I Wish I Could Draw Like That!
Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
by Tex Norman
I usually reply in some way similar to this: "You not only could do the art work I do, but you could probably do it better than I do. All you need to do is do what I have done. I have drawn thousands of pictures. Most of the pictures I have drawn were on scraps of paper, or in the margins of workbooks, so I'm not claiming to have done thousands of finished, ready to be framed pictures. What I am saying is that I have sketched, doodled, and cartooned day after day for the past 60 years. I drew in school when I was supposed to be doing seat work. I drew in church as I endured two sermons on Sunday and one on Wednesday night. My parents thought drawing and painting were important so I was encouraged to draw and paint, supplies were made available to me, and while I didn't call it practice, that is what it was. I practiced all the time.
A person who hasn't drawn many pictures can't expect to be as skilled as someone who has drawn 20, 000 pictures. But anyone who has drawn and painted as much as I have will be pretty good at it and lots of folks will be great at it.
What I think most people mean when they sigh and say they wish they could paint like I do, they mean that they wish they could just do what I do without ever having to do the practice. I wish I were thin without having to eat less. I wish I had muscles without having to lift weights.
Throughout history there have been these plumbs of artistic expression that seem to just happen. How can we explain that Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael all knew each other, were alive at about the same time, and about the same area on this earth? Or how about the Impressionists in France? Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Dagas Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gaugh and Lautrec all come on the scene at about the same period in history, in France, or they are drawn to France, and these guys knew each other. How can that be? What explains it?
Eric Hoffer writes some about this and in general he seems to think what is valued by society creates the talented. A kid that throws a ball well, in a society that honors sports, is likely to get encouragement to keep throwing that ball. A kid in Renaissance Italy might draw a picture on the side walk with a piece of chalk and the art lovers of their society will say, "Hey kid. That's great. Draw some more."
I have a good friend who argues with me and the example he uses to refute my view is singing. Some people just can't carry a tune. Some people can take lessons, and practice and even love music, but they just can't stay on tune. We all know people like that he says so clearly some people just get the gift of singing and some don't.
It is a good point. I am not sure I agree, but I do recognize that the point is well made and not easily refuted.
Eric Hoffer said, "Where the development of talent is concerned, we are still at the food gathering stage." In other words, we may recognize talent, we might be able to go out and find talent and haul talent into the studio, but we have not yet learned how to grow talent. Our ability to plant the seeds of talent, to cultivate and nurture talent is just not something we as a society have learned do yet.
I guess the debate about art is similar to the debate about all human traits: is it nature or nurture, is it a gift, or a learned skill, is it etched on our DNA or is it learnable.
I want it to be learnable, because if it is a gift then I have it, or I don't have it. It takes ME out of the equation. I want to believe that I can be an artist if I choose to be an artist. If YOU believe talent is a gift, and if YOU believe you didn't get the gift then YOU will not try, and you will not develop the talent you admire.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)You make some great points Tex.I am 52 years old and have been drawing and painting for only 7 years. I was one of those, "Gee, I wish I could draw like that." types. However, I was aware that it comes with time, training, and practice. I went to college in "03" and earned an Associates degree in The Fine Arts. I am currently planning to attend UMass in September of 2010 to pursue my Bachelor's.It's never too late, and although to sing one needs to be born with a voice, all one needs to know when drawing and painting is the basic shapes and how to make them 3-dimensional. Another thing that will help in artistic development, is to have a love for it.
That's a really good point. If you think about it, not many people can start playing songs on a guitar after only a few times of picking and strumming at it. It does take practice. Spot on, Sir!
Hi Tex.I wish I could write like that. :)This is an excellent example of the other one of your talents. I love the armadillo, by the way.So when I start bemoaning my inability to ride a horse like someone who has been doing it for years, I will think of you and this and not be so hard on myself.Thanks and hugs,Dianne
First of all Tex, I agree with some of the other comments in that not only are you a talented artist but a talented writer as well. I do think we can teach people to do just about anything. We can teach them to draw, teach them to play hockey. The difference is what passion they bring to it. You can teach a child to play piano but another child may almost 'become' the piano when they play, and that I believe is a gift. You're correct in saying we must practice to excel at something. My son sounds just like you in that he drew from the time he was four, and is now an amazing artist. My daughter excelled at swimming and put in many years of training. Even when given a gift of being musical or artistic, you have to continue to develop your skill by practicing it. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us!
Great article. Some serious thinking going on here, and it helped me get back to some painting. Thanks.
I remember when I first went into sales, my manager said if you want to be successful then you will have to do all the dull and boring preparation the other people don't want to do. Practice is the winner. Great article, good information, but discipline required.
I think the technical skills of drawing are learnable, but a good imagination isn't. Anybody can learn to draw something that's in front of their eyes, though.
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