How long is a beginner a beginner?

[Melbee]

Hi Folks,
I was wondering how long a person can consider themselves a beginner airbrusher?

I know there will be many variables like;
1. how often do you paint, every day or once a week etc.
2. if you've studied art at school or higher education (or not) so have varying degrees of colour knowledge, drawing etc. (or not)
3. Self taught or helped by an experienced airbrusher
4. Etc, etc........

I've been airbrushing for 5 months and I was thinking I can call myself a beginner for maybe 1 or 2 years?

Maybe I can call myself a beginner until I don't feel like I'm a beginner anymore, whether thats 6 months or 6 years! :tennis:

It's just a funny question that popped into my head the other day and I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Cheers Mel

 

[Lowrider]

I have been drawing and painting since I was eight (I'm 50 now), but I am not a professional even though I sell some stuff, mostly portraits. This is my hobby. You can be a beginner all your life but you have to set a goal and choose a style. I like realistic because it is very challenging. I began airbrush just last year but because of all the studying and research plus practice, I don't consider myself a novice in it but I am not an expert. Have you met your goals? Did you achieve what you wanted? Compare your product to others..are you in their league? Airbrushing is really nice, you can achieve different levels of satisfaction and styles if the artwork is to satisfy you. The customers and what they want is a different story.

 

[simonarvestrand]

I bought my first brush in nov/dec and i am a beginner and will be for a long time
i guess i will call my self something else than a beginner the day i place top 10 on a competition here

Don't think that i bother about calling me a beginner or experienced airbruher, i really want to get good at this and have my focus on that

I want to paint about 3 times a week but the reality became about 1/ week or less. i work to much.

if i look at my work now im not very pleased but if i compare it to the older stuff i made i really can see improvement.

One thing that i think can tell if you are a beginner or not is when you feel confident about what you do and when you hear people say that you are good
im always insecure in color mixing and stuff like that so that tells me that i am a beginner.

 

[Madbrush]

I would say you are a beginner only when you pick up your airbrush or anything else for that matter for the very first time, the rest of the time before you can consider yourself a pro, you are simply aspiring and achieve different levels of experience and ability in the time in between beginning and reaching pro status.

How long you remain a beginner is entirely up to the individual, depending on how long or often you practice and when you feel comfortable enough to do something on your own without the need for the views or critiques of others, it's mind over matter and self confidence that help you decide if you have it or not.

I agree with Lowrider for the most part, however art like many other forms of self expression are things you will constantly be learning and discovering and there is simply no end to what you can or will learn.

The whole question is very open ended, since there is no right or wrong answer, you are what you are, it is what it is and only you can decide under which category you fall, place any piece of art you like on the forum and ask for opinions, the answers you will get will depend on an individual view on how it should have been or could been, this does not mean that what you did was wrong, it simply means that everyone has a different perspective and that's what makes a world.

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, I say that is bull sh*t because this old dog loves to learn new stuff, Mitch is half my age and I have learned a lot from him, and not just about art, but about being there for others, we each posses a certain amount of knowledge and as the forum grows and we help each other when we can, there is simply no question which can not be answered, and what's even cooler than that is we end up with many different choices, so there is something for every style and taste.

But the short answer to your question is You are not a beginner, you are an aspiring artist, just like the rest of us.

I'm sure Marissa would confirm that she still learns new tricks and techniques every now and again, but could anyone describe her as a beginner?, of course not,

 

[Melbee]

Ha Ha Ha!! Thanks Madbrush. I like that alot, I'm not a beginner, I'm an aspiring artist :tennis:

After 5 months I don't feel like a beginner airbrusher anymore except when I try something new. So perhaps 'Newbie' suits me better and I like aspiring artist.

Lowrider, you have customers! and you only started last year!! Fabulous. Do you advertise, exhibit or is it word of mouth?

Thanks for all your replies folks, keep em coming.

 

[Madbrush]

Ha Ha Ha!! Thanks Madbrush. I like that alot, I'm not a beginner, I'm an aspiring artist :tennis:

After 5 months I don't feel like a beginner airbrusher anymore except when I try something new. So perhaps 'Newbie' suits me better and I like aspiring artist.

Lowrider, you have customers! and you only started last year!! Fabulous. Do you advertise, exhibit or is it word of mouth?

Thanks for all your replies folks, keep em coming.

I just read your intro post and to be honest your were a beginner just before you placed your kit in the attic, , from then on you were an aspiring airbrush artist but just didn't know it yet.

By the way I am also a Brit living in Holland (if being a crazy Scotsman can be considered Brit), how long have you been here in Holland and just as important, Why?

 

[ad fez]

my thoughts also...... im not a beginner im an improver

 

[beanpoleuk]

On that basis being just over a couple on months in now, I consider myself as an aspiring beginner :smile-new:

 

[wmlepage]

I have been at it for about 8 months, with many days in between AB sessions, many learning techniques and posting on forums . In my mind I am a newbie. I know a little, can even help others with what I know at times, I just cant always apply that knowledge to my works, weather it be through lack of skill or just plain lack of time with a brush in my hand.

 

[otpowell]

I've been airbrushing for 3 months and I airbrush at least an hour every day.. I wake up at 4 am and airbrush for an hour or an hour and a half, then I run 3 miles and get dressed in time for work at 8am. I'm still a beginner I think.. I do lines and circles almost everyday trying to achieve the mini dagger strokes that is known as a starburst.. I'm getting better.. I also do tigers and a lot of different things to learn. I try different paints and methods. I have acquired alot of knowledge in 3 months i think.. i got my airbrush in the middle of december 2012 as my christmas present.. Today, I noticed I wasn't locking my elbows to my body and now I'm getting straighter lines.. Motivation!

 

[otpowell]

Starting to distance more and also keeping my air on more. When I first started doing daggers, I wasn't double auctioning right.. I would snap the air off after every little thing.. I think it helped me a lot to acquire trigger and paint control with learning to keep the air on.

 

[otpowell]

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[Zotilraxx]

Art should never have a beginning or an end. You are either is or is not. I read somewhere 'Make something (draw, paint, carve) that makes you happy and let everyone else determine whether it is good or bad' as long as you're happy at the outcome, i would say that you're a pro.

 

[Talla]

I've been airbrushing for just over 6 months and I still think I'm a beginner or novice which would be a better description because it doent really describe a timeline but more a level reached.
I have to agree with every one else that you move to the next level when you either reach a goal be it coming in the top ten of one of the monthly comps or just competing in a competition my case.

You may feel you have moved to he next level when you are happy with something you have produced ... Yes you may see a couple of mistakes or think you may be able to do something a better way but overall you have a nice warm feeling inside and think Yeah ... Thats not bad! Then in my mind you moved to the next level.

Either way ... you will know!:triumphant:

Andy

 

[jgny1]

I've been airbrushing for 3 months and I airbrush at least an hour every day.. I wake up at 4 am and airbrush for an hour or an hour and a half, then I run 3 miles and get dressed in time for work at 8am. I'm still a beginner I think.. I do lines and circles almost everyday trying to achieve the mini dagger strokes that is known as a starburst.. I'm getting better.. I also do tigers and a lot of different things to learn. I try different paints and methods. I have acquired alot of knowledge in 3 months i think.. i got my airbrush in the middle of december 2012 as my christmas present.. Today, I noticed I wasn't locking my elbows to my body and now I'm getting straighter lines.. Motivation!

First off otpowell may be a beginner, but you are also CRAZY!! 4am paint, that's OK run 3 miles..not good. work at 8 thats fine. LOL

I think I will be whatever you call it, beginner aspiring whatever until I can paint something that I can put on my wall and want to tell people.."Hey I painted that"....I don't even care if they like it, if I like it enough to want to tell someone I painted it, then i'm good.

 

[otpowell]

First off otpowell may be a beginner, but you are also CRAZY!! 4am paint, that's OK run 3 miles..not good. work at 8 thats fine. LOL

I think I will be whatever you call it, beginner aspiring whatever until I can paint something that I can put on my wall and want to tell people.."Hey I painted that"....I don't even care if they like it, if I like it enough to want to tell someone I painted it, then i'm good.

Lol... You got that right! Lol. I love painting in the morning!! Lil cold in my garage at 4am but I use my heat gun to warm me up. Lol

 

[Melbee]

Hey great answers everyone, I love it!!
I agree with the warm feeling when you like what you've done and also when you want to show someone else something you've painted.
I've been there. Novice is a good one too.

Madbrush, I've lived here for over 20 years and came here on an exchange program as part of my degree. Kind of got stuck and I'm still here. You?

 

[TBaileySr]

Perhaps Novice would be the correct term?

 

[sevastra]

I feel like I'm a beginner in everything i do, from tattooing to graffiti to pencil/pen to airbrush. I'm always trying to learn something more or perfect something else related to what i already know.I don't airbrush everyday sadly, lack of time. I haven't gone to art school, i was mentored by a few different artists as far as tattoo work, as well as completing the apprenticeship.

 

[MadAsA]

i am never a beginner, i always class myself as a learner and as you never stop learning it never changes.

although the wife has just suggested that a beginner is someone who swears a lot and you are no longer a beginner when you can half the amount of swearing.

So i am doomed to be a early learner forever