do you need to know how to draw in order for you to painT?

Question

i'm really not good at drawing but i want to learn how to paint. i'll tkae summer painting lessons next year & i was wondering if being good at drawing helps you to be good at painting. i'd like to make a self portrait but it should be sketched first right?

also, im kinda anxious if i could learn how to paint because i dont think i have art in my blood. but i am willing to learn though. is it hard for first timers?

Answer 1

No.
Painting and drawing are pretty different.
I think painting is harder if you want to paint people, animals etc..
anyone can learn :) go for it!

Answer 2

no you don't need to know how to draw to be able to paint. It also depends on what you are going for. A self portrait can be a lot of things. Art doesn't have to be realism. You don't have to paint everything exactly as it is, and while that's a skill I tend to like more passionate art done with feeling.
Also the only way to get good at something is practice. If you aren't good at drawing just practice. Most people get caught up in how the whole picture looks at first and can't move on. Draw exactly what you see, no matter how odd it comes out, or seems to be at the time.
Painting isn't really draw everything and then fill in the gaps. It's all in the style of the artist. It's not paint by numbers.
You sound a but apprehensive about painting or art in general. Don't feel like art has to be anything, it's what you make it.

Answer 3

Yes, it is hard for first-timers and often frustrating (that's why so few are able to make a living in it, the majority drop out); regardless of what everyone else says about art, it is work. That being said, those who chose to persue art do it because the payoff is their constant surprise by what they do. If you think your painting would benefit by learning to draw, then you must sit down and draw... and draw, and draw, and draw... you get the picture. The best part comes when you get in a zone, like a runner's high, and you no longer feel the tedium of the work and you're actively solving problems. Quite often what you're doing won't work and you have to start over with a different approach. Same happens with painting or any other art medium. This business of not having it in your blood is fiction: if you have the patience and determination, just like anything else in life, you'll do better than most. Good luck.

Answer 4

I say go for it! Art is what you make it. You don't have to work in realism, example picasso. Get your own style, someone will admire it. As long as you are happy creating it, then it's art. If not to anyone but yourself.
I am a prime example of what is known as an "outsider artist". I have had no formal training whatsoever. There is an interesting article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsider_Art

and just to give you some incentive, here is my flickr gallery of works:

http://flickr.com/photos/colorificstudio


I started out a couple of years ago with just a No. 2 pencil and some blank index cards, I didn't even know I could draw! I made and sold those locally as notecards and worked my way up. I no longer sketch anything, I just lay paint to the canvas, wall, paper, lol whatever item I can!
I am currently selling on eBay and I sell everyday (you can find me by typing skyM into the search at eBay. I no longer have to work a 9-5 job nursing anymore. I'm a single mother of two and we live pretty comfortable on the income from my artwork sales. I hope this is a bit of an incentive to get you going. By the way, the piece that I use as my avatar is one of my own.

Happy creating,
sbj

Answer 5

Going back to photography. Regardless how much of a stickler the teacher may be most teachers in these kind of classes look for improvements and learning curves. If you go in as a terrible photographer having no consideration for the affect of light and then gradually light become everything to you then you've made progress. If all your photos are uncentered at first and then gradually become centered then you've made progress. If your photos were all blurry at first and then gradually became focused then you've made progress. As to your sculpture/ceramics class. If you're sculpting a male or female figure then anotomy plays a major role. If you're going to draw or paint a male or female figure then anotomy plays a major role there too. So NO you dont need to know how to draw in order to sculpt but you must know something about anatomy and proportion. I mean you dont have to be a master of anatomy but at least hold anatomy into consideration. maybe look at a couple of art books on anatomy to help you out. You'll want to know about bone and muscle configuration. Once quick for instance. If you're no sure what muscles exist for an arm then how would you know to sculpt the arm with the proper muscle size and shape. If you're not aware of the skeletal configuration then you wont know how flexible a figure can actually be. All this is may be unnecessary if you ahve a model in front of you though. Good Luck. -CHEZ

Answer 6

i'm glad i got to hear your question. =P. umm... yes on sketching but not too much details- hide pencil marks with paint would be good: pencil use an 'h' but don't draw too hard - light but will be hard to erase. no on ''need" to know how to draw in order for you to paint. (btw i do take art class,so yeah..) but of course- it's better if you could. if you have no experience - then start out with what you see- start with basic shapes and then add MILD details( not too much or else would be too hard to paint)
It dosen't matter if you have art in your blood or not, i don't and i could still draw- everyone has a strength. so don't worry,
As my art teacher says, "Art is a skill." so noone have art in their blood, they just probably practice more.

Answer 7

Yes it would help, because you use some of the basic shapes in drawing in painting. Painting is alot more about freedom, where as drawing is about precision

Answer 8

To paint realistic looking paintings, you should know how to draw, but realism isn't the only kind of painting out there. Don't worry about doing representational work. Explore color, texture and brushstrokes. Express yourself and have fun.

Answer 9

Of coursenanyone who says different cant draw or paint anything other than accidental abstract.

Answer 10

Technically, yes, but lots of artists are no good at line drawings.

Do you own thing: art has no boundries