So, back to my question, “Does it take time or talent?” Yall can tell me, but I know the answer. Hint, it can be a little of both.![]()
I would think so, why not?Miko (Does Gunpla count?)
I wonder why you don't watch tutorials? There is absolutely no substitute for practice, and watching tutorials can sometimes take over from the actual hands-on practice. But there are some genius painters out there generating fantastic, instructional content, that could radically improve your painting. They've certainly helped me.Like yourself I am 100 percent self taught. Never watched a single tutorial.
This is spot on! The way this entirely frivolous thing we do can take over every waking hour is quite remarkable - it's a bit bonkers, but it's just so great!One final point is that if you're happy with the result then it doesn't matter what others think although praise is preferable after investing your soul into a project and having it dominate your life; which we all do when we're in the zone!
Thank you for the reply Paul. You've made some excellent points here. I suppose we could all find a new more complex figure to challenge us than the last, and yeah, there is no such thing as total perfect satisfaction with the end result, it's why we do what we do.Hey Gavin, your post made me go back and look at your figure work, and it is genuinely very good indeed (no platitudes here!) I'm not in the least surprised that non figure painters are amazed by your work - what we all do as figure painters is indeed amazing, and you're no exception in that.
But it would be silly to suggest there's no room for improvement. If you've got better in the past (and you certainly have) there's no earthly reason to think you can't improve further, going forward.
For myself, I know there's room for improvement with my own painting. I never finish a model and think "Ah, perfect!", and I bet you no other figure painters on here, however good they are, ever do that either!
Accepting that there's room for improvement is accepting that you're getting better, and that's a great thing. To be honest, if I wasn't improving I'm not sure I wouldn't change to something else - the process of learning how to do stuff better and better is just so addictive. If I'm not learning (i.e. not improving) then what's the point?
The question of talent versus practice is a vexed one. The more I paint, the less I think talent matters. The one talent I value over any other is perseverance - you simply have to put the practice in! And perseverance ensures we continue to practise, even when the improvements aren't readily discernible - we all plateau from time to time.
At the very top level there is a certain creative vision that might be an inherent talent and not actually learnable. But I'm not sure even about that. Perhaps, as you paint and paint and paint, as the ability to wield a brush expertly becomes intuitive, that creates space for creativity to flourish. (I'm not at that level yet, but I'll let you know if I ever get there!)
I wonder why you don't watch tutorials? There is absolutely no substitute for practice, and watching tutorials can sometimes take over from the actual hands-on practice. But there are some genius painters out there generating fantastic, instructional content, that could radically improve your painting. They've certainly helped me.
I'm a big believer in shamelessly copying others to generate your own style. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but I think copying others helps us master the motor skills and techniques we need to be able to go our own way.
This is spot on! The way this entirely frivolous thing we do can take over every waking hour is quite remarkable - it's a bit bonkers, but it's just so great!
HI Dave all what you have written in your post here is very true an thats how i think as to me i like to do as much an get as much working on my models as possible an i enjoy it an im happy as i can be but their is always someone doin a better model than me but im not worried as im just pleased that them hobbyist have done a better model than me so it gives me something to aspire to but im not goin to be in a compertion with them i just model how im happy with nuff said on the subject as far as im concernedPersonally time is something we all have wether it be the odd hour or lucky enough to be in the now I'm retired and my chores are done time is my own ,talent is a given thing something we all aspire to ,there are many naturally talented I'll use the word hobbyists out there who's work is just that bit more special were all talented to some degree/level but from there we strive to improve and i feel this is the problem too many fall by the wayside because they see their limits as failure always comparing against thoes at the top this isn't a talent contest its a hobby for christs sake not a look how good I am parade ,I'm quite happy with my lot all I can do is try and make the next one better than my last effort wich unfortunately wasn't as good as my last effort but if I learnt from it and most importantly ,enjoyed the small hicup/set back what the heck ,I would never be so rude as to point out this or that on anybodies work that person has done their best wich they should be more than proud of there's nothing wrong with trying to improve your work but also understand there will always be what you conceive to be better/superior to yours but rather than put your self down accept their talent because that's what it is be inspired by it to just do what you do just enjoy doing it please.
Howdy, Gavin, great points you brought up.Like yourself I am 100 percent self taught. Never watched a single tutorial.
Tim brings up an excellent point, take what you can use and toss the rest. When you're at the stage you are right now, you won't be needing the bottom down basics, but a refinement of your techniques and skills. Eventually, after you watch enough vids and read enough articles, you'll begin to identify techniques and processes just by looking at someone's work. It's that time invested thing, it becomes second nature.Watch tutorials by all means, but in your case you might get more from them if you don’t use them as a set of instructions to be slavishly followed, but just use them as pointers to push you out of your comfort zone and to try a different approach……
Spot on David. Who cares if someone does or doesn't like what I or anybody else does? This is not a job, it's a hobby, spot on! I refer back to one of my dad's favorite sayings, "It's none of your business what you think of me anyway!" Encouraging others and giving a gentle nudge in the right direction with constructive criticism, "if asked", is a safe way to approach it.i feel this is the problem too many fall by the wayside because they see their limits as failure always comparing against thoes at the top this isn't a talent contest its a hobby for christs sake not a look how good I am parade
Awesome points, Richard, all of them. Having a seat next to Calvin while he paints must have been a real hoot, excellent! You described me in there very well, color clueless, except I do know how to mix enough oils to get the tone I want. :surprised: Yes, this is all about how far we want to take this Sport. Do we want to push it to the limit or hang loose and go with the flow? Regardless of where we are and where we might want to go, the fun of it, the journey, is to me, the prize. You said it, "enjoy"!Important thing is enjoy what you have accomplished for now and get on to the next.
Excellent, Chris. A common theme I'm seeing, and I'm in total agreement with, btw, is not trying to keep up with the Jones'. Personally, I see some of the work out there and many times I'm in need of a winch to reel my jaw back into socket. It's crazy, but I love it, and that gives me inspiration to improve and learn to manipulate those brushes; tweak em like a killer guitar player cranks his strings. I know I'll never be as good as some of those painters, but who cares? I’m never in competition to beat anybody and we shouldn’t be, it’s a kill-joy, imho. Once again, for me, the journey is the prize.im not goin to be in a compertion with them i just model how im happy with nuff said on the subject as far as im concerned
And that was your first mistake SkiI thought all you Brits were prim and proper,
What gives? Americans and British are two peoples divided by a common language, Steve, so we all understand that language is fluid and rules are made to be broken (and that fannies are very different things on either side of the Pond!)P.S. All in jest here, Gents. Just a Yank’s curiosity, but I thought all you Brits were prim and proper, but your punctuation is lacking in some cases. :surprised: I would have had a ruler across the knuckles if ever I tried to pass off a “run-on” sentence, HA! What gives?![]()
WELL Steve i know you are just jokein but Paul has laid out very well what what with this grammar prob is as when i was at school 55 yrs ago we wernt taught all this fancy grammer an there 60 pupils in my class alone so we just were taught the basic english an had to muddle through in later life hope you understand LOLWhat gives? Americans and British are two peoples divided by a common language, Steve, so we all understand that language is fluid and rules are made to be broken (and that fannies are very different things on either side of the Pond!)
Whether a forum contributor uses British English or American English, whether they abide by all the 'rules' of grammar and punctuation or not, and whether they speak with a cut-glass traditional BBC accent or the wonderfully dramatic tones of the aforementioned Marco Frisoni matters not a jot to us all. So long as we understand each other, that's all that matters.
What gives? Americans and British are two peoples divided by a common language, Steve, so we all understand that language is fluid and rules are made to be broken (and that fannies are very different things on either side of the Pond!)
Whether a forum contributor uses British English or American English, whether they abide by all the 'rules' of grammar and punctuation or not, and whether they speak with a cut-glass traditional BBC accent or the wonderfully dramatic tones of the aforementioned Marco Frisoni matters not a jot to us all. So long as we understand each other, that's all that matters.
Is he havin a giraffe?and no I'm baint a cocknee ize cummin frum DorzetWELL Steve i know you are just jokein but Paul has laid out very well what what with this grammar prob is as when i was at school 55 yrs ago we wernt taught all this fancy grammer an there 60 pupils in my class alone so we just were taught the basic english an had to muddle through in later life hope you understand LOL:rolling::smiling::smiling::smiling:
ATB to you Sir
Chrisb
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