"Learning" Art
Mkpp | 05/09/2008 @142 | edit post

I'm an 18 year old aspiring graphic artist. Next semester I'm taking 4 art classes, 2 digital and 2 traditional, and they'll be the first art classes I've ever taken. As for my artistic ability, I don't think it's all that great. I was wondering if art is something people can learn or if its more of a talent that someone's born with. Anyone can learn to be a computer programmer or a pharmacist if they want to, but can you learn to be a great artist? Currently I have a Wacom Intuos 3 tablet, Photoshop CS3, and the latest version of Corel Painter. I'm working towards my associates in Graphic Arts, but for the past few semesters I've been doing the liberal arts requirements and haven't taken any art classes. Ultimately I'd like to be able to create digital paintings(as opposed to editing photos or making advertisements) and make textures/concept art for video games. Thanks for the help, sorry for being a newb.

Re: "Learning" Art
Sharkh20 | 05/09/2008 @311 | edit post

I have always been a strong believer that anyone has the ability to learn to make great art. Just from looking at my past stuff, I know it is as much a learning process as is anything, and the more you do it, the better you become.

Re: "Learning" Art
killadore | 05/09/2008 @535 | edit post

I think that anyone can learn to be a *technically* great artist. It's all about practicing. But in my personal opinion it takes much more than technique to be a great artist. A sort of independence needs to be involved. An ability to come up with unique stuff, having a vision and daring to follow it, provoking the viewer to think and react...these are all things that lift an artist from being good to being brilliant...or just generally being a pissed off, opinionated individual. That works too. But of course everyone starts somewhere. So first of all I think one needs to get the technique down..that takes a lot of patience and you gotta be sober enough to realize that you won't be doing masterpieces from day 1.

Re: "Learning" Art
emarts | 05/09/2008 @628 | edit post

To become a great artist you have to be good at convincing others that you're a great artist.

Re: "Learning" Art
Raphael | 05/09/2008 @701 | edit post

Dunno about that Sam, I've been working on that one for years... never quite worked though ;-)

Re: "Learning" Art
plasticine | 05/09/2008 @713 | edit post

Of course, Ibelieve anyone can. But you have to care for your art and work hard to achive the skill to develop pieces with a good content and form.

Re: "Learning" Art
Mkpp | 05/09/2008 @713 | edit post

quote:  killadore wrote on 05/09 @535 I think that anyone can learn to be a *technically* great artist. It's all about practicing. But in my personal opinion it takes much more than technique to be a great artist. A sort of independence needs to be involved. That's an interesting point and something I forgot to mention in my first post. A few days ago I was thinking to myself and whether or not I could learn art. One of the thoughts I had was that maybe being able to draw, paint, etc. can be learned, but creativity, ingenuity, originality etc. have to come from you. Does that sound right? If that's the case then I'm not all that worried about it

Re: "Learning" Art
killadore | 05/09/2008 @743 | edit post

quote:  emarts wrote on 05/09 @628 To become a great artist you have to be good at convincing others that you're a great artist. Haha, I think that would more like make you a popular and rich artist...But not all popular artists are great. I think great art speaks for itself. No explanation or self-promotion is needed from the artist's side. Only the artwork and its title should be enough. And Mkpp: well if you're worried about the technique, it's just about sitting down and drawing away. If you're really committed to it, it won't take long until you've become good at it.

Re: "Learning" Art
TontoGrave | 05/10/2008 @113 | edit post

There is no such thing as talent unless it means "the personal touch" anyone has but then we are all talented, some people learns faster because they love what they're learning and/or they put lots of effort on it, and other people think they have magic powers or a mysterious gene. If you want and dare to learn, do it and if you don't like what you learnt hen you can something new but it's always better to know what you're missing.

Re: "Learning" Art
nekit | 05/11/2008 @448 | edit post

My art teacher said a thing I always remind to myself. An artist is 98% extremely hard everyday labour and only 2% of mystical substance called talent. Totally agree with previous posts: technically you can learn the art-craft perfectly. But the purpose is to be an artist, not only a craftsman who draws and paints tasty pictures for sale. This means that you have to put a piece of your soul into something unique you create, to arouse feelings, to provoke the viewer.

Re: "Learning" Art
emarts | 05/12/2008 @608 | edit post

You have to be really dedicated and willing to sacrifice much. Most people aren't either and their art doesn't rise above the level of hobby. That's pretty much where I am. I wish I had the guts to go further. But real life gets in the way, and I am content with that.

Re: "Learning" Art
Mokinzi | 05/12/2008 @622 | edit post

Some people are born with more talent in art than others, but I really believe that anyone can learn to make great art! But you need a love for art and a will to learn. You got to love what you are doing to make it good, and if you don't really want to learn, you won't either.... And to make art it is not just anatomy that counts, in some kinds of art that doesn't matter at all... In some kinds of art you need an understanding of colours, feelings, patterns or textures and so on... Art is a strange thing, because there is often not any clear rules of what is bad or good... But I think anatomy and some colour understanding is possible for anyone to learn! No one is born with that knowledge.