Is Art Really Teachable?

I’ve heard it over and over, “I can’t even draw a stick figure.” From students of all ages as well as adults, it’s easy to buy into the idea that talent is something only given to a select few. While I agree that some have a special gift such as Bach or Rembrandt, I also believe that art can be taught. Let me explain.

First, did Bach or Rembrandt sit down and create a masterpiece the first time they picked up a paint brush or tinkered on a musical instrument? Of course not. They had to dabble. They had to explore the limits of their materials. They had to make mistakes. In fact, all artists must do that. All artists must work.

Take for example, Albert Bierstadt. He was a German American landscape painter that captured some of the most breath-taking images of mountains in clouds reigning over hidden green valleys and serene waterfalls. When I was a child, I had a print of his on my wall and I spent countless nights dreaming I was in it.

Years later I found one of his earlier paintings in a museum. Aside from his name, you would never have known that it was his. In fact, it looked almost like a childish painting of greens and blues and browns blobs. There was some striving found in his execution of the mountains, but hardly. Whether it was a sketch or an early painting, it didn't matter because either way it gave me a peek into his process. I was both shocked and encouraged. Was this really his? Yup.

Over the years of teaching and talking to students/artists, I’ve come to the conclusion that technique can be taught, but style cannot. Everyone has their own unique perspective and experience, which leads to their own expression (style). Nevertheless, even when artists show a natural ability, they still benefit from learning things like scales or color theory (technique).  Even those who lean towards abstraction also must learn the rules before they break them.

More than anything else, talent has to do with desire. If you want something bad enough, you will put the time and effort in to learn it. Even if you have a natural knack at something, there is always another vista on the horizon to reach and you may be surprised to learn that in the long run, it’s very rarely distinguishable from hard work.

So perhaps in the end, it’s less about how well you can draw a stick figure. The real question is, do you want to?

As David Bayles and Ted Orland argue in Art and Fear, we need to remember that art is made by ordinary people. In fact, “our flaws and weaknesses, while often obstacles to our getting work done, are a source of strength as well.” They point us to the truth that, “something about making art has to do with overcoming.”

So the next time you’re asked to draw something (a stick figure perhaps?), first ask yourself if you really want to. If you don't, that’s okay. But if you do, I bet you can.

Photo credit: Karolina Kaboompics