On Being An Artist
Well, I had my art exam on Monday - a 5-hour mock. It was all right, actually. Although we weren't supposed to talk, everyone did - there was quite the spirit of camaraderie in the room, I think, at least for me. I learnt quite a few things about art in that room, but also in my life as a whole. It's an incomplete list, but I'd like to put it down all the same. Talent is innate. Someone can be good at drawing without having been taught, and that person will almost always be better than a person without innate talent. It's sad, but it's true. That said, a person without innate talent can learn how to draw - but it will take blood, sweat, toil and tears. It's not impossible to learn to draw without any talent for it, just difficult - and it takes a lot of time. You have to work twice as hard for half the results an innately talented person would get. Self-teaching will only get you so far without someone helping you. Again, this is true. I've learnt a...