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AsktheArtProfessor:Isdrawingconsideredaninnatetalentoracraft,whichcanbelearnedbyanyone?|ArtProf

ArtProf
ClaraLieu,VisualArtist&AdjunctProfessoratRISD

AsktheArtProfessor:Isdrawing
consideredaninnatetalentoracraft,
whichcanbelearnedbyanyone?
PostedonMay7,2013
AsktheArtProfessorisanadvicecolumnforvisualartists,nowfeaturedinthe
HuffingtonPost.Thisisyourchancetoaskaprofessionalartist/educatoryourquestions
aboutbeinganartist,thecreativeprocess,careeradvice,etc.Submityourquestionby
emailingmeatclara(at)claralieu.com,orbycommentinghereonthisblog.Allquestions
willbepostedanonymously,andyoullreceivenotificationwhenyourquestionisonline.
Readanarchiveofpastarticleshere.
Isdrawingconsideredaninnatetalentoracraft,whichcanbelearnedby
anyone?
Personally,Ibelievethatnaturaltalentexists.ThereasonIbelieveinnaturaltalentis
becauseIvemettoomanypeoplewhohaveexhibitedtrulyremarkabledrawingabilitiesto
believeotherwise.Manyofthemcanruncirclesaroundmeintermsoftheirdrawingskills,
andtheyseemtopossessaneffortlesscommandofdrawingthatseemstotranscendage
and/orexperience.Takealookforexample,atthisdrawingdonebya13yearoldDurer:

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AsktheArtProfessor:Isdrawingconsideredaninnatetalentoracraft,whichcanbelearnedbyanyone?|ArtProf

SelfPortraitat13byDurer
Atthesametimethough,allofthetalentintheworldwontgetyouanywhereifyouarent
willingtoworkhard,pushyourself,andtrynewapproaches.Iveencounteredpeoplewho
wereamazinglytalented,butwhowerelazy.Oneofmypeersinartschoolwassucha
scatterbrainthathewasneverabletomakeaprofessionalcareerasanartistforhimself
becausehecouldneverkeepacontinuousthoughttogether.Ivehadstudentswhohad
dazzlingdrawingskills,butwhoweresoenamoredwiththeirstyleofdrawingthatthey
neverwantedtotryanythingnew.
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AsktheArtProfessor:Isdrawingconsideredaninnatetalentoracraft,whichcanbelearnedbyanyone?|ArtProf

InthebeginningofmycareerwhenIwasteachinghighschool,Ioncehada15yearold
studentwhodemonstratedsomeofthemostextraordinarydrawingskillsIhaveever
seen.Everythinghedrewwasbreathtaking,andhewasworshipedbytheotherstudents
forhisincredibledrawingskills.However,allofhisdrawingslookedthesame,allthe
time.Thedrawingshedidatthebeginningofthesemesterlookedexactlythesameas
thedrawingshedidattheendofthesemester.Eventhoughallofhisdrawingswere
aestheticallybeautiful,hisprogresswascompletelystaticandhisworkneverevolved.
Therewasnothingartisticaboutthewayheappliedhisdrawingskills.
Naturaltalentaside,Ialsobelievethatifyouarepassionateenough,andwillingtoinvest
inhardlaborandintensededication,youcanabsolutelyacquirethedrawingskillsyou
seek.IvehadanumberofstudentsovertheyearsinmyclassesatRISDwhocameinto
mydrawingclasswithalmostnodrawingexperienceatall.Onewouldthinkthatlackof
experiencewouldsetthemback,andthathavingpreviousdrawingexperiencewouldbe
anautomaticasset.Actually,manyofthestudentswithnoexperiencefrequentlyendup
beingsomeofthetopstudentsintheclassbecauseoftheirfiercecommitmenttolearning
andtheirabilitytoexperimentandtakerisks.Manystudentshaveremarkedtomethat
theirpreviousdrawingexperiencewasactuallyahindrance,andthattheywishedthey
couldhavestartedfromscratch.Agoodportionofthesemesterformanyofthese
studentsisoftenspentgettingridofbadhabits,whichinmanywaysismuchtougher
thanstartingwithnothing.
Rememberthough,thateventhegreatesttalentanddrawingskillswillonlytakeyouso
far.Intheend,itsthecreativityandideasthatmatter.Artistshavetothinkandmake
choicesintheirworkthisiswhatdistinguishesanartistfromsomeonewhoissimply
technicaladept.
Relatedarticles:
Whatisagesturedrawing?
HowcanIlearntoshadeobjectsinmydrawings?
HowcanIdrawwhatIseeinmyhead?
Whatisthebestwaytopracticemydrawingskills?
Howdoyougetyourselftopracticedrawing?
Whatisthemostimportantmindsetastudentneedstohaveinordertocreatea
successfuldrawing?

SH A R ETH IS:

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professorisdrawingconsideredaninnatetalentoracraftwhichcanbelearnedby
anyone/].
8THOUGHTSONASKTHEARTPROFESSOR:ISDRAWINGCONSIDEREDANINNATETALENTORA
CRAFT,WHICHCANBELEARNEDBYANYONE?

Dim
onMay7,2013at4:41pmsaid:

Thankyouverymuchforreplyingtomyquestion,MrsClara
Lieu.Iampracticingdrawingandpaintingasbasicpracticesfor
dealingwithillustrationandIamnotquiteconfidentasfarasmy
drawingskill.So,theanswerispassionandlovefordrawing,
devotionandhardwork.AndIamkeepinginmindthisimportand
quoteofyou:Intheend,itsthecreativityandideasthat
matter.
Iwouldliketoexpressmyappreciationandrespectforyour
teachingandyourwork.
GreetingsfromAthens,Greece,
DimitraF

claralieu
onMay7,2013at4:49pmsaid:

Great,Imsogladthiswasusefultoyou!

ScottLewis
onSeptember17,2013at2:32pmsaid:

IthinkIamgoodatdrawing,drawingthingsare
almosteffortlessthoughtheolderIgetseemsthe
talentgrowswithmeevenifihaventpickedupa
pensilinmonthsorevenyears..IamconvincedI
shoulddosomethingwithitIjustdontknowwere
tobegin.

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DavidWatersJr.

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onFebruary28,2014at11:31pmsaid:

Enteryouremailaddress

Ofcoursenaturaltalentexists.Tosaytobeanartistyourequire
itisfalsethough.Anythingcanbepracticedandperfected.

Signmeup

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Nordlys
onMay9,2014at8:00amsaid:

thisistrue.Inevermeetextremelytalentedpeople,butIknew
peoplethatbelievedtobetalented(whiletheywerent).
Imcompletelytalentless,butIpracticealotandnowIcandraw
atleastdecently.ButIwanttogetbetter.

Algo
onNovember17,2014at6:01pmsaid:

Iencounteredsomeonewiththatleveloftalent,andshehappens
tobe13yearsold.Shesadeptatsoftshading,andIbelieveit
cametohernaturallyIhadtolearnitandIm10yearsolderthan
her.Shewasabletodrawherfriendsfacefromhercellphonein
justabout2hoursatthemost.Iactuallyassumedshewas
aroundmyage,sinceweweretakingtheadultclassestogether.
lol

Nordlys
onDecember20,2014at9:14pmsaid:

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Accordingtorecentstudies,artisjustr1%hardwork.Therestis
talent.
Alsoaccordingtothosestudies,peoplethattotallylackofartistic
talent(likemyself)cantgoanywhere.Lackoftalentrenderyour
drawingscoldanduninteresting,evenifyougetsomedrawing
skills.

SJ
onOctober15,2015at4:19amsaid:

Therewasnothingartisticaboutthewayheappliedhisdrawing
skills.
ThisissomethingthatIdidntquiteunderstand.Howcanwesay
ifaworkisartistic?

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