Watts Atelier of the Arts

[PandaWhipper]

Does anyone here go to or know anything about Watts Atelier? I've been weary of paying more than 20k a year for art school and this place is VERY cheap. If anyone knows any info about it that would be great! Thanks :)

www.wattsatelier.com (http://www.wattsatelier.com)

[Deth Jester]

I checked the place out, and sat in on a class.. it was nice, but I think it really depends on your focus.. wish I could help you more.

here is a good thread on ateliers vs degree program

THREAD (http://209.126.148.88/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2959)

[PandaWhipper]

Thank you so much :) When you say it depends on your focus, how exactly do you mean? My focus would be in Illustration, did you find certain focus areas to be lacking at the school? I'll be going in most likely this weekend to check it out.

[sagerussell]

i have been attending Watts Atelier for a while now. It is a very focussed program all based on working from life to establish skills upon which you can do anything. many Watts students go on to be anything from conceptors in film and gaming (which is pretty big here in SD) to illustrators to fine artist , painters, sculpters. You name it.

I think it is successful due to it being a purely skill driven program. it is not accredited so there is no phony curriculum with non art classes.

check out the website, or do a search on some of the instructors you see on the website.

I love it. it is exactly what i wanted in a program.

[Deth Jester]

Yeah by focus I meant what field you are thinking of entering..Also, how motivated are you... If you take a very structured environment, then that place might not be for you. But if you are self driven, and goal setting then it might be... You should deffinitly go and see with your own eyes..

Illustration, would be great for you there.. they would give you all the instruction you would need to know..And if you didnt get everything, you could take some classes at a local school without being full time. I think one thing that is lacking there is maybe art history.. but I can't really give you a full idea of there faults and weaknesses..

good luck.

[MadSamoan]

Yea it's a very good place for learning illustration techniques and sound draftsmanship skills. They'll put as much effort into teaching you as you put into it and will really open up to you if you do additional work outside of class and show how motivated you are. As for history, that's just cracking open the books. However, that is the place that really introduced me to the Brandywine illustrators, Bridgeman, Vanderpoel, the Russian Impressionists, Loomis, Leyendecker, Cornwell, Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla, the Ashcan School, Asaro, etc...

[PandaWhipper]

Sagerussel: Hey just what I wanted to hear, thank you! A Wasil is a client where I work right now so I've been talking to him about it and have been given nothing but positive feedback.

DethJester: yeah the lack of some GE courses was something I've thought about, but if I feel they are necessary I'll just go take them at a JC since we have like 8 around here. :)

Mad: do you also attend this one or do you go to another atilier?

[MadSamoan]

I attended there for a while and now study at the California Art Institute, another private art school north of L.A. which is where Watts trained as a student. Watts Atelier is a very good school, probably the best place to get training in San Diego, outside of apprenticing yourself to a master painter. As a private school, if the place didn't offer good training, it wouldn't be able to exist. Go visit the place, look at the art on the walls, and see if it appeals to you or not.