This article is very specific aimed towards painting/drawing!

For some reason, people have this idea that you either can draw or you cannot. This is one of the biggest lies people tell themselves. There's a lot of people who did not draw for most of their life but only began drawing when they got old. Do you feel that drawing would be something you would want to pursue but something is holding you back? Does something prevents you from giving it a shot? Does it feel like drawing is just too much work and that it is something that you will never be good at? Continue to read! In this article we're going to talk about this weird missconception and we are also going to look briefly on where and how to start drawing!

Due to copyright infringement the original picture can't be uploaded. This picture is just an imitation of that picture. You can find the original picture here

Isn't the picture above really pretty? It's an imitation of a picture, made by a lady who only started drawing when she was around 78 years old. Her name was Grandma Moses. Her original picture can be found here

Her being able to produce a picture of this quality is not a miracle. Being good at drawing/painting isn't something you're born with. There are many people who didn't pursue art until they were at an age you could consider "old".

• Henri Rousseau was a person who did not seriously paint until he was 49 years old.
• Mary Denaly was a woman who was "restricted" by her marriage at a time where women did not have many rights. It wasn't until 1771, 50 year after her husband died, that she began creating Decoupage. She was 71 years when she began her interest and only stopped because of poor eyesight at 88 years old.
• Emily Kame Kngwarreye was an aboriginal australian artist who began making art when she was around 80 years old.
• Archie White gave up on art when he was young but 50 years later, when he was 72 years old, he picked up sketching again. At 96 years old he graduated with a fine art degree from East Sussex College.

It is never too late to begin

Why is it that people have this idea that drawing is a talent and not something everyone is able to do? There could be many reasons as to why. First thing first; they haven't seen the artist's earlier creations, they haven't seen the artist struggle or their development, they only see now and what is being presented today. All the years of work isn't visible. It's easy to assume things when you don't know the full picture. I think one of the main reasons as to why people don't think everyone can draw is that people want quick results. When they pick up a pencil and start sketching and it doesn't turn out the way they wanted they give up. Art is somehow just performance. They don't know that everyone who has ever made art was also bad in the beginning.

How do I start drawing?

There are thousands of different styles and areas when it comes to art. Where do you begin and how?

You begin learning the basics: circles and triangles. It may sound silly and cliché, but shapes do Help alot!! What you want to accomplish and get out of your art is up to you. Art is suppose to be fun. It should be satisfying to sit down, grab your pencil and create something on your own and it doesn't really matter what it is. The basics are just there to Help you when you begin!

My tips for those wanting to take the first step:

• Do not have any expectations, it doesn't always turn out good
• Basic shapes! here is a tutorial
• Sometimes, sit down and just doodle randomly! It's interesting to see what happens when you don't have anything planned ahead.
• If you have the goal to be able to draw specific things there is no shame in drawing from Reference. Everyone starts somewhere and references are really underrappreciated!
• And don't forget to have fun!

If you still feel sceptical or contemplating: Just try it! There is literally nothing you can lose from sketching and doodleing every now and then.
Don't let any excuses stop you. Don't let the fake conviction of talent stop you. These thoughts are not helpful to anyone, not even established artists. In all honesty, these thoughts and the conception of talent invalidates all the hard work artists puts behind. If all artists had that mindset, no one would be as "talented" as they are today.