As a young artist just getting into art school you live and die by the feedback of your teachers and peers. Some is good, but most is bad. It is up to you to weed through the endless critiques and comments to find those choice moments that strike a chord with you. This three part series will highlight some of my own choice moments. I hope some of this may resonate with you like it did with me.
After my first year of art school I was stricken by something a professor had said to me. At my final critique he asked me what it was I wanted to do after I graduated to which I replied fantasy and science fiction illustration. He asked me to look out at what the fine art seniors had done for their thesis show that year and said to me that you should just leave and go to a different school because no one is doing the type of work that interests you here.
I was a fine art major at a very small school and there really wasn't anyone doing the type of work I wanted to get into. He was absolutely right and maybe I should have taken his advice, but I stayed for a multitude of reasons, not least is the caliber of teachers I had and would come to have. I was there first and foremost to learn how to draw and paint but what he said stuck with me throughout, and in conjunction with meeting Paul Carrick (I'll get to that meeting later in this series), made me hungry for knowledge outside of my schooling.
Thank you Steve Novick for giving me that initial push to learn what I needed to learn.
My first big step came in 2008 during my first summer break. I felt that the feedback of my professors wasn't enough and that what I really needed was the opinions of the people whose work I admired and followed closely. Professionals in the field of illustration, the very people who drew me to it in the first place. I compiled a list of my favorites and sent out my portfolio in a shotgun blast of emails hoping for the best. Surprisingly enough I got several responses within the next few weeks and they were invaluable to me in my artistic growth over the next few years. To the artists both named here and not, that took time out of their day to send me these, I am extremely grateful. You encouraged and continue to encourage a young artist finding his way in this business. Below is a selection of quotes from those emails...
RANDY GALLEGOS
"Drawing is the blueprint of painting--without great drawing, color can't do its job."
After my first year of art school I was stricken by something a professor had said to me. At my final critique he asked me what it was I wanted to do after I graduated to which I replied fantasy and science fiction illustration. He asked me to look out at what the fine art seniors had done for their thesis show that year and said to me that you should just leave and go to a different school because no one is doing the type of work that interests you here.
I was a fine art major at a very small school and there really wasn't anyone doing the type of work I wanted to get into. He was absolutely right and maybe I should have taken his advice, but I stayed for a multitude of reasons, not least is the caliber of teachers I had and would come to have. I was there first and foremost to learn how to draw and paint but what he said stuck with me throughout, and in conjunction with meeting Paul Carrick (I'll get to that meeting later in this series), made me hungry for knowledge outside of my schooling.
Thank you Steve Novick for giving me that initial push to learn what I needed to learn.
My first big step came in 2008 during my first summer break. I felt that the feedback of my professors wasn't enough and that what I really needed was the opinions of the people whose work I admired and followed closely. Professionals in the field of illustration, the very people who drew me to it in the first place. I compiled a list of my favorites and sent out my portfolio in a shotgun blast of emails hoping for the best. Surprisingly enough I got several responses within the next few weeks and they were invaluable to me in my artistic growth over the next few years. To the artists both named here and not, that took time out of their day to send me these, I am extremely grateful. You encouraged and continue to encourage a young artist finding his way in this business. Below is a selection of quotes from those emails...
RANDY GALLEGOS
"Drawing is the blueprint of painting--without great drawing, color can't do its job."
"Focus your portfolio. Pick the genre of artwork you're going to focus on and do lots of that. A good
portfolio should have 8-12 pieces demonstrating different subject matter within
the same basic genre. No more, no less, and no weird, out of left field
stuff. If you want to do fantasy book covers or Magic cards, don't show
your prospective clients celebrity portraits. The reverse applies as
well, naturally. You don't send a picture of a dragon to Time Magazine
in order to score editorial art gigs. And of course, ditch the school
work. People know it when they see it, and they won't hire you if they
think you're a student or don't have professional experience. It's your
job to create the illusion that you are the consummate
professional...until you are."
"You never outgrow the need to learn. The MAIN thing is to get your
hand very much at home with the language, and the only thing for that
is gobs and gobs of practice."
"When
you paint, really concentrate on the textures and feel of the different
materials in the image. Skin, metal etc. The best way I found was to
imagine the feel of each material as you paint it. It's tricky but
you'll know when you get it. it's really like a light turning on in your
head."
"Post your work on a site like conceptart.org in their sketchbook section. You will get a lot of honest critiques
from professional and amateur artists alike. Many artists have made huge
leaps through this site. Be humble and take constructive criticism to
heart."
"In the end you just have
to practice and make each piece of work better than your last. be aware
of your weaknesses more than your strengths and work on them. Recognize
what makes other artist's images work and try and introduce it to your
compositions."
UP NEXT: Todd Lockwood gives me my first lesson on light and shadow...
UP NEXT: Todd Lockwood gives me my first lesson on light and shadow...
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