Art is the bringing together of mood and color through an art medium onto a surface. It is neither good or bad, it just "is." It is the way the viewer sees the art that makes it "good." But, you may ask, how do I know if my art is any good? I'll get to this answer in a moment.
Lots of people think artists are "good" from the first time they held a pencil or crayon. I disagree. I believe artists love art from a young age. Artists feel good as they create art. And so, artists create art as much as possible. In other words, they practice. Artists have, in my opinion, two skills: the art of seeing, and the art of rendering. They notice and enjoy details all around them. Color, texture, light, composition. What they see and how it makes them feel motivates them to create their own art.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you are saying. But how do I know if I am really an artist. How do I know if I am good enough? First, ask yourself what it is you would like to do with your art. Comic books? Advertisements? Magazine art? Greeting cards? Then, compare your art to that currently available in the industry. For example, I want to illustrate books for children. So, I take my art right into the book store. I march right up to the display of books, and place my art there. And yes, I do this right in the middle of the store with everybody watching. I stand back and use a critical eye. Is there already too much art just like mine? Is my art eye-catching? . I figure it this way: if I land a job as a children's book artist, my work will be in this display one day. And if I'm too afraid of other people's reactions to my art, then I'm really not confident enough in my skill, which means I'm not quite ready.
I also show my art to anyone who will look, not just my family and my closest friends. I watch for reaction. Which art makes folks react? What is the volume of their reaction? What do they like, or not like? After I've done this study, it's back to the drawing board. I work to incorporate what I have learned into my art. This is worth repeating. I work to incorporate what I have learned into MY art. I do not try to create art just to please others. I take the insights I've learned and recreate my art to please me. In the end, I hope it will please us both.
I believe the "best" artists listen to their own sensibilities. They immerse themselves into their art. If an artist is thinking about the consumer while creating, the art will not be true. It will not be the artist's best work. I incorporate ideas and suggestions into my work if they feel true to me. My mind works on it until the suggestion has been modified to suit my style and interpretation. Then I work on MY art.
Confidence helps tremendously. It comes from understanding that not everyone will like what you have created. It comes from not caring if everyone does not like what you created. It comes from YOU liking what you have created. Confidence comes with practice and experience. Artists come to trust that the creation of art isn't always easy. They learn sometimes it takes a number of tries to get it right. They learn to trust themselves to identify what is working and what isn't. They hang with it until they get it right.
Difficult projects bring about artistic growth. If you are always enjoying art, if it is a breeze for you, then you are not learning and growing as an artist. Sometimes I draw or paint again and again in order to satisfy myself. Sometimes I experiment and the result falls short. This work is often discarded. I did not waste my time. The work is not a failure. I learned. It is as important to learn what doesn't work, as it is to learn what will.
So, back to the first question. How do you know if you are any good? How do you know if you are really an artist? If you are really an avid artist, you will enjoy the process of seeking the good art within you.