April 2022: Your Home Kitchen

Art Dare Prompt Create an artwork about your home kitchen. Art media Use any 2D or 3D art media, anything goes! Tips Play around with zooming in on small pockets of space vs. showing the entire space of the kitchen. What state will you show your kitchen in? Are you portraying dinner being prepared in […]

Landscape Curriculum

The complete Landscape Curriculum for Self-taught Artists is a series of 2 videos. Landscape Part 1 Landscape Part 2

March 2022: Birthday Party Comic

Art Dare Prompt Choose either one of your own birthday parties, or a birthday party you attended. Brainstorm and plan out how you will design the panels. Art media Use any 2D art media, anything goes! Decide in advance whether you want to do a black and white comic, or full color. Composing the Panels […]

February 2022: Cannibalize Your Art

Art Dare Prompt Choose an old artwork and dramatically transform it into a new one. Be sure to shoot a photo of the old artwork before you change it so we can see the transformation! Art media Use any 2D or 3D art media, anything goes! Tips The more dramatic the change, the more exciting […]

MFA Interview Tips

This video provides concrete tips on how to go about interviews for MFA programs in studio art. Covering the types of topics you will likely be expected to discuss, as well as logistical parts on how to handle the interview process. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching Artist Lauryn Welch. Video Walkthrough […]

January 2022: Word Designs

Art Dare Prompt Pick a word in any language. Create a design of that word which visually conveys the meaning of the word. Brainstorm and do quick sketches that show many different versions of that word. We recommend doing a minimum of 6 sketches per word. Art media Use any 2D or 3D art media, […]

How Do I Find My Art Style?

Do you feel pressure to find your art style, but don’t know how? Get concrete tips for what you can do to find your own artistic voice in a genuine and effective manner that won’t stifle opportunities. Having a distinct art style is what artists are known for, and yet finding your style can feel […]

Anatomy TRACK: Lesson 2, Hands & Feet Gesture Drawings

Prompt Do 6 hours of gesture drawings of hands and feet. We recommend making the hands and feet in your drawings at least life size or larger. Reference Images Inspiration Käthe Kollwitz, Egon Schiele, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci timed drawing videos Our timed drawing exercises videos make drawing even easier: each video plays 2 […]

December 2021: Style x 20

Art Dare Prompt Pick 1 subject. Depict your subject 20 times, in as many styles as possible. Format is up to you; you could have 20 separate artworks, or combine them in a single image. Art media Use any 2D or 3D art media, anything goes! The 20 artworks do not have to all be […]

Table of Contents for Art School

Index MFA Programs Portfolio Critiques BFA Programs MFA Programs Portfolio Critiques BFA Programs

November 2021: Travel Posters

Art Dare Prompt Create a travel poster based on either your hometown, or where you live right now. Art media Use any art media! Text & Format Think about the format and purpose of a poster: where posters are seen, how people interact with a poster, what are expectations that come with a poster. This […]

How to Create an Artist Website

Learn the nuts and bolts of how to build and organize an effective artist website. Creating a clean, easy to navigate artist website is surprisingly difficult with a whole host of challenges. Get practical advice for simple actions you can take to clean up and reorganize your artist website so it can better serve your […]

Social Media for Artists

This video provides the basics of how artists can use social media to promote their artwork. Find out which social media platform is best suited to your needs as a visual artist, and learn concrete strategies which will help you use social media effectively. Learn about the social media platforms available, and get practical, straightforward […]

Artist Business TRACK: Lesson 1, Artist Statements

Prompt Write 3 artist statements of varying lengths,  that provide insight into your art practice and materials. You can write the statements so they encompass your overall practice, or statements that are focused on one specific project. 1 sentence statement This is your elevator pitch: what if you have 2 min. with something at an […]

October 2021: Mastercopy Drawings

Art Dare Prompt Choose a drawing from art history and create a mastercopy of that drawing using traditional drawing media. The artwork you choose has to have been created before 1950, and can be any genre you want! Anything from a Peanuts comic to a Piranesi drawing is totally fine. We recommend choosing a drawing […]

Should You Go to Art School?

Whether to go to art school is a tough decision, there so many factors to be considered. This video discusses whether art school is the right fit for you, and what are the most important considerations. Explained are the primary advantages are of attending art school, as well as the many challenges that come with […]

September 2021: Video Shorts

Art Dare Prompt Create a 15-30 second video short about your art practice, using a vertical format. Tips Get ideas from other artists’ shorts on Tik Tok, Instagram, & YouTube. The “hook” is everything in a short. You have literally 1 second to get your viewer’s attention Even a 15 second video takes time, way […]

How to Avoid Art Clichés

This video explains what is an art cliché, and how to avoid creating artworks that will be perceived as being cliché. This discussion breaks down how to get past the cliché in order to create artworks that are more thought provoking and unique in their approach. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu and Teaching […]

Painting Basics TRACK: Lesson 6, Underwater Creatures

Prompt Choose an underwater creature: fish, crabs, lobsters, and more. Aim to capture a three-dimensional feeling of form and a wide range of textures and colors. Examples Manette, Helen Background Consider the background as well, is your creature in a specific environment, or do you want to do a close up view which minimizes the […]

August 2021: Fantasy Vehicles

Art Dare Prompt Create a fantasy vehicle using at least 3 reference photos, using any 2D or 3D art media. Inspiration Films & TV Shows Mentioned Oscar Mayer Wienermobile X-Men: Days of Future Past Rick and Morty Minority Report Back to the Future Artists Mentioned Scott Robertson Bob Staake Odino Tso Tom Gauld Feng Zhu […]

Illustration Careers: How to Start!

How does an illustration career begin? That one art class at a local art center, fan art, reading comics can all be where it starts. Art Prof Clara Lieu talks to Jarrett J. Krosoczka, a the New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator about his artistic experiences as a child and his career to date. Get tips on […]

July 2021: Personifications

Art Dare Prompt Illustrate your worst trait & your best trait as personifications, using any art media. A personification is giving something that isn’t human the characteristics of a human. Tips Inspiration Films & TV Shows Mentioned Artists Mentioned Get started! In the Art Prof Discord Server, we have an #art-dares channel where you can post your […]

Printmaking, Collage & 2D Mixed Media Artists

2D Mixed Media • Collage • Printmaking 2D Mixed Media A — E Alberto BurriAna Wieder-BlankAndrew EhrenworthAnselm Kiefer Betye SaarBisa Butler Christian MarclayCullen Washington Jr. David MaximDawn ClementsDiana CooperDindga McCannonDon HazlittDylan Graham F — M Edouard Duval-CarriéElaine Spatz-RabinowitzElinore HollinsheadElliott Hundley Faith Ringgold Howardena Pindell Jane HammondJoseph Cornell Katia BulbenkoKelly DuffieldKurt Schwitters Mario ZootsMark TobeyMiriam Schapiro […]

Illustrators

Adult Books • Children’s Books • Editorial Illustration Adult Books A — I Adam HughesAl HirshfeldAlberto VargasAlphonse MuchaAndrew LoomisAntonio LopezArthur RackhamAubrey Beardsley Barry MoserBob PeakBrett Helquist Dave StevensDavid Edward ByrdDavid WiesnerDean CornwellDrew Struzan Earl MoranEdmund DulacEdward LearEdward SteedErté Frank Frazetta G — Q Gary KelleyGeorge BarbierGil Elvgren H.R. GigerHarry ClarkeHoward Pyle James JeanJessie Willcox SmithJon […]

Figurative Artists

Contemporary • Portrait • Historical Contemporary A — F Aaron DouglasAbdoulaye KonatéAblade GloverAlex GreyAlex KatzAlice NeelAllison SchulnikAlyssa MonksAmy SheraldAnna ParkAndrew RafteryAntonio López GarcíaArchibald MotleyArcmanoro Niles BalthusBarkley L. HendricksBeauford DelaneyBill TraylorBright Tetteh Ackwerh Carroll DunhamCassius Marcellus CoolidgeCecily BrownChanning TatumCharles Henry AlstonCharles WhiteChéri SambaChris Ofili Dan ThompsonDana SchutzDasha ShishkinDavid Alfaro SiqueirosDavid DriskellDavid HockneyDerrick AdamsDevan ShimoyamaDiane VictorDominick CocozzaDoron […]

June 2021: Body Art

Submissions are closed. Art Dare Prompt This challenge has 2 options: Use makeup and safe, non-toxic natural materials to create artwork on any part of anyone’s body. Create a tattoo design in any media. The design does not need to be drawn on a body, but show us where the tattoo would be located. Get […]

Business Curriculum

The complete Business Curriculum for Self-taught Artists is a series of 2 videos. The Curriculum’s document is a complementary resource for both videos. Business Part 1 Business Part 2

Is it Wrong to Make Fan Art?

Fan Art is often where many young artists begin, but there’s a time and place for it, and inevitably copyright issues and ownership make it a more complicated subject. Read Iris Yip’s short article on the subject or watch Art Prof’s in depth video with Teaching Artists Cat Huang and Jordan McCracken-Foster. Fan art is […]

Should I Get an MFA?

How do you decide if you should get an MFA program in studio art? A lot of the decision is based on a number of factors, is enrolling in an MFA program worth the time and cost? This video addresses the many reasons why people attend MFA programs and weighs the pros and cons. Do […]

Watercolor in Utah: Goblin Valley & Mushrooms

Art Prof Clara Lieu visits Goblin Valley in Southern Utah, where she paints 2 landscape paintings on site, blending watercolors and alcohol based brush pens. Next, Prof Lieu goes mushroom hunting with family in the mountains, bringing back gigantic mushrooms which serve as still life subjects to explore watercolor techniques including dry brushing and diverse […]

How To Get a Job in the Animation Industry

What does it take to become an animator in the animation industry? This video explains all the skills that are necessary to work as an animator, as well as tips for how to connect with other professionals working in the field. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu, who interviews animator & storyboard artist Janice […]

Starting Freelance Illustration Career

Learn the nuts and bolts of how to start a career as a freelancer in editorial illustration. This video explains specific, concrete initiatives you can take to get your career freelance illustration jump started, as well as the challenges that come with a career in this field. Discussion led by Art Prof Clara Lieu, who […]