I’m doing some research for an upcoming video I’m doing for my YouTube channel and need your knowledge 
My video is about achieving Master Artist status. I see a lot of artists call themselves Master Artists and want to be able to explain what it is and how to get the title of Master Artist.
What defines an artist as a Master Artist? Is it after you’ve done prototypes? Reborned for a certain amount of time? Quality? Can one get this title from a guild or do people just self identify? Or something else entirely?
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I think it is people who just self identify based on what they deem to be their level of experience and sales. Personally, I have seen that it means nothing when it comes to my evaluation of the work of others. There was a time when this whole industry got pretty snotty with the guilds and exclusive groups. I have seen some in those groups do great work and some not. Some of the best artists I have seen are not recognized by anyone.
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Masters to me is someone who does regular prototypes (from being asked by producer or sculptor)
As well as winning first place in advanced reborning contests.
Who achieves realism in each baby
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A few years ago on another forum this was being discussed and, as I recall, most of the ladies there believed that to be called a “master artist” someone other than the artist themselves needs to declare their work remarkable and the artist a “master”. So, it is probably when others who are experts in the field or who have the experience and knowledge of what “master art” is in a particular genre of art declare some one good enough to be master status. And I’m guessing they are most of the time those who have been artists for some time, although some people are prodigies and become master type status sooner. I think if someone has been asked regularly to do prototypes then this is a way that the artist is being told by others that their work has reached a higher quality and that they are a master of the genre of art in which they create. But just being asked to a prototype may not always mean that. I’ve seen a few prototypes over the years in the reborn world that were just not as well done as other artists’ were - not master artist quality. I think of Alexa Calvo and Jackie Kramer as master artists.
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Yes…me too!!!
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I would say the master artist is who sculpts and molds/pours and reborn a baby . Also , some that are achieving the best realism in painting and rooting .
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Thats a tough one.
I have had dolls used in a television show and i still dont consider myself a master artist. I see so many who completely blow my work out of the water. And i always feel like i have room to improve. When i stop learning i stop growing.
Just imo.
I would consider a few artists masters of their art. But that’s having never seen their work in person.
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I think anyone who labels themselves a master artist is questionable.
I think to mean anything, it needs to be given by others.
The person should produce reliably good work, with good range, and keep a good business. This is not required, just how I would qualify in my head
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This would come closest to an accurate description IMO of anything I have seen. However, I have as of yet to see any actual awards titled Master Artist. So I am not really sure who/what is the deciding factor on this term. To me it more often seems self awarded but maybe I am wrong.
Edited to add I looked it up just to see what I find online and found this:
Master artist means an artist who is recognized by the artist’s community and peers as an exem- plary practitioner of a traditional art form.
What is considered a master artist?
In fine art, the term “Old Master” traditionally refers to great European painters practicing during the period roughly 1300-1830. In looser terms, “Master Artist” refers to any great painter who’s art is generally not questioned as great art by society at large.
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ROSE has a Masters contest category this year
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That is interesting. That would be the best deciding factor I have seen.
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Thank you all so much! I do have a better idea of how to define and discuss this topic. Like you all I know who I consider a master artist and hadn’t thought much about it until I started getting questions about who deems someone a master artist and how to become one! I think it’s amazing that rose added that category as well!
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I found this:
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I went to some doll shows purposefully to look at some of these "master artists " work and was unfortunately disappointed
They were way overpriced and had barely any paint on them, it was more the sculptors who made the babies beautiful and a little bit of paint just enhanced the sculptors work.
Or the head is done nicely and the limbs are basically just a white stripe for the nails
But some are way out of control with the dry skin everywhere, the giant milk spots, and black lanugo all the way down on the forehead
I think some master artists are just really good at taking pictures and will show their best work and and over again.
I said some
Not all
Obviously I only saw a few “famous” artists work, not every one of them were at the doll shows I attended
And interestingly enough most of the amazing sculptors who have turned into “master painters” were really not that great at painting but get prototype opportunities because of their name
There were however some amazing babies that blew me out of the water from basically unknown artists who have a small group of people that constantly buy their work immediately once its released so nobody else really gets to see their amazing work
I feel like some people just like to purchase expensive dolls that are $2000+ because if they are that high priced they must be the best
Master artists should be obvious, no popularity contest, but having great work continuously not just one single really well done doll and pictures
for example one doll artist “master” can paint amazing hair, but in that one style only, and every single one of her babies looks the same, she is amazing and a master of her particular type of that one kind of painting, and her babies are so very cute but not really realistic I would not consider her a master
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