The thing about AI and this mindset that it allows those who “can’t draw” to draw is that is a lie. I taught college level courses on drawing and met multiple students who grew leaps and bounds in their drawing skill sets because they wanted to and took the time to try Everyone can learn to draw - ThreadSky

samanthamash.bsky.social • 8 days ago

The thing about AI and this mindset that it allows those who “can’t draw” to draw is that is a lie. I taught college level courses on drawing and met multiple students who grew leaps and bounds in their drawing skill sets because they wanted to and took the time to try

Everyone can learn to draw

Comments

hfyou.bsky.social•8 days ago

I've always had difficulties drawing, but sculpture comes easy for me. I can sculpt pretty much anything I think of, but if I try to draw it, what a mess!

carolinejamhour.bsky.social•8 days ago

Also not everyone *needs* to know how to draw just because they feel it'd be cool. If you don't want to put any effort in being able to do something, it's ok to not do that thing? Just move on, do other things, lol.

cheche300.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ppl have this same fight about singing 'I'm tone deaf' nope,hardly anyone truly is that can hear,it's a SKILL you can learn and train like any other

mpjohnson.bsky.social•8 days ago

Also, people underestimate how much personality and conviction count, as much or more than "objective" skill. Like, I love Motorhead, but I think it's debatable that Lemmy was a "good" singer. However he was absolutely the right singer for that band and it wouldn't have been the same without him.

mpjohnson.bsky.social•8 days ago

Just do your own thing! Coming up with your own style and making yourself happy is way better than chasing some version of perfection and using a computer to cheat to get there

cheche300.bsky.social•8 days ago

Exactly!

thatguymike.bsky.social•8 days ago

I went through this a little when picking up guitar. But I kept at it and learned what sounds compliment each other, how keys work and even what a freaking note was. Im miles away from being great at it, but I can for sure freestyle some cool stuff now.

cheche300.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yup yup! Every instrument i can play to any degree at all,I started out self taught !

ampaulg.bsky.social•8 days ago

I had a similar thing, my ear was really bad until I sat down and transcribed a song by myself. And a bunch of it was wrong at first but I got way better at it, and it helped my songwriting so much as well.

thatguymike.bsky.social•8 days ago

It was kind of a neat moment for me when I found out I could just play some basic tunes I’d heard by ear. Once I find a good note to start from, it flows pretty easy.

maxtemescu.bsky.social•8 days ago

Its like they see it as some great injustice that they cannot have made a drawing that somebody else already made

coralsands.bsky.social•8 days ago

While I'm not advocating it's use, I have to admit I spent years taking classes trying to learn and I still can't draw. I want to draw soooo bad. But im terrible. So I pay others to create what I can't.

unlikely.bsky.social•8 days ago

I honestly think these people need to learn to appreciate a wider range of art first. I would hate myself when I tried to draw because I have lifelong very poor fine motor skills and I was too wrapped up in judging by technical skill rather than artistic value.

unlikely.bsky.social•8 days ago

Finding art I liked that didn't look very technically skilled helped change the way I looked at my own art. Maybe I'll get better or maybe I won't, but I'm no longer beating myself up when I practice and I'm making things I like.

sodahusky.bsky.social•8 days ago

And for those of us who have no patience and a severe lack of creativity to be able to put to paper, there's this amazing thing called artists that we can commission! They're in abundance! You can pick whose style resonates with you! And the art comes out perfect every time O:

butterfluff.bsky.social•7 days ago

I need to relearn to draw. Was bullied as a kid wrt art, also had teachers who refused to teach fundamentals. I have a lot of blocks trying to draw but still subconsciously doodle.

Would you have any recommendations for guides on starting again or basic/intermediate fundamentals?

onemillionfurries.bsky.social•7 days ago

If you do not have/cannot afford any local life drawing classes, I cannot recommend https://line-of-action.com/ more to people. I use it all the time for practice it is fantastic.

I also really recommend this video by Marco Bucci https://youtu.be/zmUMhMs5vFE It provides a bunch of pointers for beginner artists (c)

onemillionfurries.bsky.social•7 days ago

(c) and honestly even as someone who has been drawing all my life, I still go back to it for advice. (Honestly Marco Bucci's channel is just generally fantastic for art advice)

samanthamash.bsky.social•7 days ago

I’m a bit biased as I used to teach it, but any local figure drawing class that has a beginner option is a great place to start if it is in your budget. They often cater to folks wanting to get into drawing from a place of wide ranging skillsets from never having drawn to those who want refreshers

samanthamash.bsky.social•7 days ago

This could also be like a landscape or still life class too! Whatever interests you—lots of community colleges and local studios offer these. Beyond that I’d highly recommend looking through the Morpho Anatomy for Artists series of books if you want to work on your own and not in class

samanthamash.bsky.social•7 days ago

I also like the Dover Art Instruction Perspective Made Easy, Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson, Landscapes with William F. Powell, and How to Draw What You See by Rudy De Reyna for a wide breadth of at home instruction beyond just human form

butterfluff.bsky.social•7 days ago

Thank you so much! This gives me a few places to start! I used to love doing landscapes but human form and perspective were where I struggled.

samanthamash.bsky.social•7 days ago

Of course happy to help, even if it is in the smallest of ways!

duanemoody.qwiffer.com•8 days ago

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain should have been required curriculum

pitaxed.bsky.social•8 days ago

Isn't that argument referring to people with disabilities, who literally don't have the motor control to hold a pen?
Granted that that is a miniscule user base, that often still has ways for artisitc expression through modern acommedations.

dankayur.bsky.social•8 days ago

No, they just use the disabled as ammunition when confronted to try and legitimise their arguments. They never actually consider the artists who can't use their arms and still don't want this.

emcaco.bsky.social•6 days ago

Oh so! Even without modern accommodation! There are old illustrations showing foot or mouth painting. Finger painting is also a valid approach. Traditional mediums can be cheap and accessible for lots of uses, which is why they're popular enrichment in assisted living.

emcaco.bsky.social•6 days ago

Granted, advancements in speech-to-text, summarizing or digital assistance/stabilizing are really helpful to people. But most ai...is not being targeted to those audiences at all. So they only get the fringe benefits of ai development for entertainment.

emcaco.bsky.social•6 days ago

And if an accommodation is relying on openai, it will get yoinked away in the near future. Whether openai figures out a profitable paywall, or if it finally collapses under the weight of its massive expenses (and Microsoft and other donors realize there won't be a return on investment).

nickkuecken.bsky.social•8 days ago

My 3-year-old niece drew Pomni on a whiteboard in permanent marker, I see it every single day, it's an infinitely better drawing than anything AI can puke out.

lionoob.bsky.social•8 days ago

"but I'm terrible at it" great, then do it terrible. You're already ahead of 90% of people just by doing it and I can assure you a drawing you think is terrible is still gonna give you way more satisfaction than something done by a computer that couldn't care less about the things you want art of

lionoob.bsky.social•8 days ago

If someone is debilitated enough to not be able to hold a pen but somehow can still type in a computer, then there's countless places online specifically meant to request art where I'm sure someone will empathize with the situation and make art with meaning, even if not "HD trending on artstation"

lionoob.bsky.social•8 days ago

I'm terrible at cooking but I could never compare buying a cake to eating the one I made. It's raw on the center and burnt on the edges, it's unleveled and I forgot to add sugar, but it's *mine*. I did it. It makes me happy in a way that the local bakery can't provide even if they're better than me

lionoob.bsky.social•8 days ago

Every artist says the same thing and people think we're lying or hiding things from them, but it's the truth: you just have to do it. Do it over and over again even if you think it looks bad. Draw an abstract line on paper and color in the spaces, draw geometric shapes put a smiley face on them

lionoob.bsky.social•8 days ago

That has always been the truth for all of us. There's literally nothing else we can tell you, no secret, no trick: just do the thing and learn to love your own effort rather than comparing it to others

kupo.blue•8 days ago

Can confirm, I never became a professional, but I grew leaps and bounds in only one month just by practicing and doing object studies.

Looking back, I still can’t believe I drew those.

kristinagehrmann.bsky.social•8 days ago

Exactly! Drawing even used to be a basic skill taught in public schools.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1319735
https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=art-edu-study
https://www.victorianvoices.net/topics/crafts/drawing.shtml

kimberleymok.bsky.social•8 days ago

Another insightful take on this that I read: basically the process and practice of making art is confronting and knowing your self. The laziness of AI art robs you of that

I truly believe that art can be a spiritual practice for self-knowing

sitdownaj.bsky.social•8 days ago

Absolutely. And the people who argue that this democratises ‘art’ are missing the point, wilfully at this stage. ‘Drawing’ AI ‘art’ is not being an artist. Its telling the AI to make art for you in the same way a commission is asking an artist to draw/paint something. Theyre patrons with an itch.

thingdoer.gg•8 days ago

When gen AI first came out, I jumped on it with that exact thought. I've always loved art and despite many attempts to learn over the years I've always been horrible at it. I thought it was my opportunity to finally create things I could be proud of.

1/2

thingdoer.gg•8 days ago

It was fun for about a day. But ultimately it was deeply unsatisfying, because it just wasn't mine. It felt like I was stealing work from those who actually can create, which honestly isn't far from the truth.

2/2

91vaults.bsky.social•8 days ago

I used to play age of empires with rhe deck stacked in my favour and all the cheats on...got real boring real fast

siriusstarrstudios.bsky.social•8 days ago

Everybody can set time aside to practice. It all depends on if they want to put in the effort to learn how to draw. If not, they just want an excuse to be lazy — using AI to call themselves an "artist" by merely writing a prompt for a machine. It doesn't work that way and never will.

kennyspade.bsky.social•8 days ago

Growing up, I loved art but never spent much time on it. I made sure my kids had access to art supplies and classes, and all of them are way better than me, especially my oldest, who is a junior at university studying art.

samanthamash.bsky.social•8 days ago

And I’m not being facetious here when I say that. Will everyone be a storied master of the arts? No!

There is a reality where no matter how much I want to be an Olympic swimmer, that’s not going to happen

But everyone can learn to swim and everyone can learn to draw

uhahne.bsky.social•7 days ago

Great thread. I think the same is valid for maths and programming.

samanthamash.bsky.social•8 days ago

It just comes down to having to work for it, having to think about it, having to maybe even sacrifice a little for it

And if that isn’t something you want that is okay. But using AI in the place of trying is an insult and truly I have no space in my life for any attempts to justify it at this point

samanthamash.bsky.social•8 days ago

"You're lucky you can draw." Remember I've been doing this since I was little. I took every public school course I could just to draw more, I also practiced in my free time in high school, then I did go to art school. I still learn, I still grow, I wanted this. It is also okay to not want this!

samanthamash.bsky.social•8 days ago

But if you don't want to do all that practice, all that effort, all that time (and I totally get it!) just hire an artist! Support them, support that they did want this and that you want art. AI is no replacement for art with a soul, no matter how many tech bros tell you it is

zairenzu.bsky.social•7 days ago

Exactly! I hate people who say "you're lucky you can draw" or what my mom says "I could never do that". Like it's not luck, and yes you can do that but you've never put in the effort to try.

zairenzu.bsky.social•7 days ago

I've been drawing on and off for like 20 years, I took art classes in high school for 4 years and I have a degree in art which I had to take multiple art classes to get! That is not luck, that is effort and persistence. And my art isn't even good!

Saying its luck or talent undermines all the effort

exaltedcomics.bsky.social•8 days ago

I think a big thing people should be introduced to more is 3d models for reference work and how to use reference work

Im sick of the most common wrt "tutorial" being "how to draw a face"

Learning how to use references correctly is the most important lesson for beginners

cunabula.bsky.social•8 days ago

On foundation we once had to do a project on repetition. I went to St Paul's cathedral every day for a week. Drew like shit the entire time and then on the last day sat at the back of the nave it all fell onto the page. Not great but all the scene in all the right places. It just takes perseverance.

uneasyweasel.bsky.social•8 days ago

I always equate it to dancing. People who can't dance think it's magic or some invisible wall holding them back, but all you have to do is not be afraid to fail.

piltdownwoman.bsky.social•8 days ago

That’s beautiful.

uneasyweasel.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thanks. I think ultimately my superpower is an inability to be embarrassed. It's why I have cover art on Eisner nominated books, and fronted an indie pop band, and acted in films and music videos, and opened an all ages punk venue. I may ask you stupid questions, but I will accomplish my goal.

sitdownaj.bsky.social•8 days ago

Instant follow

rabble.bsky.social•8 days ago

At the start of 2019 I would have said I cannot draw.. I still can’t but I can paint :)

zaoda.bsky.social•8 days ago

It's also not an argument they really believe. They just want to find a logical counter argument to it being unethical.

Like how they used to say it "creates art" the same way a human mind does.
Except if that were true, they'd owe copywrite to the AI, not be able to claim they made it themselves.

verridith.btacdragons.com•8 days ago

It’s not even that you have to put that MUCH effort into it either; you can learn to be a fantastic artist any time in your life just by doing some doodles everyday. Just doodles. You don’t even have to try much. You’ll improve regardless.

mahlenneth.bsky.social•8 days ago

They want to "draw" with zero effort.

kareink.bsky.social•6 days ago

If Paul Castle, a blind man with a spot of vision left can draw, I don’t want hear “can’t draw need AI” ever again

theyearofglad.bsky.social•8 days ago

I have a friend who actually _can’t_ draw. She used to, but developed disabling hand tremors as a result of a degenerative medical condition, and as such had to stop.

I acknowledge that cases like hers are the exception that proves the rule, though.

dankayur.bsky.social•8 days ago

I've seen similar cases where, through sheer dedication, they relearnt how to draw using their mouth. That's a horrible thing to have to go through but AI bros using it as "justification" only serve those who found a workaround. They don't help anyone access their passion.

zairenzu.bsky.social•7 days ago

Exactly, and I've seen multiple people with varying disabilities, including having to draw with their mouth, say that they hate AI and disability is not an excuse to use it.

Art is a luxury, it's not a necessity, nobody can do everything and that's okay. That's why we pay people who can.

dankayur.bsky.social•7 days ago

*Only serve to deny

rback.bsky.social•8 days ago

And - rather important - working with the hands, such as drawing, enhances thinking, cognition, memory and so on.
This is regardless of drawing skills - in whatever way drawing skill is measured.
Creating images with AI simply won't do that.

themooreart.bsky.social•8 days ago

AI is for assholes who want the view, but don't want to climb the mountain.

sitdownaj.bsky.social•8 days ago

The same kind of people who use a helicopter (both literally and ironically)

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