How do you know whether or not you have talent as far as art goes (drawing, sculpting, painting)

Well, other people can tell you that you have talent, but I guess that’s not the same as knowing it for yourself.

Not that it matters as long as you enjoy it but I tend to take the comments of people who are artists alittle more seriously as they know what it takes to make the art having done so themeselves.
Then again,a compliment from a five year old can be like gold.:)

If you die and everyone wants to buy your work.

Ha! I’m struggling with that now in terms of writing, both stories and screenplays. Funny enough, I am completely confident in my ability to sing and I have been since I was a wee gel.

I once wrote a sketch for a class that the teacher has used ever since as an example of good work, but for all I know, that was a fluke. :/

I’ve decided very recently, however, upon seeing the trailer for Sucker Punch, to give myself permission to make the shittiest short film and write the crappiest stories ever. It’s OK. After all, none of us have sprung full-grown and of infinite wisdom from the head of Zeus, have we?

Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear. Sing. Sing a song!

@aprilsimnel I remember you posted a video on Facebook. You were singing a song on a subway. Can’t remember the song, but, what I do remember is that you had good pipes. :)

You don’t.

I don’t think that you do. It’s all subjective, really.

Me! Me! Me! Dabbler knows : try ‘em ! I have no fine art training whatsoever so expect nothing but I am a very enthusiastic um er ... dabbler! (rimshot) and I have as much fun as anyone in the room and my results as as “good” as theirs. If you mean the craft skills behind such arts they take practice and you won’t know, until you try, how far you can get with your mastery. If you find works of a particular medium attractive to you look at them closely and try to figure out “how did that guy/gal make that ?”
DO make a point of finding an unpretentious group to work with and play play play. In my experience you can be best off with an informal group with at least a few members who have some craft skills experience relevant to the medium being practiced but no one in the group should be a prima dona or judgemental.
Be sure to appreciate everyone else’s work too, you will all grow together.

I just want to say that I know Neffie is talented.

You’re gonna make me blush. Thank you. <3

You’re welcome love. My hubby thinks so too. =0)

No such thing as magical talent. Talent is earned by many long hours of work. You develop your talent. You are never born with it. You may be born with an aptitude, but you have to work to create a talent. Many people with an aptitude never use it. Many people with no aptitude at all work long hours and develop a talent.

Aptitude is unimportant as far as art is concerned. What is really important is having an interest and a love for what you want to do. That love has to be strong enough to keep you doing it for hours and hours every day for years and years. If you do that, then believe me, you will have a talent.

Unfortunately, you never know at the beginning if you will stick it out long enough and work hard enough to become talented. But if you love it, then it doesn’t matter. Your time will be well spent.

You don’t know. What I do: make things for me and my family. If someone asks, then I’ll make something for them, too. If they offer to have me in to do a project for them, even better. That’s when you know you’re on to finding where your artistic talent lies.

@Jude – Aw, thanks, lady!

The only way I can tell is when people see my art and they say something like “I wish I could draw/paint that well”.

I’ve been painting quite a bit lately

I knew I had a talent for drawing when I was drawing in public and a large crowd gathered around to watch me. They made me nervous and I was more than a little surprised to see them. A few people asked me how much I charged and were dumbfounded when I said it was just a hobby.

@Jude – it may be helpful to decide what you actually mean by a ‘talent’ for art. There are some interesting answers here, but I tend to disagree with @wundayatta about talent ‘being earned’, and to agree more with @lucillelucillelucille that doing what you love and getting any compliment at all is fine.

Certainly an aptitude for creativity is a likely prerequisite for good quality work. If a child shows a natural tendency to be resourceful, to have ideas and to make good use of materials provided for play, they may well develop talents, if they have an interest. The question is deeply subjective though. Success as an artist is not entirely dependent on ‘talent’, especially these days; business acumen and an eye for popular culture are at least as important.

To find out for oneself, to see if one really is ‘talented’, requires the learning of discernment; developing an understanding aesthetics and actively producing stuff. Then showing it to people, preferably in the same field. There are accepted means by which we judge how art is good or not. The most difficult bit is seeing one’s own work against others and comparing, as objectively as possible. It doesn’t help to be precious about it. The purpose of one’s exploration is important: if you just want to make good work, for enjoyment, take a few classes and enjoy. If you want to sell work in a specific market, then research the market and go for it. That way, you might make some money.

If you want the Saatchi gallery to buy your work, or any major art gallery, then you have to be seen – exhibited – in the right places. Again, ‘raw talent’ is not entirely necessary.

Personally, if you can draw from observation and produce likenesses, it shows you can see what is around you. This is fundamental to painting and sculpture. Draw like a demon, practice as much as you can, put energy into the work, give the images life. When you look at something you have done a while ago and you think someone else must have done it, maybe you do have talent!

I always write loads for art answers! Good luck anyway lol

@downtide lovely work!

Thankyou :) I go to an art class every week and I post each week’s painting there.

Definitely…

Some of my best customers are gifted world renown artists!

@auntydeb I don’t see anything in your post that I don’t agree with.

@wundayatta – I am glad, my ‘disagreement’ with your posting is more to do with actually ‘earning’, or in some way ‘gaining’ talent through the hard work. I feel that the word itself rather applies to those who show a defined ability or developed aptitude, without having put so much ‘hard work’ in. Some people can work all they like and simply never have the extra ‘something’ that puts a spark into what they do. I see this only as the luck of genetics, or environment. Not everyone who runs will be able to win the Olympics. :o)

@downtide – I tried to look at your work, but there is an ‘internal server error’ on the link :o(

@auntydeb You may describe it in a different way, but I think it’s a distinction without a difference. We’d have to talk about our understandings of work and hard and earn and aptitude and develop, and I don’t think it’s really worth it. It’s practice. Does that work for you?

@wundayatta – I see your point, yes there is no need to go into the long discussion. I would still hold that no amount of practice will bring talent into being though. It requires that there be something ‘different’ in the beginning. I do believe that some people are born to be good at certain things, it is an individual choice to follow that aptitude. There can be more disappointment than is necessary, in encouraging someone to practice, if it is plain there is not enough of whatever it is. No argument, just trying to be clear!

@auntydeb maybe the site was down for a little while? :( And I definitely agree with you about there needing to be some raw talent there before practise makes any difference. I think music is the same. If you don’t gave the “gift” to start with, then all the practise in the world isn’t going to be enough.

Hi @downtide – yes (not sure about the site?) I agree, although rather sadly! I think it might be helpful to offer a definition of what this ‘talent’ might be though. My personal view only, but it may clarify.

Rather than say, an ability to draw or make art of quality, ‘talent’ seems to be the will; the motivation, desperation or obsession that underlies a real need to make creative work. Love is something quite different. If someone loves drawing and art, they will practise as much as they can, but I have seen the disappointment in those who love rather than have the… irritation? Itch? It seems that this ‘talent’ thang, is something that takes practice to ignore. It can set up serious mental, physical and emotional health problems in those who find it hard to attend to.

It seems to be something to do with bravery. An ability (that word is used advisedly) to take a deep breath and actually commit something – to paper, to disc, to an audience – that is in some way deeply affecting. The talent shows, as this final step, which some simply are willing to take and others are not even aware of, in their chosen field. Finding that awareness may imbue the work with a spark of ‘talent’, which will set it apart as being affecting to those who witness it also.

Perhaps.