Why do we think anyone can learn to draw?
Sure, most can improve beyond their current ability, but that does not mean that they will ever be great. After all, I can learn to play golf and with practice I can play better, but I will never be Tiger Woods. Many might say that it is because I did not start as young as he did. But the truth is, if I tried to hit a golf ball at the age he started, I would not even hit the ball - never mind hit it well.
Most of us accept that some people were born with the ability to be great at an athletic pursuit and others are not, and some are so non-athletic that no matter how much they practice they will always stink. I feel that the same is true for art. Most can improve, yes, so I would not discourage anyone from drawing and painting for enjoyment if that is what they want. Who knows, they may get quite good.
But I also feel that some people were born with an ability, a God-given talent if you will, that puts their ability way beyond others. And the more they work at it the better they get. But it is much easier for them - it is natural.
We all started as children drawing for fun and along the way those who had that God-given talent for art began to draw things as they saw them and not as symbols that represented the world. This talent shows at an early age: if you have it, you know it - you were the one who stopped drawing trees that looked like lollipops before anyone told you that is not what trees looked like. And if you have this talent you do not need to trace, you may choose to trace to copy a drawing to canvas or to speed things up a bit when under a deadline or as a learning tool. But I would hope that drawing freehand brings you much more enjoyment and sense of accomplishment. Also, IMO, accuracy is not all there is to good drawing.
Now I will admit that there are some who have this talent and did not develop it, and so they are not as good as they should be. And there are others who were not as gifted, that with hard work, have gotten quite good. And the amount of this talent we have varies from one to another. But there is no denying that there are some that are just blessed. At the same time, there are some who, no matter how much they practice, will never have it.
So, yes, just as we can teach music we can teach art, but we must always remember just as there are very few Mozarts, there are also very few Bouguereaus.
So I will say IMO there is no shortcut to learning to draw well. Tracing can help you get to the end but without the ability to see, even tracing won't help you. In the end, only those with a true ability to draw ever will be any good at it. The rest of us must struggle with our weakness and learn to make up for what we lack in talent with hard work.
And the part I hate to say, but really feel is true, is some people should just put down the paintbrush and back away from the easel before someone gets hurt.
