Do You Have an Art Studio?

Why You Should Have a Space Dedicated to Your Art

Do you have an art studio? And by art studio, I mean any space dedicated to your artwork. It could be a spare bedroom or a corner in your bedroom. Although it would be any artist’s dream to have a grand, spacious room with wrap around windows, large flat-file cabinets and wall-to-wall storage for supplies, for a lot of us, that’s way out of our budgets.

The kitchen table is fine in a pinch, but it does pose some issues. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Copyright: Konstantin Pelikh)

.

For many years, probably like many artists, I made do with the kitchen table. Even though I had an art table, there was no room to set it up. And during that time, I did what I had to in order to get work done. But here’s the problem with the kitchen table method…it’s not a dedicated space. In other words, if someone comes along and wants a snack, they’ll be eating on your art table. It’s distracting and more importantly, it’s a recipe for disaster. Can you imagine working your heart out on a project only to have it ruined by spilled food or drink?

Having a space dedicated to your artwork not only avoids that awful situation, but creates an environment which promotes your creativity. And roommates or family members are more than likely to recognize that as your space and respect it.

It might take a little ingenuity in order for you to have an art studio all your own. But I have seen garden sheds converted into studio space. I’ve even seen an old school bus converted into an art studio. Some people have removed the doors from an unused closet, slid the front end of a desk inside along with a storage cabinet, and added some lights for a nice little niche studio. And supplies went into baskets and up onto the shelf that was already in there.

In most cases, it shouldn’t be too difficult to set up an art studio on a small budget. The three most important things you need to have are:

• 1. A sturdy table – nothing more annoying than working on a table that wobbles
  2. A comfortable chair – preferably ergonomically adjustable
  3. Proper lighting – preferably with a natural light lightbulb

.

Metal mesh containers found at Target for $1. Organization on the cheap!

.

Other items that can be added cheaply are shelves, which you can make yourself with a wooden board and metal brackets. Art bins for organizing supplies generally start at around $30. And there’s no shame in repurposing shoe boxes or other containers for organizing your supplies. Or you can even check out places like Target. I found small metal containers in the $1 section. Perfect for pencils, pens, and brushes!

My art studio is small but functional. It takes up a small corner in my room with an adjustable art table and an art bin that are both almost 30 years old.

.

Of course some will want an art studio with fancy expensive things. Personally, I’m more interested in functional as long as it’s neat. These days, my art studio is against one wall of my bedroom. It’s a little cramped, but definitely workable.

Do you have any nifty art studio ideas for folks on a budget? Let us know in the comments below. And please subscribe if you enjoyed this post. You’ll get a weekly email alerting you to the new post. You can count on me to never overload your inbox.

.

.