6 Must-know Art Design Tips for Beginners

designer working at office desk with laptop and art supplies
An art designer working on her laptop

Art design is a creative field that demands a combination of skills, knowledge, and talent. Knowing where to start or how to improve your skills might be overwhelming for a newbie. Yet, you can develop unique and gorgeous designs with a few simple strategies. 

This article discusses six must-know art design tips for novices. Whether you’re a graphic designer, illustrator, or simply interested in art, these six tips for art design are vital to improving your craft.

Notable mentions include:

#1. Start With the Basics

Starting with the basics in art design means understanding fundamental concepts and principles such as color theory, composition, perspective, and contrast. These concepts establish the framework for all art design and are vital for developing well-designed and visually appealing creations.


Color theory, for example, examines how colors interact and how to build a balanced color palette. Composition is the arrangement of elements in an artwork, whereas perspective revolves around how objects appear in space. Knowing these aspects can help you produce stronger designs and allow you to execute more complex styling strategies.

#2. Understand the Elements

Learning about the significant design aspects is essential for those just starting in this creative field. Excellent design starts with these fundamental components: color, form, shape, line, texture, space, and form. With constant practice, even novice designers can master these elements and produce functional and aesthetically pleasing artworks. 

For instance, color can evoke specific feelings, while texture can give a flat surface more visual interest. By learning their respective interrelationships, newbie artists can achieve equilibrium and harmony in their work.

#3. Choose the Right Tools

All competent artists rely heavily on a well-stocked toolkit. As a beginner, try various approaches until you find the one that suits you best. While some artists still prefer to work with traditional media like pencils, paints, and markers, others have migrated to digital tools like graphic tablets and art software.

The tools you use to get the job done can significantly impact how quickly and easily you complete tasks, as well as the effects and styles you integrate into your designs. If you want to achieve your artistic goals, it’s crucial that you take the time to learn about and try out numerous tools to uncover variations you’re comfortable with.

#4. Practice and Seek Feedback

Newcomers to the art and design world must spend a lot of time practicing and getting feedback before making significant progress. Regular practice is the best way to improve your skills and create signature art. Asking and accepting criticism from your fellow creatives is a great way to know what needs tweaking in your designs. 

Seeking criticism is also a great way to acquire insight into how others perceive your work and can spark ideas for improvements. If you don’t see immediate results, remember that the road to impeccable designs takes time.

#5. Learn the Principles of Design

Balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, and unity are art design principles that must be followed. Artists and designers can use these guidelines to make more powerful and appealing compositions. 

For example, the purpose of emphasis is to draw focus to a particular design aspect, while movement conveys a sensation of motion or flow. Your ability to create compelling designs depends on your familiarity with and use of these design principles.

#6. Develop a Strong Concept

Creating a solid concept is a crucial step in the design that can lead to powerful results. A design’s concept is the overarching thought or message it aims to convey. It must be precise and well-defined so that you can make informed decisions about the design and end up with something that makes sense and works. 

It’s essential to put some thought before diving into the design process. Consider who you are trying to reach and what you want to say to them. The success of your design and the clarity of your message depends on your ability to develop a solid concept from the outset.

Acrylic painting artwork

Conclusion

Art design is a dynamic and ever-evolving field that requires continuous learning and experimentation. When starting out, it’s important to keep an open mind and be ready to learn. Take chances and challenge yourself; there’s nothing to lose. 

Note that creating stellar artwork is a process that evolves over time. The only way you can wow people with inspiring and captivating designs is if you put in the time, effort, and enthusiasm.