School..

[permanent_pixels]

Do you really have to go? Why cant you just study hard on your own,engulf your every being in art and practice hard. Build a portfolio and sell yourself.
Is this possible?

[supermark]

Anything is possible, is what I always say.
School has it advantages, working alone has it advantages. They also have cons as well, some people college will work for and others it wont. Its just what you prefer. Write a list of pro's and cons and see what is suited better for you and will help you become your greatest. Follow your heart and the sound of your own drumbeat. Personally I learn very well on my own, but I am attending college because I feel it will expose me to more and help me become a better artist. But its not about the school's rep, it's about the artist (student).But I'll let the other guys on here tell you more, they have more experience.

Either way, if you choose school or not just keep at it, dont give up, stick your chest out,work hard, and you can make your wildest dreams come true. If you have a dream dont let anyone ever tell you that you cannot have it. Because anythings is possible! :)



"Anything is possible with God"

[sweetoblivion314]

Alot of pros didnt go to school. Alot of them also dropped out of school. Alot went to Universities. Alot went to Ateliers. Alot went to a combination of those. Bassically you can do anything you want as long as you have the drive to succeed.

the main reasons i am going to art school:
- The environment - Being around alot of like minded people really makes you want to improve and create. I got this at Insomania and now im addicted to it.
- learning from a wide variety of people - I personaly believe you can learn something from everyone. So i like being around as many people as i can while learning.
- Many teachers - goes back to the previous point. I personaly want to learn from as many people as i can, and hopefully in depth with the ones i really admire. And also just watching people paint you learn a ton. You get this everyday in art school and very rarely at home.


If you feel that you can do as well in your art advancement at home and dont want to go to school, go for it. But you should start a sketchbook and post on here so you can get better direction as to what to do to improve. Your journey will be alot longer without it.

[Maxine Schacker]

Maybe, but it will take you much longer and you'll need many hours with life models, a skeleton, casts, etc. etc. Take a look at our website, www.maxthemut.com and let me know if this is closer to what you've been looking for than what you've researched so far. Tuition is remarkable low because our mandate is to be affordable. However, this is a serious focused school that requires dedication and a professional attitude.

[Elwell]

This response from another poster's thread asking for crits makes me wonder...
Looks good to me...

Dont worry what people think. Just go with whats in your heart.
...are you afraid of a school environment?

[Storyboard Dave]

Do you really have to go? Why cant you just study hard on your own,engulf your every being in art and practice hard. Build a portfolio and sell yourself.
Is this possible?

I wouldn't say it's impossible but weigh that up against all of the positives of going to an art school and I think it's not as well defended. And just because you go to an art school doesn't mean you're joined at the hip with someone; when it comes right down to it, you're still creating the artwork by yourself.

Being in that environment just spurs you on (competition can be a good thing) and it also opens you up to other views, opinions and techniques- some of which you'll agree upon and some of which you'll discard. There are also connections to be made from being in a broad based program as well whereas you'd really really have to work hard if you were in your own cocoon. Practicing and working hard is something you'd better be doing whether you were in a school environment or not.

Even as a working professional artist now, I crave being around other artists. I don't like being in a vacuum. As much information as I can look up online nowadays, there's still something to be said for the interaction, information and connections I can make with real people.

So again, I'm sure you can do it all by your lonesome... but is there a reason why you'd want to avoid the social aspect of art?

And let's just suppose you develop into some phenomenal artist all by yourself by looking up things here online, reading books out of the library, ordering all of the Gnomon DVDs, etc.. What are you going to do with all of that knowledge? How are you finally going to communciate and make conenctions with the people that want to hire you? Eventually you will have to come out of your shell and talk to people and be able to talk the talk. Just because someone says they're an artist, there is a little more to it than just painting away quietly and intently in a studio somewhere.

Experience interaction, explore life, live a little, be social, learn and observe... it'll just make you a better all around artist!