I never want to see an artist put themselves down, especially if they’re young and have some talent.
My cousin’s kid is very good, and I’ve let him use a few instructional books.
He gets discouraged because he feels he can’t draw exactly like the people in the book.
I try to build him up and tell him, “You can draw. You’re 11 years old. These folks had a lot of years of experience to get to that stage, and you’re quite good. Heck, I’m 34, and there are way too many folks who can draw better than me. Just have fun, practice, and have fun.”
To which he said “You said have fun twice.”
I told him, “Yeah, it’s that important.”
And he went on and drew some more, a little more confident in his own stuff, even if for a moment.
