Art Courses Special

As Britain’s art schools gear up for the new term in September, our eight-page special is packed with practical advice to help you get the most out of your next class

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OVERCOMING FEARS

Despite being prospective exhibitors, artists can be surprisingly shy when it comes to performing their practice – and it’s understandable why. Having a group of strangers admire your finished masterpiece in Mall Galleries is an entirely different experience to a room of onlookers observing as you commit that first mark to paper or canvas, which perhaps explains why many are so hesitant to dive in with an art class. The intimate nature of hands-on workshops can feel like baring your soul to a group of strangers, but the principles for attending an art class with confidence are much like walking into a gym for the first time. Here are five tips to bear in mind for overcoming those fears.

1. NOBODY IS LOOKING AT YOU

It’s easy to get self-conscious when performing under pressure and feel as though all eyes are on you. Perhaps you’re in a life drawing class and finding yourself still finding shapes in the figure meanwhile your next-easel neighbour has already progressed to the finer details of the face? Your mind may well convince you that your fellow artists are whispering fervently about your lack of progress, but the reality is nobody cares. They’re too busy focusing on their own work.

2. IT’S NOT A COMPETITION

Attendance to an art class doesn’t require you to be an established professional, and an openness to learn can, in fact, put you ahead in the long run. Less experienced artists are a dab hand at learning new tricks too – a lack of knowledge means you aren’t tied up in old habits just yet.

3. YOU ARE WORKING TO YOUR OWN GOAL