Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Watts Atelier - 2nd Post

...like dark images much? ^ ^

...little less than 2hrs?

Ahh..
I remember the first class I took at Watts and the ramblings I posted about how I would update every week no matter how bad they were.. Little did I know there is a level worse than bad.. thus I made no updates.

However I am pretty excited about class again and about taking 3 more come next session!! ..so I'll update with this piece from a make up class I attended. Erik widened the Skull and showed me a better way of abstracting the structure and shape of the eye and it's shadow while I was in my initial 2 tone stage. The tracings the instructors do with a sheet of tracing paper over our drawings are great but, seeing as I left my tracing paper in Arizona and haven't bought anymore I have been having Erik draw directly over my work. I find it incredibly invaluable to see how a more accomplished draftsman can take a few well aimed steps to improve a drawing.

This is now my 2nd class at Watts since I have been in the San Diego area and I finally feel like their method is clicking for me. By no means am I producing 'great drawings' but, I feel more confident when I sit in front of the model. I am not as overwhelmed by the grand complexities that the figure holds. With that said I by no means take for granted those complexities by diminishing what should be respected. I obviously still have far to go. I am just shocked and astounded that I am now learning a Life Study Technique that feel so unbelievably logical and with all due respect simple'. By simple I mean, there is an academic and well laid path in this method of Reilly lineage. Some might find it surprising that I exclaim over such a thing but, I believe some who are familiar with this approach of teaching may take it for granted. I went through 4 .5 years at CCAD where you were lucky' to find a teacher that would pick apart at your faults rather than help you disguise them as Style'. My personal work was for style exploration, I was there to learn'. I remember finding websites my freshman year of Ateliers and thinking WHY were we not learning what these guys are learning on a fundamental level. There were and are many reason which I'm sure we are all aware of. On my side of things I felt no matter how hard I worked I couldn't take myself to the next level. I'm now extremely proud to be attending Watts Atelier where I can study in a similar fashion to that of my heroes, Rockwell and Leyendecker. And BLOODY hell it is cheap! When I saw those sites about Ateliers mannny years ago I thought the knowledge was so grand and coveted that I would never have access to it. It's great to know even with student loans, a car payment and rent I can still make it to 3 classes a week.

-Joshua

Btw if you want to lose your mind check out Geirrod VanDyke's work! Grand large size oil paintings and super fun stylized sketch work! HIGHly recommended ^ ^

p.s. I have a blog for my GRAPHIC NOVEL! Thought I'd plug it since it gets extremely less love than this one ::sniff sniff:: ^ ^
FadingOasis.blogspot.com

~

7 comments:

Andy Murray said...

hey Josh, like long diatribes much? "Shut up and DRAWWWWWWWW!!!!!"

I'm super serial though, that head drawing is serially awesome. Holy crap I need to get to Watts!

Joshua James said...

HAHAHAHAHA!

Yeah Watts is givin out Magical Art Secretes like no body's business.

Mmmmm Now that's good kick in arse!

Roger Adams said...

Great post! Please keep us updated on your Watts progress. I would love to attend the atelier!

Young Vo said...

Stop being modest... show us some Drawings!
Who beats you at checkers!

by Sugandh Goel said...

Really really cool! you get better by the seconds! ;)

Carlos Ruano said...

Really nice portrait.
¡Merry Christmas Joshua!

Tom Scholes said...

Awesome dude! I've been thinking of heading out there for a session/semester ... woop!