# Ask An Artist.



## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

Have a question about art? Ask it here! Anything from the right brushes, to art movements, to techniques, useful magazines, gallery information, whatever. 

For the purpose of this thread, we'll expand art to all mediums, all eras, and that will include visual art, music, performance, writing, ect. 


I'll start. 

1. What is good sand to use for painting with acrylics? I figure not beach sand, they probably have some sort of sand to be used specifically for painting, but I looked and couldn't find any. Any suggestions anyone?


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## HerpDerpette (May 1, 2016)

Microbeads? Idk sorry I'm of no help but what are you painting and why with sand? why not use beach sand?


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

HerpDerpette said:


> Microbeads? Idk sorry I'm of no help but what are you painting and why with sand? why not use beach sand?


I'd' be using the sand as a texture. I thought there would be sand specifically designed for this, but I couldn't find anything.


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## HerpDerpette (May 1, 2016)

Beach sand is free xD 
I haven't painted in ages, need more inspiration!


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## SimplyRivers (Sep 5, 2015)

I have always wondered what makes someone an artist. Do you have to fit within some category, or is it an always-growing definition? 

Is something art, because someone says it is. Or, is it similar to scientific peer review, where other established artists critique and value it? 

Sorry, I just don't know what is the difference between somebody that draws, and somebody who creates art.


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## uncertain (May 26, 2012)

SimplyRivers said:


> I have always wondered what makes someone an artist. Do you have to fit within some category, or is it an always-growing definition?
> 
> Is something art, because someone says it is. Or, is it similar to scientific peer review, where other established artists critique and value it?
> 
> Sorry, I just don't know what is the difference between somebody that draws, and somebody who creates art.


I am an artist and I don't have a definition, but historically it has been changing.

You can probably declare anything to be art, but there's another question, "Is it good art or bad art?" However, both "what is art" and "Can you really judge a piece of art as good or bad" (not the specific criteria) are controversial.

I don't really have the answers to these questions, but I do have a sense of aesthetic, and I definite have my own taste and "criteria." To me a lot of artworks are not as "bad" as people think, even when it's your "crappy" drawings, so the range of art works that I consider nice/interesting/good/cool can be really broad. I feel like I can always find something good about a piece of art. But I find that I can often easily dismiss artworks that people think are great and beautiful as well. Also, I can tell it right away if it's REALLY ugly.

There are people like historians, critics, intellectuals, etc., talking about art and define various things, and leads the discussion about what IS art in modern/contemporary times. Within those circles there emerges opinions like what artists should do because X movement or Modernism is dead blah blah blah. 

In fact, there's always all kinds of people saying what is art...

I think you will have your own answers once you develop an eye for it. A lot of artists will tell you how there's a reason behind _every_ decision/step they make in the process of making a piece of art. A certain reason leads to a certain decision but not the other, which is also filtered by what the artist think is good or bad, which partly involves personal aesthetics... There are visual languages and fundamental elements everyone agree on, though: color, lines, values (light and dark), shapes, space, perspective, etc. and a couple other things you learn when you take a class.

To the question what makes someone an artist, hmm... I think as long as you are someone who makes art, maybe on a regular basis, or just have done some works that prove your commitment, then you are. It's pretty loose.

Category. One division is that between art and design. 

I think a equivalent to the scientific peer review is review by art critics, but I guess they function differently, IDK.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

HerpDerpette said:


> Beach sand is free xD
> I haven't painted in ages, need more inspiration!


I found out it;s actually a texture gel called resin sand.


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## IDontThinkSo (Aug 24, 2011)

SimplyRivers said:


> I have always wondered what makes someone an artist. Do you have to fit within some category, or is it an always-growing definition?


Depends.

If you ask some little talentless shits from some liberal art colleges, they'll answer that there's not 1 clear objective definition.

If you ask actual artists, they'll answer it's someone who purposefully suggests something on an emotional level via a non-related technique.


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## IDontThinkSo (Aug 24, 2011)

- So being an artist requires to be an artisan first. It requires a technical talent, skills. You can't just put a bin in a room, write _this is not a bin_ on the top and being an artist. Being an intellectual and entertaining people isn't enough to qualify as an artist.

- It also requires technical control over the suggested message. You can't just do random things with your technique and decide afterwards what it should suggest, or even worse, let others do it for you. Being an artisan, and touching people/yourself with your technique, isn't enough to qualify as an artist.


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## uncertain (May 26, 2012)

IDontThinkSo said:


> If you ask actual artists, they'll answer it's someone who purposefully suggests something on an emotional level via a non-related technique.


What does "non-related technique" mean?


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## IDontThinkSo (Aug 24, 2011)

@uncertain It means that you shouldn't use carpentry to suggest a roof. Art is as high as goes its power of suggestion * technical mastery.


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## uncertain (May 26, 2012)

IDontThinkSo said:


> @*uncertain* It means that you shouldn't use carpentry to suggest a roof.


Err... I think it all depends on situations. There's no should or should not when you are just talking like this now.



> Art is as high as goes its power of suggestion * technical mastery.


Sorry I don't understand.


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## lightbox (Mar 5, 2014)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> 1. What is good sand to use for painting with acrylics? I figure not beach sand, they probably have some sort of sand to be used specifically for painting, but I looked and couldn't find any. Any suggestions anyone?


I haven't done much painting, but how about carborundum (a print making technique) sand? It comes in different grain sizes. The downside is that it's dark.


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## Zeta Neprok (Jul 27, 2010)

How many of you became artists later in life? All the artists I know started when they were kids.


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## HerpDerpette (May 1, 2016)

TheSonderer said:


> How many of you became artists later in life? All the artists I know started when they were kids.


I started when I was a kid, I'm no fine art but I use the skills throughout life eg. designing my business cards, food presentation in hospitality, events management etc.


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## Rainbowphin (Oct 4, 2016)

TheSonderer said:


> How many of you became artists later in life? All the artists I know started when they were kids.


I started as a kid, just because I used to draw as a hobby. I started to draw seriously when I was 17 (yeah... Pretty late)


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## perpetuallyreticent (Sep 24, 2014)

TheSonderer said:


> How many of you became artists later in life? All the artists I know started when they were kids.


It depends on your definition of an Artist. There's each individual's idea of what being an artist may be to them. Someone who draws frequently? Someone who draws/creates art well? What do you mean?

I consider myself a person who draws, progresses and evolves in her art and thoroughly enjoys it. I don't particularly like telling people, "Hey, I'm an artist." because it sounds rather pretentious to me to give myself that title. 

I can't give you a definitive answer, because I've enjoyed drawing all my life. I've drawn ever since I could remember, and when I was in school, it was the only thing that stopped me from getting bullied and gave me positive attention from the other kids. That being because they were impressed with how I drew. 

But there have been 1-2 year spans where I felt no motivation or drive to draw. Maybe it was more depressing, stagnant times in my life and in turn I had no creativity to put into art to even bother trying. When I would attempt every other month, it'd be upsetting because I hadn't progressed in my art and that demotivated me. Even though.. logically, I knew if I didn't practice, I wouldn't GET better. It was a cycle of artist's block and lack of any creativity or self motivation. But when I put my heart and effort into it, like I have recently been in the past 2 months, I see a lot of growth and it motivates me to push myself further and do more. So I don't think I ever became an artist, I've always enjoyed the act of expressing myself through my own creations. Art holds so much meaning, whether it's 2 lines on a paper and called abstract, or a 30 hour drawing that took blood, sweat and tears. It's truly an amazing outlet to me, because I can create something that makes absolutely no sense to somebody- and that in itself, makes me feel good. Sometimes I can make something that's just for me, and there's no explaining it because art is symbolic and unique to the person who created it, and externally interpreted as something entirely different by others.

That was probably way too much. Apologies.


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## JayShambles (Aug 9, 2016)

If you haven't already - by turning your passion (art) into a profitable business, will this suck the love right out of your passion by working on a deadline basis as a means to build capital? 

Where can you draw the fine line between finding balance between the two? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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