Is drawing talent or a skill?

Is drawing purely talent, or is it a skill that must be developed over time? 

The answer? Neither!

In reality, drawing is truly based on skill. However, those who are naturally drawn to art might find that they have a greater inclination to draw. But anybody who admires art and dreams of being an artist can do so with effort.

So what is talent, and how is talent different from a skill? Let’s find out.

Born To Create, Learned To Draw

Drawing is a unique art form that requires the mastery of many different skills. Coupled with talent and a natural inclination for the arts, a person can create breath-taking pieces. But no artist is complete without hours of practice and dedication. With enough effort, anyone can become a fantastic artist.

Art doesn’t solely exist on a scale of “not real” and “most real.” Many artists work in stylized genres, such as anime, that aren’t intended ever to look real.

Others may draw in blind contour or geometric styles, distorting reality on purpose to achieve their artistic vision. It’s important to remember that one doesn’t have to be born an artist in order to be one. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then so is art!

Natural Inclination To Drawing And Artistry

Are you left-brained or right-brained? There’s actually not much truth to the idea that the left side of the brain is dedicated to science and pragmatism and the right side to creativity and art.

While people aren’t usually dominant on one side of their brain compared to the other, many people do happen to favour logic and reason or creativity for other reasons.

Some people are born with a drive that inspires them to create. Not only that, but that drive also fuels them to take inspiration from everything around them. Their ambitious ideas and inner feelings might propel them to draw and develop their skills.

People without this natural inclination often view the world through a lens of logic and reason. They might see something like drawing as existing on a linear scale, from not real to most real. Drawing is a means of achieving something as close to reality as possible.

Consequently, many people who view art this way wind up not having proficient skills in drawing because they’re easily met with disappointment if their drawing is not “correct.”

Even still, those who view drawing with this sort of inclination might go on to further develop their skills and create ultra-realistic pieces. There are more people like this out there than you think. These technical artists go on to create highly detailed pieces for instructional manuals, as well as medical or anatomically correct drawings used to help train doctors.

Is creativity a skill that can be developed? It’s tough to say. Most creative people have been so from a young age, although other famous artists received their strike of inspiration later in life. Understanding what you want out of your craft as an artist is a key to finding your creativity.

What Is Talent?

• Anyone can have talent, and it’s often said that everyone has at least one thing that they’re talented at. Talent is your natural inclination or aptitude for a certain activity. People who have a talent for drawing certainly don’t start off as masters who are able to draw picture-perfect.
• Rather, their talent may manifest as an innate interest in art or a creative mind. People who have a drive for art will be motivated by their passion for practicing and continuing to develop their skills.
• People who don’t nourish their talent are bound to go nowhere. It’s all too common that fledgling artists are full of creative ambition and inspiration but lack the necessary skills to turn their vision into a reality.
• This is complicated by the fact that drawing requires the use of specialized tools and materials. But those born with a natural ability of hand-eye coordination, as well as the ability to easily adapt to new situations, might find they have a head start when it comes to drawing accurately.
• In many cases, an artist’s talent must also lie in their ability to market themselves and put their art out there. As amazing as someone’s work maybe if they’re unable to navigate the industry and put their art out there for the world to see, their work won’t go very far.
• However, that’s not to say that you have to have a career in art in order to be a bona fide artist.

What Is A Skill?

• Skill, on the other hand, is the ability to do something after hours of practice and continued effort. Talent is nothing without the skill to develop that talent and take it to a new level. Drawing, it just so happens, requires not just one skill, but many.
• You could say that drawing itself is the skill of using many creative and technical skills. Creative skills include colour theory, composition, and stylistic flair. Technical skills include anatomy, perspective, shading, and values.
• Recreating the human form is a difficult task and requires hours of study to do so. But perfectly drawing a human doesn’t necessarily make it art.
• Art requires a sense of interest and meaning. That’s where talent comes into play. It’s up to the artist to express themselves in their work and create a piece with dimension and intrigue. In a similar way, anybody can write. But not everyone has the creative largesse and skill to write a novel.
• Art, then, requires both talent and skill. Without an artistic vision, a piece will be dull. But without skill, it’ll be a confusing mess. Still, the eye is naturally drawn towards pieces that are easily recognizable and are indicative of impressive skill.

I believe that to draw at a high level you first need talent. Without it, you can only progress so far. That’s not to say that a person that does not have an innate talent can’t produce very good drawings. I’ve taught people to do just that. Most have learned how to draw in school but their development stopped when they left. You will find that if you take up drawing again you can develop some pretty satisfactorily pieces. All it takes is practice and knowledge and time.

So, drawing is both. The level of ability can be significant and vary greatly for both. Even with natural drawing ability, it may or may not be utilized or developed. 

For someone without natural talent, they can work to achieve advanced skill. Motivation and desire also have a strong influence and can add to enhance ability, but for both, there may be a level of achievement that reaches a peak of skill that is not surpassed.

Many people who learn without the natural ability, will reach a level of accomplishment beyond which they do not pass. Having a natural aptitude definitely gives an advantage. But for achievement for both talent and skill, training and experience are required.

Good Luck!!!