[chevill]

>Most visual artists don't like to share techniques. It's a closed source mindset in that regard.

This hasn't been my experience at all. First of all the surest way to become a great artist is to surround yourself in an environment with other people that aspire to the same thing. An environment that's collaborative where people give feedback, encouragement, and constructive criticism to one another. Where people share techniques. Second, there's really not much in the way of secret techniques. People have been drawing/painting/sculpting/etc for many centuries. Its no secret how to get good at it.