For many art students, their beloved art is an impossible dream. Financial difficulties force most to switch to other careers and never pick up a paint brush again.

It's a huge waste of talent and the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House wants to help a couple of promising student painters enter the art field before they graduate into this cold world of struggling artists.

It has launched a problem to promote selected students through exhibitions and overseas promotion, so when they graduate they won't be unknown.

The publishing house previously sponsored the "Ming Da Ai Tao" creative work solicitation, in which two talented students were selected and given studio space and promotion. One of them, Cheng Xiang, has already had a successful solo exhibition and is preparing for a group show.

The new program is shorter and simpler. Instead of a month-long solicitation, the publishing house will choose directly from the recommendations of five art schools in Shanghai.

The five are the Shanghai Arts and Crafts College, the Fine Arts School of Shanghai University, the Fine Arts School of East China Normal University, the Art and Design School of Shanghai Science and Technology University, and the Department of Stage Design of Shanghai Theater Academy.

Only oil painters and traditional Chinese painters will be considered - skill is the prime criterion. Each school will recommend one or two students and the publishing house experts will decide on two winners.

"The art field is tough," says Zhang Xudong, director of marketing at the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House. "Many students paint diligently in school yet find themselves 'nobodies' the moment they graduate."

Nobody knows them, hence nobody buys their works. "Under pressure from their families or themselves, many just quit and never paint again."

The program aims, in a very small way, to bridge the distance between school and the marketplace. Students whose works are known before graduation stand a better chance of surviving and even succeeding.

"It is pity to see talented people quit," says Zhang. "Painting needn't be everyone's first career, but at least they should be able to paint in their spare time, instead of having to work overtime."

The program's promotion is free, but students must finance their own painting by purchasing materials.

The publishing house also aims to nurture a new painting master in oils and traditional Chinese painting.

"Since Chen Shifa and Chen Yifei passed away, there are almost no great painting masters in Shanghai, especially among those under 45 years old," says Zhang. "The recommended students are potential elites. We hope to help one of them achieve great success."

Painting skill is essential.

"Trends always change," says Zhang.

"But success depends on solid basics of painting."