Well, people always say how they're like 20 and I'm as good as them, but usually they had no older artist to look up to as I did, and I've been curious for a while as to how they managed to teach themseleves, and when they started to get interested in art, because I've always known and loved art.

Art is largely a matter of practice and learning techniques. Sure there is a matter of talent like anything but the key thing is application.
As a kid I was always told how talented I was, but I didn't develop it beyond sketching and never had the patience for colour with traditional methods. I only got back into art in the last twelve months.

Age is only relevant to the time you have spent learning and developing your skills.

Practice makes perfect.

I even have sadly gotten better over the years.

I say sadly because I still suck.

(I post too many of these “I suck” things)

My grandfather used to draw diagrams explaining his interpretation of things from the Bible. He wasn't much of an artist per se, but could sketch okay. So, when I was 4 or so, I'd sit and draw with him. A few years later, my mum started teaching me the importance of drawing circles and eggs.

Personally, if I can keep up the kinda work I've been doing the past few months- I can't wait to see what kinda work I'll be doing by the time I turn 50. That's the other side to it- there are physical limitations, but not nearly as much as a lot of other things. Artistic skill has a long period for growth potential.

Someone
(I post too many of these “I suck” things)

Trying to get some business?

I'm sure natural talent helps, but a few years ago I didn't consider myself an artist at all, barely do now. My comic pretty much chronicles me learning to draw. My first comic was horrible, my new comics are mediocre and in another 2 years my comics might just be good.

Talent is indeed a useful thing to have when it comes to art, though anyone can draw and paint with enough time, practice and patience. I'm self taught, which is why my stuff is constantly changing :/ my first stuff was pretty crappo and its slowly getting better and there's improvement all the time.

While there really isn't a huge correlation between art and age beyond the development of fine motor skills, it definitely helps at some point to have an artist in the family or close to you to look up to. I have met a lot of people in art school who came in with ridiculous skills in figurative art and watercolors… almost all of them attributed it to have a mother or grandmother who painted pretty pictures of flowers from old calendars or magazines.

But that only takes you so far. If you don't keep pushing yourself and work hard at any age you won't improve… although, it is easier to take on new skills when you're young. So work hard now, be a bad ass artist later.

-coolshades-

Age is nothing, your skill level on any field not just art is dependent on two factors, natural talent and exerted effort.

Talent only takes you so far, somewhere along the way you have to put in effort to what you're doing to really improve.

When I was a kid it seemed like everybody could draw better than me. Then a kid joined our class and he drew really well, paying attention to details I never even noticed, so I thought “I'll do that to”. When I got really good marks everybody was like “yah - you're only drawing really well ‘cos he drew really well!” Ha ha!

I realised it wasn’t about talent - it was about constantly working at it and placing high expectations on yourself. Yes, some people do seem naturally inclined, but most of them will never take it any further and the longer you keep at it, the more you learn. :)

The popular thing going around these days is that all you need is 10,000 hours work and you'll be an expert- at anything you spend that time on.
So age is a factor in that it's a measure of time…

“Talent” is mostly a myth… It's really a blanket term that describes a number of things like natural physical abilities that predispose you to certain activities, or things like extreme interest in something that drives you to want to be better at it… which could be because of the encouragement and clever teaching of a parent or friend or whatever.

And we ascribe all those normal, natural, logical influences to the mysterious, magical idea of “talent” as a way to easily explain why some people appear better at things than others, without actually bothering to find out why that is.

So I agree with many other in this thread, appart from the stuff about talent. Ironscarf is one who has that right.

Genejoke

Someone
(I post too many of these “I suck” things)

Trying to get some business?

Oh, ha ha ha Genejoke.

Ha ha ha…

Ha.

I suppose I had ‘talent’ enough to color in between the lines as a child, but I started creating comics in 2004. It took a heck of a lot of practice and frustration in those early years, but I eventually got to where I was satisfied, but of course I still strive to improve.

Its development, practice, patients and technique. Everyones different. The fact that someones older and able to draw better just means that its because theyve had more time to develop. That and anatomy. As you grow older you seem to gain a heightened sense of it. As a kid I used to draw heads too big.

A Reaver
That and anatomy. As you grow older you seem to gain a heightened sense of it.

That's a usually a natural part of puberty. Tee hee.

“Why yes, Timmy. Experimenting with your pencil is an important part of maturing as an artist. I'm monochromatic, but even I tried out polychromatic techniques for awhile during my college days. Maybe youll be a black and white sort of guy like your old man, but I want you to know that we'll still support you if you lean towards the rainbow. Just see what seems natural and don't be afraid to try new things.”

Started drawing at 15. Im 27 now. Drawing for 12 years. But then again, it all boils down to your WILL to get better. Didnt really focus that much with hardcore determination due to various life issues.

If I focused all my time learning how to draw instead of self-studying philosophy, psychology, spirituality, conspiracies, and a little bit of everything else… I bet my bottom dollar I'd be at massive black level by now.
http://www.massiveblack.com/MBwebolution/illustration.php

kyupol
Started drawing at 15. Im 27 now. Drawing for 12 years. But then again, it all boils down to your WILL to get better. Didnt really focus that much with hardcore determination due to various life issues.

You started drawing at 15?…
Thats kinda sad. Ive been drawing since I was old enough to pick up a pencil and not put it in my nose.
Didnt want to get better until about 9 though.
Found the guy who was better than me and I tried to improve. Failed horribly though.

I don't think age plays a big part in how well someone can draw, apart from the fact that the older someone is, the longer they're likely to have been drawing for. Then again, some people start drawing later on in life than others.

Personally, I started drawing when I could pick up a pencil lol, so I've been drawing almost all of my life, and I'm 18 now. So, compared to some, that's not that long. But compared to others, that is a long time.

I think my skills are about at the same level as most people my age. I could be wrong, of course lol.

I started drawing when I could pick up a pencil and peaked early. I was the school art star student and super wonderful and then let it slide and didn't draw for more than 12 years after college only restarting after a nervous breakdown and a year in school. Some people have a greater potential for certain things like drawing, language or music than others. The good old multiple intelligence theory.

And I can't do it very well anymore. Not enough practice. What used to be easy is damn near impossible. The potential is still there but the skills aren't.

So there may be inborn inclination when you're young (visual and spatial intelligences to use educator multiple intelligences lingo) but if you don't practice, practice, practice it can fade like any learned skill.

You need them there hours like Ozone indicates. And if you're at the top of the learning curve you may only need 1000 hours rather than 10,000. 10,000 hours! Pilots don't reach that until they're nearly ready to retire.

I've been drawing since I was two and always enjoyed art but never really focused on actively improving my skills until I was 12 as a way of escaping my then barely tolerable circumstances. Before then I was happy with the creative side alone rather than the technical.
I still like doing things that way without having to worry about making it look realistic, but my parents don't seem to prize that stuff as much and so a lot of it gets thrown out. They don't understand why I would want to keep it and most of the time don't even recognise it.

Opinions change of your work as you get older. A lot of the things you're being told now may be age bias from other people. Keep working at it and in a few years look back on what you're dong now. DON'T throw it out!
Then you'll know from a more experienced perspective how good you really were.

Here's something I did at 15. I'd say that it isn't too bad even though at the time I seriously rushed it (And it shows with the googleripped images in the first panel). Compared to what I did at 16 and 17, it's horrible.
The colours are terrible, the fact that I couldn't remember what a plectrum was and the lack of clarity over the locations of the characters in relation to each other is even worse!
But it's a learning experience. You look back at every complete (or not so) work and know what you did bad and good about each one. As a result you always have to take comments with a pinch of salt. Especially those regarding age in relation to skill.

Cute.

http://art1.server01.sheezyart.com/image/35/353200.jpg

Here's mine when I was 15. lol!
http://www.drunkduck.com/BK_CLASSICS/index.php?p=499457

I only started drawing recently and I`m 21. (Well, recently as in last couple of years.)

It all started when I had really neat ideas that I wanted down on paper, and I am too cheap to commission someone, so I just began drawing stuff. Also, lots of neat tutorials on the internet.

I think there will always be a disagreement here, right? Those who are young will say age has nothing to do with it. Those of us who are older know that age is the MOST important thing. It's why most artists don't make it into the pro ranks until they're in their 30's (and that's a fact, and in Japan the age of professionals getting their big break is usually even older, most professional mangaka are in their late 30's and 40's because of the years they usually spend as assistants). With age, you develop an eye for what is good, you lose the silliness of youth and take things more seriously because you realize things ARE more serious. Also, as mentioned, you get that much more practice at drawing… if you're 20 now, and pretty good, imagine what 10 more years of practice will bring you, but also 10 more years of living and observing life.

I can say I've never seen anything drawn by someone younger than 30 that I couldn't tell immediately that they were young. Not everyone develops, of course, but 30 seems to be the turning point for most people. It's like the old joke of a high school student singing ‘I Did It My Way’… did what? Learned to drive? :-) You have to have life experiences to talk about life experiences, and those only come with time.

And that shouldn't discourage young artists… because your future is ahead of you, work toward your goal because it's still out there for you.

It really depends on the age when you get serious, however the earlier you start the better. Just like with music, if you learn proper techniques before the age of five, drawing will come much more natural.

Remember this if you want your children to become great artists… weather they want to or not.

A Reaver

kyupol
Started drawing at 15. Im 27 now. Drawing for 12 years. But then again, it all boils down to your WILL to get better. Didnt really focus that much with hardcore determination due to various life issues.

You started drawing at 15?…
Thats kinda sad.

How is that sad? I'm sure if I hadn't picked up a pencil and started drawing at 4 I would still be able to draw the way I draw now.

Look at David Olson of and Id; he started drawing when he was 18 and now he's one of the most-known journal comics on the internet (and he's not a bad artist to boot)!

My mom used to tell me practice makes perfect as long as you're actually practicing. While this may sound like “don't experiment,” I think what she meant was “know what you're doing, otherwise it won't be used.”

ie. if you aren't paying attention (like, say you're just generally drawing faces without knowing actually makes them up) then you're skill remains shallow. It's the drive to deepen your knowledge of techniques and style that improves. When I was 4 I didn't have that (and I'm not alone). I didn't have it until I was like 14.