It was a long ago that someone asked me if someone can learn how to draw or if they had to be born with the skill. Many that meet me assume that I was a natural talent artist (the idea that some people are "born artists" and all others sucked) but I wasn't always that great and to me, natural talent is a myth.
When I was a child I was in the same level as everyone because the concept of art wasn't that strong. As children we love to draw stick figures and funny or cute attempts at drawing what we think is exactly like the object we see or know.
But as I grew my skill developed more because I was more attentive to details. I was more visual at that age and my drawings reflected that. To those other kids they may have notice a slight different in my drawings but not much because I was still growing and learning. It also helped to draw whenever I had the chance to at school and it led me to become a semi decent drawer later on.
Then, there was this girl, my best friend in that school who was always better then me in everything (so was my other best friend but she wasn't an artist though). I hated to admit it but I was jealous of her because many classmate prefer her artwork then mine. At least...that's how I saw it.
Basically the point is that I sucked. I got better with practice and determination.
I kept drawing because it was honesty the only thing that I've love doing. Sure, I had decent school grades but art was special to me because not many in my school could do it. I wasn't dull or a boring person because of it and it was better that I was good at something I love then be good at nothing at all or something I hate.
I've become the artist I am today because I kept drawing every single day. I literally mean that too. I have old sketch books that date back to my childhood and you can see the major difference between then and now. I improved so much that it just seems unreal when I compare my stuff. Even when I look through them in order I can see the progress I made in each sketch book, the areas I improved, the areas I struggle to overcome and so on.
That's how I improved, how I draw the way I draw and how I'm capable of doing so. Everyone can be an artist because we all start out not knowing how and it's really all up to them to take the first steps to do something about it. Art doesn't make you, you make art and you can grow and become better but again it's up to you. If art is the path you want and you know what you're aiming for then practice and keep at it.
Also, no matter how much it seems like a daunting task to always practice, it works. Don't give up when you feels as though you aren't improving. Everyone is different and for some it takes a month or more, to see a difference in skills. Heck, it might take a couple of years until they are confident and capable of drawing something without difficulty. Even then artists don't stop practicing once they are artists. They keep doing it to make sure that their skills stay sharp and to keep getting better.
I encourage anyone who is interested in drawing and wants to be an artist to keep at it. You WILL improve. I only suggest that you try to draw everyday, for maybe an hour or thirty minutes each day. That's how I did it and it was fun but not easy sometimes. Especially when you got school work and life interfering but practice, patience, and determination helps to achieve your goal. And it never hurts to take some basic art classes in school, or be in an art club or be friends with an artist. They can help, giving you advice, you'll learn a lot of new things and they'll encourage you when you feel down.
There's an artist in us all, you'll just have to do something about it to bring it out.
 DamnBlackHeart · Mon May 09, 2011 @ 03:40am · 0 Comments |
