Milan Art Mastery Program FAQ
Thanks to my reviews of the Mastery Program, I've had a lot of you reaching out to me with your insights and great questions. I've really enjoyed getting to chat with other artists on this topic and have even made a few new friends in the process!
While I'm always open to answering your questions, I do get a lot of the same ones so I've compiled the most common asked ones here. I'll be adding to this periodically so feel free to check back.
In your opinion, who is this program not for?
I’m going to be really honest. If you’re looking for a “magic pill” of a course that guarantees it will make you a successful professional artist – this isn’t it.
In fact I would submit there are few courses that can claim to do this and succeed. There is a lot that is great about the Mastery Program and for many it will be life changing. If you are feeling frustrated or desperate with your art career and are looking for answers I would caution you about putting too much faith in any one program to solve your problems.
I don’t think this program is suitable for absolute beginners, people who get frustrated easily, or even experienced artists who are NOT looking to expand from their current medium.
Is the program suitable of beginner artists?
Since every person is different I can’t make a blanket statement on if this program will be right for you or not. With that said, If you have never drawn or painted before in your life, you will likely find this program challenging.
In my opinion, this program is best for people who have experience creating but may not have gone to art school before and want to improve their skills. I don’t feel that the average amateur artist can do this full program in a year and come out successful. There are a lot of factors that will contribute to weather this happens for you or not.
If you typically need a lot of one on one guidance or have trouble grasping new concepts, you may struggle with the program without the help of a mentor which is an additional cost.
Are you done the Mastery Program yet?
As of the release of this blog post, no, I am not. The program is slated to take about a year to complete but is also go-at-your-own pace. This means that you aren’t required to complete in a year. As a full-time artist and freelancer I often have other projects that come up, including life obligations, that sometimes cause a delay in how quickly I’m able to complete the sections and then subsequently release a review.
I really appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and desire for answers before they invest and I will try my best to answer the questions as I can. I want to make sure I’m as thorough as I can be but sometimes that requires needing some time to ruminate on it or see how it fits into the next section to give a fair review.
I'm a (pastel, digital, etc) artist will this program still work for me?
This all really depends on why you are enrolling in the program. Are you looking to move away from your current medium or add another to your tool belt? Then yes, you will learn the basic skills you need to create artwork in oil and acrylic paint as well as techniques in a variety of mixed media. If you want to continue in your primary medium of choice, some of the instruction in the first section will be a bit irrelevant to you as it dives heavily into techniques painting with oil.
If you are for example a pastel artist not looking to switch, you could still do the assignments as a creative exercise and to practice your drawing skills but there is no specific technique instruction on mediums other than oil and a little bit of some drawing media.
As you move into the second section with mixed media, again this may feel irrelevant to you. The second section also dives into art history, and exercises for finding your voice. If you didn’t attend art school and or are struggling with finding your voice this section will still be helpful regardless of the medium you work in.
Does the program really help you find your voice?
I have a complex answer to this question. Finding your voice as an artist is not as simple as doing a quiz and VOILÀ you have it all figured out. While the program does give you a variety of tools, thought exercises and quizzes that will help you arrive at what your voice is, I can’t guarantee that will happen for you. You will get out of the program and the experience what you put into it.
Many people finish the program and are still developing their voice. It definitely isn’t a quick process. It could be for some, but in those cases I think those artist already have a strong sense and then are just able to refine it. Your voice will also evolve as you change, grow and evolve.
Experimentation and practicing your craft are key components to developing and finding your voice. There are no short cuts here. Be prepared to do the work and be open to experimenting.
Does the program really help you market yourself as an artist?
I haven’t gotten to this section of the program yet but when I do I will update this FAQ.
If you are brand new to art and marketing yourself as an artist I have no doubt there will be valuable information in this section. Keep in mind that when it comes to this topic what may work for an artist living in the USA might not work for an artist in Europe. Some aspects will be universal and others won’t be. I would take this part with a grain of salt and still seek out professional artists in your area for more strategic advice.
I don't live in the USA should I pay monthly or in full?
This all really depends on your personal finances. If you don’t want to spend the full amount because of a poor exchange rate in your country with the US dollar, you could go monthly. I’m not in a position to give you financial advice so you will have to make this decision on your own.
I opted to pay in full and get access to full program all at once but I was also confident in my decision to purchase and that the program was right for me. Please do your research and seek out other artists who have taken the program as everyone will have different experiences that can help inform you.
Should I buy all of my supplies ahead of time?
This depends on your budget. As I mentioned in my blog post for the first section, if you live in the USA I would just order the supply kits that they sell. They include everything you need and the program is taught using those materials which will take the guess work out of it for you.
Yes! I’m doing the program using water soluble oils currently. Please note however there is no instruction in the program on how to use water-soluble oil paints and I have not come across many people associated with the program who have experience with it.
Generally the process is the same but you will want to buy mediums that are formulated for water-soluble oil paints for best results.
I created a free starter guide that you can download HERE that will help you with what you need to get started. This is also not an instruction manual but it’s helpful for material recommendations. I’m hoping to have something more comprehensive available soon for those that are interested.
I'm an experienced artist will this still be valuable for me?
It honestly depends what you are looking to get out of it. I went into the program with a high level of skill drawing but wanted to push myself to be more expressive and creative with my art. I also wanted a better formal instruction in oil painting along with the voice exploration and marketing advice. For me, the program was ticking a lot of boxes so I made the leap. You really need to assess what your expectations are and what you are looking for the program to help you with.
The biggest thing to keep in mind when doing a program like this is to stay open minded and put any ego you have aside. Especially if you’re not new to art.
Everyone’s result will be different depending on their attitude and what they are needing help with so it’s impossible for me to say for sure if the program is going to be worth it for YOU or not.
Has the program been worth it?
Honestly, for me yes. I’m getting exactly what I wanted out of it so far. I have created more art this year than I have in 15 years and I feel like I have expanded my skills and am approaching creating art in a different way than I ever have before.
More FAQs to be added as needed
Still have questions?
Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or by email.