Can art be taught?

I hear of alot of people saying that they simply "knew" how to draw/paint/etc. from the onset, and many people who despite years of trying just never learn how.. so is the ability to make art something innate? I don't mean any art, since art nowadays has become such a vague concept, I mean things like portrait drawing and free hand sketches, and stuff. what a layman would normally consider art. is it something you're born with or can anybody learn it?

Can art be taught?
Art can be taught. Some people do have a natural aptitude for things, but the truth is anybody is capable of it with practice. Unfortunately, most of the people who say they cant do it probably just dont want to do it.
Reply:I think the ability to appreciate art can be taught. As for the actual talent, I truly don't believe that it can. I'm sure through years of practice you could achieve just about anything. Although, it will never look like a Da Vinci or a Picasso. That's what made these and other artist different from all the rest. Only they could give a painting or a sketch that extra stroke or that one and only color that made it totally awe inspiring. If you are born with art in your soul then by all means that is what you should be doing.
Reply:Some people are definitley born to paint, and some are not.





Certainly it can be learned. But to be learned properly takes concentration and dedication. If the person can't do that, then no, they will not learn it.





The difference between people who are outstanding at things and people who are not, is that the former don't give up. When things go wrong, when they're having trouble, they just keep on working until they do it. While the other lot give up and walk away.





The person involved must decide before they start if they are a stayer or a walker....
Reply:Talent is something you're born with, but it doesn't mean that you can automatically draw, paint or things like those. To be good at something requires hard work and effort, even though you don't have talent at it.
Reply:Art in this aspect is not taught. A person can be taught to use techniques and can practice realism, but I believe that people are born with a desire to create art like this, and so develop the talent. It's kind of like if a person is a spacial learner, or a bodily kinesthetic learner.
Reply:Put simply, "Yes," it can be taught.





But, one should remember that it takes two for this process to work. Even the best teacher can fail if a student refuses to learn.





Talent only means that a person has an aptitude for learning a skill. Some can learn to draw by teaching themselves. I thing that it is BS that a person can say they were "born" with a talent for drawing. I have yet to see an infant pick up a crayon, for the first time, and draw a recogizable ANYTHING. But, some kids will figure out, eventually how to put pigment on paper and, sooner or later, it comes out pretty good.





Other people have to learn how to do this by being taught "technique." But, even naturaly born artists can benefit from learning some technique.





I was always one of those that could draw better than my peers. I am still pretty damn good at it because I continue to practice. Still, to this day, I HATE working in water colors and I am not very good at it. I refuse to practice this technique, and, as a result, I never WILL get good at it.
Reply:Yes, if you're working to a certain style, then art can be taught.


But everyone has to find their own art.


I suppose that some people get an head start when they've got talent, but that doesn't mean the other guy can't learn the skill. Anybody with the desire can learn how to draw. I suspect that those "who despite years of trying just never learn how" didn't practice on a daily basis in a day to day manner. Its all about continuously applying yourself.
Reply:The fact that someone says they "knew" how to paint, draw whatever is kinda misleading. I'll put it to you this way, I always picked up on things that were creative quickly, because that's the way my head works. Call it talent if you want, but those with it are just "right hemisphered" (Right brained.) more than others and it comes easier to us because of it. We understand things that are a bit more illogical and chaotic. We can look at something and see it how it really is and go for it. All saying you have talent is is ego stroking. (In other words to some of us 2+2 can equal eight if we think about it long enough and give you one hell of a reason why.)





The laymen as you put it are usually left hemisphered. Very logical and orderly. (2+2=4 and that's the facts jack!) Because your brain works very orderly you have a harder time with art than someone that's right brained. At the same time most people that do great with creative things usually suck at things like math. (I was always intimidated and did poorly at math because there was just something about it that I couldn't grasp.) When you try to draw something you think very systematically and the references it puts out are very simplified versions of what you see. (The brain simplifies things to common shapes so it can associate things. A ball is a circle, a house is a square with a triangle on top, etc.) When you try and draw the brain puts these out because that's what it knows. Right brained people will store details of something they see as well as the associated common shape so when they draw something it looks more like it's supposed to be.





The fact is anyone can do art if they're willing to put in the time. At it's core art is a series of taught techniques that are put together to create art. Some take longer to learn because their brain gets in the way while others just see things and can draw it. The problem most people have is that they get frustrated and quit before they can actually do a decent piece. If they could get one thing to come out they way they want it would change their view on things and it would start to become easier. The right brain would start working more and things will start to click.





Like I said call it talent for lack of a better term but the fact is artists just think different. I know there are some of the art crowd that's going to read this and think it's b.s. and are probably getting pissy (because we're usually self righteous when it comes to art.) but sometimes the truth hurts.
Reply:You can learn how to do anything! But nothing can replace pure talent. For example try thinking about it as playing an instrument (which is also art). You can practice and practice and you will become amazing, but still you don't have the passion the Ray Charles has. If you can learn to make music, you can learn to draw.
Reply:You are born with the talent,but you can learn technique.


No one can give anyone talent except God.
Reply:Yes it can be taught. But can it be learnt?