How do you get better at drawing - Part 3

This is the third in a series on how to improve your art skills.

The series: How do you get better at drawing?

1. Learn
2. Practice
3. Listen
4. Practice More

Step Three: Listen

I don't think that art skills are best learned in a vacuum. The more that you can interact with other artists the better. The ones who know more than you can teach you. The ones that you can teach will also teach you, you'll know what you know better for having taught it to someone else.

• Join an art class in your community.
• Join a workshop a little further afield.
• Join an online group: Wetcanvas, Scribbletalk, etc.
• Form a private group of artist friends.
• Read online critiques of others work. American Artist magazine has regular critiques. Granted, it is not your work, but you can still learn.
• Read diaries or journals of famous artists. Artists talk about what they are learning and it adds to your experience.
• Read blogs - these are modern day, in real time, diaries often with interactive capabilities!
• Listen to what others (even non-artists) say about your work, it helps you get perspective on it.

The image above is a work-in-progress. Another iris, this time in colored pencil. It's 5in x 7in on Stonehenge paper. The colors aren't quite right, but you get the idea.