The Philosophy Discussion Forum

Philosophy Explorer wrote: Or would forethought and imagination and training be required, roadmap to know where you want to get to?

Absolutely, all qualities required by any skill and automatically contained in genius. If any of these essentials were missing the Sistine would have been one hell of mess...like most of modern art.

It takes much artistic skill to copy the art of others, but usually not much imagination.

Systematic wrote:It takes much artistic skill to copy the art of others, but usually not much imagination.

Depends on how far you conceive of imagination. As the paint touches the canvas, there is a clear requirement for a micro-imagination as the artist has to predict how the paint with look and feel. He also has to be able to image how the original artist was able to paint. Even a decorator or plasterer has to have a keen visceral and visual imagination of the understanding of his materials.
A conceptual imagination can be a serious impediment to making art, which has to be felt. Over intellectualising, also an imaginative activity, can impede art.