Inspiration Investment – A Guide to Setting Up a Basic Art Studio

Deciding to embark on an artistic adventure and nurture your creative skills is something that not enough individuals explore. It’s also an easy project to complete with so many ideas and inspirations available at your disposal, begging for a DIY job.

Setting up an Art Studio? Here are few things to consider!

If you’re rolling up your sleeves and committed to setting up a basic art studio, here is what you need to remember before you get going.

Don’t skimp on the equipment

Like anything in life, your tools will mirror your output – so it’s best to set yourself up with the best equipment possible. Things like lighting and toner cartridges will need to be of high quality, as they directly impact how you perceive and illustrate your work. And that doesn’t matter whether you create through ink, paint or photography. You will soon find out as an artist that there are areas that you can cut corners and others where you specifically hunt for the best of the best. Recognising and honouring this fact will allow you to produce a finer quality of work, every time.

Natural light is worth everything

Artificial light has certainly come a long way, but never will it stack up against natural light. It doesn’t matter what your art studio is going to be used for, because all creative mediums will benefit from natural light and lots of it. If the space you are creating doesn’t have many windows, you can also explore skylights which expose large amounts of light throughout your space. This may come at a large investment, but you will find that many artists deem these feature as a non-negotiable. If you are not totally sold on natural light, try an in-studio experiment by creating a body of work (whatever that may be) and looking at it in artificial and natural light. You may be surprised to see that one piece of work can look completely different under different conditions.

Keep it open

Now we aren’t just talking literally (although an open spaced art studio is preferable), we’re talking about the openness to which you approach the space. Keeping it open also applies to what you envisage the art studio to be. You may set out looking to build on your painting passions, but find that you fall into a ceramic phase and want to explore that creative pursuit in tandem. Refrain from making large changes to your space or adding infrastructure that could prohibit artistic freedom down the line. The life of an artist is one that is inclusive of all forms, with many of the best artists having dedicated their lives to more than one style. Don’t believe us? Talk to some practising artists in your area and delve into their journey to see where they have come from and what they practise in today.

Solo or collaborative

The inspiration to create comes different places, and often it’s when we surround ourselves with other creative individuals that we explore our talents deeply. When you are setting up your basic art studio, make a decision about whether or not this space will be used by just you or other creatives. This might guide how much you are willing to invest in the project, and might have you rethinking all the touches that speak to you and your personality. Whether you are looking to create art together long term or short term, exploring the unknown with another creative can be an incredible and enriching experience.

Your basic art studio can take any form you wish, but it’s best you take time to consider all the parts needed before you dive in head first. Decide on minimum size and features you desire, and then look at spaces that fall within that scope and meet your budget expectations.