Comment by martin-adams | Hacker News Reader

Comment by martin-adams | Hacker News Reader

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I do believe that anyone can draw with enough time. In 2009 I took 8 days holiday, one per week and dedicated it to drawing. I could see the improvement vastly:

http://eightweeksproject.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/projectone...

Then in 2010 my new years resolution was to do a sketch a day. Hard going but very enjoyable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFWNlK2H29U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtXlhVLYYE

http://martinadams.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/l_640_480_937...

http://martinadams.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/p_640_412_cb0...

I didn't dedicate enough time to each sketch so only got a handful of good drawings. I've fallen out of it again so would have to get right back to basics, but it shouldn't take too long before you start to feel fluid again.

Being able to draw is like a muscle.

Also, yes, Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain is a great book. I would also recommend The Structure of Man (http://www.alienthink.com/) if you want to draw people from memory - but it will take a _lot_ of dedication.

Nice progress! I do note that you are under 30, which means you can still make progress. There is a famous forum post of someone starting some very basic drawings and progressing onto higher skill level a few years later. He started at 23 or 24.

What I am hoping to see is someone starting at a later age.

Yes, you can still learn when you're older. Especially if you have an inquisitive mind like most hackers. The brain doesn't "solidify" completely as you age, it just solidifies the knowledge you already have. People have learned languages past 30, just by immersion, which is a very complex task.

I think this is the forum post you've referred to?

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=870

Oh dear, just goes to show how ageing my digital footprint is. I was 26/27 in 2009, so that means I'm now over the 30 threshold. Haha!

Personally, I don't believe age slows you down but maturity does. I rarely have the time to focus on non-essential tasks and priorities change. It might take me longer to learn something than if I was younger, but I'm okay with that. The thing to watch out for is jumping ahead because you think you know something and never really learn what's going on.

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