--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the end nobody knows how it's done…" description: "\"In the end nobody knows how it's done — how art is made. It can't be explained. Optical devices are just tools. Understanding a tool doesn't explain th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/david-hockney-1395_art_in-the-end-nobody-knows-how-it-s-done-ho_2922990.png" --- # In the end nobody knows how it's done — how art is made… ![“In the end nobody knows how it's done — how art is made. It can't be explained. Optical devices are just tools. Understanding a tool doesn't explain the magic of creation. Nothing can.” quote by David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/david-hockney-1395_art_in-the-end-nobody-knows-how-it-s-done-ho_2922990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/david-hockney-1395_art_in-the-end-nobody-knows-how-it-s-done-ho_2922990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/david-hockney-1395_art_in-the-end-nobody-knows-how-it-s-done-ho_2922990.png) > “In the end nobody knows how it's done — how art is made. It can't be explained. Optical devices are just tools. Understanding a tool doesn't explain the magic of creation. Nothing can.” [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art creation is mysterious; tools help but cannot capture the creative spark. **In simple terms:** Tools aid but don't explain artistic magic. Key Takeaway Embrace the mystery of creation. Themes creativity art mystery Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - painting - digital art - teaching art - creative workshops Key Concepts aesthetic experience tool use Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance technique with intuition? - What aspects of creation feel unexplainable? A Different Perspective Even with mastery, the essence of art may remain elusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Optical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optical/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [“Everything’s senseless until someone makes sense of it. Life doesn’t explain itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/everything-s-senseless-until-someone-makes-sense-of-it-life-doesn-t/) [Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/) > [The Bible doesn't explain everything necessary for our intellectual satisfaction, but it explains everything necessary for our obediance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-bible-doesn-t-explain-everything-necessary-for-our-intellectual/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Kobe Bryant is a walking stat himself. He doesn't have to explain what he brings to the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-williams/kobe-bryant-is-a-walking-stat-himself-he-doesn-t-have-to-explain-what/) [Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-williams/) > [Math can explain the reason there's one out of four chance that I'd have blue eyes. 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He doesn't explain anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-duffer/david-lynch-is-very-esoteric-he-doesn-t-explain-anything/) [Matt Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-duffer/) > [“Science describes the world; it doesn't explain it: it can describe the universe's formation, but it cannot explain why such an event would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-meldrum/science-describes-the-world-it-doesn-t-explain-it-it-can-describe-the/) [Christina Meldrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-meldrum/) > [At a certain stage of misery, you'll try anything to explain what's going on with you, even if you know it doesn't explain a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/at-a-certain-stage-of-misery-you-ll-try-anything-to-explain-what-s/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Math can explain the reason there’s a one out of four chance that I’d have blue eyes. But it doesn’t explain why me. 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If you see me shaking hands with Mr. \[Barack\] Obama, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-can-t-believe-any-picture-nowadays-if-it-s-digital-you-can-t/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I had always planned to make a large painting of the early spring, when the first leaves are at the bottom of the trees,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-had-always-planned-to-make-a-large-painting-of-the-early-spring/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I've always said that the only thing a photograph is good at capturing faithfully is another flat surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/i-ve-always-said-that-the-only-thing-a-photograph-is-good-at/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [I'm rather shocked by what I thought was simple mindedness actually. 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The LA Times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/with-chemical-film-it-was-possible-to-alter-photographs-but-you-had/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) [Explore all 247 David Hockney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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