Total Art Soul - for artists

Hi everyone ...

I haven't read absolutely everything in this thread so forgive me if my comments are redundant.

I am a self-taught artist. I took a course once and found the parameters the teacher wanted to teach in very restricting. My art in whatever form it's taken has always been a labor of love, and I've let it grow and change and do whatever it wanted.

Lately, as my art becomes more of my personal focus, I have to apply more business-like thought to it. This is really strange for me. My business side (I work in Corporate) has always been balanced by my artistic side (as opposed to integrated) like two kids sitting on a teeter totter.

Now, I'm trying to integrate the two sides of myself.

So ... sef-taught or not, for me it's an ongoing growth process.

D~

*wades in*

I did three years at college, but really should have left it at one. The first year I got shown things that were useful, like never mix in black paint to anything, look up and you'll see stuff, draw what you see, not what you think you see- people are not pink, that sort of stuff.

My next course started out with 'there is no right or wrong way to do things, it's all art', followed by being continually told I wasn't doing it right I realised I wasn't learning a damn thing and eventually wandered off, bored, to draw elsewhere. I havent looked back since.

That first year was invaluable, and I can see those who've learnt these lessons and those that havent, but since then my work has progressed through practice and observation. The mediums I now work in I never played with at college.

so, after all that, I'm guessing- mostly self taught

My next course started out with 'there is no right or wrong way to do things, it's all art', followed by being continually told I wasn't doing it right.

Boy, I hear ya!

D~

Yes, I hear that too!

My daughter is pretty artistic and loved her art classes at school. She's quite a free spirit and not a sheep at all so always wanted to do something very different to everyone else. She was constantly told that she wasn't allowed, that she had to redo her work, even though, in my opinion, she was following the brief. She just didn't follow it like everyone else. I found it really sad to watch this going on. They systematically knocked her for trying to be herself and now she no longer does any art. It's so sad.

Some interesting comment in here. I went to art classes in an evening as a teenager and think I learnt quite a lot but other than that I have had no formal art training.
I only dabbled in anything a little bit for years and then recenlty came back to art after beginning to craft.
I tend to do my own thing but sometimes wish I had a little bit more formal teaching. At school they left me alone entirely pretty much because I was always full of ideas and always had lots of art in my portfolio.
I sometimes think when times permits, I might take an arts degree for myself but then I might have to conform, not sure whether that would be a good thing I never was too good at that!

My daughter is 13 and she draws. She really loves the Japanese anime style right now and recently began working with a template and her computer.

She's at an impasse. She's done everything she can without getting some instruction. It's very frustrating for her because she's terribly independent and at 13 is all about not wanting to look stupid (it's a middle school thing). But last night she told me she needs more help with anatomy and digital work.

It was a big step for her ...

Point being that I think intuitively we all know what we need when we need it. It's not always easy to get what we need, but you'll know if the instruction you're receiving isn't for you.

Have a great day, everyone!

Love,
D~
www.donnalouisefaber.com