The Visual Artist
The Visual Artist: Naturally Skilled or Skillfully Learned?
A Form of Expression Throughout time, people have developed different ways to express themselves. Visual art has been around since the dawn of man, dating back to cave paintings in ancient times. This form of expression has evolved from primitive etchings to beautiful, visually stunning pieces of work open to interpretation by the general public. As time has passed, the skill has become much more refined, and styles of art have constantly been changing. Because the skill has become more refined, people can opt to major in visual art in college. This provides promising artists a way to enhance their skill and do what they are passionate about. Although the classes involving a visual arts degree can assist a person in being a better artist, there is the question of whether or not an individual who is naturally talented in creating art can surpass an individual that takes several classes to learn making art. To study this case, I observed and analyzed a drawing class of sophomore undergraduate students pursuing visual art majors in college. From taking note of their actions and skills, my goal was to see if there was a correlation between natural talent and learned behavior in regards to visual art.
Painting The Backdrop As I walked into the art studio to study the visual art majors on a Monday afternoon, I immediately noted the pungent aromas of charcoals, paints, and oils present in the air. The sun was shining through the windows, providing the perfect canvas for the artists to draw their model. I observed that the room was extremely spacious and open, almost symbolizing the freeing, liberating artistic expression about to be released during the three-hour period. There were artists of all different ages, races, and creeds present in the room. Some people were dressed in bright, complementary colors, obviously wanting to extend their artistic outlook beyond the sketchpad, while
A Form of Expression Throughout time, people have developed different ways to express themselves. Visual art has been around since the dawn of man, dating back to cave paintings in ancient times. This form of expression has evolved from primitive etchings to beautiful, visually stunning pieces of work open to interpretation by the general public. As time has passed, the skill has become much more refined, and styles of art have constantly been changing. Because the skill has become more refined, people can opt to major in visual art in college. This provides promising artists a way to enhance their skill and do what they are passionate about. Although the classes involving a visual arts degree can assist a person in being a better artist, there is the question of whether or not an individual who is naturally talented in creating art can surpass an individual that takes several classes to learn making art. To study this case, I observed and analyzed a drawing class of sophomore undergraduate students pursuing visual art majors in college. From taking note of their actions and skills, my goal was to see if there was a correlation between natural talent and learned behavior in regards to visual art.
Painting The Backdrop As I walked into the art studio to study the visual art majors on a Monday afternoon, I immediately noted the pungent aromas of charcoals, paints, and oils present in the air. The sun was shining through the windows, providing the perfect canvas for the artists to draw their model. I observed that the room was extremely spacious and open, almost symbolizing the freeing, liberating artistic expression about to be released during the three-hour period. There were artists of all different ages, races, and creeds present in the room. Some people were dressed in bright, complementary colors, obviously wanting to extend their artistic outlook beyond the sketchpad, while