The topic of TALENT continued…

There is a discussion in a forum on the subject of talent, and the question “Can you teach anyone to draw?”

Well, yes and no.

There’s a difference between “Anybody can learn to draw” and “You can teach anybody to draw,” and an even bigger difference between that and “You can teach anybody to be a really good artist.”

Drawing is a skill, and skills can be learned. Skills can be taught.

I had a young art student who exclaimed “this is hard!” I replied, “All you are doing is pushing a pencil across a piece of paper. That’s not hard, is it?” At that, he smiled and said “I want to draw a dragon!”

Anyone can learn to draw… if they want to.

You cannot teach anybody to draw. The student must be willing to put in the effort required to learn the skill. You cannot force the skill onto them. You cannot teach someone who is unwilling to learn. So the saying would be better rephrased:

“You can teach drawing to anyone who is willing to learn.”

To some people, it’s just not that important – and that’s okay. Not everybody needs to be an artist. There are plenty of other awesome things to do in the big blue world.

Likewise, you cannot teach just anyone to be a good artist. That requires a long-term commitment of time, effort and energy. The student must be willing to endure disappointment along the road to learning and mastering the skills, concepts and principles involved in becoming a good artist.

Nobody was born a good artist; we all had to become good artists. It is a process of learning and growth. Gregg Kreutz states “Nobody was born a good painter. There are no child prodigies in painting.”

Daniel Parkhurst, student of William Bouguereau, wrote that “Talent is just another name for the love of a thing.” My mentor Juliette Aristides adds: “This love gives the person the desire to pursue an objective in spite of obstacles that arise, and provides him or her with the stamina necessary for extended study.”

That extended study - and the extra effort it requires - is what leads to mastery.

You cannot teach someone to love.

Becoming a really good artist is not easy. Just ask anyone who endeavors to become a really good artist.

Patience, Persistence and Perseverance – these are the “3 Ps” of becoming a good artist.

In addition to learning the skills and concepts, one must also find the means to overcome disappointment, frustration, and self-doubt, because these are guaranteed to occur.

“Success involves stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

Therefore, a requirement of becoming a good artist is the ability to develop and embrace a love of the medium, to foster enthusiasm and resolve to continue over the long haul. Becoming a good artist is not something that can be done apathetically. You must care enough to persevere. Becoming a good artist is an endurance game.

Anyone can learn to draw, If they want to.

Anyone can become a really good artist – if they really want to.

The only limit to how good an artist you can become, is how much you really want it.

My love of creating art, and of becoming a good artist, is what keeps me coming back over and over, and each time moving forward a little more. Becoming a good artist is not a destination, it is a state of being.

After all these years, I am still constantly amazed at how much more there is to learn, and how much better of an artist I can still become.