I never bought an audiobook before so can someone explain it to me, after paying the bill: 1- Do I get a digital copy that I can download and listen right away? 2- Or do I have to wait for a shipped (I dont know, physical CD or something)? 1 case would be prefered. Sorry about the silly question, it's kind of important for me to know.
I just bought it, thank you for the quick reply. I plan to listen to it while working and at bed time. Oh and for people who are still wondering, the full audiobook length is 2 and a half hour
Right from the get go. What you said is my EXACT reality - was always 'talented' at art. Went to an art highschool, did better than most while doing less and handing things in later and later. Now, I am an anxious perfectionist who quits at every turn because I was once 'so talented', this should be 'so easy' and there are so many holes in my abilities that those who had to work much harder than me from the bottom have long since filled in. 'Talent' sucked enjoyment from my art - expectations were always so high, I could never finish anything without it being 'perfect' first. I am in my late 20s now and I haven't drawn in months, because failure sets me back 15 years mentally. Talent is meaningless. or rather, a curse. Anyway, subscribed.
You're not alone! I was always just praised for my art when I was a kid and a teenager. Then, I applied to an art program in the only art university in the country I lived in where they accepted only max 15 people per year as students. And as I obviously couldn't get in with the bad portfolio I put together the same week I had to send it in, I dropped art for years. I was devastated. Now, at 26 I finally decided to really pursue a career in the creative field as I'm unhappy in my current job.
omg, same story here. i was a talent in my teenage age. but my talent made me lazy and too proud to work further and harder in my skills. my ego didnt allowed me to work hard, because i dont have to, otherwise i am maybe not so talented. i think talent is overvalued. i really admire people, who have disciplines and focus. its like the story with the bunny and the turtle.
Literally my life dude right down to our ages. I think we can come back. especially with lessons like this on RUclips for free. I'm going to try to start a sketchbook/portfolio online with a different name. That way I can almost start over without the 'talent' curse forcing me to strive for perfection. I will do my own thing with my own style and in a few years, who knows? Maybe I'll figure it out and have the confidence in my work to finally do something with it. Hope you do something similar. Good luck!
I know many people, lots of those people have talent. Some of them chose to work hard at their talent, some didn't, and some didn't have talent but worked hard. It's all about choice and conviction. But I know for sure, that those who have both talent and chose to work hard, those are the masters. Those people are the ones that push the boundaries.
This video is so refreshing after all the "You're so talented!" compliments I get for my art. I know what talent is. I grew up as a pretty gifted child when it came to academic things like school. I scored in the top 3 consistently in any class and it all felt incredibly undeserved. I could look around a room at school and point out almost every person as someone who was trying harder than me - studying harder and putting in a lot more time. This led to a feeling that I was simply made for academic success, after all, how else could I be so much better than everyone else who had to spend so much time understanding the things I already did? But, time went on. I reached university and immediately felt the effects that my talent had on me. Instead of information being served on platter straight to my brain like it was in school, I had to search for it, I had to study for hours on end, I had to try. This overwhelmed me, and soon I realised I was in the group that was barely passing. Thankfully, I'd already stopped using my grades as a source of validation in the later years of school, so I was able to accept that fact quite well. Still, that did lead to me dropping out. Having recently discovered a passion for art, and also having seen other artists and how incredibly skilled I'd have to be if I want to make this my profession, I started to put in work. Every day, I've been studying different areas of art and working on personal projects for several hours (not in a way where I burn out though, I'm still making sure to enjoy it). At last, I feel like I'm making progress and it feels amazing that I have achieved it not through talent, but through genuine hard work. I'll continue to do what I'm doing, and will probably continue to be silently irritated when people call me talented when I post my art online lol. Anyway, thanks for the video Marco, it really spoke to me and, I'm sure, a lot of others as well.
I feel called out XD I almost never had to study for anything academically, and now I'm getting whacked because I have massive procrastination & distraction habits that clash so horribly with each other I cant even describe it in words.
damn, this is a really good comment right here, honestly sounds more human than most i've seen haha. yea I also had to deal with this and not only with school but with my own art, but the older I got the more I was like, "oh shoot, I need to put peep in my step". so yea, also trying my best without burning out and enjoying it. I also get triggered when people call me talented. Honestly I prefer the brutal comments as to how I can improve
Wait! Don't listen to that snake, he's just trying to drive you into the trap of contentment. While I do think you are already well underway in weaving together a compelling story, I do think some lighthearted joke or positive energy might be added at certain points. The way it is, your story, while of course trying to be a wake-up call, can feel a little foreboding, heavy and/or serious. To complete your daily dose of criticism, I like your dry paint artstyle, but the thing putting me off are the "wobbly" roofs of your towers, like they are sagging in. Liked and subbed. May people like you rise high into the charts and vanquish those abhorrent screaming clickbait youtubers. :)
I am the best example of that stigma. I was one of those people "I wish I had a talent to draw, but I don't". And then one time I thought, what if I watch a youtube tutorial? What if I can learn more? I started painting at 28 years old and I am amazed with what I can actually do with just a little bit of education. I just wish I knew this before, that you can learn how to draw and paint.
It's great to hear you overcame it. I think that can sometimes be the hardest part of the learning process - with art, anyway. I appreciate your comment!
@@georgiabaddeley6606 I don't make art anymore, because I've always struggled with staying motivated to keep my hobbies for a longer period of time. I thought art was my thing, but I kind of lost interest in time. Can't really help it, although I wish I could. But trying actually taught me, that I can achieve a lot if I just make some effort to learn how. It helped me understand that I was not talentless in any discpline, I just don't spend enough time doing it and learning about it. Did you know you can also learn to sing? So this year I'm getting married and I will be creating some art for that event and I know I can, I just need to spend enough time planning how I want to look like, make few projects to see what colors work together, search for some inspiration.
It makes me happy to hear that some people have got the initiative and also self awareness to question their own thoughts and tell them to shove it. Anyone can learn to do anything, all they need to do is try and practice and persist. You may not be able to become _the best_ at everything (or anything) but you can learn to be proficient. Well done! Good for you 😁 I hope you can continue to learn and enjoy painting for many years to come 🙌
Thanks for making this Marco , i can relate to alot of the this you said in this video. I was one of those "talanted" kids growing up and gradually lost interest in drawing because everyone praise around me made me think that i was good enough and there nothing else to learn But my interest rekindled when i saw the stuff other artist were putting up online when i was about 13 during the early deviantart days and i wanted to try drawing like that but of course the results were mostly terrible and it made me questioned myself if i really had it in me. I then gave up for a few years before i then encountered some artists on youtube describing the same problem i was facing and how hard they had to work and the stuff they did to get to the level they are. I decided to give it another go for a few years and really dedicated myself into learning a few of the drawing and painting fundamentals and looking at multiple artists works i admire to figure out how they do things. And now after looking back at my old works when i first started drawing , there a huge difference . Guess all i wanted to say is that i agree hardwork and the discipline to carry it through does in fact pay off.
Thanks for sharing that. I can relate. I actually was born with talent, too. Not in drawing or painting, though. Mine was playing the piano. And I encountered exactly what you did (except I never picked it back up, and completely abandoned it around age 15.)
Exactly the same story. Except I realised how wrong I was by the end of art school and did nothing about it. I even dropped painting and drawing for good because I thought computer can do it for me. Started working as motion designer and was happy for a while. Unfortunately I still was feeding my old demons. Thanks to Steven Pressfield's book I understood what was holding me back for all this years. Malcolm Gladwell is a good read too. Thanks to those gentlemen and people like you Marco, my passion and desire rekindled and I am on my way. The road is unwelcoming and bumpy but I cherish every bit of it. Thank you! Cheers!
The commentary in this video is absolute GOLD for any creative (or aspiring creative) person doing ANY work in ANY field. Seriously, take to heart what he is saying. Absolute truth.
Marco, I go back to this every time I am feeling like I am losing my passion on creating especially that I just graduated art school & tryna find a job. Thank you so much.
"Yes, you can start now. No, you are not too old." I love this quote more than anything being such a late starter. I'm listening to this again and currently making a digital painting. I would have never attempted this if messages like this weren't put out there. Thank you!
Hi Marco, Thanks for the awesome encouragement. One thing I have to add: You asked about whether programmers get told they are talented, and as a developer, I can tell you that this happens actually quite often in the field. Working in Development is actually quite similar to the artistic fields since technique and experience are the most important things in the field. Thanks again, keep it up :) Regards Michael
Had to look this comment up. I wrote my first programs when I was 4, was writing code professionally when I was 16. I heard about this talent thing quite a few times as a programmer too =) Now I'm watching these youtube videos.. and drawing and painting couple of hours a day because I really enjoy it although I always believed I can't do it (because I really haven't got talent for it). It's slowly paying off and it feels great :)
I was a talented kid. I made a habit of talking with adults instead of kids. Everyone around me called me "talented" and would compliment how smart and quick-witted I was. I was even complimented on how "good" my art was "at my age." And then, I lost my mind. Life, for me started getting really bad; my parents divorced, I changed schools enough to stop trying to make friends, and my father, now a country away, began to show his more...mentally abusive tendencies. Mu grades dropped, I lost interest in talking to others and I stopped trying. To this day, I still suffer from social anxiety and a fear of failure cultivated by those dark years. But. I didn't stop drawing. I don't know why, looking back. Perhaps because sketching was incredibly malleable. It didn't matter how I felt, my emotional state, or how social I was; I could still draw, no matter what. An added bonus was that sketching felt like a release, that somehow I was expelling these bad thoughts and ideas out and bringing them to the spotlight. And so, I kept drawing. It wasn't GOOD, mind you; I wasn't improving by much and I wasn't taking time to LEARN how to improve. But after a while, it became habitual. That lead to its own swt of problems though: thoughts like "do I actually enjoy art, or do I do it out of habit?" Or worse, "do I make art just so people praise me for it?" Questions like these can be dangerous, as they bring to light the glaring weaknesses of basing your entire identity over a skill that relies on sharing your craft with others. I am an artist. Sometimes I believed I'm nothing BUT an artist. I know this view is unhealthy, I really do. But it's hard to think otherwise when art seemed to be the one light that got me through some of my darkest moments. So thank you Bucci, this video really made me realize why I love art, and why I still do it: because creativity is a beautiful being. They cover your eyes from the real world and show you a world unrecheable, dreams of mystery, horror, and beauty. But a world that you cannot reach, so you have no choice but to try and capture that world through painting, or sculpting, or music. It is, for lack of a better term, a committed relationship. The moment you decide to become an ARTIST is the moment you pronounce yourself Creativity's bride, and a good bride will COMMIT. I guess I'm too committed to this bride of mine to leave them behind.
Dear god, I can't thank you enough for clarifying what "hard work" is in words. It's one of those terms you hear all the time growing up, but no one teaches you what MEANS. They just expect you to get it.
Man, I'm only seeing this now. I went to college 6 years ago and was good at drawing and had a knack for lots of things got loads of praise then left college. After that all that talent slowly drained away and the people that I once thought "your way behind my level in art" have now got jobs in tattoo parlours and are great artists while I can't even draw a face anymore 😭
the comments are all talking about the inspirational/eye opening stuff he said, and for good reason, but can we just stop & appreciate that he did this whole thing on ONE LAYER??
Thank you so, so much for sharing this. This literally changed my world and I want to cry, wishing I heard this earlier. I was born with talent to draw and people have told me since elementary school. I never drew much because I was so good at it but at the age of 13, I got inspired to pick it up. It seemed so easy, so I dropped it again. When I was close to graduating high school at the age of 17, I did not know what to do, so I reverted back to drawing. I took a course to work on my application for the school and I was always at the top, even in that course. I picked up acrylic paint immediately although I never touched paint in my life before that. I got into my school with one of the best grades and with my application work exhibited during the annual exhibition. I didn't even bother with a backup plan in case I didn't get in. I knew I would. The school started out so easy too and I was the youngest and didn't feel the crushing feeling of 'everyone being better than me', like others did once they started. Everyone complimented my work, especially in painting in etching. I banked on my talent and one day I woke up to find that everyone seemed far ahead. I got frustrated and restless but my 'talent' mindset was so rooted that I did not take action. Here I am, into my 5th year of studying illustration and still with no idea of what I want to do. Heck I don't even know when I'll graduate. I tried everything from drawing to painting, to etching, to animation. From stylized, to realistic, to traditional to abstract. Even photography. I just didn't (and still don't) know where to start looking, because everything always came to me with no effort. Thanks to your video, I'm starting to make a list of things I need to improve on. Thanks to you, I finally know why I'm struggling so much. Thank you. So much. (Sorry for the long comment!)
Hello - just wanted to say thanks for your comment, and sharing some very honest stuff. I'm humbled that my video can help you out, and I wish you all the best with everything :)
Thank you again :) I purchased your audiobook and already listened to it twice. The small doses of inspiration you were talking about ? To me, your audiobook is one of them! Also, if you are open to suggestions for new videos, I'd be really interested in how you come up with ideas. Often I find myself wanting to create something but I end up sitting in front of a blank canvas and being stuck at the 'what?' So much so that not even 'doodling around' as professors tell us, comes easy to me. Would be very interesting to know if you experience or experienced that too!
How about we stop judging art and ourselves period. Who are we to say? Each person it art in and of themselves. We have made something that was once inspired, moving, and meaningful into something harsh, rude, and dreadful. Let art be. How great THOU ART.❤️
I’m five minutes in and I already relate to this so much. In elementary school, I was told constantly by teachers and parents and other students how smart I was and how I was ahead of everyone else and they wanted me to skip a grade for a challenge. I finished my tests before everyone else, never had any questions because I understood everything immediately, etc. In middle/high school, I was homeschooled. I felt like I didn’t need to work at school because I’d been told growing up how easy it came to me. My grades fell, but my love for art grew. I was in art classes and was drawing badly for my age, but then one day something just clicked and I was drawing exceptionally well suddenly. I was the only one in my entire community of people that could draw, and again, teachers, parents, and other students told me every day how talented I was and how successful I’d one day be. I was drawing portraits of famous people mainly, but they looked realistic enough that it became my entire identity. Everyone wanted me to draw someone or something specific, and I liked the praise so I did it. I graduated high school, and chose not to go to college. I was going to take a gap year and study art and work on getting a job in the field. Instead, I lost interest in drawing, got a job in a restaurant, and never went to college. I went from being ahead of everyone in my class academically, and being ‘exceptional’ at art, to being an uneducated dud with no path in life. My peers have all gone to college and are successful where they are, and I feel like I failed everyone who ever told me I’d be the best, including myself, which made me pretty depressed for a couple years. A few months ago, I was hit by a car and wasn’t allowed to get out of bed except to use the bathroom. Laying trapped in a bed opened up the world to me. Drawing was how I filled my time, and ever since, it’s all I want to do. I feel like I finally have a true love for it and I want to understand it more than I ever did. Maybe I’ll even go to college 🤷🏼♀️ all in all, I would say talent and natural gifts are overrated. Life requires hard work, and telling a kid that they don’t need to work for something makes them lazy and complacent, and eventually everyone is ahead of them. I just hope I can catch up
Since I listen to this everyday, I finally managed to buy the audiobook. It completely changed my views as an artist. It saved my life. Thanks Marco Bucci!
I’m so grateful for social media as it’s allowed me to view other artist’s work and strive to improve myself. People would give me compliments and say I’m “talented” and everything, and that would cause me to slowly lose interest in improving my skills, as it would lead me to believe in good enough as is. Seeing that there’s always someone out there with better skills than me helps to keep me going and keep me striving to get better at what I do.
Amazing "story"! Almost felt like you described me lol, was born with talent for music, everyone around me praised me. Took me way more years than i like to admit to really wake up from the ego buble and see that i really wasnt that good anymore, since everone else had passed me or was at my "skill" level. Even now as a full grown adult i suffer from my early misstakes with "talent", i feel like i was totally blinded by how easy it seemed at the time. If i had practiced and kept acquire more skill i would be miles ahead from where i am today. Intresting topic to say the least, really something that should be talked more about. But i doubt a young kid with talent would listen anyway.. lol!
gRave687 hahaha, I agree with that last part. And I had the music thing too. Piano. Same story as you, except I completely abandoned it when it became apparent that, even though I had a talent there from a young age, my passion lay elsewhere.
Both in terms of life lessons and in the very self debasing struggle creatives face, thank you for your work and your insight. I am your ardent and humble admirer.
The compliment of "you should consider yourself lucky to be so talented" in my opinion is more of a backhanded compliment at best... Especially when, as you pointed out, not everyone is naturally gifted. Heck, even gifted artists have to overcome barriers! For someone like you who has practiced hard for years to achieve what you have, its insulting to say something that insinuates it is easy for you. I had a foster mom growing up and her son was so naturally gifted at everything he did. He could sing, draw, act, play piano and drums, math, etc and he did so amazingly. I remember when he went to college, he took up Russian- I said something about how he will probably be naturally good at that somehow too! Our mom stopped me and said "Its the opposite. He has had things come so easy to him for so long, now when he encounters something challenging, he gets frustrated and is quick to give up." I had been jealous of him for years until she said that.
Drew a good simple portrait while listening to this. It's really good like the way you spoke was so nice that it did not distract me from what I was doing and yet I could hear it well.
lmao the way you holed yourself up in your room is the bread and butter of my improvement. I naturally get jealous easily- instead of directing it towards the person, I just use it as stubborn energy for improvement. It's not for everyone, but it allows me to stay positive, improve, and make friends because my energy is very apparent and honest.
There are so many harsh truths in this and it is so hugely relevant to me right now that it's made me tear up. It's like an long-needed intervention. I am one of those talented kids. I turn 30 this year and my talent has been stagnating - "I can go back to it any time", I think - but every time I do, I'm uninspired; what style I do have (minimal - as I am clearly a 'rendering child') is flat and without any real emotion, form or artistic readability; my techniques are lacking and lose their way through any work I do from a total lack of focus and discipline and basic training because I've always been 'the one who can draw', exclusively from 'natural talent'. Ha. I've watched my peers, both in real life and online, creep up and pass me through hard work and determination (just as you did Tim). I feel left behind and my regret at letting my ego let my talent die has made me irrationally resentful and frustrated. My recent realisation is that even at my "best" (age 19-21), I was basically the human equivalent of a photocopier. Copying reference images pixel by pixel. Looked impressive as when people said 'I thought that was a photo! WOW!, I got a ridiculous amount of pleasure from telling them otherwise... but there has never been any true expression in my work. No depth, no emotion. Never been able to work off-reference, from imagination. I may as well have just photocopied it. Saved the 40+ hours on each piece. Now, older, I feel I've been trying to force expression and painterly-looks in the latter half of my 20s without the real tools (the knowledge) to do it - meaning the work has gotten muddier and flatter. Of course, I blamed all of that, in my hubris and pig-headedness, on my lack of good physical tools. (of course I did.) So I bought the software, the tablets and the brush packs and the latest stylii and what do you know - ? No change. This video has been a massive bit of tough love for me. I know we've never met but it just feels like it was a heat-seeking missile aimed directly at my ego. I'll be listening to the rest of the audiobook and watching the rest of your videos and most importantly, getting my ego to accept I have to relearn - no other artist on RUclips I've found so far has really 'spoken to me' as you have. So, thank you - truly.
I just turned 50 years old, have worked as a professional illustrator for over 25 years, and cried through most of this video. Such great insight. It has really highlighted to me my own mistakes I’ve made in my thinking about art and working as an artist.
That's an awesome description of creativity by some one till date! Loved every bit of it.Described in the most authentic way it can be.Precise and well researched.Thanks for making this sir,will inspire many.
It's not my right to say, but I think a big part of what makes you a great artist is your great sense of humor. Maybe you can't see it directly in your paintings, but the videos you post are really engaging because of this clarity and humor you have.
I watched this video for the first time 2 years ago, and I just wanted to point out how incredibly emotionally intelligent you are. I think the underlying wisdom can apply to mostly anything, from recovering from addictions to how to build lasting relationships etc. It's an amazing piece of wisdom, thank you so much for sharing.
This was amazing! I came to learn how to be a better painter and I left with some of the best creative advice I've ever heard, translatable to all forms of art/passion/creation. As a writer, I felt a lot of what was said could be directly applied to my field and many others. Thank you so much for posting this. I will definitely pick up a copy of your book and recommend it to others.
When you mention how programmers are never told they are talented i couldn't help but smile. My first career choice was programmer and I had talent in that field as a little kid. Even though I worked hard to better my skills and spent 10 years of my life perfecting it, people kept referring how I could already just naturally do it since i was little, it's "easy for me", "i was lucky to have a brain like mine". It made my transition to being an artist really hard, since in that field I'm just talentless. The contrast of being paid so much attention for talent gave a large contrast to being ignored for my terrible early drawings. And so for many years I hated art altogether, it was just frustrating to ever attempt. I'm still only a mediocre artist, but people like you helped me get through the phase of self-disbelief and push me to move forward towards not what i was born talent with, but what I truly love doing
Thanks! Your positive feedback is enough to make me want to keep making more content. I do love making RUclips videos; it's just such a time-sink that I have to find ways to fit it into my freelance schedule. I do plan to produce more content this year, though.
Normally I never comment on videos but this resonated with me. Your videos have lit a fire under my ass to get it back in gear. I've been stuck in this endless loop of self doubt and frustration for seven years. I'm sick to death of it. These feelings resulted in an unhealthy relationship with art itself. I used to love painting and drawing, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life and what I had spent my life up to twenty-one trying to perfect. I was actually good at something because I worked for it and I could see it. But then things changed and it wasn't the same anymore. I lost my self worth. I hated everything I made, and resented myself for even trying then I just slowly stopped. It's bothered me for these years and it's finally time to do something about it. Thank you for putting into words and practice what I couldn't see myself. Though I haven't been your student, you make an excellent teacher. I hope that people who struggle in similar ways find the same clarity from your work.
This is an amazing video and it applies to everything in life not just art, for all supposed talent flaunters in any field. I teach language and I love art , I think my students can benefit from this. Thank you , thank you. By the way, you are an excellent teacher, everything is so well presented that anybody can understand.
This was actually an eye opener for me. You have no idea how badly I needed this. As an artist who just starting things in her life, I was falling into depression because of the 'Stigma' and lack of belief in myself. Hearing this made me realize things that what I'm feeling right now is normal and I have to treat things differently and work with an entirely new but positive perspective. So thanks for this and I love your style :)
This video and the audiobook (that I bought after watching the video) are absolutely wonderful :-) The logic so harmonic and there are so many wise quotes even Dumbledore would have been inspired by (it also is the perfect background noise for drawing). Thank you for having the courage and persistence to finish this piece of literaric beauty :-)
"Try again. Fail again. Fail better". One of my favourite quotes. Samuel Beckett. Definitely go out of your comfort zone. Explore. Fail. Build yourself up again
Okay, I just want to say that I listened deeply to every single world like it was holy. For a long time, I knew that something was different with me. I am considered one of the "talented" as I've been called that throughout my whole childhood, and suddenly as I got older everything felt stale. Basic. I know I have this deep founded love for art, this respect that touches my soul that can't even be put into words. But trying to represent that feeling and bring it forth into physical proof was such a difficult challenge I felt like giving up so many times. But just watching the video and watching you draw and listening to this lecture made me go back to my roots and remember why I did what I once have done, and why I will continue to pursue it again and forevermore. Just...thank you. This was the push I needed. Finally.
Great vid but when I hear people talk about talent it comes off as superstitious or something. I was considered talented as a kid but that's because I drew more than others and drew what I liked. Your childhood rival either drew more than you or saw the world in an advantageous way. Some people draw hard and others draw smart, both may end up in the same skill bracket but the second option is faster
I am such a big fan! You thank your viewers for the encouragement, but YOU need to know how much you inspire and encouragement to keep going and chasing my dreams of making a living creating art. Huge thanks to you, dude!
Your story of being jealous and wanting to surpass the talented, was literally my childhood. I find that there are latent talents that reside within each individual while they reap their sown skills; as every individual has a different way of seeing into the medium of art. This video was fantastic, and I always appreciate learning from someone who enjoys teaching over just wanting money from teaching. So thank you for that.
And here I was thinking nothing could surprise me this week. No line of thought could match my own and fill the gaps. Why is my creativity not being enough? Thanks Marco. Just bought your Audiobook.
Thanks Marco I really love your videos and advice... Yea I hate when the people says that you draw because "you born with it" or it´s a "gift"... These people don´t look the hours, days and weeks expended enjoying and suffering the neverending work of learning. (Sorry for my english if isn´t good enough)
Ricardo Mujica you’re talking about yourself, yea? Did people call you talented at a young age? You’re talented, and if you don’t start working hard, you’re gonna have to start going backwards later.
You just read my entire limiting belief about myself. I know was able to reflect on the real reason why I am avoiding to finish personal projects for my portfolio. I can't thank you enough for this mental workout and I am starting it by showing up everyday. I used researching, watching tutorials as an excuse not to finish a piece then end up just binge-watching series/ movies from Netflix and Amazon. I fear sharing my finished artworks on the Internet because they only get ignored by people who can criticize it constructively. I get praises from nice people which I appreciate. But not criticized which makes me doubt that my art may not be interesting enough for people to bother telling me what I can improve on. I'd like to think that I should know what to improve on but I in terms of art I believe it helps a lot to hear criticism from anyone too.
I really love this 'traditional' style in digital painting but in photoshop I struggle to get it, I struggle to mix/blend colours because if i don't use opacity, there's no mixing but if i do everything comes out soft. :/
Yeah, getting the mark-making to look natural in digital takes time. It really helps if you train traditionally. That way you at least have an expectation on how the brushes and paint *should* react, and you can adjust your tools accordingly.
I'm kind of concerned with the section on talent. I love the imagery! It's great story telling, but it is also dangerous. I have seen far too many people in the comments below cursing this wretched thing called "talent" that bestowed upon them so unfairly. That isn't an okay thing to be saying. The issue you addressed is the issue of arrogance and ignorance. You describe a situation like that in the "turtle & the hair". Where someones arrogance leads them to be lazy; thus, putting them behind the slower opponent in the end. And you state this accurately as a parasite to be feared and hated. But the words you used were misleading. You used "talent" as the antagonist, when in fact, the real evil is laziness. Where the true antagonist may be clear to some, it has been hidden from others. This has lead to statements such as the ones above. The problem with these statements is that they are committing the exact same sin as the one mentioned in the second part of the book. However, rather than the talent-less cursing their lack of talent for their lack of skill, now the talented are cursing their presence of talent for their lack of skill. You have accidentally recreated the very problem you are trying to solve. Nothing is to blame for lack of skill other than lack of effort.
@@SlayPlenty True. I don't actually have a problem with the video. I understand his point. I think people are just easily misunderstanding it and THAT is the problem I have
This excerpt changed my thinking on a lot of things. My writing, my art, gaming, working out. All of my goals are achievable if I put enough work into repetitive practice, and stop expecting immediate results. I've also come to appreciate that the process of "getting good" at something is typically bitter work but can also be enjoyable. Just being able to appreciate the grind is one of the most significant skills for one to acquire. By this time next year I hope to have a few new skills under my belt. From here on out, that is how I will gauge my success in a year.
I dont have time to read at all, but i REALLY want the info of your book, can you make an audio book version of it? I would buy that sucker in a heartbeat
That is AWESOME! Do you have a mailing list or something to stay updated on that ? The way you read is not very different than the pro's from Audible haha. High quality shit. I would love to listen to your book while i draw!
Hi guys! So the audiobook is officially in production. I've got it available now for pre-order (downloadable file will be fulfilled on or before April 1, 2017.) You can find the link in the video description. Thank you for your interest!
Loved this! Thank you! I stopped painting after a teacher in artschool told me I sucked and would never learn. My only regret is that I listened. Now after many years of hard work, experimenting, leaving my comfortzone...I hear the opposite...”You are so talented, I could never draw like that.” I get a bit pissed everytime. It somehow feels as if my hard work isn’t ?recognized, as if I just bat my eyelashes and poef a drawing just magicly appears? I heard an artist tell a wonderful story just to counter such a comment. ‘Imagine you walked up to your teacher when you were 8 years old and told her... “That writing stuff, it isn’t going to work. I have no talent for it. I think I’ll quit.” I ask the person who gave me the compliment: “Would she have let you?” They always answer in the same way. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. “ Then I ask them why drawing is any different. It is an eye-hand coordination thingy and you have to practice a lot to get better, just as you did when you learned how to write. They are not always convinced, their inner beliefs about their own skills are sometimes too set. But I see them wonder, just a little bit...:) So thank you for all this good stuff you shared. It resonated! And I love your work and the way you teach. Inspiring!
It's not that simple, because when you are a beginner and hate your art, it really isn't motivating to practice. When they say "I wish I could draw." it is often more like "I wish I could make a drawing that motivates me to continue."
So much informative! Pure awesome!! Have to listen 2 times more at least).. May I ask you? How did you manage to organize your brushset into categories (basic, favs, watercolor, etc.)?
Urgh I hate saying " repetition is the definition of insanity " it was coined by Albert Einstein and has more todo with math - probably students using the wrong method rather then then right one , and thinking they missed a variable.
I don't differentiate much between the mental processes of math and the visual arts. If you study the conversations of Einstein you would realize he was a visual thinker, solving physics problems in a visual manner similar to the problem-solving methods of visual artists. Artists are being hired by scientific researchers because science and art can enrich each other. Just like the surrealist movement that began with writers that later inspired the artists we now call Surrealists. Repetition is the definition of insanity only if you expect "different" outcomes. Repetition of that which brought about good outcomes in previous experiments is called learning and playing the odds. Repetition can be good. You are not alone in viewing math as a polar opposite of art, I see it as a common misperception.
Oh damn, as a Visually impaired person, I need to express my gratitude for the audiobook! I draw in a cartoony style, but the book is about any type of visual artistry. Thank You!
Why is passion such a "dumb" term? It simply means you're "burning" for something. I'm sure you love to learn one thing above another. That's literally passion. I have no passion for math, thus I learn it slower (as I can't quite focus as much on it).
I would beg to differ...passion is passion, it's simply what you like and what motivates you to keep doing whatever your passion is about. Talent is simply whether or not you are natural at it or not. Passion develops after you realize you are good at something, or vice versa. There can be passion, and then there can be talent in a field where your passion isn't at all at, and you can randomly stumble upon your talent at random age when a certain situation or action occurs that tells you, that you are natural at it. Talent is basically something where you show an potential and need to evolve skills at it.
"When you hear the word "Misstake", what do you think of." I stoped to write. I do not think. I look behind me. A pile of notes. A pile of drawings. Rib cages, Buckets, Gestures, Arms, Muscles, Pelvis, Fingers, Hands, Legs, Eyes, Lips. Horrible out of proportion drawings. Old Comic Panels, A failed self portrait. A City with too many layers. Some writing in liquid gold, which looks cartoonish. I don't see misstakes behind me. I see failure. I can look at all of them. Even the newest and I still see the Misstakes I made. Misstake ... Looking at this comment realising I made a mistake while writing "mistake". The Irony is not lost on me. Sometimes, I go through some of them. I pick up an old one and Know what I did wrong. But what I also know is ... What I did Better! That City? I wanted to try to do something Big. I should have reduced the layer count and added more texture. The horrible self Portrait? I know what I did wrong. But some could still see that it was meant to be me. The Comic? My first ever paid job for a friend. I worked days on those 3 pannels and got paid less than a euro per hour. But it was a favour I did. The guy I drew even asked if I could do another one for his wedding. Self doubt crept upon me. I declined. That Golden writing? A banner for a friend. What made me honestly concider going into the industry. The moment I realised that this is what I WANT. Those Rib Cages? Practice. Old drawing of eyes? My first few attempts to draw faces. What I allways wanted was to make a drawing "perfect". Sometimes I concider "Wouldn't it be easier to make it just good enough?" And I stop myself. This is NOT what I signed up for. I had talent. Not much, but a little. It faded quickly and the only thing which kept me on level with others was practice. Thinking about being "good enough" is equivalent to giving up for me. I don't want to be "good enough". I want to be BETTER. Did I improve? Yes. But I want to be BETTER. Someone praised my work? I can still see the flaws. I need to be BETTER. I cooked a meal for a friend and he praised me? It needs to be BETTER. This in essence is why I started to take drawing serriously. I am at the start of my journey. I am an amateur, but I learn to be BETTER. Maybe this line of thinking is another mistake ... but it is mine to make.
Marco, As a MUSIC teacher, I confirm your observation about TALENT. I always called it "the CURSE of TALENT." I've seen this at least a thousand times during my fifty years of teaching. Those who have natural aptitude ( i.e. "talent") are accustomed to having things be easy. So when they must practice to improve, they quit. Conversely, those who recognize how EFFORT over TIME creates improvement, continue and surpass those with innate talent.
That would be pretty cool. Your voice is really rich and soothing and this video serves as the best advertisement. Besides, artists are your audience. They spend their free time drawing, so their hands and eyes are occupied, but not their ears.
I think many of Us ( painters ) would be really keen on the audio book version, given we can listen to it while we paint, Im buying it please let us know if you put it out. By the way Thank you for sharing this video and for making the book, seems you have put a lot of effort and thoughts on it. Thanks !
I was always untalented as a kid, but I had fixations on creative things like writing, cartoons, and story telling so I worked hard at understanding those things. It felt good listening to this.
Hi Marco! I deeply appreciate all your videos and tutorials that you put out there. With the opinions about talent though, I have to disagree. I agree with the observations, but have a different perspective on the interpretations. So this is the inside experience of the naturally talented person. Yes, I am very gifted, and those gifts come from God. No one can judge whether a person deserves their talents or beauty, it is God's design. And those gifts come with the responsibility to use them for God's plans, meaning for good. I have a huge creative talent, it has always flown through me. Yes, at some point in my childhood it became very visible. But to assume that every talented person gets the same caring and nurturing treatment is a bit limited. A child with next to no talent might be nurtured by the parents, taken to different classes and workshops to sharpen their skills, while the talented person can be totally overlooked. You see ther might be different reasons why a talented person might start slacking off: difficult family situation, financial, emotional... What if they are facing some kind of abuse? Do you know how challenging and confusing it is to be faced with envy that early on in life? When people assume you are better than them, not because you act that way, but because of their own insecurities. Then they show their bitterness and envy, sometime openly but most of the time covertly. They even idolise you and pretend to be your friend, but deep inside resenting you. And you can totally sense that something is wrong... There is a lot more to this talent concept than you see on the surface. But when all said and done, and another challenge overcome, I am deeply grateful to God for all my talent and gifts, and I don't take them them for granted.
Also want to add that you described the concept of mistakes so nicely. But when it comes to the ideas, I have a different perspective. Good ideas are like talent, God given. What one does with them is their choice. Yes, they both require work, dedication, proper execution and professionalism to make it work. But you can have all that, like a movie with expensive budget, best vfx, skilled artist, but if the idea is crappy it still sucks. In this world of recycled storylines and remakes good ideas are highly regarded and well wanted.
StudioGAYA i know a friend whos goos at drawing but financial problems, make it difficult for him not to mention he sometimes show the lack of interest, but amazingly when he is in the mood his drawings are good (average) its something that he can, become a pro at if he works hard,
Oh damn... I started crying because I am in a heavy art block and I also have that stigma. There is like a voice in my head that says: „stop drawing, you will never be as good as ...“ I hate the fact that I listen to that voice. It‘s just so hard to get over that voice and start to draw for real... I feel so weak and might have to try other hobbies, so I can get over the art block. But drawing is my passion, it‘s like eating for me, I need it. When I don‘t draw, it‘s like something is missing in my life :/ and when I would loose that passion to draw then I would be pretty sad. I‘m trying to get over the art block, by looking over old art works and looking at new ones. But that just helps a little bit...
Dude. You are an absolute Dostoyevsky of the visual art. Hacking the psychology of people and what makes progress in them. Thats how I started painting few months ago. And you even wrote a book on these observations. You got a new subscriber. I like to hear my amateur thoughts on art and skills match those of the more experienced artists, so I am reasured I am on the right path. You ROCK!!!
Dude I really want to meet you one day. hahaha and I will. when I grow with all this. I do 3D full time, painting just a few hours but well. I agree with everything you said. Some were my thoughts some were new which I didnt realize. Basically talent is a myth for me, expect well for singing opera perhaps. I cannot sing it if I dont have that GIFT of a voice, it all comes up with barely few things human cannot do by hard work but thats it. I think its just about courage. With enouth IQ to analyze painting, science whatever, and courage to fight for yourself. Gift over talent but all of em developed by hard work.
I am so sorry for stumbling on this video so late.. I see it was posted 2017 but it’s 2019 now and I can’t tell you how relevant and insightful your words are. Not to echo everything the video already stated but the part about skill being the virtue to work on rather than relying on talent, is a statement way underrated. Thank you
Thanks A LOT for making this video. I am one of those non talented people and I have been working on my pretty hard for past 8 years working on my drawing and music. I have a pretty huge inferiority complex. I beat myself down SO MUCH that once after finishing a painting I cried myself to sleep telling myself I will never be a good artist. But this has made me feel better. Thank you :) Keep 'em coming
Not even started and I already want to say thanks, Marco. Love listening to you talk about art and always a great teacher and inspiration. All the best!
This is just AMAZING and you say a lot of what Jeff Watts says about the foster attitudes and habits and trying to learn art. I'm a part of his online school and i love it.
Man, that hour went fast! :) I was one of the kids who longed to do art and music, but never thought I could. (I was good at sport but most of the 'lower class' kids were, but things like art and music were things that only the 'posh' kids got to do). I finally realised, that all you had to do, was .. do it. I started learning the violin in my 30's with my kids (and ended up playing in a wee orchestra and teaching beginners), and art in my 40's. I gained art scholarships, and completed 7 years of part time study. Now that I have finished studies, I am drawing and painting more than ever, and continue to study through ... u-tube and books and mostly, practise! lol So glad I found your channel!! Thank you!!
Thing is, you werent doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You were iterating and learning from every single line you worked with. Great video! Subbed :)
Wow! That was fantastic Marco! Refreshing to hear an artist communicate with such clarity the pitfalls that befall us along the way. I will have to rewatch this video as your narrative took up 95% of my attention. Thanks for sharing! This is immensely helpful!
Thanks to your kind encouragement, the full audiobook is available! You can find it here:
bit.ly/2BuRiRH
I never bought an audiobook before so can someone explain it to me, after paying the bill:
1- Do I get a digital copy that I can download and listen right away?
2- Or do I have to wait for a shipped (I dont know, physical CD or something)?
1 case would be prefered. Sorry about the silly question, it's kind of important for me to know.
Vu Khanh Trung hello - you’ll get a download link (mp3 file) immediately and automatically upon purchase. Thanks!
I just bought it, thank you for the quick reply. I plan to listen to it while working and at bed time.
Oh and for people who are still wondering, the full audiobook length is 2 and a half hour
I just bought your audiobook, thank you so much for making it accessible to many!
Ally Art Duc thank you!
Right from the get go. What you said is my EXACT reality - was always 'talented' at art. Went to an art highschool, did better than most while doing less and handing things in later and later. Now, I am an anxious perfectionist who quits at every turn because I was once 'so talented', this should be 'so easy' and there are so many holes in my abilities that those who had to work much harder than me from the bottom have long since filled in. 'Talent' sucked enjoyment from my art - expectations were always so high, I could never finish anything without it being 'perfect' first. I am in my late 20s now and I haven't drawn in months, because failure sets me back 15 years mentally.
Talent is meaningless. or rather, a curse.
Anyway, subscribed.
You're not alone! I was always just praised for my art when I was a kid and a teenager. Then, I applied to an art program in the only art university in the country I lived in where they accepted only max 15 people per year as students. And as I obviously couldn't get in with the bad portfolio I put together the same week I had to send it in, I dropped art for years. I was devastated. Now, at 26 I finally decided to really pursue a career in the creative field as I'm unhappy in my current job.
Lalla Collins That’s so inspiring and cute!
omg, same story here.
i was a talent in my teenage age. but my talent made me lazy and too proud to work further and harder in my skills.
my ego didnt allowed me to work hard, because i dont have to, otherwise i am maybe not so talented.
i think talent is overvalued. i really admire people, who have disciplines and focus. its like the story with the bunny and the turtle.
Literally my life dude right down to our ages. I think we can come back. especially with lessons like this on RUclips for free. I'm going to try to start a sketchbook/portfolio online with a different name. That way I can almost start over without the 'talent' curse forcing me to strive for perfection. I will do my own thing with my own style and in a few years, who knows? Maybe I'll figure it out and have the confidence in my work to finally do something with it. Hope you do something similar. Good luck!
I know many people, lots of those people have talent. Some of them chose to work hard at their talent, some didn't, and some didn't have talent but worked hard. It's all about choice and conviction. But I know for sure, that those who have both talent and chose to work hard, those are the masters. Those people are the ones that push the boundaries.
This video is so refreshing after all the "You're so talented!" compliments I get for my art. I know what talent is. I grew up as a pretty gifted child when it came to academic things like school. I scored in the top 3 consistently in any class and it all felt incredibly undeserved. I could look around a room at school and point out almost every person as someone who was trying harder than me - studying harder and putting in a lot more time. This led to a feeling that I was simply made for academic success, after all, how else could I be so much better than everyone else who had to spend so much time understanding the things I already did?
But, time went on. I reached university and immediately felt the effects that my talent had on me. Instead of information being served on platter straight to my brain like it was in school, I had to search for it, I had to study for hours on end, I had to try. This overwhelmed me, and soon I realised I was in the group that was barely passing. Thankfully, I'd already stopped using my grades as a source of validation in the later years of school, so I was able to accept that fact quite well. Still, that did lead to me dropping out.
Having recently discovered a passion for art, and also having seen other artists and how incredibly skilled I'd have to be if I want to make this my profession, I started to put in work. Every day, I've been studying different areas of art and working on personal projects for several hours (not in a way where I burn out though, I'm still making sure to enjoy it). At last, I feel like I'm making progress and it feels amazing that I have achieved it not through talent, but through genuine hard work.
I'll continue to do what I'm doing, and will probably continue to be silently irritated when people call me talented when I post my art online lol. Anyway, thanks for the video Marco, it really spoke to me and, I'm sure, a lot of others as well.
I feel called out XD
I almost never had to study for anything academically, and now I'm getting whacked because I have massive procrastination & distraction habits that clash so horribly with each other I cant even describe it in words.
damn, this is a really good comment right here, honestly sounds more human than most i've seen haha. yea I also had to deal with this and not only with school but with my own art, but the older I got the more I was like, "oh shoot, I need to put peep in my step". so yea, also trying my best without burning out and enjoying it. I also get triggered when people call me talented. Honestly I prefer the brutal comments as to how I can improve
you are a good speaker...or dare I say...talented? : )
haha. I see what you did there.
Wait! Don't listen to that snake, he's just trying to drive you into the trap of contentment. While I do think you are already well underway in weaving together a compelling story, I do think some lighthearted joke or positive energy might be added at certain points. The way it is, your story, while of course trying to be a wake-up call, can feel a little foreboding, heavy and/or serious.
To complete your daily dose of criticism, I like your dry paint artstyle, but the thing putting me off are the "wobbly" roofs of your towers, like they are sagging in.
Liked and subbed. May people like you rise high into the charts and vanquish those abhorrent screaming clickbait youtubers. :)
I am the best example of that stigma. I was one of those people "I wish I had a talent to draw, but I don't". And then one time I thought, what if I watch a youtube tutorial? What if I can learn more? I started painting at 28 years old and I am amazed with what I can actually do with just a little bit of education. I just wish I knew this before, that you can learn how to draw and paint.
It's great to hear you overcame it. I think that can sometimes be the hardest part of the learning process - with art, anyway. I appreciate your comment!
Go you good thing!! How are you going 2 years on?
@@georgiabaddeley6606 I don't make art anymore, because I've always struggled with staying motivated to keep my hobbies for a longer period of time. I thought art was my thing, but I kind of lost interest in time. Can't really help it, although I wish I could. But trying actually taught me, that I can achieve a lot if I just make some effort to learn how. It helped me understand that I was not talentless in any discpline, I just don't spend enough time doing it and learning about it. Did you know you can also learn to sing? So this year I'm getting married and I will be creating some art for that event and I know I can, I just need to spend enough time planning how I want to look like, make few projects to see what colors work together, search for some inspiration.
It makes me happy to hear that some people have got the initiative and also self awareness to question their own thoughts and tell them to shove it. Anyone can learn to do anything, all they need to do is try and practice and persist. You may not be able to become _the best_ at everything (or anything) but you can learn to be proficient.
Well done! Good for you 😁 I hope you can continue to learn and enjoy painting for many years to come 🙌
"love makes hard work much less hard." Awesome
I'm so thankful I found your channel.
Thanks for making this Marco , i can relate to alot of the this you said in this video. I was one of those "talanted" kids growing up and gradually lost interest in drawing because everyone praise around me made me think that i was good enough and there nothing else to learn
But my interest rekindled when i saw the stuff other artist were putting up online when i was about 13 during the early deviantart days and i wanted to try drawing like that but of course the results were mostly terrible and it made me questioned myself if i really had it in me.
I then gave up for a few years before i then encountered some artists on youtube describing the same problem i was facing and how hard they had to work and the stuff they did to get to the level they are.
I decided to give it another go for a few years and really dedicated myself into learning a few of the drawing and painting fundamentals and looking at multiple artists works i admire to figure out how they do things. And now after looking back at my old works when i first started drawing , there a huge difference .
Guess all i wanted to say is that i agree hardwork and the discipline to carry it through does in fact pay off.
Thanks for sharing that. I can relate. I actually was born with talent, too. Not in drawing or painting, though. Mine was playing the piano. And I encountered exactly what you did (except I never picked it back up, and completely abandoned it around age 15.)
Exactly the same story. Except I realised how wrong I was by the end of art school and did nothing about it.
I even dropped painting and drawing for good because I thought computer can do it for me.
Started working as motion designer and was happy for a while. Unfortunately I still was feeding my old demons.
Thanks to Steven Pressfield's book I understood what was holding me back for all this years. Malcolm Gladwell is a good read too.
Thanks to those gentlemen and people like you Marco, my passion and desire rekindled and I am on my way.
The road is unwelcoming and bumpy but I cherish every bit of it.
Thank you!
Cheers!
can you provide titles of those books you mentioned? as those authors have quite a few books that they have written
I feel you man
Every word resonate with me.
The commentary in this video is absolute GOLD for any creative (or aspiring creative) person doing ANY work in ANY field. Seriously, take to heart what he is saying. Absolute truth.
Marco, I go back to this every time I am feeling like I am losing my passion on creating especially that I just graduated art school & tryna find a job. Thank you so much.
"Yes, you can start now. No, you are not too old." I love this quote more than anything being such a late starter. I'm listening to this again and currently making a digital painting. I would have never attempted this if messages like this weren't put out there. Thank you!
Hi Marco,
Thanks for the awesome encouragement.
One thing I have to add:
You asked about whether programmers get told they are talented, and as a developer, I can tell you that this happens actually quite often in the field.
Working in Development is actually quite similar to the artistic fields since technique and experience are the most important things in the field.
Thanks again, keep it up :)
Regards Michael
Had to look this comment up. I wrote my first programs when I was 4, was writing code professionally when I was 16. I heard about this talent thing quite a few times as a programmer too =) Now I'm watching these youtube videos.. and drawing and painting couple of hours a day because I really enjoy it although I always believed I can't do it (because I really haven't got talent for it). It's slowly paying off and it feels great :)
I was a talented kid. I made a habit of talking with adults instead of kids. Everyone around me called me "talented" and would compliment how smart and quick-witted I was. I was even complimented on how "good" my art was "at my age."
And then, I lost my mind. Life, for me started getting really bad; my parents divorced, I changed schools enough to stop trying to make friends, and my father, now a country away, began to show his more...mentally abusive tendencies. Mu grades dropped, I lost interest in talking to others and I stopped trying. To this day, I still suffer from social anxiety and a fear of failure cultivated by those dark years.
But. I didn't stop drawing.
I don't know why, looking back. Perhaps because sketching was incredibly malleable. It didn't matter how I felt, my emotional state, or how social I was; I could still draw, no matter what. An added bonus was that sketching felt like a release, that somehow I was expelling these bad thoughts and ideas out and bringing them to the spotlight. And so, I kept drawing. It wasn't GOOD, mind you; I wasn't improving by much and I wasn't taking time to LEARN how to improve. But after a while, it became habitual.
That lead to its own swt of problems though: thoughts like "do I actually enjoy art, or do I do it out of habit?" Or worse, "do I make art just so people praise me for it?" Questions like these can be dangerous, as they bring to light the glaring weaknesses of basing your entire identity over a skill that relies on sharing your craft with others. I am an artist. Sometimes I believed I'm nothing BUT an artist. I know this view is unhealthy, I really do. But it's hard to think otherwise when art seemed to be the one light that got me through some of my darkest moments.
So thank you Bucci, this video really made me realize why I love art, and why I still do it: because creativity is a beautiful being. They cover your eyes from the real world and show you a world unrecheable, dreams of mystery, horror, and beauty. But a world that you cannot reach, so you have no choice but to try and capture that world through painting, or sculpting, or music. It is, for lack of a better term, a committed relationship. The moment you decide to become an ARTIST is the moment you pronounce yourself Creativity's bride, and a good bride will COMMIT. I guess I'm too committed to this bride of mine to leave them behind.
Dear god, I can't thank you enough for clarifying what "hard work" is in words. It's one of those terms you hear all the time growing up, but no one teaches you what MEANS. They just expect you to get it.
Man, I'm only seeing this now. I went to college 6 years ago and was good at drawing and had a knack for lots of things got loads of praise then left college. After that all that talent slowly drained away and the people that I once thought "your way behind my level in art" have now got jobs in tattoo parlours and are great artists while I can't even draw a face anymore 😭
This guy raised the bar for free youtube lessons,everytime i watch your videos ,i feel really grateful to you.So ,Thank you again.Love from India.
This video needs to be watched by anyone looking to persue a passion,
the comments are all talking about the inspirational/eye opening stuff he said, and for good reason, but can we just stop & appreciate that he did this whole thing on ONE LAYER??
Thank you so, so much for sharing this. This literally changed my world and I want to cry, wishing I heard this earlier.
I was born with talent to draw and people have told me since elementary school.
I never drew much because I was so good at it but at the age of 13, I got inspired to pick it up. It seemed so easy, so I dropped it again.
When I was close to graduating high school at the age of 17, I did not know what to do, so I reverted back to drawing.
I took a course to work on my application for the school and I was always at the top, even in that course. I picked up acrylic paint immediately although I never touched paint in my life before that.
I got into my school with one of the best grades and with my application work exhibited during the annual exhibition. I didn't even bother with a backup plan in case I didn't get in. I knew I would.
The school started out so easy too and I was the youngest and didn't feel the crushing feeling of 'everyone being better than me', like others did once they started.
Everyone complimented my work, especially in painting in etching.
I banked on my talent and one day I woke up to find that everyone seemed far ahead. I got frustrated and restless but my 'talent' mindset was so rooted that I did not take action.
Here I am, into my 5th year of studying illustration and still with no idea of what I want to do. Heck I don't even know when I'll graduate.
I tried everything from drawing to painting, to etching, to animation. From stylized, to realistic, to traditional to abstract. Even photography. I just didn't (and still don't) know where to start looking, because everything always came to me with no effort.
Thanks to your video, I'm starting to make a list of things I need to improve on.
Thanks to you, I finally know why I'm struggling so much.
Thank you. So much.
(Sorry for the long comment!)
Hello - just wanted to say thanks for your comment, and sharing some very honest stuff. I'm humbled that my video can help you out, and I wish you all the best with everything :)
Thank you again :) I purchased your audiobook and already listened to it twice. The small doses of inspiration you were talking about ? To me, your audiobook is one of them!
Also, if you are open to suggestions for new videos, I'd be really interested in how you come up with ideas. Often I find myself wanting to create something but I end up sitting in front of a blank canvas and being stuck at the 'what?' So much so that not even 'doodling around' as professors tell us, comes easy to me. Would be very interesting to know if you experience or experienced that too!
How about we stop judging art and ourselves period. Who are we to say? Each person it art in and of themselves. We have made something that was once inspired, moving, and meaningful into something harsh, rude, and dreadful. Let art be. How great THOU ART.❤️
You're back! Man I think you've got one of the best art teachers on the internet (even counting the whole schoolism/gumroad and all!)
Thanks a lot! I'll try to make more videos this year.
I’m five minutes in and I already relate to this so much. In elementary school, I was told constantly by teachers and parents and other students how smart I was and how I was ahead of everyone else and they wanted me to skip a grade for a challenge. I finished my tests before everyone else, never had any questions because I understood everything immediately, etc. In middle/high school, I was homeschooled. I felt like I didn’t need to work at school because I’d been told growing up how easy it came to me. My grades fell, but my love for art grew. I was in art classes and was drawing badly for my age, but then one day something just clicked and I was drawing exceptionally well suddenly. I was the only one in my entire community of people that could draw, and again, teachers, parents, and other students told me every day how talented I was and how successful I’d one day be. I was drawing portraits of famous people mainly, but they looked realistic enough that it became my entire identity. Everyone wanted me to draw someone or something specific, and I liked the praise so I did it. I graduated high school, and chose not to go to college. I was going to take a gap year and study art and work on getting a job in the field. Instead, I lost interest in drawing, got a job in a restaurant, and never went to college. I went from being ahead of everyone in my class academically, and being ‘exceptional’ at art, to being an uneducated dud with no path in life. My peers have all gone to college and are successful where they are, and I feel like I failed everyone who ever told me I’d be the best, including myself, which made me pretty depressed for a couple years. A few months ago, I was hit by a car and wasn’t allowed to get out of bed except to use the bathroom. Laying trapped in a bed opened up the world to me. Drawing was how I filled my time, and ever since, it’s all I want to do. I feel like I finally have a true love for it and I want to understand it more than I ever did. Maybe I’ll even go to college 🤷🏼♀️ all in all, I would say talent and natural gifts are overrated. Life requires hard work, and telling a kid that they don’t need to work for something makes them lazy and complacent, and eventually everyone is ahead of them. I just hope I can catch up
6 minutes in and I'm feeling VERY ATTACKED!!!!
Since I listen to this everyday, I finally managed to buy the audiobook. It completely changed my views as an artist. It saved my life. Thanks Marco Bucci!
Very honored, thank you!
OML BLISSUNI SENPAI-
This was SO powerful! Thank you for sharing this and writing out these thoughts down. So many people needed and need to hear this.
I’m so grateful for social media as it’s allowed me to view other artist’s work and strive to improve myself. People would give me compliments and say I’m “talented” and everything, and that would cause me to slowly lose interest in improving my skills, as it would lead me to believe in good enough as is. Seeing that there’s always someone out there with better skills than me helps to keep me going and keep me striving to get better at what I do.
Amazing "story"! Almost felt like you described me lol, was born with talent for music, everyone around me praised me. Took me way more years than i like to admit to really wake up from the ego buble and see that i really wasnt that good anymore, since everone else had passed me or was at my "skill" level. Even now as a full grown adult i suffer from my early misstakes with "talent", i feel like i was totally blinded by how easy it seemed at the time. If i had practiced and kept acquire more skill i would be miles ahead from where i am today. Intresting topic to say the least, really something that should be talked more about. But i doubt a young kid with talent would listen anyway.. lol!
gRave687 hahaha, I agree with that last part. And I had the music thing too. Piano. Same story as you, except I completely abandoned it when it became apparent that, even though I had a talent there from a young age, my passion lay elsewhere.
Wow.
Both in terms of life lessons and in the very self debasing struggle creatives face, thank you for your work and your insight. I am your ardent and humble admirer.
I listen to these talks why I practice art. It's a great listen, thank you!
The compliment of "you should consider yourself lucky to be so talented" in my opinion is more of a backhanded compliment at best... Especially when, as you pointed out, not everyone is naturally gifted. Heck, even gifted artists have to overcome barriers! For someone like you who has practiced hard for years to achieve what you have, its insulting to say something that insinuates it is easy for you.
I had a foster mom growing up and her son was so naturally gifted at everything he did. He could sing, draw, act, play piano and drums, math, etc and he did so amazingly. I remember when he went to college, he took up Russian- I said something about how he will probably be naturally good at that somehow too! Our mom stopped me and said "Its the opposite. He has had things come so easy to him for so long, now when he encounters something challenging, he gets frustrated and is quick to give up." I had been jealous of him for years until she said that.
About 25 minutes in I find myself ordering your book. I look forward to read the rest!
By the way your artwork really feels vivid and alive!
Willpower, passion and persistence are the greatest and most universal of all talents.
Drew a good simple portrait while listening to this. It's really good like the way you spoke was so nice that it did not distract me from what I was doing and yet I could hear it well.
lmao the way you holed yourself up in your room is the bread and butter of my improvement. I naturally get jealous easily- instead of directing it towards the person, I just use it as stubborn energy for improvement. It's not for everyone, but it allows me to stay positive, improve, and make friends because my energy is very apparent and honest.
There are so many harsh truths in this and it is so hugely relevant to me right now that it's made me tear up. It's like an long-needed intervention.
I am one of those talented kids. I turn 30 this year and my talent has been stagnating - "I can go back to it any time", I think - but every time I do, I'm uninspired; what style I do have (minimal - as I am clearly a 'rendering child') is flat and without any real emotion, form or artistic readability; my techniques are lacking and lose their way through any work I do from a total lack of focus and discipline and basic training because I've always been 'the one who can draw', exclusively from 'natural talent'. Ha.
I've watched my peers, both in real life and online, creep up and pass me through hard work and determination (just as you did Tim). I feel left behind and my regret at letting my ego let my talent die has made me irrationally resentful and frustrated.
My recent realisation is that even at my "best" (age 19-21), I was basically the human equivalent of a photocopier. Copying reference images pixel by pixel. Looked impressive as when people said 'I thought that was a photo! WOW!, I got a ridiculous amount of pleasure from telling them otherwise... but there has never been any true expression in my work. No depth, no emotion. Never been able to work off-reference, from imagination. I may as well have just photocopied it. Saved the 40+ hours on each piece.
Now, older, I feel I've been trying to force expression and painterly-looks in the latter half of my 20s without the real tools (the knowledge) to do it - meaning the work has gotten muddier and flatter.
Of course, I blamed all of that, in my hubris and pig-headedness, on my lack of good physical tools. (of course I did.) So I bought the software, the tablets and the brush packs and the latest stylii and what do you know - ? No change.
This video has been a massive bit of tough love for me. I know we've never met but it just feels like it was a heat-seeking missile aimed directly at my ego. I'll be listening to the rest of the audiobook and watching the rest of your videos and most importantly, getting my ego to accept I have to relearn - no other artist on RUclips I've found so far has really 'spoken to me' as you have. So, thank you - truly.
I just turned 50 years old, have worked as a professional illustrator for over 25 years, and cried through most of this video. Such great insight. It has really highlighted to me my own mistakes I’ve made in my thinking about art and working as an artist.
That's an awesome description of creativity by some one till date! Loved every bit of it.Described in the most authentic way it can be.Precise and well researched.Thanks for making this sir,will inspire many.
Thanks!
It's not my right to say, but I think a big part of what makes you a great artist is your great sense of humor. Maybe you can't see it directly in your paintings, but the videos you post are really engaging because of this clarity and humor you have.
i needed this, im the talented one with lazy habits, thank you
I watched this video for the first time 2 years ago, and I just wanted to point out how incredibly emotionally intelligent you are. I think the underlying wisdom can apply to mostly anything, from recovering from addictions to how to build lasting relationships etc. It's an amazing piece of wisdom, thank you so much for sharing.
This was amazing! I came to learn how to be a better painter and I left with some of the best creative advice I've ever heard, translatable to all forms of art/passion/creation. As a writer, I felt a lot of what was said could be directly applied to my field and many others. Thank you so much for posting this. I will definitely pick up a copy of your book and recommend it to others.
Dreamliss thank you! I'm trying to do more fiction writing as well and experiencing all this stuff in that medium too :)
When you mention how programmers are never told they are talented i couldn't help but smile.
My first career choice was programmer and I had talent in that field as a little kid. Even though I worked hard to better my skills and spent 10 years of my life perfecting it, people kept referring how I could already just naturally do it since i was little, it's "easy for me", "i was lucky to have a brain like mine".
It made my transition to being an artist really hard, since in that field I'm just talentless. The contrast of being paid so much attention for talent gave a large contrast to being ignored for my terrible early drawings. And so for many years I hated art altogether, it was just frustrating to ever attempt.
I'm still only a mediocre artist, but people like you helped me get through the phase of self-disbelief and push me to move forward towards not what i was born talent with, but what I truly love doing
what can we do to keep you doing these videos? don't have words to thank you. thanks a lot :)
Thanks! Your positive feedback is enough to make me want to keep making more content. I do love making RUclips videos; it's just such a time-sink that I have to find ways to fit it into my freelance schedule. I do plan to produce more content this year, though.
Binay Shrestha wow I coincidentally found you here remember me I commented on your Da
Ive never watched anything like this! Wow wow wow. I've got so much more to think about now. I love your style!
Normally I never comment on videos but this resonated with me. Your videos have lit a fire under my ass to get it back in gear.
I've been stuck in this endless loop of self doubt and frustration for seven years. I'm sick to death of it. These feelings resulted in an unhealthy relationship with art itself. I used to love painting and drawing, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life and what I had spent my life up to twenty-one trying to perfect. I was actually good at something because I worked for it and I could see it.
But then things changed and it wasn't the same anymore. I lost my self worth. I hated everything I made, and resented myself for even trying then I just slowly stopped. It's bothered me for these years and it's finally time to do something about it.
Thank you for putting into words and practice what I couldn't see myself. Though I haven't been your student, you make an excellent teacher. I hope that people who struggle in similar ways find the same clarity from your work.
Matthew Kwiatkowski thanks a lot for taking the time and leaving the comment. All the best with your work.
This is an amazing video and it applies to everything in life not just art, for all supposed talent flaunters in any field. I teach language and I love art , I think my students can benefit from this. Thank you , thank you. By the way, you are an excellent teacher, everything is so well presented that anybody can understand.
Joanna Skor thanks Joanna! And all the best with your teaching.
This was actually an eye opener for me. You have no idea how badly I needed this. As an artist who just starting things in her life, I was falling into depression because of the 'Stigma' and lack of belief in myself. Hearing this made me realize things that what I'm feeling right now is normal and I have to treat things differently and work with an entirely new but positive perspective. So thanks for this and I love your style :)
This video and the audiobook (that I bought after watching the video) are absolutely wonderful :-) The logic so harmonic and there are so many wise quotes even Dumbledore would have been inspired by (it also is the perfect background noise for drawing). Thank you for having the courage and persistence to finish this piece of literaric beauty :-)
Fatbirdification wow, thanks for that! Glad the audiobook is good company while you draw, too.
I'm only on twelve minutes or so mark but I'm already crying like a baby. Especially after "No, you're not too old". Thank you for this video.
Татьяна К I'm humbled by that. Thank you for sharing.
That's exactly what I had to hear. Thank you for this, Bucci!
"Try again. Fail again. Fail better". One of my favourite quotes. Samuel Beckett. Definitely go out of your comfort zone. Explore. Fail. Build yourself up again
I always find just what I need on your channel :)
Okay, I just want to say that I listened deeply to every single world like it was holy. For a long time, I knew that something was different with me. I am considered one of the "talented" as I've been called that throughout my whole childhood, and suddenly as I got older everything felt stale. Basic. I know I have this deep founded love for art, this respect that touches my soul that can't even be put into words. But trying to represent that feeling and bring it forth into physical proof was such a difficult challenge I felt like giving up so many times. But just watching the video and watching you draw and listening to this lecture made me go back to my roots and remember why I did what I once have done, and why I will continue to pursue it again and forevermore. Just...thank you. This was the push I needed. Finally.
Wow - thanks for sharing that, and I'm absolutely humbled that you found the push you needed here. All the best!
Great vid but when I hear people talk about talent it comes off as superstitious or something. I was considered talented as a kid but that's because I drew more than others and drew what I liked. Your childhood rival either drew more than you or saw the world in an advantageous way.
Some people draw hard and others draw smart, both may end up in the same skill bracket but the second option is faster
I am such a big fan! You thank your viewers for the encouragement, but YOU need to know how much you inspire and encouragement to keep going and chasing my dreams of making a living creating art. Huge thanks to you, dude!
Awesome video, thanks for sharing its really insightful. Love the painting as well! The bounce light and amount of colors is really beautiful.
Thanks. And yeah, bounced light, to me, is what really gives a painting the sense of illumination.
the analogies in this were nothing short of genius
Your story of being jealous and wanting to surpass the talented, was literally my childhood. I find that there are latent talents that reside within each individual while they reap their sown skills; as every individual has a different way of seeing into the medium of art. This video was fantastic, and I always appreciate learning from someone who enjoys teaching over just wanting money from teaching. So thank you for that.
I have shared this video on facebook. Its really has been a blessing to find it. Thanks for making this video.
Thank you very much!
I wasn't expecting a response. Thank you.
And here I was thinking nothing could surprise me this week. No line of thought could match my own and fill the gaps. Why is my creativity not being enough? Thanks Marco. Just bought your Audiobook.
26:13 - Hard Work
For me and anyone else that wants to hear this sometimes
This is the most relatable video I’ve seen about being an artist
man I wasn't expecting to be called out in just 10 minutes of the video
Still listening, but I've never heard such concentrated artistic truth spoken so eloquently, thank you for this
When he said to go to take a shower and get dressed for the art gods, I stopped the video and took a shower and changed out of my pajamas. ^-^
Pyjamas are not acceptable dressings for meeting God?
Dedication, Discipline and Consistency without these things you will never get better.
Thanks Marco I really love your videos and advice... Yea I hate when the people says that you draw because "you born with it" or it´s a "gift"... These people don´t look the hours, days and weeks expended enjoying and suffering the neverending work of learning. (Sorry for my english if isn´t good enough)
Ricardo Mujica he literally said that god gave you talent, and that talented people are born with it.
Ricardo Mujica you’re talking about yourself, yea? Did people call you talented at a young age? You’re talented, and if you don’t start working hard, you’re gonna have to start going backwards later.
You just read my entire limiting belief about myself. I know was able to reflect on the real reason why I am avoiding to finish personal projects for my portfolio. I can't thank you enough for this mental workout and I am starting it by showing up everyday. I used researching, watching tutorials as an excuse not to finish a piece then end up just binge-watching series/ movies from Netflix and Amazon. I fear sharing my finished artworks on the Internet because they only get ignored by people who can criticize it constructively. I get praises from nice people which I appreciate. But not criticized which makes me doubt that my art may not be interesting enough for people to bother telling me what I can improve on.
I'd like to think that I should know what to improve on but I in terms of art I believe it helps a lot to hear criticism from anyone too.
I really love this 'traditional' style in digital painting but in photoshop I struggle to get it, I struggle to mix/blend colours because if i don't use opacity, there's no mixing but if i do everything comes out soft. :/
Yeah, getting the mark-making to look natural in digital takes time. It really helps if you train traditionally. That way you at least have an expectation on how the brushes and paint *should* react, and you can adjust your tools accordingly.
@@marcobucci i never knew that, quite important indeed. Thanks.
In the past two days, I've learned more about art than in art school 45 years ago and independent study. Mind Blown!!!
I DIDN'T KNOW. I NEEDED. THIS. SUBCRIBED.
Hearing you talk like this made me buy your audio book for more. Best purchase of the year yet.
I'm kind of concerned with the section on talent. I love the imagery! It's great story telling, but it is also dangerous. I have seen far too many people in the comments below cursing this wretched thing called "talent" that bestowed upon them so unfairly. That isn't an okay thing to be saying. The issue you addressed is the issue of arrogance and ignorance. You describe a situation like that in the "turtle & the hair". Where someones arrogance leads them to be lazy; thus, putting them behind the slower opponent in the end. And you state this accurately as a parasite to be feared and hated. But the words you used were misleading. You used "talent" as the antagonist, when in fact, the real evil is laziness. Where the true antagonist may be clear to some, it has been hidden from others. This has lead to statements such as the ones above. The problem with these statements is that they are committing the exact same sin as the one mentioned in the second part of the book. However, rather than the talent-less cursing their lack of talent for their lack of skill, now the talented are cursing their presence of talent for their lack of skill. You have accidentally recreated the very problem you are trying to solve. Nothing is to blame for lack of skill other than lack of effort.
They're not cursing their talent though.
Did you listen to the whole video? I think you missed something.
the real antagonist was stigma tho
@@SlayPlenty True. I don't actually have a problem with the video. I understand his point. I think people are just easily misunderstanding it and THAT is the problem I have
This excerpt changed my thinking on a lot of things. My writing, my art, gaming, working out. All of my goals are achievable if I put enough work into repetitive practice, and stop expecting immediate results. I've also come to appreciate that the process of "getting good" at something is typically bitter work but can also be enjoyable. Just being able to appreciate the grind is one of the most significant skills for one to acquire. By this time next year I hope to have a few new skills under my belt. From here on out, that is how I will gauge my success in a year.
I dont have time to read at all, but i REALLY want the info of your book, can you make an audio book version of it? I would buy that sucker in a heartbeat
I second this motion. I'd buy it right now.
I'm getting more comments about the audiobook than I thought. I'll get into production on it!
That is AWESOME! Do you have a mailing list or something to stay updated on that ? The way you read is not very different than the pro's from Audible haha. High quality shit. I would love to listen to your book while i draw!
yeah! I'd love to buy that version too ^_^
Hi guys! So the audiobook is officially in production. I've got it available now for pre-order (downloadable file will be fulfilled on or before April 1, 2017.) You can find the link in the video description. Thank you for your interest!
Loved this! Thank you! I stopped painting after a teacher in artschool told me I sucked and would never learn. My only regret is that I listened. Now after many years of hard work, experimenting, leaving my comfortzone...I hear the opposite...”You are so talented, I could never draw like that.” I get a bit pissed everytime. It somehow feels as if my hard work isn’t ?recognized, as if I just bat my eyelashes and poef a drawing just magicly appears? I heard an artist tell a wonderful story just to counter such a comment. ‘Imagine you walked up to your teacher when you were 8 years old and told her... “That writing stuff, it isn’t going to work. I have no talent for it. I think I’ll quit.” I ask the person who gave me the compliment: “Would she have let you?” They always answer in the same way. “Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. “ Then I ask them why drawing is any different. It is an eye-hand coordination thingy and you have to practice a lot to get better, just as you did when you learned how to write. They are not always convinced, their inner beliefs about their own skills are sometimes too set. But I see them wonder, just a little bit...:) So thank you for all this good stuff you shared. It resonated! And I love your work and the way you teach. Inspiring!
Anytime someone tells me "I wish I could draw" I always say: "No you dont" cause if you did youd be drawing
It's not that simple, because when you are a beginner and hate your art, it really isn't motivating to practice. When they say "I wish I could draw." it is often more like "I wish I could make a drawing that motivates me to continue."
I always say, "you can draw, and with more practice, hopefully we all improve, cause nobody 'finally made it'"
I wish someone could make me draw...
_No you don't_
That is so pretentious.
@@topblokehere6579 it is, I no longer say this lol
The part about mistakes...SO good to hear that said.
So much informative! Pure awesome!! Have to listen 2 times more at least).. May I ask you? How did you manage to organize your brushset into categories (basic, favs, watercolor, etc.)?
Thanks! And that's a plug-in called Brushbox. I highly recommend it.
I spoke to a number of students at GDC earlier this month. This is all so well put, I'm going to send this video to all of them.
That's awesome, Anguel - thanks!
Urgh I hate saying " repetition is the definition of insanity " it was coined by Albert Einstein and has more todo with math - probably students using the wrong method rather then then right one , and thinking they missed a variable.
I don't differentiate much between the mental processes of math and the visual arts. If you study the conversations of Einstein you would realize he was a visual thinker, solving physics problems in a visual manner similar to the problem-solving methods of visual artists. Artists are being hired by scientific researchers because science and art can enrich each other. Just like the surrealist movement that began with writers that later inspired the artists we now call Surrealists. Repetition is the definition of insanity only if you expect "different" outcomes. Repetition of that which brought about good outcomes in previous experiments is called learning and playing the odds. Repetition can be good. You are not alone in viewing math as a polar opposite of art, I see it as a common misperception.
Oh damn, as a Visually impaired person, I need to express my gratitude for the audiobook! I draw in a cartoony style, but the book is about any type of visual artistry. Thank You!
Talent is just passion for doing a certain thing :p with passion you do anything with care and focus
Carolina Pequito Amen to that
talent is a natural ability to do something
passion is just as dumb of a term as talent.
Why is passion such a "dumb" term? It simply means you're "burning" for something. I'm sure you love to learn one thing above another. That's literally passion. I have no passion for math, thus I learn it slower (as I can't quite focus as much on it).
I would beg to differ...passion is passion, it's simply what you like and what motivates you to keep doing whatever your passion is about. Talent is simply whether or not you are natural at it or not. Passion develops after you realize you are good at something, or vice versa. There can be passion, and then there can be talent in a field where your passion isn't at all at, and you can randomly stumble upon your talent at random age when a certain situation or action occurs that tells you, that you are natural at it.
Talent is basically something where you show an potential and need to evolve skills at it.
I feel like you just saw the deep inner corners of my mind wth-
"When you hear the word "Misstake", what do you think of."
I stoped to write.
I do not think. I look behind me.
A pile of notes. A pile of drawings. Rib cages, Buckets, Gestures, Arms, Muscles, Pelvis, Fingers, Hands, Legs, Eyes, Lips.
Horrible out of proportion drawings. Old Comic Panels, A failed self portrait.
A City with too many layers. Some writing in liquid gold, which looks cartoonish.
I don't see misstakes behind me. I see failure.
I can look at all of them. Even the newest and I still see the Misstakes I made. Misstake ... Looking at this comment realising I made a mistake while writing "mistake". The Irony is not lost on me.
Sometimes, I go through some of them. I pick up an old one and Know what I did wrong. But what I also know is ... What I did Better!
That City? I wanted to try to do something Big. I should have reduced the layer count and added more texture.
The horrible self Portrait? I know what I did wrong. But some could still see that it was meant to be me.
The Comic? My first ever paid job for a friend. I worked days on those 3 pannels and got paid less than a euro per hour. But it was a favour I did. The guy I drew even asked if I could do another one for his wedding. Self doubt crept upon me. I declined.
That Golden writing? A banner for a friend. What made me honestly concider going into the industry. The moment I realised that this is what I WANT.
Those Rib Cages? Practice.
Old drawing of eyes? My first few attempts to draw faces.
What I allways wanted was to make a drawing "perfect".
Sometimes I concider "Wouldn't it be easier to make it just good enough?" And I stop myself. This is NOT what I signed up for.
I had talent. Not much, but a little. It faded quickly and the only thing which kept me on level with others was practice.
Thinking about being "good enough" is equivalent to giving up for me. I don't want to be "good enough". I want to be BETTER.
Did I improve? Yes.
But I want to be BETTER.
Someone praised my work? I can still see the flaws. I need to be BETTER.
I cooked a meal for a friend and he praised me? It needs to be BETTER.
This in essence is why I started to take drawing serriously. I am at the start of my journey. I am an amateur, but I learn to be BETTER.
Maybe this line of thinking is another mistake ... but it is mine to make.
Bass-D C Thanks for the comment and adding to the discussion :)
I love that.
Marco, As a MUSIC teacher, I confirm your observation about TALENT. I always called it "the CURSE of TALENT."
I've seen this at least a thousand times during my fifty years of teaching. Those who have natural aptitude ( i.e. "talent") are accustomed to having things be easy. So when they must practice to improve, they quit. Conversely, those who recognize how EFFORT over TIME creates improvement, continue and surpass those with innate talent.
Is this book on Audio to purchase?
Not yet. I just recorded these sections (which are actually edited, too) for this video. I might make an audiobook version available in the future.
That would be pretty cool. Your voice is really rich and soothing and this video serves as the best advertisement.
Besides, artists are your audience. They spend their free time drawing, so their hands and eyes are occupied, but not their ears.
I think many of Us ( painters ) would be really keen on the audio book version, given we can listen to it while we paint, Im buying it please let us know if you put it out.
By the way Thank you for sharing this video and for making the book, seems you have put a lot of effort and thoughts on it.
Thanks !
Looks like I should get to work on making this happen.
Whoop Whoop !
I was always untalented as a kid, but I had fixations on creative things like writing, cartoons, and story telling so I worked hard at understanding those things. It felt good listening to this.
Hi Marco! I deeply appreciate all your videos and tutorials that you put out there. With the opinions about talent though, I have to disagree. I agree with the observations, but have a different perspective on the interpretations. So this is the inside experience of the naturally talented person. Yes, I am very gifted, and those gifts come from God. No one can judge whether a person deserves their talents or beauty, it is God's design. And those gifts come with the responsibility to use them for God's plans, meaning for good.
I have a huge creative talent, it has always flown through me. Yes, at some point in my childhood it became very visible. But to assume that every talented person gets the same caring and nurturing treatment is a bit limited. A child with next to no talent might be nurtured by the parents, taken to different classes and workshops to sharpen their skills, while the talented person can be totally overlooked. You see ther might be different reasons why a talented person might start slacking off: difficult family situation, financial, emotional... What if they are facing some kind of abuse? Do you know how challenging and confusing it is to be faced with envy that early on in life? When people assume you are better than them, not because you act that way, but because of their own insecurities. Then they show their bitterness and envy, sometime openly but most of the time covertly. They even idolise you and pretend to be your friend, but deep inside resenting you. And you can totally sense that something is wrong... There is a lot more to this talent concept than you see on the surface. But when all said and done, and another challenge overcome, I am deeply grateful to God for all my talent and gifts, and I don't take them them for granted.
Also want to add that you described the concept of mistakes so nicely. But when it comes to the ideas, I have a different perspective. Good ideas are like talent, God given. What one does with them is their choice. Yes, they both require work, dedication, proper execution and professionalism to make it work. But you can have all that, like a movie with expensive budget, best vfx, skilled artist, but if the idea is crappy it still sucks. In this world of recycled storylines and remakes good ideas are highly regarded and well wanted.
StudioGAYA i know a friend whos goos at drawing but financial problems, make it difficult for him not to mention he sometimes show the lack of interest, but amazingly when he is in the mood his drawings are good (average) its something that he can, become a pro at if he works hard,
Oh damn... I started crying because I am in a heavy art block and I also have that stigma. There is like a voice in my head that says: „stop drawing, you will never be as good as ...“
I hate the fact that I listen to that voice. It‘s just so hard to get over that voice and start to draw for real... I feel so weak and might have to try other hobbies, so I can get over the art block. But drawing is my passion, it‘s like eating for me, I need it. When I don‘t draw, it‘s like something is missing in my life :/ and when I would loose that passion to draw then I would be pretty sad.
I‘m trying to get over the art block, by looking over old art works and looking at new ones. But that just helps a little bit...
5:12 "We learn that other people can do better than we can"
Yes, always remember there is an Asian somewhere that is better than you :)
Dude. You are an absolute Dostoyevsky of the visual art. Hacking the psychology of people and what makes progress in them. Thats how I started painting few months ago. And you even wrote a book on these observations. You got a new subscriber. I like to hear my amateur thoughts on art and skills match those of the more experienced artists, so I am reasured I am on the right path. You ROCK!!!
Thanks for watching/listening, Darko. Keep painting!
Dude I really want to meet you one day. hahaha and I will. when I grow with all this. I do 3D full time, painting just a few hours but well.
I agree with everything you said. Some were my thoughts some were new which I didnt realize. Basically talent is a myth for me, expect well for singing opera perhaps. I cannot sing it if I dont have that GIFT of a voice, it all comes up with barely few things human cannot do by hard work but thats it. I think its just about courage. With enouth IQ to analyze painting, science whatever, and courage to fight for yourself. Gift over talent but all of em developed by hard work.
I am so sorry for stumbling on this video so late.. I see it was posted 2017 but it’s 2019 now and I can’t tell you how relevant and insightful your words are. Not to echo everything the video already stated but the part about skill being the virtue to work on rather than relying on talent, is a statement way underrated. Thank you
Thanks A LOT for making this video. I am one of those non talented people and I have been working on my pretty hard for past 8 years working on my drawing and music. I have a pretty huge inferiority complex. I beat myself down SO MUCH that once after finishing a painting I cried myself to sleep telling myself I will never be a good artist. But this has made me feel better. Thank you :) Keep 'em coming
Thank you a THOUSAND times - you got me out of my deep black hole of discouragement.... Please make more for us. You are so wise!
Not even started and I already want to say thanks, Marco. Love listening to you talk about art and always a great teacher and inspiration. All the best!
ed e thanks for watching
This is just AMAZING and you say a lot of what Jeff Watts says about the foster attitudes and habits and trying to learn art. I'm a part of his online school and i love it.
Man, that hour went fast! :) I was one of the kids who longed to do art and music, but never thought I could. (I was good at sport but most of the 'lower class' kids were, but things like art and music were things that only the 'posh' kids got to do). I finally realised, that all you had to do, was .. do it. I started learning the violin in my 30's with my kids (and ended up playing in a wee orchestra and teaching beginners), and art in my 40's. I gained art scholarships, and completed 7 years of part time study. Now that I have finished studies, I am drawing and painting more than ever, and continue to study through ... u-tube and books and mostly, practise! lol So glad I found your channel!! Thank you!!
Thing is, you werent doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You were iterating and learning from every single line you worked with.
Great video! Subbed :)
There are videos that inspire me, and there are the ones that motivate me. Thank you for being the one to motivate me!
Wow! That was fantastic Marco! Refreshing to hear an artist communicate with such clarity the pitfalls that befall us along the way. I will have to rewatch this video as your narrative took up 95% of my attention. Thanks for sharing! This is immensely helpful!