Emma, I only started art 5 years ago at the age of 50 and then only watercolour once or twice a week. Tried pastel 2 years ago and occasionally do oil or acrylic. It was not until lockdown that I put any time into it and signed up to your Patreon channel and Bonny Snowdon's. You are right about all the info out there now, I have improved so much. My  first real quality effort being the 3 daschunds from your Patreon tutorial. Practice and education make a huge difference.

before i even watch the video, just as I saw the thumbnail, i was already saying Thank You. I already feel encouraged. thanks

I agree with the talent thing but you were a talented kid

I have been an art teacher for 12 years, and I would agree with your thoughts on skill development. I would say you definitely had talent as a child, because not every 10 yr old would draw fur texture on a dog. But with all the kids that come through my class from 6th grade to 12th, talent is NOT an indicator of growth. It truly is the "obsession" aspect. I have students of incredible talent come through who don't have the passion. They are good at drawing but also choir and math, and they pursue other skills or sports instead. Then I have passionate students who don't seem to have intuition about what to do to grow. But they ask questions and seem hungry to learn. It is the ones who come back year after year that develop the most.

What is really interesting is seeing a kid who is bent on self expression or telling a story, even if they drawing is not "good" in classical terms- its very interesting to look at.  Like when we drew Giraffes, one student had a teal one with three eyes and another one had a backwards ball cap. The theme was realism, but I don't stop kids from making alterations that help them feel personally invested in the project.

I would say I too am obsessed. :) But I'm spread thin on too many mediums. Its so hard to choose.

Thank you for this! I always cringe when people talk about artists having "talent". I've been drawing and painting A LOT since I was about 7 years old. I was terrible for many, many years but I stuck with it because I love it. I'm 32 now and I'm still developing with every piece. It's a SKILL, not a talent.

Even if people mean well when they call it talent, it lessens the importance of the thousands of hours we spend on practicing and improving. The myth that you have to be born with it to be good also scares people off from painting and drawing.

I remember reading how Velazquez got his uncanny knack for capturing people (and animals too) in oils. When he was young and starting to study under Pacheco, Velazquez would get neighbor boys, family, and poor people to sit for him as he tried to capture their likeness, probably using mostly cheap earth colors and lead white mixed with linseed oil, as we see in his earliest preserved paintings.

Its about stick-to-it-ness, more than talent. Talent helps but just keep with it and you can do anything no matter how good or bad you are.

That was fascinating. It just shows you never stop learning

Your work inspires me. I am a professional potter and now 70 yrs old. I was astounded when I saw your work  and I said I want to be able to do that. I see it as a transition in case I can’t lift 50 lb boxes  of clay anymore so I can still be creative. I am looking forward to yours lessons this winter when I have time to practice. Hopefully with your help it won’t take 25 yrs as I don’t have that long. of course it is the journey not the outcome. THANK YOU so much for sharing your expertise with such  elegance. just love you!

Oh wow!
I did not realize that the satisfaction grows from small details!

Thank you. Can’t explain how much frustration I’m gathering lately 😅

Great video! You have absolutely right. Painting, art is not a special gift with get only a special people. It is not a special talent but hard work and spend more and more time to drawing. I didn't draw for 17 years because I was a computer graphic artist and this skill didn't need for me. Now I come back because my life change so much and I'm so happy because this can not forgotten.

Your words about needing that frustration to grow and improve are so-so true.

100% one of the best advice videos I have ever seen. Thank you 😊

Thank you so much Emma, I'm at a very early stage at a very late age working with pastel , your kindness is admirable and very gratefully received.

That was incredible! 😍 Thanks for sharing. Good luck.

I love all the pet portraits, especially that first one

Thanks for bringing this subject up. Try to tell people all the time that desire, repetition and time is all it takes. Little Pepsi is so cute.

This gives me so much motivation, thank you! And thank you for being such an amazing pioneer in all this and sharing it with us. It's made me appreciate all the tutorials and help and support we have nowadays even more. I had a 20-year hiatus from making art and it's incredible how much everything has changed and how much is available to us at a fingertip now. Thank you so much for your work!!

Thanku Emma, that was lovely to watch and listen too, happy pastelling 🌹