Like scientists, true artists are constantly finding ways to solve problems. They are on a mission of self enlightenment, and the only way to get there, is to gain experience. They are actively studying the world around them and taking insight from people they know and work with. Anything and everything can be an inspiration for a true artist. They are never limited in what they can do and they never limit themselves from it either. True artists are always looking to improve their work and diversify it at the same time.
Now, I’ve critiqued quite a few people in the past week, and I’ve seen the same old run-around with comments.
“Good job!”
“Nice coloring”
“Cute!”
That’s all fine and dandy; I will admit, I say some of these things myself. However, sometimes I look back at the artwork and I can’t find myself agreeing. I write:
“The legs are a little too short. The pose seems awkward and off balance. Your perspective is a little off….”
Then, twenty minutes later; the artist expresses their insult to me, and they say the worst thing they could have ever said.
“That’s just my style.”
To me, that statement alone is like saying… it is permanent, it will never change, it is set in stone, it is how it should be. –But, this contradicts the definition of a true artist. This artist is limiting their artistic ability by chaining themselves to only one style. A true artist would have had a much better reply.
“Yeah, I kind of agree. I’ll work on it. Thanks for the tip!”

Another common thing I see amongst artists on Deviant Art is over excessive fan-art, and I most often see it with anime artists. Now, fan-art is not all a bad thing; it is actually a great way for a blossoming true artist to learn and experiment with other artists styles. It is also a portale for accomplished true artists to impose their own style on someone else’s character design. Fan- art is a beautiful thing and it’s a lot of fun…until it starts to get repetitive.
When I see people who constantly draw someone else's character over and over again, and proclaim themselves to be artists…it's kinda sad. Sure, they can draw that character, but what else can that person draw? How do I know that person isn’t tracing or copying the same pose from the comic book? Are they really ‘growing’ as an artist would? Again, this all boils down to the person limiting their artistic capability. They are not a true artist.
In addition to being flexible and diverse, the true artist’s ultimate goal is to become unique. The only way to do this is through experience and maturity. A true artist should have the maturity to make appropriate decisions, and the experience to apply their abilities to their artwork. Once they have defined and refined their style several times over, they will have the right to call themselves an ‘accomplished’ true artist. However, it doesn’t end here. No matter how old they are or how many pieces they have completed, the true artist never stops growing and learning. They will find themselves defining and refining their styles until the day they lay to rest for the very last time.

So please share with me—an example of a ‘true artist” you know. Why do you say so? What do you think they have learned?
Do you think you’re a ‘true artist’? share with me what you have learned in growth.