If you’ve ever shown your work and wondered, “Do I really belong here?”, you’re in good company. Most artists, from beginners to established professionals, wrestle with the fear that their work won’t be taken seriously. That fear doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you care. The real challenge is learning to create anyway.
Here’s how to build genuine confidence and move past the worry that your art isn’t “legitimate.”
When you’ve just completed a canvas painting, the frame you pick matters more than you might expect. It’s not just a finishing touch, it can really influence how your work is seen and valued. You can see framing as part of the creative process, and not just an afterthought. Here’s a guide to help you choose wisely.
When you’ve spent hours in the studio, finishing that new piece you’re proud of, the next question often becomes: How do I get people and perhaps the press to notice it? As other artists will tell you, gaining media coverage or accolades doesn’t happen by accident. It happens with strategy, consistency and smart presentation.
When you’re sitting with a fresh canvas (or panel) and an idea starting to form, one of the biggest opportunities and one of the most under-used is layering. Many beginners try to do everything in one go. But taking your time, building your piece in layers, can improve your work in ways that feel effortless once you get the hang of it.
When you pick up your brush and tubes, the canvas underneath matters more than you might think. The “right” canvas for acrylic painting doesn’t just support paint, it interacts with it. Whether you’re just starting or refining your materials, here’s how to choose canvases: material, texture, strength, and finish.
Running an art gallery is more than picking pretty paintings. At its heart, a gallery is a mediator between artists, collectors, and culture. And that terrain moves fast. Taste changes, attention shifts, new voices emerge. If you’re a gallery owner, navigating this flux is part of the job. Here’s how you can stay relevant, resilient, and in dialogue with changing tastes.
Every painting whether a quick sketch or a large, refined work, typically moves through stages. Knowing these stages helps you work more deliberately, spot what phase you’re in, and avoid getting stuck. Here’s a breakdown of four common stages of painting.
Before a brush ever touches the canvas, you’re already painting in your head. This stage includes:
Paintings with strong outcomes often start with a solid design: layout, balance, focal points. Some artists do several small studies here before committing to the final canvas.
If you’re an amateur or pro painter, art lecturer, or hobbyist, you know that what you paint on matters almost as much as what you paint with. The canvas is the foundation. Get it right, and it supports your vision. Choose poorly, and you’ll fight it every step. Let’s talk about what to consider so you pick a canvas that works, not one that works against you.
If you paint whether professionally, as a hobby, or teach others, you’ve probably asked: should I use a wood panel or stretched canvas? Each has strong points. Picking the right one can influence how your work looks, lasts, how you handle it, and even what techniques feel natural. Let’s dig in.
If you’re a painter–amateur, pro, lecturer, or hobbyist–you’ve probably felt it: the fear that your work won’t be seen, that your voice won’t reach anyone. It’s real. But it doesn’t have to stop you. You can build visibility, even when fear is heavy. Here’s how.