There is no denying that some individuals naturally gifted. Others can try as hard, but they’ll never be able to achieve the kind of technique that others achieve. Some people don’t even try and simply thrive where others fail. It happens every day. This is especially true in high school. There are plenty of high school students out there right now that are capable of producing amazing artwork. Every teacher around the world has had that student that produces this kind of work. Probably better work than what they can produce, while the rest of the class will only produce sub-par work. However, there are some things that can take a good piece of art and make it truly great. Do you know what those things are?

Technique
Technique is probably obvious, but it is worth stating because it is so important. In fact, that is why it is at the top of the list. You can take an above-average artist and if he or she has above average skills, that work will stand out. The perfect example of this would be photorealism. That being said, technique doesn’t always produce realism. Look what Money and a lot of the impressionist world did. They use their technique to capture light. All that aside, technique and theory are something that will have to be acquired. It doesn’t matter how much natural talent you have. If you want to learn technique, you will need someone or something to teach it to you. With the wide reach of resources available today, you can learn technique from just about anywhere.

You can go to art school, you can watch videos online, you can train with other artists, you can talk to art teachers or tons of other things. There is simply no limit to where you can learn techniques in today’s world.

Learning Concept
Have you ever seen someone put a dead shark or a vase of flowers on a canvas and call it art? Sure, you have because there are plenty of paintings like that out there. And, some of those paintings have sold for thousands to millions of dollars. Well, just because you put something on a canvas, it doesn’t make it art. It will, however, if you are an artist. The key to this is the concept, and the key to the concept is relating to your audience. If people are interested in what you put on paper, that work can instantly be transformed from something ordinary to something famous.

Emotion
The best poker players in the world will tell you to check your emotions at the door or leave them at home. While poker and painting or drawing can be both considered an art, they are two completely different forms of art. In the art world, emotion is the opposite of the concept. Instead of relating to the audience, you will be trying to affect how people feel when they look at your work. Have you ever look at a piece of art and been overwhelmed with emotion? Maybe you got sad, maybe you laughed, or maybe you were just confused. Whatever the situation was, you have a reaction to that piece of work. And, this is what you want your audience to do as well.

Telling A Story
This one kind of falls in the same category as emotion, but it is still somewhat different so it is worth mentioning. In fact, it should probably be one of the very first things you do when you sit down and plan out a work of art. You want to tell a story about that work of art. A simple flower surrounded by fruits and vegetables can tell one of the most compelling stories that you’ve ever heard or seen. And, you can do the same thing with your works. However, you have to know which elements are crucial to telling the story. Which elements are secondary, and which elements are supported? Ask yourself these questions before you begin working and this is how you will figure out the hierarchy of elements in your pieces.

If you look at a painting of a warrior facing a dragon, you would immediately think that the confrontation between the two would be paramount. It is, but it could be the secondary elements, like the wrecked wooden plank that the warrior is standing on, that stands out the most and has the biggest impact.