Is there such thing as an artist can begin drawing from imagination right away?

Question

Wel I've been a pretty bad artist all my life. I'm starting to believe that since I was young, I was filled with false beliefs that I'm supposed to actually know how to draw things, instead of looking at them. So when I see other people draw, I feel as if they were born with the knowledge of how fingers look when they are bent or how a tree looks. They don't have to look at the object, they just know. As you can see, this has made me very insecure. I feel as if I want to draw, I shouldn't have to look, I should already know. So am I right or wrong?

Answer 1

Everybody uses references. Ev-ry-body. The people who can whip out a decent drawing without looking at anything have spent lots and lots of time drawing from models and life and maquettes and all kinds of reference material until their mind and muscles start to know how to make the lines without looking. But it takes time- years, decades even- and lots of practice and lots of crappy drawings before you get there. It's part of the process, so if you really want it, don't give up. Nobody is born with it- the only thing "talented" artists are born with is the unstoppable need to get good at it.