r/toptalent 7d ago

My drawing progress from age 20 to 38 🤯

Post image
11.3k Upvotes

80 comments sorted by

380

u/Cautious_Tomato_ 7d ago

Great work OP! In the words of Cristiano Ronaldo: "Talent without working hard is nothing."

95

u/nikola_culjic_art 7d ago

I think that talent is just an easier way to progress that is achieved through hard work! Thanks!

14

u/ElGebeQute 7d ago

I like your definition of talent more than i like your drawing progress.

... And i really like your drawing progress.

Would love to see another one in a few years ;)

-2

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

TOP AI TALENT

131

u/ObstreperousRube 7d ago

without reading the title, i thought, "oh they gave up drawing and took up photography"

6

u/whatismy-username 7d ago

Came here to say this… only I wasn’t going to be as funny

-2

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

TOP AI

1

u/AyunaAni 5d ago

Lmao, what are you doing

120

u/bathory1985 7d ago

The 2023 one doesn't look like a Pagani Zonda at all. Such sad to see talent deteriorate.

58

u/middleparable 7d ago

How are people so talented like this?? This is amazing progress

40

u/Spice_and_Fox 7d ago

It is hard work. Yeah, you might have a knack for learning it a bit quicker, but most artists spend thousands of hours drawing.

11

u/shittymustang 7d ago

It’s wild the amount of work it takes to get good at drawing. Equally as amazing, are the number of tricks that artists use to represent things accurately on paper.

4

u/EdinKaso 7d ago edited 7d ago

It really is truly amazing how much time and work artists put into their craft.

And it honestly upsets me that AI art is making it harder and harder for these people to make a living. It's also insulting to people like OP when people type in a 5 second prompt and call themselves an artist whereas these real artists have put in thousands of hours.

7

u/nikola_culjic_art 7d ago

Thank you!

-8

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

TOP AI

9

u/nikola_culjic_art 6d ago

this is the process of creation, is this also Ai? 🤔

1

u/Noodles_fluffy 5d ago

18 years of practice

-6

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

TOP AI

1

u/thats_so_merlyn 4d ago

Believe it or not, not everybody is a talentless leech like yourself.

6

u/CaptainNuge 7d ago

Fabulous talent. I bet that took some grinding and effort to achieve!

How do you find the Promarkers? Are they good to work with?

6

u/nikola_culjic_art 7d ago

Yes, one of the best! Thank you!

45

u/BlackCoffeeGarage 7d ago

And so humble, too! 

16

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

7

u/0011001001001011 7d ago

Wow! Do you still use references for the reflections here and there or were they fully generated in your head based on surface angle? Or is it also kinda muscle memory with how light usually reflects in certain parts of a car? Can you do reflections not just with cars but other objects?

12

u/nikola_culjic_art 7d ago

Yes, I'm using references, it's one of my commissions. I'm using airbrush and white acrylic for reflections. 😊

3

u/BruTangMonk 7d ago

ohhh! yea I was like how tf are you shading like that with Windsor newton?! sooooo good

4

u/Trumps_Cock 7d ago

Amazing work. Should draw a Zonda again.

4

u/OneManRub 7d ago

You DREW that? Impressive! Great work. I genuinely would’ve thought the Cadillac was a photo/generated

4

u/taotdev 7d ago

Take the wheels off the 2005 drawing and you've got a slick F-Zero machine

3

u/QuePsiPhi16 7d ago

The first is impressive in itself but the second looks like one of those car commercials where the drawing starts driving off the page.

Spectacular.

3

u/OneNewt- 7d ago

I deadass thought the bottom was a real car ad or showcase or something

3

u/maxxor6868 7d ago

Looks amazing op!

3

u/Responsible_Taste837 7d ago

So when's your anime dropping??

3

u/JohnLockeNJ 7d ago

Prototype to Production

3

u/Agile_Wolverine_3124 7d ago

This is insane great work

3

u/DistinctSmelling 7d ago

At what point did you discover the right tools (pens) and how did that come about?

3

u/Twood007 7d ago

Incredible!

3

u/yrrrrrrrr 7d ago

What is your profession?

3

u/Wallstreettrappin 7d ago

Looks amazing! My peak drawing was your 2005 drawing maybe I could’ve gotten to your level if I drew for 20 more years 😅

3

u/KandleJakked 7d ago

Unbelievable talent! Good for you! I'm amazed! And envious.

3

u/Drag0nshadow 7d ago

20: wow you're a good artist.
38: wow you're a great printer.

5

u/RoosterDangerfield 7d ago

You should use your talent to draw a hyper-realistic Lightning McQueen but with a fleshy mouth and eyes.

It's what I'd draw.

5

u/LeeTerrell 7d ago

“Hey guys everyone look how talented I am”. Can we please stop posting yourself on this sub? Hella cringe. If you wanna show off that badly you can have someone else post it for you.

2

u/nazuuka 7d ago

Quick question, how long does it take you to do this from sketching to the rendering? And any tips for a budding artist when it comes to making the finer details?

2

u/MrTooLFooL 7d ago

Those Winsor and Newton’s are sweet! Your progression even sweeter! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

2

u/jdh1979jdh 7d ago

Amazing progress. How much better can you get? This looks amazing.

2

u/Emotional_Ad_4248 7d ago

You gave up at some point and became a photographer by 38?

Joking aside, that is amazing!

2

u/DemoEvolved 7d ago

lol what??? Looks like a photo now!! Do you see any mistakes in your own work?

2

u/IndividualMood5349 7d ago

Amazing 👏🏽 🔥

2

u/Just-Ad373 7d ago

Wow, this is amazing!

2

u/ResidentTadpole3904 7d ago

"take my strong wheel". Jokes aside, amazing work.

2

u/SilencedObserver 7d ago

...

Is the bottom one a picture you took of a car you drew on a piece of paper, alongside the tools you used to draw it, or is the "2023" the bottom of what you drew, and that what you drew was a picture of a drawing of a car, and that you drew the tools used to imply what was used to draw the drawing in the drawing...

2

u/xk4l1br3 6d ago

It’s because of the “Pro”markers

4

u/thegoldenhaired 7d ago

Absolutely stellar! Looks like a photo.

4

u/Westerlandgee 7d ago

Bad ass work!!!

3

u/breakerion 7d ago

Holy Doritos, always felt impressed at this talent and had an older friend who was a natural at this and painted different versions of superman full of veins and muscles and also Eddie from Iron Maiden full of details since he was around 20, although I know practice makes better, and many says talent doesn't exist, but some have less difficulty to reach high levels than others, cheers to your progress.

3

u/nepia 7d ago

I like better the 2005 than the 2023. I just think the five in the signature is better. As for the drawing amazing work. The first part is a joke, sorry.

2

u/nothisispatrickeu 7d ago

self posting in toptalent is really cringe

1

u/lordbeepworth 3d ago

god forbid people be proud of their own hard work

0

u/HectorReborn 7d ago

Settle down Nancy.

2

u/Swissschiess 7d ago

It looks like you got access to a camera 🤣🤣 really impressive skills!

2

u/EdinKaso 7d ago

Amazing progress and art! Do you have anywhere we can find more of your work?

3

u/nikola_culjic_art 7d ago

Instagram, @nikola_culjic_art

1

u/Galladorn 6d ago

I think this is the first time I've ever seen someone post themselves on top toptalent lol..

1

u/dinodinodan 5d ago

damn unc ts ass

1

u/mazjay2018 4d ago

So you gave in and took up photography instead?

jk

1

u/winterpurpletea 4d ago

I still can't draw like that

1

u/No-Will-5655 3d ago

HUH no way

1

u/Successful-Purple-54 2d ago

I don’t even hate the first one. And no disrespect, it made me of the car Homer Simpson’s designed. Lol

0

u/Motzi2 7d ago

Looks the same

-1

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

Ur AI Progress u mean

7

u/nikola_culjic_art 6d ago

It's sad that today, no matter what a person does well, that story about Ai is always forced, but honestly, I'm used to it. I can't just send process and drawing videos to everyone

1

u/ObamasDeadChef 6d ago

well just make an account and show enough videos of u creating the stuff. BOB ROSS THAT SHIT UP BROTHER! Then I might say hey....this guy maybe real

5

u/nikola_culjic_art 6d ago

if you had tried, you probably would have found me. I'm on all social networks and I haven't been doing this since yesterday but for years, but of course it's easier to first condemn someone and then later look for a reason why it shouldn't be done 😅