Talent or Training

I remember, growing up, I would get a lot of compliments on my work and how talented I was to be able to draw what I could. While it may have been true, and I appreciate these comments now, it was hard for me to recognize my ability as a natural talent. I would see child prodigies on television and think, "They're the talented ones, they did it perfect on the first try." When I drew or painted something, I'd have up to 10 or more erased attempts before I could come to create a piece that looked good enough to share with others. In my mind, it was all my technique and persistence that got me compliments.

Even now when I'm told that I'm lucky to have a talent to produce works that look as though there are little to no mistakes, I reflect on the process that was able to get me to the finished product. Here's video proof of this process. When I am not actively working on a final piece, I will draw faces and objects to keep my techniques fresh in my mind. I don't draw these things with the intention of finishing or selling them. I draw them so I can familiarize myself with the different elements of my subjects: the light shading of a tree on a cloudy afternoon, the softness of a newborn duck's feathers, the bumps and scars on aged skin. Numerous hours of study and practice go into each piece that I work on and most of them are behind the scenes. Those who aren't born with a special "talent" for art can create works just as profound and inventive as, if not more than, those who are granted these gifts. All it takes a little hard work, a lot of motivation, and an idea to be the spark of it all.