Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Artist documents their progress from age 2 to 28

'I was lucky enough to start very early...but I don’t think it’s ever too late to give it a go.'

Christopher Hooton
Wednesday 06 January 2016 15:27 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

At what age can you spot whether someone has a latent talent for art or, like myself, will never even be able to draw a house convincingly, let alone a human face?

Hong Kong painter Marc Allante’s portfolio can help answer this question, as he managed to keep a copy of his drawings almost every year from the age of 2 right up to 28.

He started off with simple pen sketches of faces on paper and ended up creating vivd watercolours of jellyfish on canvas, with some notable moments of progress on the way.

His talent is clear, for instance, at age 5 when he started using purposeful vertical strokes to draw people, and at 10 when he began to experiment more with colour. In his teens he inevitably aimed for realism, before trying to create figures using fewer strokes in his twenties.

Marc is now very happy to be pursuing art full-time, telling BoredPanda: “I was in corporate finance and insurance.

“I lost my mother very abruptly to cancer which made me re-evaluate a lot of the priorities in my life. Ultimately, I felt that I would deeply regret not giving an art career a proper shot.”

“I think with enough practice and patience, anyone has the ability to learn to draw and create art. I was lucky enough to start very early and be encouraged by my family, but I don’t think it’s ever too late to give it a go!”

You can check out more of his art on his website.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in