Is it possible today, in this crazy computer age, to make a living as a studio oil painter?

Is it possible to just be an artist without having to do something else to make ends meet in todays society?Is it possible today, in this crazy computer age, to make a living as a studio oil painter?
You certainly can. You do not have to live in any particular place. It is a matter of your work being seen in the right places. The goal would be to get into the better galleries.





You need to stack the deck in your favor by getting the best education. Attend an atelier instead of a university. Get a specialized education in a focused environment. Art education is currently an ideological, political and economic mess. You can graduate without the ability to draw. Go where you will develop the highest skill then you will have a choice whether to do abstract or realist work.





Don't be concerned with what you would have to paint. Get good first and by then you will be a different person. Live some life and you will grow and evolve. You have to have experiences of life to have something to say. There are successful studio painters doing every type of art. Down the road decide what to create.Is it possible today, in this crazy computer age, to make a living as a studio oil painter?
It is possible, but you have a long hard road ahead of you. There are many different factors that negatively effect the art market today that you must be aware of.





Chinese cheap labor (children), the american's view on art culture, economy, to name a few.
Possible and probable are too different things. And as much as I wish this wasn't the case, it's very difficult for studio artists to make a living and most don't find it to be a successful road to travel.