Zoe Saldana Portrait

On January 16 2014 11:09 Plansix wrote:
Just years of practice and patience.

On January 16 2014 11:09 Plansix wrote:
Just years of practice and patience.

On January 16 2014 11:09 Plansix wrote:
Just years of practice and patience.

On January 16 2014 21:56 Aelfric wrote:

You have to have some kind of skill with drawing in order to draw like that. For example i could never practice into drawing like that. I just don't have the necessary talent for it. But for music it's the opposite for me.

On January 16 2014 21:56 Aelfric wrote:

You have to have some kind of skill with drawing in order to draw like that. For example i could never practice into drawing like that. I just don't have the necessary talent for it. But for music it's the opposite for me.

On January 18 2014 04:35 Glider wrote:
Thanks guys for the kind words. Although I never kept track of the number of hours I've spent drawing (basically I draw whenever I feel like it, some days none, some days a lot so it's hard to even approximate) - through the years I'm sure the numbers adds up.

As for the whole inherent talent vs practice thing that always comes up, I can only say based on my current limited understanding/observation/experience that... as is the case with almost everything, there is no fine line and it's all a mixture of grey (or perhaps a color-wheel). On the extreme end one person can hold the belief that it's 100% talent and practice means nothing, on the other end It's all practice and anyone can accomplish any result (which makes great hallmark cards but we can also see It's most likely not to be the case)... So most people are not on the extreme ends, great, but then you can further argue on what percent of mixture it is between talent and effort and the importance in the role they play in achieving mastery or a particular result.

Of course then what you try to achieve / the nature of mastery comes into play as well, which is itself in a grey area. Making a crazy 1 million block domino, it's easy to agree that most people, through sheer effort (a lot of effort!), can do it. Compose a symphony at age 7, perhaps leans at the other end of shade... With portrait drawing, this mastery itself has no clear objective definition. (do you consider it goal accomplished when you draw someone that kinda looks like that person, or an art so piercing that it captures the dreary soul behind the subject like rambrant does)

Despite all this, often person A says "Oh ye I agree it's a mixture, but I say it's not about inherent ability, sure every little bit of it help, maybe about 10%, but rest of the result is from effort, and then you too can accomplish the goal", and then Person B says " no no, definitely needs at least 50-50, I can't achieve that particular result if I barely have any talent toward it no matter how hard I try." Who is right, who is wrong? Person C enters the argument with his own vague percentage value, maybe backed by his own experience...all are just lines in the sand, drawn by the mind, influenced by too many other factors not considered. This is why I don't like to talk/argue too much on this sort of thing, everyone is so different in some ways, and so similar in other ways, the more you try to make a statement that applies to everyone, the more general / vague it needs to be.

But to end it on a positive note, I will say something that I believe is true. No matter what you think your talent (or lack of) is for what you are trying to accomplish, with effort, you can surpass what you believe yourself is capable of. You may or may not be able to draw like Rembrandt, you can certainly surprise yourself with what you can do with practice, and that should be the most valuable yard stick for us to measure against and strive toward: our own potential, in the direction of our passion.

On January 18 2014 04:35 Glider wrote:
Thanks guys for the kind words. Although I never kept track of the number of hours I've spent drawing (basically I draw whenever I feel like it, some days none, some days a lot so it's hard to even approximate) - through the years I'm sure the numbers adds up.

As for the whole inherent talent vs practice thing that always comes up, I can only say based on my current limited understanding/observation/experience that... as is the case with almost everything, there is no fine line and it's all a mixture of grey (or perhaps a color-wheel). On the extreme end one person can hold the belief that it's 100% talent and practice means nothing, on the other end It's all practice and anyone can accomplish any result (which makes great hallmark cards but we can also see It's most likely not to be the case)... So most people are not on the extreme ends, great, but then you can further argue on what percent of mixture it is between talent and effort and the importance in the role they play in achieving mastery or a particular result.

Of course then what you try to achieve / the nature of mastery comes into play as well, which is itself in a grey area. Making a crazy 1 million block domino, it's easy to agree that most people, through sheer effort (a lot of effort!), can do it. Compose a symphony at age 7, perhaps leans at the other end of shade... With portrait drawing, this mastery itself has no clear objective definition. (do you consider it goal accomplished when you draw someone that kinda looks like that person, or an art so piercing that it captures the dreary soul behind the subject like rambrant does)

Despite all this, often person A says "Oh ye I agree it's a mixture, but I say it's not about inherent ability, sure every little bit of it help, maybe about 10%, but rest of the result is from effort, and then you too can accomplish the goal", and then Person B says " no no, definitely needs at least 50-50, I can't achieve that particular result if I barely have any talent toward it no matter how hard I try." Who is right, who is wrong? Person C enters the argument with his own vague percentage value, maybe backed by his own experience...all are just lines in the sand, drawn by the mind, influenced by too many other factors not considered. This is why I don't like to talk/argue too much on this sort of thing, everyone is so different in some ways, and so similar in other ways, the more you try to make a statement that applies to everyone, the more general / vague it needs to be.

But to end it on a positive note, I will say something that I believe is true. No matter what you think your talent (or lack of) is for what you are trying to accomplish, with effort, you can surpass what you believe yourself is capable of. You may or may not be able to draw like Rembrandt, you can certainly surprise yourself with what you can do with practice, and that should be the most valuable yard stick for us to measure against and strive toward: our own potential, in the direction of our passion.