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

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