For me, at least.

 

So recently, I've gotten into the spirit of drawing again, only this time doing it when I feel like it instead of forcing myself. With my confidence, I decided to go onto the DeviantArt forums to ask a question. It wasn't anything too big, but a simple question I wanted to know; if I only draw when I want to and not really practice at all, how quickly would I get better? It was a hypothetical question.

 

I've already got two answers that were twice as long as my original post there, saying stuff like "It took me 27 years to get better. You need to train your brain correctly." Granted, some had good points that each person is different when it comes to time management and whatnot, but I wasn't looking for essays.

 

I must note, what I stated was me simply being curious about one question, and I got critics lecturing me. Not that I'm mad about that, but it just made me think about how hard and complex art it. Will I myself get better with art in the future? Maybe. I'm not making it a career, though. For some reason, I just can't wrap my head around the whole art theory or how to teach your brain to think about not what you are drawing but the shapes you need to create or something...

 

It can't be anymore complex than what I want to do for a living; I want to either become a video game director or an animation director, mainly because I want to share my stories in more visual ways to the world but those technically need knowledge of art, don't they? But no matter what I do, I literally can't memorize all of the stuff needed to "grasp" art. I'm fine with how I draw now. I know it isn't the best, but some people online still like how I draw, and I know some artist online who aren't the best around, yet they still get commissions almost every day.

 

Sorry if this seems kind of pointless, but letting out my thoughts helps me relax and not have this stuff lingering on my chest. Hope some of you guys can relate to this.

Well remember, art is like everything else that you have to learn in two ways.

 

1) You have to learn it. Seriously. Doodling every once in a while is great and all, but most artists don't teach themselves anymore. Many colleges have an extensive art program, and serious art programs looking for gifted artists can start as early as elementary school. Which leads me into the next point; the part you can't learn.

 

2) You have to develop your own style. To be good at a particular part of art, you have to be born with being naturally good at it. Art is an innate type of thing. So if you aren't good at drawing a particular type of way, try another. Don't draw the same way over and over again if you're not good at it and love it.

 

The point is, like everything, you need time and patience and hard work to become great at art. If you're not willing to put in the effort, don't try to be serious about it.

Edited June 27, 201312 yr by Number XV

Don't be so deterred just because they had a lot to say on the subject.  If anything, it shows that they spent a lot of time into the answer in hopes of helping you.  Art can seem complex, and maybe it is, but as you get better the things that used to seem hard will become instinct.  It's all practice, practice, practice.  Just put as much work as you want into it.  Or maybe don't wait until you "feel like it" but wait until you come up with an idea that makes you think "Man, I want to draw that".  In the end, though, it's a matter of what you want to get out of art; something to amuse yourself with or something to build into a craft.

Yeah plus honestly DA is not one of the best places to go for any type of help/advice/questions etc. haha. I really like Number XV's post a lot, but the community on DA has some...interesting reputations.

Think art of like learning anything else, really.  Like in math, you had to learn the numbers, then you had to learn to add and subtract, and then go from there.  The more you study and work with it, the more complex your work has the ability to become.  Soon enough, your elementary-school self could easily add and subtract in their heads without use of pencil and paper.  It starts to become less like something you had to try and pull from the back of your memory, and more like something that simply comes naturally once you pick up your tool of choice.  At one time, counting from 1-10 could have been hard for you, but now, it just seems like a piece of cake.  Just keep up the work, and some aspects of art can start to come naturally to you.

 

To be good at a particular part of art, you have to be born with being naturally good at it.

i disagree

To be good at a particular part of art, you have to put effort into learning it.  Can some people learn certain aspects of art faster than others? Absolutely.  Does this mean you have to be "born with being naturally good at it" to actually be successful in learning a technique?  No.  Many people have the potential to successfully make art in a style or way which lies outside of their comfort zone, they simply have to work for it.

I mean so long as you KEEP ON DRAWING and experiment, there's really no limit to how much you can grow and learn.

Of course art is complex, just like directing video games or animation, or archery, cooking, dancing, gardening, math, engineering, computer science, architecture, caregiving, mass production, marketing, politics, and anything related to the human condition worth doing except breathing (though some people don't have the luck for even that).

 

Everyone who's passionate enough about anything will have a lot to say when someone inquiries about how others do what they love.  When you love something enough (art in this case), it's not always easy to see that some people treat it as just a hobby rather than a passion.  If you can't seem to wrap your mind around the stuff needed to "grasp" art, or that you can't seem to "memorize" what it takes, well, there's no "memorization" to be had.  Okay, yeah, there are things like what colors compliment each other and such, but art takes practice.  "Grasping" art takes a mindset that you need to develop.  You can't really teach art, only help people cultivate the mindset needed to help "see" things.

 

This may shock some artists out there, but they have to accept some people just wanna do it for fun rather than something serious.  Some don't draw to improve or make a name for themselves, they just do it because they like it.  They have fun with it and that's all that should matter to them.

in a way i think that schools have ruined art because of them bringing in to much theory into something that i think should be the most practical and fun. they should be helping new artists find their own style so that they can improve instead of looking back at art like Picasso and other old artist ( no offence, its just that how does it help us learn about our own art style.). in the end i think art should be something that we can have fun with alot more then what it is now and not so complex.

If it helps you any; Everyone says i'm a GREAT artist.

 

But, 'cha know what?!.......I always prefered to doodle.

 

In other words; Just have. FUN!^^ Thats my best answer for you my friend~*curtsy's adorably~x3;;*