We’ve all heard of the artist that nobody understands or appreciates.

If I were not in my twenties and attempting to budget like a proper adult, I would have spent the majority of my money on artwork by now. Instead I have developed a slight addiction to scrolling through Instagram for hours on end, flicking from artist to artist and admiring their work. Additionally, if I see a piece of artwork that I like in a gallery or museum, I’ll purchase it in the form of a postcard or print, as this is the most efficient way of cluttering my walls with artwork without spending lots of money. However, I have not taken much time to notice how whitewashed my Instagram art feed and my wall of postcards have both become. Without even noticing, I have severely disregarded the lack of diversity in the artists that I admire and purchase from.

Just a Painter

A large man, in a loosely fitting denim coat and black trousers, sat upon a frail wooden chair facing out to sea. Everything he wore had douses of colour flicked upon them, only his weathered sandals seemed to escape the spray of paint. In front of him stood a blank canvas on which he precisely began making small marks with a pencil trapped between the stubby fingers of his calloused hand. The canvas slowly began to portray a depiction of the sea, and its surrounding sand and cliff-faced environment. The chair sank deeper and deeper into the beaches’ sand with every stroke of granite.

IF THE SHOE FITS

I am like millions of you out there. I've hesitated at posting things for the longest time. There are a multitude of reasons why you shouldn't post your content online. To each their own but your art should be observed by the world. You really shouldn't hold yourself back with pessimistic thoughts or worry about the reasons why you're posting in the first place. Trust me I've been there and here are some of the reasons why I didn't post my stuff.

You walk into an art gallery and freeze up not knowing where to put your hands or your thoughts.

Born in 1874 by a group of young artists in Paris who were exasperated by the recurring rejection of their works from the official Salon, Impressionism was controversially perceived with intense humiliation in its fledgling days. Thirty disaffected painters, pioneered by Claude Monet, decided to independently organise their own exhibition so as to display their novel ideals on art to the general public. Their work was greeted with both curiosity and scepticism by the public and utter disdain from the popular press. As the bullseye of the scrutiny, Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise (c.1872) sparkled a mocking critic with a name for the group that stuck: "Impressionists".

I've seen hundreds of art tips or art hacks online, some of which work, some of which don't. This list isn't a collection of what I've seen online rather tips and tricks and hacks I've gathered up along my art journey. I've been drawing seriously since 2015, so if I may blow my own trumpet, I can give you some tips that are sure to work.

I don't have a great memory so I've forgotten the better part of my early childhood, but the parts I do remember all revolve around art. My earliest memory is of my art class in kindergarten. We had the class once a week and made figures out of Play-Doh- fruits and characters, vegetables and furniture... you name it. My parents enrolled me in weekly art classes when they saw my interest in art, and I haven't stopped since that first step into the studio at the mere age of eight years old.

Art. Comes in many forms, but painting has claimed a lot of fame and recognition over the years. When someone says they're an artist, you typically envision them as a painter first. This is because painting as an art form has been around for more than 30,000 years, dating back to the first paintings that now reside in Grotte Chauvet, France.