EDIT: Okay I wanted to say that none of this is technically true, it's just my opinion, k? And I wrote it all in one sitting, so it's not like I did a lot of research or anything.


Comments are getting redundant and have thus been disabled. Remember; this is just MY view; MY opinion. If you see it differently, that's awesome. I support it. Comments on my page and notes regarding the stamp will be ignored.

Also, holy shit, my first deviation with 100 favs.

If you don't want to hear my thoughts, then just know that the stamp basically sums it up in a nutshell. Really, I only made the stamp to have somewhere to put this rant.





Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking over the concept of "art". I've been thinking over it on a deeper level than I ever have, and it's really a very important subject to me.

I really started thinking about it a few weeks ago, when I had to complete a few projects for my school's art course. To say the least, the things I had to do infuriated me.

An example is taking a pen and poorly scribbling over a piece of paper trying to draw a group of apples without looking at the paper. I forget what this concept was called in the book, but nonetheless, it was ridiculous.

But what really got me was this:

Another project I had to complete was to draw an enlarged item in an odd or fantasy environment. Rather specific, isn't it? Now, on the paper I had to send in with my pictures, it said;

"Send in the picture you completed from your imagination"

Referring to the aforementioned picture. The very fact that they used the term "from your imagination" appalled me, and is when I started thinking. This is when I finally realized, that all this time, my school was never teaching me art.

After some more thought, I realized something else.

You cannot "teach" art.

No teacher, no artist in the whole world can teach you how to make art, which brings me to four concepts I thought up.

Art
Technique
Skill
Talent

Let me explain my views on these concepts one by one.

Art

"Art" is the creation of our own concepts; the presentation of our views; the source (of at least some) of our happiness.

An example:

A student is told by her art teacher to make a picture of a girl sitting in a park by a tree. She is to use acrylic paints on a certain size of paper.

The student reluctantly completes the painting, resulting in a beautiful piece, and gets perfect marks and praise. Afterward she passes the time by doodling a few cats on the back of her notebook.

Which piece is art? The doodles are more art than the painting will ever be. Which brings me to my main point.

Though the painting was beautiful and pleasing to the eye, the cats were drawn for fun and on the student's own accord.

If the student didn't paint what she wanted to or enjoyed herself while doing so, it's not true art, but simply an image.

I'm not saying using someone's idea in a piece is not art. Say, you draw some fanart of a popular cartoon character.

1. If you trace it, it's not art
2. If someone tells you to draw the character, in a certain pose and like the official style, it's not true art
3. If you draw the character because you choose to/in your own style/incorporated with your own ideas in some way, it is true art.

Art has nothing to do with quality. If a new artist draws something in MS Paint, resulting in a mediocre picture, but still something the artist is proud of and created themselves, then it is more art than a traced or heavily referenced picture by a very talented Photoshop artist will ever be.

Art is about ideas and enjoyment. It is something you create and love.

This is why no one can teach you how to create art, what they teach you is what follows:

Technique

*resists urge to quote Spongebob for fear of ruining serious tone*

An talented artist teaches you how to correctly draw a woman's anatomy and with the knowledge, you draw a nice picture of a girl.

The artist has not taught you anything about art; all they have taught you is a technique.

Technique, in art is a way of doing things. Learning a certain style is learning a new technique; learning to draw perspective well is learning a technique; as well as learning to paint well, learning to draw correct human anatomy, and anything that can be taught to you by an artist.

Because "art" is your own creation, no one can teach you how to make it, they can only teach you techniques to enhance the look of the art you create.

Skill

Skill is the ability to skillfully use the techniques you learn. Skill is not the ability to create art; not everyone has great skill, but everyone can create art.

By learning the technique of drawing correct human anatomy, for example, you will eventually gain the skill do draw humans with ease.

Skill is something you earn; talent is different.

Talent

One way to look at talent is seeing it as natural skill; but I don't like to see it this way.

Skill is something you earn that lets you successfully execute the techniques you learn. Talent is related with art.

Because art is natural, talent is natural. Talent is the ability to create great and true art with ease.

Talent is related with imagination (which is pretty much a whole different subject that I will not approach in this rant :3) meaning it is the ability to easily create your own quality ideas and execute them well.

Talent is the ability to create true art.

With great talent, you can make your own characters, use a unique style (using a style well is talent, learning a new one is skill) on your own and others' characters and come up with your own ideas all with ease.



An important point to remember, that art is not only making pictures. Art is many things.



Music:

Learning to play an instrument well is learning a technique and gaining a skill.

Playing a song written by someone else is talent.

Writing your own music is art.



Singing/song:

Learning to sing well is learning a technique and gaining a skill.

Singing a song well is talent.

Writing a song is art.



Photography:
_{(I used to complain that photography isn't art, and have long since realized I was wrong :I)}

Learning to make quality photography is learning a technique and gaining a skill.

Executing the skill naturally is talent.

Executing the talent well is art.



Literature/writing:

Learning new vocabulary, excellent grammar, and writing styles are techniques and reward with new skills.

Writing something excellent is talent.

Creating your own ideas and executing them in your own writing style is art.



There are many other forms of art; but with these examples, it should be easy to see what is art, talent, skill, or technique.

Here's an experience of my own:

A while ago, I had to write a report on the painting "Voice of Fire" [link]

At the time, I stood strongly by my decision that Voice of Fire was not art, because it was three lines on a huge piece of paper with no creativity put into it.

I now realize I was horribly wrong.

Despite how simple the painting is, it is still art. The artist came up with the idea, had something in mind when creating it, and executed it in his own way to the best of his ability. This makes Voice of Fire true art.

To close my rant, I will say that I am proud to be a true artist. :] I know this because I come up with my own ideas, create what I want, and love what I create. These traits are what define a true artist.

Please remember, this is my opinion on the matter. If you have different views, I respect that, but please take the time to think over what I've said and try to understand what I mean.

I'm sure there was more I wanted to say, but alas, it has been forgotten. I at least covered the main points of my beliefs.

I salute you if you read all of that.

And feel free to use the stamp if you agree with me. ^^
_{I may fix typos later, I don't feel like proofreading right now.}


And just remember, in a way, we are all artists.