as well as tuition/resources/skill development used instead of using the word source, sorry.

Thanks for replying. I am curious as to the progression of the road in which a beginner travels from start to full time pro? What lays ahead for beginners.

Morris Darby · 06-09-2004, 01:46 PM

I dabbled with art during my music career of 30 years. I've always been fascinated with drawing faces, however, never could. Tired of the music scene, I bought a few portrait books to study it as a hobby and started drawing with no one really knowing I was THAT interested.

I knew it would take discipline, so I drew nothing but eyes for one year...in every position...of every race. Then, moved to noses for the next year. I discovered an old friend of mine was having life drawing sessions at his house and I joined. The next year in my personal sketch book I continued my discipline and drew mouths. The following year I saw the crosshatch drawings of Rembrandt. In awe, I drew straight lines freehand for a year. First, across the page, then diagnal, then down the page.....straight lines freehand, until I got them right, all year long.

This, along with doing quick sketches in restaurants on napkins, I came across a lady who had only one B/W photo of her as a teenager and asked if I would do a color portrait of it. I had my eye on a portrait set of pastels that were $70. So, I charged her $70 for a 22x30 pastel of that photo and bought my pastel set.

That was six years ago. I still work a FT job, but produce my portraits on nights and weekends. I have a string of good priced jobs and one really nice high priced job. I hope to eventually make a full time effort of painting.......portraits for now....other paintings? I've got a lot to explore.