Is Age just a number?
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I just want to chime in and say thanks for everyone's positive vibes to the OP. I feel the same way at 42. I used to draw all the time, loved it. I went to art school for years, but shifted out of illustration and into design career. I stopped drawing for fun, only really drawing occasionally for a layout comp. Now 20 years later I am rediscovering my love of drawing. I found this site and I am inspired to try my hand at illustration but don't feel I could ever be good enough to pivot into a new career direction (mid-life crisis?). Anyway, I'm going to at least work on some skills, have fun and see where it takes me. Who knows?! PS. I find you all very inspiring. Keep being awesome.
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@adamshephard I'm 60. You are not too old! Keep doing what you love.
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I am 47 and have wanted to illustrate my whole life. I have only been working professionally for a year and it is the best decision I have ever made to fully focus on my art. You have your whole life ahead of you!
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@rcartwright I don´t think that the age to dedicate to painting is an important factor.
It could be in most jobs cause the companies only want young people.
But to be honest I´ve worked for more than 17 years selling car spare parts in a big company, and after that I thought about to become an illustrator, which has been the best choice that I ever took, and now I´m 45 and two children with 5 and 11 years old .
I always thought that although since I was a boy, I painted very well, I never thought that I could be able to live on this.
All is possible if you really want it. -
@adamshephard said in Is Age just a number?:
I'm 29 years old, I've only been learning to draw for the past year (since I was in High School), but I know that I want to be have a career as an illustrator. It's taken me a long time to find what I want to do with my life, but am I starting too late? I worry that I'm too old to start, and I won't be hireable in the future. I believe this is the reason why I may be 'creatively blocking' myself.
im 27 year old, i just have been drawing+learning english since about may 2015(before that i never draw anything before and didnt know a single word of english)
but now im not afraid of drawing/designing in front of ppl, and i speak english with confidence. just draw everywhere, when ever u can, draw on any piece of paper u can find, even u live on street u still drawing... -
I love this thread. I've been working at becoming an artist seriously since I was 25 and every once in a while I have to keep reminding myself that there is no expiration date on art! Keep working and you'll get better. Nobody out there with the money cares how old you are if your work is great and you have a good professional ethic!
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@jose-ramos I never said anything about working for someone else or a company
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Reading through this thread I can see a lot of peoples stories are like my own,I thought I was to old for this,but when I really thought about it lots of artists are older,I dont think it matters for art.I think you could continue painting well into your retirement years and make some extra income.Good luck you have many happy years of painting ahead of you.
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I've taught people to oil paint in there 80's and they have gone on to sell paintings so unless your a football player age means nothing.
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@rcartwright Ouch!, sorry my poor english, I thought "hireable" means "be able to be hired".
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@jose-ramos It does! but freelancers are often hired by clients, and illustrators hired on contract and freelance by publishers. It's rare (in the US anyways) to have full-time illustrators on staff for a big company unless it's in advertising or working as a concept artist for animation.
