So there are a ton of misconceptions about art, and these misconceptions can cause people not to pursue art or abandon their pursuits. The misconception I'm going to tackle today is about art skill. (Disclaimer: when referring to art, I am talking about visual art specifically, like drawing and painting.)
Art skill is often mistaken for talent. When watching an artist who has been diligently practicing and improving their art for years on end draw something, it looks like they just naturally put the lines in the right place and make all the colors look good etc etc. While it is true that drawing comes easier to said artist, it's not because they're "so talented" or "gifted". It's because they're skilled. The difference between talent and skill is a wide one, and especially so in art; talent is when someone can draw well without ever practicing or trying to improve, whereas skill is when one has practiced, learned, and improved and is thus able to draw well. Talent is very rarely prominent in an artist simply because talent can only go so far. One cannot know how to draw curls well or the secret to hands (tbh does anyone know that) right from the womb. Of course not! Babies can't do hyper-realism masterpieces like adult artists can; first they must learn to hold a pencil and grow enough to do so proficiently, then they scribble, then they start making the classic football-shaped eyes and circle faces and string hair. It takes practice to see the world in a way that lets one translate it to paper, canvas, or screen. That is not to say that artistic talent does not exist- after all, certain styles do come easier to some people than others, and that artistic eye might not be a learned skill for some people- but almost everything I can think of having to do with art takes learning something. Talent isn't learned; skill is. Shading? You need to learn it. Color wheel? This has more potential for talent than others as some people have an eye for color, but it too can be learned. How to work with different mediums? Learned. Art is mostly skill, not talent. The point I'm trying to make here? Anyone can make art. Anyone. You've probably made art before. Remember those football-shaped eyes and circle faces and string hair people? That was art. It takes practice to make good art, however. Hyper-realism isn't the only kind of art, either. There are plenty of styles and types of art, and some people are better in certain areas compared to others, but with art, you can go anywhere if you work for it. And it does take work. It takes years of practice. It takes tutorials and lessons and classes, dozens of sketchbooks, and time. But anyone can be an artist if they're willing and able to put time, effort, and money into it. So the next time you think to tell an artist, "You're so talented," or "I could never draw like you," I hope this convinces you to think again. Because that artist likely had to work to get where they're at, and to call it talent disregards all of that work. And you could draw like them if you worked at it. But even better, you could draw like you. All it takes is a pencil, paper, and some time. mima ♥
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We're starting a poetry unit in my English class and we had to give examples of a number of poetry techniques. So I wrote a good deal of little mini poems and thought I'd share them with you all!
Light Haiku Lights flashing in dark Everywhere, shining brightly Blotting out the night Drought A drop of water landed on my tongue, Crisp, Cool. My parched, cracked lips were moist again The air was wet again Rain spattered my arms again As we all lifted our hands to rejoice In the scent of rain. Appearances The apple was bright red Like the advertisement for Chips But chips are empty calories, And this apple has a worm. Ascend Her soul was a butterfly, Escaping her crippled body To fly to the heavens Where she belonged. *cough cough* fly away my little akuma holy cow but wait Mrs. Agreste uuuuum forget I said anything Path of Fears I walked on the path of my fears, Treading upon them with each step And trampling them Under the weight of my newfound courage. Little Fairy-Insect The fairy was an insect, Buzzing in my ear And causing mischief. But without an insect, Other insects rise up, And so I bore with this Little fairy-insect Rather than allow All the sprites to overtake me. Unmasked Eyes, beaming brightly, Bore into my own and Bit away at me Until I stood, beaten, Defenseless, Without my mask of indifference. Peace Bees buzz over the fields, Cows moo, And in the peace I think of you. Precious Precious it was to me- And I not Gollum, But Bilbo, I think, Hanging on But not to the bitter end. Leaf's Descent I watched the leaf Float down, Slowly, Descending To the ground Where I lay Fallen. Storm Lightning flashed in the sky And I held my hat onto my head As the wind came cascading down From the heights of the mountains To blow the clouds, Billowing furiously, Into a murky grey blanket overhead Tears I shut my eyes Against the lies Squeezing out the pain In drops of salty rain. Shhhh I tip-toed, soft, on quiet feet Careful that the door not creak And traversed down the silent hall Barely brushing darkened walls. Hope you enjoyed all these little poem tidbits! I certainly had fun coming up with them. See if you can guess which ones are supposed to demonstrate which technique ;) mima ♥ |
AuthorI'm Mima, a bookworm, artist, and child at heart. ♥ ArchivesCategories |