enchanting-elle-blog

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For the sheer awesome factor. 

Art Nouveau Men of Firefly

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kshandra:

heydontjudgeme:

langst:

 Lorenzo Duran

My life feels empty because I don’t have these in my possession. :(

Breathtaking.

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Object transformation assignment is now complete. I can hardly believe I finished in time after having to rehaul the thumbs and my pencil rough (three major changes on that). So many pieces of tracing paper used to get everything just right. There's some things I would change but...over all I'm decently happy with it.

I learned how to draw mice thanks to this week. 

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Considering 'Off Roading' It.

So...I'm thinking about dropping out of school. 

Which seems insane to me, I mean this is me, I freaking love school for the most part, the order, the structure the challenge of it. But this semester I seem to have biten off a bit more then I can chew easily. I know I could make it to the end of the semester and most likely pass it. My need to succeed would see to that. But I don't think I would enjoy it all that much. 

So I sat down and thought, really thought about it. I'm still not decided but there are several things that weigh in the favor of it. I mean a degree is worth something but...is it really in art? I've read so many blogs of artists who either didn't go to school at all or went to a more traditional school and got a degree in something that isn't art. 

Clearly art school isn't necessary in this modern world. 

There's so many online resources, countless books and videos, there's communities and tutorials. 

I think the only things one needs to become an a working illustrator now are 

Patience

Determination/Stubbornness

Practice, Practice, Practice and some more Practice

Passion

I've started to think that school's cons have swung to outweigh the pros really. I mean taking $9k a year in loans isn't exactly ideal, I owe at least $27k right now and I'm not sure I want the number to go higher, I'm not sure its worth it at least. One of my friends dropped out of the AAU after this past spring citing that it was too expensive for what you got in return. And really, it is. $2k+ per class, not counting supplies, supplies that get really pretty costly and some of which I don't use outside of particular classes. 

And then there's the 'community' of those classes, full of people who don't seem to give a crap, a few who might, others who treat art school like its a joke or 'easy'. I have come to honestly loath student critique's as 'helpers' to move forward on a project. And professor's don't seem to take it seriously either. Which means my best feedback tends to come from artists friends I've made elsewhere. And that has gotten more and more frustrating over the past handful of semesters. 

There's also what one of the AAU's classes taught me, Designing Careers; it made me look at what I need to do to be successful as an artist. All the self promotion, the networking and the like. That I should be involved in contests to get my name out there more; all the other little things that other artists are doing to build themselves up. Simple fact is that with how demanding some of the classes are and time intensive I can't build my career and do school at the same time. Since I want to freelance though I have to wonder if I'm stunting my career by dedicating all my time to school. 

The plain fact is that school is stressful and demanding and I'm not really getting to study things that I want to or would be doing as a illustrator. Or rather that I am, in some shape or form, but its confined, boxed in. Often restricted to mediums that I have no intention of using when I'm working professionally. (Yes, that's a reference to my dislike of charcoal, though I have found that I love doing gesture drawings, particularly rhythm focused ones in charcoal). 

I had a close friend drop from the AAU this past spring and she's working great now, making money doing art and clearly starting up her career. 

I know I can push myself to study outside of school, that I will seek out tutorials and workshops and local drawing classes. I'll buy book after book to broaden my knowledge, I'll travel, I'll follow my passions and let them influence my art. Like Pyle and his students!

I'll be spending three more years, at most - roughly, in school and then trying to get a job but I already know I want to get telecommuting/freelance work and not studio so the advantages AAU offers don't really apply to me. Its really rare that online student work ever gets into the spring show, I saw that this last semester much to my frustration. And 'senior' year I'm suppose to do a collaborative project or a internship, both of which face major struggles with online school set up. 

There's also all the stupid stress with the loans, owing like $27k in student loans as mentioned before. And having to worry about staying a California resident or loosing most of my grant/scholarship money, which will likely happen honestly and there's no way I can afford school outside of it. Or afford to move back to California with the cost of living there.

So yeah...I'm considering taking my learning into my own hands, I love reading and pouring over art books is wonderful. I will be setting up a studio space soon, why not mingle that into a library for learning as well? Being an artist is about living, experiencing life and letting it inspire you.

With the AAU lately I feel more chained to a desk/workspace churning out work that means nothing to me, inspires hardly at all and frustrates at the lack of feedback. To pay so much and get so little seems absurd. I realized looking at the degree breakdown I just about have my AA degree from them, so maybe I'll stick it out for that or maybe I'll just call it good now. Its frustrating to think that I only 'almost' have my AA degree considering I've been attending there since Spring of 2009. Seems like I should be further along. 

Its still such a huge thing to think about...so we will see. No hasty decisions for sure. 

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Boring room...we were given a boring hotel room and told to transform it; this is the rough of my concept :) A courtesan's room. 

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So this weeks project was to take our object from last week and stage it, showing that it is 'owned' by a eccentric, odd/not normal person. My 'owner' turned a brownie tray into a sail boat, complete with wafer pirates. 

Both done in photoshop.

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Straight line body construction. Talk about a challenge to draw only in straight lines the whole body. Good for seeing the structure beneath it.

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Five minute head drawings...its interesting. 

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Straight Line Head construction...I far prefer the second one. Meh, it seems to be getting there but not happy over all. Loath rendering in charcoal, I never seem to get it right. 

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A screen shot of a new sketch...or rather a really old one that I'm finally working on again between the insanity of school stuff. Cause you have to have some fun stuff along with all the charcoal and ink. The sketch was started last spring, really rough just an idea and its been fun to work on it more. I love her expression.

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My life lately. 

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One hour speed paint/rumble that I did of a friend's character. I tried doing something with just values so to not overcomplicate with color. And sense school work lately has all been black and white it seemed to make sense. Over all decently happy with this...but not back to the school work >.>

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Week 2 To Do List

This week's insanity looks doable...

Inter. Figure Drawing - Exercises - Ex. 2.1 - Straight Line Construction  Assignment - Homework 2 - Three 40 minute drawings. No value needed (yay!) Discussion - William Whittaker - review and annotate two of his drawings. Reading - Session pages. - 23 pages.  Quiz Video Straight Line Rhythm Line Heads and Hands Drawing Studio  - Assignment - 2.1 - Constructing the Head with Planes 2.2 - Adding Values to the planer head. Discussion - Topic 2.1: Post Assignment 2.1 here. Topic 2.2: Post Assignment 2.2 here. Topic 2.3: Straight lines and construction. Topic 2.4: Anatomy and its importance.  Reading - Session pages - 28. Andrew Loomis  Quiz Quiz Drawing Video Construction of the Head Using Straight Lines and Planes                 Construction of the Head Adding Tone Illustration I - Story, Process and Techniques - Exercises - Ex. 2.1 - Boring Room Assignment 2 Object Staging - Thumbnails Roughs   Discussion - Critique.  Reading - Session Pages - 20 pages.  Quiz Video Illustration Process      Creating Thumbnails      Creating Pencil Roughs        Object Staging  History of American Illustration - Assignment  - Compare Contrast Howard Pyle. Discussion - Topic 2.0: Open Forum: Questions, comments and observations from the students Topic 2.1: How did the "cluster effect" both among the publishers of New York and the staff of Harper's Monthly effect the development of American illustration? Topic 2.2: What does the career of John White Alexander tell us about the art scene in the late 19th century? Topic 2.3: How did Howard Pyle overcome his early disappointments and turn the competitive environment of New York illustration to his advantage? Reading - Session pages. 19 pages.  Quiz

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In the interest of trying more different sorts of food when it was date night time I suggested we visit the Indian place we tried back in...March  now. It was just as good as I remember, maybe even better. The basmati rice is just insanely delicious. And the garlic naan...mmhm. 

I meant to order Chicken Tikka but ordered Tandoori Chicken instead...but it was really really yummy and handsome was happy to snag the leg and wing that came with my portion. 

We also got a appetizer, some spicy lamb sausage that made my mouth feel like it was on fire, I liberally used the red/sweet chutney we were given but it was still too much for me so the handsome ended up eating most of that. Then dinner got there and I actually ate some of the sweet onions and bell peppers that came with my chicken along with everything else. Totally different food profiles then I'm use to but really really yummy and not that expensive. Might have to go visit said place again soonish. 

Date night ended with a trip to Shakes for Frozen Custard, I got simple vanilla and it was perfection especially after all the spices and intensity of dinner. 

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Three hour portrait for Heads and Hands course; sort of cranky about the vine charcoal that was dividing the face not erasing, going to go a lot lighter next time on that part. This was actually fun to do, which shocked me considering how much I dislike charcoal. Lots of room for improvement but not too bad considering how much I've avoided rendering anything in charcoal sense my first semester at AAU.

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Gesture drawing! What fun...not...but I think I did half decent on these actually. Maybe charcoal isn't evil. 

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Assignment 1 for Illustration I. Theme was chocolate, it was fun, sooo many different textures puzzling out how to make each distinctive was the best part.