Sketching out a career

Taking up art for a livelihood is more than just striking a brush on canvas. Lin Qi reports.

A degree from an art college does not always mean that you embark upon a path to become a successful artist. Instead, it simply means that you have entered a very competitive arena, and that you have to survive a rather high rejection rate.

"A lot of people will quit in the first five years after college, when they cannot support themselves, or they can find no support from outside," says Wang Meichen, 34.