# Is it ever too late to start drawing?



## Harbinger (Sep 18, 2013)

So i badly want to draw, but at the moment never have the time or means to. I dont know when i will finally get the privacy to do so but can you be too old to get good at it?
Like everyone seems to have been doodling since they were young and never stopped, i pretty much never did :/
Just wondering if its a dream i can still hold on to or give it up.


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## Ansitru (Sep 18, 2013)

It's never too late to start drawing. The key-thing is just to not get discouraged when you see younger artists (who have been drawing longer) draw better.
Plus, you won't improve if you never pick up that pencil and start sketching. "What ifs" are good for absolutely nothing.


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## Red Savarin (Sep 18, 2013)

Absolutely not. I've been drawing my whole life and I'm still fucking awful. Maybe you'll be better (ah who am I kidding, I know you'll be because you're not me).

But really, I just suck because I don't do it to often. I noticed during times when I'd draw more, I'd slowly improve and then I'd take a hiatus and forget everything I learned. Devote yourself to it and ask for criticism from good artists, and you'll see yourself getting better as time goes on.


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## Alexxx-Returns (Sep 18, 2013)

There's an old expression:

"Whatever floats your boat".

If you enjoy it, do it.


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## septango (Sep 18, 2013)

it does help to start early in the fact that you dont know how awful you are in the begining

but ofcorse knowing how awful you are is also helpfull, so I guess it depends on your sticktoitveness, 

like my freind who always gives up becuse hes terrible, I think if he started earlyier he would be able to stick to it


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 18, 2013)

Yes. You see your bones start to ache. Your fingers will fall off and you might even get hairy palms Don't even bother trying. I mean why try and see if you could find out? 

I'm sorry if it comes off snippy, but it really *bothers* me that people don't even bother trying, they need reassurance from other people in the case of drawing. If you like it, you'd keep going no matter what. But you want us to judge your success. *You need to judge your own success and have dedication to it.*


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## Judge Spear (Sep 19, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Yes. You see your bones start to ache. Your fingers will fall off and you might even get hairy palms Don't even bother trying. I mean why try and see if you could find out?



O-O

Are you serious!? Oh my fuck. I need to get better now. I don't want to lose my FINGERS!!!


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 19, 2013)

XoPachi said:


> O-O
> 
> Are you serious!? Oh my fuck. I need to get better now. I don't want to lose my FINGERS!!!




If you start late you also lose your sex drive, get halitosis and herpes.


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## Judge Spear (Sep 19, 2013)

.-.

Ok, I'm picking up the fucking pace. I just studied for 5 minutes after reading this. With this new training regimen I instantly developed, I think I'm learning much faster. How's this coming along?


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## Red Savarin (Sep 19, 2013)

XoPachi said:


> .-.
> 
> Ok, I'm picking up the fucking pace. I just studied for 5 minutes after reading this. With this new training regimen I instantly developed, I think I'm learning much faster. How's this coming along?


Not good. Not good at all. Cannot tell if this is supposed to be a wolf or a fox. She's not even yiffing! Very bad. You did very very bad. Enjoy losing your fingers.


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## Dire Newt (Sep 19, 2013)

Red Savarin said:


> Not good. Not good at all. Cannot tell if this is supposed to be a wolf or a fox. She's not even yiffing! Very bad. You did very very bad. Enjoy losing your fingers.



It's a sad day when _this _is considered art.


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## Hewge (Sep 19, 2013)

Oh...
Oh dear...

OH GOD NO!

This thread is giving me horrible flash blacks of the very first thread I ever made. 
Nobody better go search for it >:[

Anyways... No.
If you want to draw, it's as simple as just starting and never stopping.


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## Charrio (Sep 19, 2013)

Just draw and have fun with it. 
I started late so to speak and had to teach myself most things so it was painfully slow but kept at it.


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 19, 2013)

Hewge said:


> Oh...
> Oh dear...
> 
> OH GOD NO!
> ...



CA would get these like every week, along with:

How do I use "X drawing book"
What's the best way to hold a pencil
How do I start drawing

It was funny to see Noah "flip his shit" and post this blog. You should have seen the butthurt from people not liking the truth told to them. 
http://www.noahbradley.com/blog/2011/stop-whining-start-working/


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## Judge Spear (Sep 19, 2013)

...

How to hold...a pencil? -_-

This is something I can follow. owo
"Donâ€™t be afraid to ask questions and research things, but be sure youâ€™re not doing it at the expense of actually learning things."


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## Heliophobic (Sep 19, 2013)

Harbinger said:


> can you be too old to get good at it?



Well that sort of treads onto the whole Nature vs. Nurture argument.

But no, you can't. I started just last month and I was actually shocked at how good I was without having to grow up with it or take classes.



Hewge said:


> Oh...
> Oh dear...
> 
> OH GOD NO!
> ...



Well I didn't even care but now that you told me not to I'm sort of obliged to do so. :/


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## Heliophobic (Sep 19, 2013)

Edit: DOPPELPOST


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## Hewge (Sep 19, 2013)

Saliva said:


> Well I didn't even care but now that you told me not to I'm sort of obliged to do so. :/



PLEASE NO!

Well, actually, I don't mind. _I GUESS._


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 19, 2013)

There's the favorite of "Which program is the best to draw with cuz I got a tablet!!!"

Then they get upset if you tell them pencil and paper because they think digital is going to save their ass.


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## Harbinger (Sep 19, 2013)

-_-

I do like drawing, well did whenever i got the chance, but the past few months i havent been able to.
Nothing in my room is safe if someone decides to clean the house or look for something, and when im there they'll just barge in and i dont want them to see what im drawing. Other than that im too busy doing other things so i just wondered if it was worth waiting for circumstances to change and have the free time. Didnt mention anything about how to get better.


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## Ansitru (Sep 19, 2013)

Harbinger said:


> -_-
> 
> I do like drawing, well did whenever i got the chance, but the past few months i havent been able to.
> Nothing in my room is safe if someone decides to clean the house or look for something, and when im there they'll just barge in and i dont want them to see what im drawing. Other than that im too busy doing other things so i just wondered if it was worth waiting for circumstances to change and have the free time. Didnt mention anything about how to get better.



You should really get over your embarrassment if that is the only thing keeping you from drawing.
I still don't like it much if someone decides to flip through my sketchbook unasked, but I don't let that stop me from doing what I love.


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## Judge Spear (Sep 19, 2013)

I just tell people that if they want to look in the Magic Pachi Tome of 1000 Truth's that they brace themselves. If you see girls with parts they shouldn't have or anything else that could make you lose sleep, it was your own fault for continuing. Because I am not going to feel embarrassed about something I did not personally share with you.



Arshes Nei said:


> There's the favorite of "Which program is the best to draw with cuz I got a tablet!!!"



I think a better question would be just asking for programs period if you're completely clueless. Not the "best". That's subjective. Then it becomes a matter of fiddling with the programs to see if they work for you.
I do think it's good to give names of starter and most accessible programs to someone new to it.


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## Arshes Nei (Sep 19, 2013)

I think people have the mentality if they don't do it the right way from the start they'll never learn or will waste a long time relearning everything. Not true. You're gonna figure it out sooner or later. Didn't learn good anatomy? If you didn't learn in the "right order" doesn't mean it's going to take forever to learn stuff.


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## rjbartrop (Sep 20, 2013)

Arshes Nei said:


> Yes. You see your bones start to ache. Your fingers will fall off and you might even get hairy palms Don't even bother trying. I mean why try and see if you could find out?
> 
> I'm sorry if it comes off snippy, but it really *bothers* me that people don't even bother trying, they need reassurance from other people in the case of drawing. If you like it, you'd keep going no matter what. But you want us to judge your success. *You need to judge your own success and have dedication to it.*



This is one of my pet peeves too.  If you really want to draw, then you'll go and do it.  In fact, you'll do it even when people say you shouldn't.   There are people who have risked arrest and imprisonment to keep on making art.   There are artists who have lost the use of their hands, and learned to paint with their feet.  If there's art in you, it will find a way to get out.
     I always get the impression that what's really being asked is permission to quit, in which case, consider it given.   If you don't want to make art, that's fine too. It doesn't affect your value as a human being one bit.  In fact, I've known some pretty awesome people who couldn't draw if their life depended on it.   Go do something else that you do enjoy.

It's like the little green guy said, do, or do not.


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## Saitaeia (Sep 20, 2013)

I think you almost might have a head start, in a way. No, hear me out: you've had a lot more time to look at what you like and don't like. Kids, on the other hand, just sorta doodle all day long without critical thinking (that's good and...character building). For me, I see everyone's drawings as their style. If you take the time to refine your style, find what you like and emphasize it, I'm sure you will be pleased by what you can make happen. Take your starting point, and stylize it! Practice helps everyone! Just don't get discouraged, and remember, when you're being critical, you can be making yourself better at the same time. But treat yourself well, too - that's definitely important  

Best of luck and try, try, try!


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