subject: Painting - A Talent Or A Skill? [print this page] This is a very common question - is painting a skill or a talent? Many would say that it is a talent. You are either born with it or you are not. Is this true? Do you have to be born under a lucky star in order to be any good at it? The answer, of course, is - no.
The fact is that painting is much more of a learnt skill than a God-given talent. Only by learning and practicing will you be able to master it. Do you think Michelangelo or Picasso didn't work for it? Think again. They all studied, they all practiced. The mastery, if you didn't know, is the result of hard work and self-discipline. There are no shortcuts.
Talent is always welcome, naturally. You will learn faster, it's definitely easier for people who have any, so it's certainly a good thing. But talent is a potential, nothing more, and potential must be nurtured and developed. It alone won't make you a master.
Even people, who are convinced that they have no talent whatsoever, can turn out to be good, sometimes very good artists. You would be amazed what you can do, what you can create, when you learn the basic mechanics of painting.
It does, of course, take a lot of time and effort to really master all the skills. There is much to be learnt - from composition and perspective, to brushwork techniques and mixing colors. But it's not as difficult as most people would have you believe. It can be very rewarding and, in my opinion, it's definitely worth the effort.
Once you understand the basics, you will see painting in very different light. It will be, for example, quite easy to tell, if the artist was an amateur. When you learn about composition and perspective you will be able to spot amateurs from miles away.
In conclusion, talent is not going to be enough. If you want to be good at painting, you will need to develop the skills. Get some lessons, they are important.
