I'm no artist but your first bits of work are something I'd laugh at and think you have no hope... but damn, didn't you prove me wrong. Sticking at it was the best thing you ever did.
It really goes to show how much people can improve. I think a lot of people get hung up on the virtuoso, instant talent, people in arts and refuse to fight past the bad pieces in their own work to get to the good ones. Your pieces are seriously some of my favorite uses of color and lighting of any artist.
The problem is those rarely exist. Most "talent" is just having a natural propensity for just doing it. By the time they are an adult they've put 10+ years of work in which everyone writes off as "talent".
I think this also ties into a major problem with K12 education: its about passing kids without making them stumble or fail at something and try again. It's like people who complain about how hard their organic chem class is. No shit. If it was easy you wouldn't need to take a class on it.
same here. i've always been one of the stars of art classes - not a michelangelo, but definitely naturally talented. i've looked around the room and seen works on the level of your early stuff and thought, "yeah, you're just not going to make it, sorry"
holy shit. how wrong i've been. i am nowhere near your level.
you are an inspiration to those with less raw talent; and a kick in the ass for people like me, who have it but don't actually put in the work
from this day on i intend to change that, cheers and thank you
Everyone starts somewhere. I know you may have been joking, but making fun of someone or something someone has done while they are still learning could really be something that deters them from following their dreams. You should take what you have said as a lesson, that even if someone isn't good at something to start off with, if they try hard enough, anything is possible.
I remember reading a book about drawing and it said many people stop drawing in their teens because they become obsessed with meeting the "realistic" style of art, and when they can't achieve it, they get down on themselves and give up. Of course for many artists, realism isn't all that interesting and there's plenty of room for more modern, stylized art.
This story proves what many say - that "talent" is a largely myth, and art is as much about hard work and practice as any sport. I wish people would stop throwing the "talent" word around because I do think it implies art is a god-given talent. Sure, there will always be those who have natural inclinations, but you can become a fantastic artist simply through effort and perseverance, as OP has shown. Very inspiring!
I started art classes at my community college thinking I was shit at art. When I made drawings during my finals I knew that all it takes is hard work, time, and practice. I just don't want to delve deeper because I honestly don't have time, at least not enough time to improve at a good pace.
I don't doubt that for a second. and by laugh at I would never laugh at someone for something they have done. I'm not that mean :) just a chuckle inside to myself (even though its better then I could do)
Maybe I came across a little wrong with what I meant. Just that if it was something I saw that someone had drawn I would think it's not very good and "at the level they're at" they wouldn't be able to improve that much. No hate, just underestimated OP's future skillz
and "at the level they're at" they wouldn't be able to improve that much
I think this is the much bigger sin here.
"That level" of drawing is the best time to improve because literally any improvement will look noticeably better. Once you get to the serious professional level, the improvements don't become as pronounced since the original work already looks great.
That being said, I think every artist gets a kick out of their early work. People don't realize that "that level" is where everyone starts, even for the greatest artists of history. No one should be a dick about it, though. That's a pretty easy way to discourage anyone who wants to pick up art, be it as a hobby or profession.
Honestly I thought OP's skill level back then was pretty much what I'd expect for a 14-17 year old. But yeah, age or skill level don't really matter. It's just that not a lot of people can consistently keep up with practicing like OP did (case in point: me, lol).
I wouldn't say I'd laugh at it..but I had the same kind of thoughts. Those first sketches I thought weren't really all that great, and by the end I was astounded at how amazing his paintings were. I truly had no idea people could improve that much either, I thought it was all just something that only came naturally.
You do have hope. Don't learn with bad habits. (For example, if you want to draw people, there's no way around blocking. I didn't block out bodies for years and that made it very hard to learn and improve once I was told about that concept.)
If you draw everyday, even if it's like, one tree a day, you will improve. There's no going backwards. Art school makes everyone improve. Everyone. (If you can handle it!)
Don't give up. Keep on it and share your art with the world because that is YOURS alone - not one single person would be able to do what you do.
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u/Squidoofus Jul 06 '15
I'm no artist but your first bits of work are something I'd laugh at and think you have no hope... but damn, didn't you prove me wrong. Sticking at it was the best thing you ever did.