David Knopfler Quotes

As children, we come into the world with a natural desire to both speak and draw. Society makes sure that we learn language properly, right from the beginning, but art is treated as a gift of innate genius, something we either have or don't.

Artists are born not made. There's nothing you can do for them.

I don't think artists are made, I think they're born.

But I'm not an artist. Maybe an artist with a small a.

I just feel like everyone and their mother thinks they can be an artist. You can't. Sorry. I know I was born to be one.

As a person, I believe that I am sensitive, which helped me be the artist I am.

I think if you're artistic in any way, you're probably born with it. I guess it's a talent that can be learned here and there, but I think the instinct to tell a story or to create something happens maybe in the womb.

If you're an artist, you're an artist; that's the only way I can explain it.

As an artist, I really feel I need an outlet to exhibit all of my skills.

A man is born an artist as a hippopotamus is born a hippopotamus; and you can no more make yourself one than you can make yourself a giraffe.

When I was three or four, I was really good at drawing and painting, and everyone used to say, "You're going to go to art college." I didn't really know what that meant.

Art was always my thing. I had an art scholarship before I had a football scholarship. I'm a left-handed, right-brained, painting-drawing guy. That was always my skill.

You are an over-excited little man, with a need for self-expression far beyond the scope of your natural gifts. This is not discreditable. Neither does it make you an artist.

You can't make a great musician or a great photographer if the magic isn't there.

Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.

We have a natural creative ability and it is very important to realize this.

Everybody's an artist. Unfortunately we don't treat them as such.

Early in school, they called me 'the artist.' When teachers wanted things painted, they called upon me, they called upon 'the artist.' I am not saying that I learned my name, animals can learn their names, I am saying that they learned it.

If you can't play all the instruments in the orchestra of story, no matter what music may be in your imagination, you're condemned to hum the same old tune.

There is a satisfactory and available power in every one to learn drawing if he wishes, just as nearly all persons have the power of learning French, Latin or arithmetic, in a decent and useful degree.

I think even when I was little there was signs that I was an artist. I've always been an artist.

Draughtsmen may be made, but colourists are born.

Everybody can draw, in my estimation. If you give a man 50 years, he'll come up with the Mona Lisa.

Everyone who has any talent at all in sketching, painting, sculpturing or carving, should have the opportunity to use that talent. The expression is important for the person, and can tremendously enrich the lives of other people. What can you do?

As great a picture can be made as one's mental capacity-no greater. Art cannot be taught; it must be self-inspiration, though the imagination may be fired and the ambition and work directed by the advice and example of others.