Comments on: Deep Thought Thursday: Can art be taught?–a 2-fer

By: angelina jolie

angelina jolie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:14:19 +0000

I love your site. Love design!!! I just came across your blog and wanted to say that I

By: Alyson B. Stanfield

Alyson B. Stanfield — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:22:25 +0000

Wendy: I love this: “They taught me to stretch my way of thinking and to look at the world from different perspectives.” And I agree. I will forever be indebted to the drawing teacher I had in college. He was a grad student, but taught me so much. Betty: I’m with you on the “ideas” thing. And I love the word “artist-ness.” You should trademark that! Kenneth: This is spot on! “you can’t be taught what to do with what you’ve “learned”.” Susan: Interesting distinction between university classes and others. As I said, my drawing teacher in college taught me wonderful technique. But it’s what you do with that technique that probably makes you an artist. Katherine: I agree. Keep making art! You can only look about it and read about it for so long, but you can’t be an artist without the art-making.

By: Katherine Tyrrell

Katherine Tyrrell — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:21:30 +0000

It’s maybe pedantic to split hairs about vocabulary – but it seems to me that Romare Bearden is mixing up three different concepts in one short statement. Being an artist and being a painter is not something that can be taught – you have to DO to become ie painting is what painters do. Art is a business – and artists and painters who want to earn a living from their art better get serious about also having some goals. Art and painting both have aspects which very definitely can be taught. You can teach people a set of specific techniques – they may not be only ways of doing something and the responsible teacher would indicate this. You can teach an appreciation of art – and many artists and painters would argue that you cannot become an artist or painter if you don’t try and learn something about art that has gone before – otherwise you can be left reinventing the wheel….. What you can’t do is learn just by watching or reading – you also have to PRODUCE AND PRACTICE and keep producing and practising – and learning!

By: Susan Downing-White

Susan Downing-White — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:54:00 +0000

I had a teacher/mentor who taught art technique as a cornerstone of his art appreciation class. He had a specific method of painting to teach–underpainting with glazes, which was his own method of working. He taught the way a piano teacher does, by watching how the brush was held, how lines were drawn on canvas, even checking the consistency of paint. His students got results–even those who swore they could never paint. They also looked at art with entirely new eyes after that experience. Together with the demonstrations were comments about specific artists, field trips, etc. My own thought is you take it from there and adjust the technique to your needs if you have something to say and need to be an artist. The something to say part is what I suspect is difficult to impossible to teach if there isn’t a real desire there to express it. Otherwise, no harm done and only good can come from the instruction–unlike so many university courses where most of what is offered is art world biases and little solid instruction in technique.

By: Kenneth Girard Hunter Jr

Kenneth Girard Hunter Jr — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:52:51 +0000

Can art be taught? Of course it can but you have to be careful not to let your teachers style creep into yours. You can learn how to add contrast to your work or you could learn what colors compliment each other. You can learn the rules but finding individuality and knowing when to break the “rules” cant be taught. Many people can’t grasp perspective unless they’re teacher show them examples. Everybody knows art has rules, formal composition or informal composition anyone? Bottom Line imo is you can’t be taught what to do with what you’ve “learned”.

By: Betty

Betty — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:42:40 +0000

Kids naturally develop in their drawing skills to about the third grade, then if they are not taught – by themselves or others – they remain at that level (or just beyond it) as adults. There has to be some other input. But the students I have that I think might be artists as adults are the ones who almost always have an idea. There is constantly something visual going on in their heads and they are eager to learn new ways to express it. So in my mind I separate visual communication skills (how many techniques one can use) from artist-ness. Having skills is really helpful and something everybody should make some attempt at developing – but it doesn’t make a person an artist – possessing a wellspring of personally meaningful ideas might. Put good skills and good ideas together with love and discipline and a destination for the work – then you might have an artist. So mostly I teach visual communication skills and art appreciation. Occasionally I get to teach an artist, but I’ll never really know.

By: Robin Maria Pedrero

Robin Maria Pedrero — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:34:48 +0000

I think deep inside there is more than intuition but the “knowing” that we are an artist; hence the expression of being born with it. Learning skills, studying, and goal setting whether written or unwritten are part of the complete picture as we don’t aspire to just be but to journey, if even to the unknown.

By: Wendy Edsall-Kerwin

Wendy Edsall-Kerwin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:08:48 +0000

I mostly agree with what everyone has been saying, but I do want to stress the importance that art instruction has had in my life. With out the art teachers I had in elementary school, high school, and college I wouldn’t be where I am today. They encouraged me and taught me that art can be a career, not just a hobby. They taught me to stretch my way of thinking and to look at the world from different perspectives. They also taught me technique, critique, and exposed me to artists that I might not otherwise have found on my own. Some people are lucky enough that they find these people outside of a school atmosphere, but I needed the discipline of a school to push myself to where I am now.

By: Tina Mammoser

Tina Mammoser — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:42:56 +0000

Hmm, is doing art to seek what you might find not itself a goal? It seems so to me. Goals can vary from the petty to the vast, the specific to the vague. They can be about career steps, business activities, creative time, personal development, metaphysical stuff, physical and mental fitnes – how can anyone have no goals? Goals can be to explore ideas, keep making new work, or just get into the studio that day. But maybe I have too many goals! There’s just so much to do and try in life.

By: Vikki North

Vikki North — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 01:00:39 +0000

Sheree and Alyson, Well- guess your right. Darn! As I glance back now. I should have said I disagree with ‘Tammy’ who actually said little to dispute. (I apologize Tammy) Darn again! And I was on such good roll! Don’t you hate when that happens? Vikki