Finally... a Moment to Reflect

We made it! After selling a majority of what we had, moving 2000 miles eastward, countless hours on the train up to New York, minimal sleep and moments of frustration we made it through our first year of art school. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So what is it that I have learned-what is it that makes me better prepared to go forth in life as a professional artist. This morning as my wife and I walked through the neighborhood I found myself studying the trees and how light hits them. I think that is the biggest thing I have gained from school-an understanding of what needs to be represented in order to accurately draw an object. You have to get the values right! I like to think of it like cooking. I don't have to cook the same amount, but I do need to get the right proportions to one another. I don't have to copy values exactly-infact normally it's impossible to do so. But you have to get them to work together in the same relationship. I wouldn't say I can do that perfectly, but I've gotten a lot better. My eye is a lot more sensitive to seeing what I want to draw. There are other tools that I feel are more developed, more consistently getting my proportions accurate, and understanding how edge quality effects the spatial relationship. You could say I feel more confident now too. There is lot I don't know but I feel like I understand the basics and with a little time can learn to paint and draw like I want. Unfortunately, this summer we financially can't afford to take classes up at school, which is OK because I am wore out from the commute. I'm trying to get a job and finish some projects I have been working on for a while. I want to create some good habits that will further my artistic abilities such as drawing something every night before I go to bed. I am reading several books and trying to build on the knowledge I learned this past school year. I'll continue to post what's going on and what I'm learning.