Ernie

Ok, so I have gathered, throught my topic on how people come about what to draw, that several of you are actually good drawers and artists.
I can barely draw stick figures, and some of the 4 year olds I work with have more artistic ability than me, when it comes to pencil, paper, paint etc.
So I was just curious as to how many of you create using other mediums too? Who is an artist, and who, like me, just plays online a lot and discovered this site, and fiddles around a bit?

Baldur

I just fiddle around, and am rather dangerous in any other medium

matthew

I am a pool player... Just here stalking Baldur & Rasselbear... I know that Mike Lee (likemee) is... go to his profile & find link to his website... He does beautiful work... That is a free plug Mike... Next time you will receive my bill...

cutegrl289

I'm just here to play around and get some creative juices flowing. I really enjoy at least looking at other people's works on here and commenting if I can't think of anything to draw at the time. When I was younger, I really enjoyed art and drawing different things. I wanted to be a cartoonist at one point, but my life has gone in another direction.

Luna

I paint, and looking at the work, I would guess a lot of us do.

anotherronism

I don't paint. I do draw occasionally but it's tedious to me. I'm color blind and tone deaf. But let me look at your house and I can tell you if your colors work. Go figure. I can also go on and on about why a piece of music works or doesn't.

I'm no artist. But my hobby of making videos for friends and self almost always draws tears. Is that art? To make someone cry? I think, maybe, it is.

When I "create" I shut down that part of my brain that inhibits us from doing non-social things. Whenever I am logical or analytical about any project in any medium - it fails - every time.

Art is feeling. Art is discovery.

I've painted a number of images tonight and not one of them was planned.

I DID plan on doing a "Beatles: Yellow Submarine" image. (I'm NOT a beatles fan) and this is the one project I haven't even attempted. Funny how our minds work. I am uninspired by my intellectual desire to do the submarine piece but the danged cow in "Animals" did inspire me to do some work.

I trust myself not at all.

I recently wrote a poem:

When I thiink I am right
I am almost always wrong

yet strangely

When I fear I am wrong
I am almost always right

For me, that sums it up nicely.

Ron

Qsilv

hm... there's an old joke that says an Artist is anyone who says he is.

Happens that my mom was dead-set against any kid of hers being an artist... something about starving in a garret... so I've generally officially earned my living as a business owner, but yes, I define myself as an artist.

My deepest pleasure comes from doing insanely detailed silverpoint and graphite drawings. Then I feel all guilty for the time consumed.

Also competent in ink, watercolor, oils, encaustic (wax), lithography (stone and zinc plate), photography, and nowadays CG (computer graphics).

Doesn't mean I can get these ThinkDraw pixels to cooperate though!

; D

puzzler

Well I don't consider myself an artist, but I would say I'm creative. I have a bit more time nowadays and have just joined a local art group, which I need to motivate me. I failed art at school, but I think I can sketch I have a lot to learn about colour mixing and light and shade. I just need the dedication to put in the detail.
I really enjoy seeing what everyone else does, though, I must admit that seeing really good artists work elicits two contradicting responses from me:- 'Wow, that's wonderful ' and 'I'll never be as good as that.'

Question - Can you become an artist through hard work, or has an artist got that ability from birth?

kmkagle

I think being an artist is like being born with curly hair, you got it now see what you can do with it. I admire anyone who is "arty" or another word, talented. When I found this site I was in awe of what people can do give the resources. I like this site because it relieves stress and makes the time go by constructively. Besides, it's fun! If only some of my/our "wish list" can come to pass.

kmkagle

My analogy was in answer to puzzler's question regarding artistry, does it come from hard work or being born with it.

kmkagle

I forgot to add - I was a typesetter and enjoyed art layout work. Love to try to draw, I am not an artist by any means. I love to design cards and other expressions and wish I could do painting. I would love to be able to paint portraits. OK, I'm done....for now.

baby

I draw very well and I'm an artist. Just don't get payed for it. People are always asking me to draw things for them. Yesterday I drew a mountain man for a man at work. This week I'm going to draw a cartoon for a child, a mom at work asked if I would.

Login

I'm just playing at it. I'm no artist, although I did enjoy sketching in my 20s. ThinkDraw revived the will. Seeing what others can do with bits of flowers, fruit, etc., has been an education and inspiration. I was enjoying drawing immensely, until the dissected 'animals' category appeared ... that made me recoil for a while, as weird creatures were cobbled together from spare animal parts. However, the art now being produced in that category has moved on ... and in many of the more recent drawings the sheer genius of the artists amongst you (professional or amateur) is inspiring. I think many of you underestimate your own talent.

Qsilv

(smiles) ok, 2 points--

1.- Login - they aren't animals, they're pixels. No I'm not being snotty... I'm more serious than you might initially imagine. It's the ability to see things NOT as symbols but as EXACTLY what they are, in tiniest increments, and determinedly use them, that is the mental tool-set of a functioning visual-artist.
Shapes, positions (up/down/left/right), degrees of dark/light, wavelengths/hues... really that's all there is.

2.- Puzzler - I assure you that 99% of "talent" is actually "drive".
Such desire owns you, causes you to do the work, intensely.

I vividly remember sobbing out of frustration as a child when my lines didn't create what I was seeing. I was lucky in finding people willing to show me "tricks" ...ways of looking, ways of using materials... but it was that drive in me that caused me to have such "luck" in finding 'em.

You would not believe the number of hours I've put into drawing. It would be justifiably termed "obsession" if it weren't so easily oohed and aahed over as "talent".

likemee

thanks for the plug and complement matthew (your check is in the post).

sadly for me i consider myself a painter rather than an artist. in the last 8 or so years, i havent really been able to develop enough of my own work. in fact my journey has taken me to producing oil based reproductions from photographs. i take a number of commissions a year for people who want an oil painting from their photo (usually with a little tweaking here and there). however, i havent exhibited since finishing education and nor am i likely to any time in the near future.

the attraction of this site to me is simply to aid my own creativity. firstly to see what all the wonderful people on this site can produce is so inspirational. and secondly for me to have a go at creating work in a crazy media of bizarre shapes helps access parts of the brain that translating photos onto canvas does not.

as it so happens, today could be the start of a new era. inspired by thinkdraw, i am heading back to basics and going on a painting course. and who knows maybe i'll make an artist yet!

marg

Good luck, Mike !

puzzler

Seconded marg! Thanks for the thoughts Qsilv, it gives me hope.

anotherronism

Many points - all of them good.

I've though about for a bit now.

I don't think art is inherent. I don't think it's universal (a good painter might not be a good pianist). I don't think art is (necessarily) drive or determination or obsession.

I think art is love. Pure and simple.

When you love doing something it's no longer work or drive or obsession.

The craft will come in time. You could force it but might miss the "art" part.

Love doing it and it IS art.

Ron

Ernie

I have always been a think outside the box kind of person, i think thats what attracts me to this site. My brother used to get sooo frustrated as i would do the sky orange, and the grass blue, and the cat purple when i was a kid. and he would try and get mum to make me do it the right way! I dont have a great deal of patience, i like instant results, which is why i dont think i have the knack to be an artist. But having said that, i have the idea in my head, just executing it has been a problem.
Possibly why i liked the mr men series, cos i could do them in abt 5-10 mins each. And didn't have to think too hard!

pollyesther

In my opinion, art has such a vast array of styles and expressions that anyone could be an artist--provided one desires to express something to the outside world, if they are willing to keep trying different things and if they can risk criticism from others. Each individual has such immense value and worth and so too the expression from within one's soul has significance. I think God placed within us the ability and desire to create along with free will, that is one of the things that is meant when it is said we are made in the "image of God".
Qsilv, i also remember crying in frustration as a child because i couldnt produce what i was seeing...my mom thought i was so weird lol