Obtain a solid art education to give you an edge in this highly competitive field. Get a bachelor's degree in fine arts. Continue your education and secure a master's degree in an area such as art history, art theory or artistic criticism and writing. Opt for several hands-on art courses to understand the methods used to create a variety of works.
Secure an internship position with a respected gallery or museum as part of your education. While studying art in an educational setting is necessary, there's nothing like experiencing famous works of art firsthand to help form your opinions and complete your education.
Travel to galleries and museums whenever possible to widen your exposure to additional works of art. The more you view works by the masters, the more you'll understand what goes into creating a truly great painting, sculpture, photograph or drawing.
Strengthen your writing skills by composing critiques for as many works of art as possible. Offer a concrete analysis based on the principles of art such as balance, contrast, color, composition and harmony, rather than your personal perspective of the artist's talent.
Obtain writer's guidelines, and submit your work to several publications that feature the work of art critics such as local and national newspapers, journals, art magazines and Internet sites devoted to the art world. Build a portfolio of your published clips to submit to potential employers when applying for jobs.
Apply for a variety of positions with magazines, newspapers, museums, auction houses and academic institutions. Don't be afraid to start small in this extremely competitive field. Be aware that relocation may be necessary for success in your field. Large cities such as New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles present greater opportunities with their plethora of galleries and museums than many smaller towns with a considerably smaller art scene.