Do you have to be born a good artist?

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When I finally convinced the nine year old that I wasn't taking no for an answer, he drew a little tiny drawing. When I didn't take the paper away, he kept adding to the picture to fill the page. ( http://tandt.keenspace.com/d/20041206.html )

Wow, he draws a good cat. Maybe you should bully him more often

[Chibiartstudios]

I bullied my son into drawing a strip for my comic. He kept whining that he couldn't draw!

When he was six, we would spend hours designing robots. We would also make picture books. He would draw them, and I would write the words.

When I finally convinced the nine year old that I wasn't taking no for an answer, he drew a little tiny drawing. When I didn't take the paper away, he kept adding to the picture to fill the page. ( http://tandt.keenspace.com/d/20041206.html )

When he was six, his drawings would fill the page and maybe have a couple of add ons.

I'm wondering what led him to believe he couldn't draw.

The good news is he is now keen on doing the back story about how Sir Tristan and even do the drawing. Something to be said for Motherly enthusiam.

Susan

Hurray for the bullying of small children! Source of lunch money for all!

And that is why I am declaring you "Cool Mom of the day"

(Seriously though. That's pretty good!)

[William G]

And that is why I am declaring you "Cool Mom of the day"

Ooo! when's "MILF of the day"?

[NotoriousMEQ]

I used to work as a nanny and it's absolutely amazing what kids can do when you push them a little. Sometimes they get so frustrated when they can't draw things perfect in their head, but if you just get the idea out of their head that every drawing they do has to be perfect and fridge-worthy, it frees them up tremendously. I got them drawing monsters and them using the scissors to cut them up and "fight" them. The kids had a blast playing with the paper monsters and got really creative in making up monsters. They didn't worry about them being "good", and so they got to figure out for themselves what works and what doesn't. A lot of what held me back as an artist for years was this school-arts-class theory that you just had one try to do something well. It really makes art intimidating.

-megs

[The Neko]

Yeah, our art teacher said we were NEVER allowed to use an eraser. Well, he also gave up on our class before it started, since half of it couldn't speak English, and he was retiring next year. So instead, I just did all my art education in my HS's figure drawing class after school.

[Wp]

I'm wondering what led him to believe he couldn't draw.

He's probably approaching the age when it's not cool to hang out with the folks.

[Beyonder_alpha]

I'm wondering what led him to believe he couldn't draw.

He's probably approaching the age when it's not cool to hang out with the folks.

Don't worry, it'll only last 10 to 15 years.

[Noise Monkey]

ah...the wonder years...


no, I don't mean the tv show with Fred Savage.

[RPin]

But that was the best show EVAR!

[Noise Monkey]

but he (Fred Savage) couldn't begin to touch the majesty that was his brother ben's white man 'fro!

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Has Ben Savage been in anything recently?

[LAGtheNoggin]

Hopefully a dumpster, bleeding and with no clothes. ( <- that's probably an accurate review of his recent movie portfolio )


And now for my extremely belated on topic reply;

Talent, are you born with it or do you develop it?
I have begun drop-in life drawing classes. My findings: There is a definite correlation between age and ability. The older they are, the better they draw. At about age 50 and above, the general rule is pure awesome with a bit of newb. The younger you go, the less awesome you see and the greater amount of newb. Attendees at class are between the age of 19 and 60.

Either this means that all the people born with talent were born 40 years ago and the newer generations just plain suck, or that it's something you develop.

Yes, I know we settled this over five pages ago but ya'know, I've started life drawing! Look at me! And now back to your regular broadcast;

[Soap Soaperson]

Me too!

*runs off with LAG to draw naked people*

[LAGtheNoggin]

Hurrah!

Inbetween poses, do your models walk around and ask to look at your work too? I find it deeply unnerving. Deeply.

Also, since I'm doing this drop-in style (no prior teaching,no lecturers, no pointers), I'm probably doing this life drawing malarky wrong. Are there any rules or tips? Like "don't use A5" and "don't grab an easle if you don't need one" and "don't scream like a sissy-girl when they de-robe"? Because if so, um, that's two rules I've broken already....

[MaxRadical]

I've gotta add my two cents to this topic.

You definitely don't need to be born with it. I know this, because I was born with the science genes in a family of artists. Always very good at computers and physics, tried drawing once when young and sucked at it, while my sisters and bro churn out the sweet art (one of my sisters does gallery exhibitions and the like now).

But I've always wanted to be able to get the ideas in my head out where people can see them, to be able to draw, so around last christmas I started. And man did I ever suck. My first few months efforts were enough to make anyone quit - except for the vital fact that I enjoyed doing them, very much. And if you enjoy it you do it, and if you spend time at it you improve.

Here I am now, no major artist but a decent cartoonist - I can draw the pictures and show them to people and they recognise what I'm trying to draw, which is all I ever wanted. In fact my coworkers saw my stuff and said I should draw something for the lab group - I did, and they all liked it. There was enjoyment and laughter, which made me very happy.

So you definitely don't need to be born with it. You should just enjoy it!

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Hurrah!

Inbetween poses, do your models walk around and ask to look at your work too? I find it deeply unnerving. Deeply.

Also, since I'm doing this drop-in style (no prior teaching,no lecturers, no pointers), I'm probably doing this life drawing malarky wrong. Are there any rules or tips? Like "don't use A5" and "don't grab an easle if you don't need one" and "don't scream like a sissy-girl when they de-robe"? Because if so, um, that's two rules I've broken already....

I always hated it when the model looked at my stuff because it usually sucked.

A good way to go is draw a pseudo stick figure to capture the gesture and placement of limbs and joints. Then fill it in from there.

My drawing professor brought her dog to class a lot, and one time, it snuck up on the model and licked her back. This was followed by a shriek and a locking of the dog in the office.

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I'm not sure I could focus enough to draw nude women, or look at the model long enough to draw nude men.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

I modled once (I had clothes on though, since it was the first day and we took turns modling for each other). Holding a pose for 10 minutes hurt a lot. But some of the models I've seen could hold a pose for like an hour. It's quite amazing really.

[The Neko]

The models aren't always that distracting. For the most part, I ended up trying to skip the male model days at my high school. I mean, mostly it's because they weren't to pleasant to look at with their clothes ON, let alone off. The women looked okay, but the guys were sometimes potato-shaped and over 50, with a couple exceptions that were more interesting to draw since you could follow the human skeleton more easily with them.

Usually the female models who did art themselves looked at our works. Sepia and charcoal were my favorite mediums to use on those day.

My roommate is an art-model for my school.

[Chibiartstudios]

The models aren't always that distracting. For the most part, I ended up trying to skip the male model days at my high school. I mean, mostly it's because they weren't to pleasant to look at with their clothes ON, let alone off. The women looked okay, but the guys were sometimes potato-shaped and over 50, with a couple exceptions that were more interesting to draw since you could follow the human skeleton more easily with them.

Usually the female models who did art themselves looked at our works. Sepia and charcoal were my favorite mediums to use on those day.

My roommate is an art-model for my school.

Yes, drawing the male figgure is always an... interesting experience. though not half as interesting as watching OTHERS draw the male figgure. Especially the guys.

For some reason when women are the models people are pretty good about drawing things like breasts etc. It's fun!

When they get to the guys you either get some sort tiny nub or a gigantic mass because people are so nervause about drawing... that.

One day some of the class members where asked to draw themselves naked as an option for a makeup assignment. Why they would agree is beyond me.

One I can safely say was exagerating things. The other looked frighteningly like George Bush. (the face, not the penis. Grow up.)

And on that visual note I say goodnight!