Do people with mediocre painting skills have tendency to be drawn to photography?

Ken L , Feb 11, 2012; 05:51 p.m.

Ok, this is a random but interesting question. Are there data or survey showing if people with mediocre painting skills have higher tendency to be drawn to photography?
I'm terrible in painting and drawing. In school days, art was the most dreaded course. And I think my total ineptitude in drawing or painting has a lot to do with my love for photography. I think a camera really complements my shortcomings and enables me to show to other people the world that I wouldn't be able to show in any other way. That doesn't mean my photography has artistic merit. I think probably not. If anything, my lousy painting skills would probably affect my photography as well, adversely. What I'm saying is that my love for photography is probably stronger than people with good drawing or painting skills on average.
People can agree or disagree to this notion, and that's fine. But I was wondering if there was any actual survey about the correlation between a person's love for photography and their drawing/painting skills (or lack thereof).

Responses

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Michael Chang , Feb 11, 2012; 06:00 p.m.

"Are there data or survey showing if people with mediocre painting skills have higher tendency to be drawn to photography?"

I would doubt that any statistically meaningful survey exists, Ken.

From personal observation, however, everyone I know wishes they could draw or paint but few wish they were good at photography.

Dave Sims , Feb 11, 2012; 06:15 p.m.

Ah, but many think they are good at photography.

Richard John Edwards , Feb 11, 2012; 06:32 p.m.

I think because visualization is a skill they may posses but lack the ability to translate it on canvas

Hector Javkin , Feb 11, 2012; 07:21 p.m.

No correlation that I know about. Some people with mediocre painting skills are drawn to photography. So are some people with extraordinary painting skills. Pablo Picasso learned a great deal from photography. Johannnes Vermeer apparently used the camara obscura, a forerunner to photography, to assist in his painting. Joseph Solman, less well known than the two I already mentioned, was not only a very fine painter, he was said to be a good photographer.

A good painter will have talent and skill at visualization, and a lot of patience. Those are the most important ingredients in making a good photographer. Add some technical skills.

Lex Jenkins , Feb 11, 2012; 08:27 p.m.

The only statistic I'm aware of indicates mediocre Austrian painters tend to be drawn toward becoming Chancellor of Germany. Out of a sampling group of one, 100% were drawn toward that post. The rest weren't bad. They were just drawn that way.

Mark Drutz , Feb 11, 2012; 10:17 p.m.

Lex, that's a terrible pun, and I'm sorry that you thought of it first.

I doubt that there are any statistics on the subject. I think that it's logical that someone who lacks skill as a painter would be drawn to photography since they are both ways of expessing oneself artistically. It's not that photography is easier than painting, it just requires some different skills.

Louis Meluso , Feb 11, 2012; 11:31 p.m.

Funny, Degas was a brilliant painter but a only a mediocre photographer. On the other hand David Hockney did OK on both sides of the fence.

Nathan Gardner , Feb 11, 2012; 11:37 p.m.

I kind of agree. As a kid, I always had wished I could draw better; and I am TERRIBLE. Stick people are a stretch for me, seriously. But I figured if I wanted to make a nice picture, I could find something beautiful and let the camera do the drawing.

Michael Chang , Feb 11, 2012; 11:38 p.m.

If it means anything, many painters paint from scenes of photographs.

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