Drawing - 'magic' required ?

College Life
#1

<p>OK... Here's the deal:</p>

<p>I'm an international student and I would be interested (among many other things) in learning Drawing (I think that fits into "Studio Art" or something).</p>

<p>The problem is, I have <em>no</em> formal training in art whatsoever ! However, even since I was a child I've been drawing all sorts of stuff (first imitation, then experiment, etc.), and right now I'm at the level where I can draw comic strips and cartoon-like drawings at an amateurish, but certainly not afwul, level. My peers greatly enjoy my work and seem to think that I am talented (which probably amounts to nothing), but more importantly, I have consulted a professional and it would appear that I have potential for development.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I have to say that I do not consider myself as a person with an immensely high artistic inclination. I was just watching a French doccumentary about a famous Japanese illustration ("The Wave", I think it was called) and was marvelling at the tens of subtle meanings that the artist had crammed into just one image. I remember thinking "Damn ! I could NEVER do that !"...</p>

<p>My question is: Do I need to have formal training in arts in order to study Drawing (or Arts in general) ? More importantly, do I need to be highly talented (i.e. like that artist that thought of all those meanings, etc.) in order to succeed ? Or is most of it just a 'craft', a 'science' in which only <em>some</em> 'magic' is needed to become a fairly successful professional ?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for your answers.</p>

#2

<p>I honestly think that drawing is something that could be taught. I consider myself rather talentless in the field of art and thought for the longest time that you had to be born with a talent to draw to produce quality work, but a friend of mine who graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Illustration says that with the right training and the motivation, anyone could learn how to draw. I'm assuming that you wish to study art in college; if so, I'd say to go for it. Many colleges offer an introductory drawing class of some sort, so sign up for that and go from there. If you like it and think it's worthwhile, keep it up. If not, you could always study something else.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

#3

<p>My grandmother is in the arts and crafts business, and she knows many quite talented artists. I was recently talking to her about art, and she said that it's very easy to teach someone how to draw. She said that drawing is simply "a bag of tricks" that one can learn. I'm sure there's more to it than this, but I don't think that drawing requires any 'magic' whatsoever!</p>

#4

<p>There are plenty of ways to learn drawing: Take online classes, take couses at your local community college, attend an art institute class. If you want a BFA from a good accredited art program, you will need a portfolio. If you have been doodling, you should have some decent pieces. I don't know where you live but they have portfolio day in many places around the country where you can have your portfolio reviewed. You can also hire a tutor to help you develop some finer pieces once you get feedback.</p>

<p>For more information on where college meet at national portfolio day, go to:<a href="http://www.npda.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.npda.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Good luck. </p>

<p>By the way, try to attend a school that is NASAD approved (National Association of Schools of Art and Design). Just go to the NASAD web site and check on each state to see if your school in that state in approved,</p>

#5

<p>to say there is no talent in drawing is similar to assume there is no talent in students who take honors and AP courses. sure, the skills can be taught, but without the talent of knowing instinctively how to connect, apply, and recall visual information, drawing is much more difficult to comprehend.</p>

<p>i'd still say go for it--everyone has a creative avenue and you may find that your interest in the visual arts is indicative of a hidden talent.</p>