One of my �aha� moments with painting was when I took a gouache class and thought oh this technique is so easy [�]
One of my �aha� moments with painting was when I took a gouache class and thought oh this technique is so easy � it�s just like colouring in! But when I tried to teach a friend to do it, the gap in our experiences really showed. I didn�t realise how much I�d learned about drawing just from doing it for so long. Mixing colours, looking at real images in a way that makes them �flat� so that I can transfer them to a 2D drawing � these are things that I learned through years of practice.
A pink beetle I painted. Gouache on paper.
I think testing skill is the same. You can�t really say to someone �just do this and this and now you�re an expert tester�. It�s more like �start by doing this, and do it again and again for years and you�ll get good at it.� And I think that�s why there�s a myth that testing is just some magical �mindset� that some folks are gifted with and others can�t learn. It�s the same when people say art is a talent that folks are just gifted with � it ignores the years of hard work that went into refining that skill, and it prevents people from trying to learn it.
Another of my paintings. Lady in a silk kimono. Gouache on paper.
I hear many developers say that it�s impossible for a developer to be a good tester because it�s an innate talent or mindset. It�s not true at all � it just takes practice. Lots of practice.
If you�re interested in seeing more of my artwork, visit my art website � http://designs.hogfish.net
