NEWS: Art Teachers: "Artists, Learn How to Draw or You're Fucked"

CULTURE: Art Teachers: "Artists, Learn How to Draw or You're Fucked"

University art instructors are beginning to notice that art students who use programs like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop don’t develop traditional drawing skills. Many cite the design industry as an instigator in this shift, along with students’ frustration with the process of learning how to draw.

Design studios value artists who can have production experience in addition to a creative repertoire. In addition, instructors believe that artists will have “vastly superior” portfolios if they begin with a developed drawing skill-set and augment it with digitally produced pieces.

In other news, doing things the hard way builds character.

I really wish my art teachers had taught me to draw, instead of the dumb projects and self esteem protecting lack of criticism I did get.

But computers are hard though!

*continues sketching with pen and ink, the way her stubborn teacher taught her*

Personally, I think they should just go w/whatever they feel they're more comfortable with, whether more traditional drawing or the technological route. And the teachers should mind their damn business.

-TM

Are you being sarcastic or not? I can't tell.

Their business being teaching.

This nonsense about teachers not being entitled to tell their students how to learn is preposterous,

Sounds like the schools need to (re)evaluate their programs. Even if you're getting a degree in Graphic Design (not Fine Arts), still-life and figure drawing have been REQUIRED in any program I ever looked into. This is a strange observation. I can't imagine that it would be acceptable with a live model sitting there as a subject, and having students with laptops in front of them...it's the curriculum that's at fault.

everyone should draw.

of COURSE art teachers harsh on computers! thier very JOBS are on the line!
[/sarcasm ]

I like the combined approach, I have often used a tablet and pen to draw on the computer. Then again I started drawing on pen and paper them moved to digital art. So the feel of a pen in my hand sometimes works the best while drawing while the computer gives me hundresds more options of what that pen can do.

OLD, GOOD! NEW, BAD!

Our web devs still look at me funny when I'll sketch something out by hand. Sadly, a lot of businesses won't even give you the time to plot something out by hand... "just do what everyone else is doing... photoshop does that in a few clicks..."


Even more depressing, no one at my work could grasp the concept of an IA priority breakdown chart (my term... I ain't go no fancy degree)... "so... what... the site is going to be in three columns... and why is is so... boring... and text-based?" "no, no... this is just a break down of all the elements of the page into what they are and what information is most important and should thus be featured more prominently" "so... it'll look like this? no?"

When I was trained as a pre-press guy we learn't the old school way (manual combining) and the new school way (electronic pagination)... If you asked a newbie these days to cut a mask or go shoot a bromide on the camera they would look at you like you were freebasing clearasil.... I know these old school was won't ever come back and really, thank fuck for Photoshop and Quark... but being able to do shit with your actual hands and knowing the reasons behind what your computer does automatically is invaluable in my book.

Unfortunately, corporate america isn't interested in "essential skills and sensitivity and personality".

You have to admit that sounds like a porn maneuver...


[Edited on Apr 06, 2006 11:45PM]

That reminds me of something Chip Kidd says, "You shouldn't use a computer for design until you're forty."

Umm personally I kinda like the frustrating, forcing concentration, introspection and revision part of drawing. Drawing isnt supposed to be easy and simple. I hate that everyone uses computers to do all their art anymore...sure there are still some wonderful traditional artists...but its just sad I think. But I'll never change how I do my art just to fit in with what most people want

That's why I failed art class because of the stupid project instead of just letting the creative river flow (so to speak)

Ditto. I do mostly album covers and flyers as of late, and I really feel like drawn and/or painted stuff like that has taken a backseat to Photoshop filtering. It's pretty frustrating sometimes, but at least I can sleep at night.

Just wait'll writers can put a plot, style, and length into a computer and have it spot out a novel.

At least actors are still safe.

But seriously, hard, frustrating, time-consuming work is good for you. It does build character.

See, computers aren't frustrating.

And the implication that people who learn to do art with a different set of skills are somehow not as creative is pretentious.

Well, if what you want to be good at is drawing by hand, then you have a point. But some people want to be good at creating art (or commerse), and there are many different ways to go about that. You don't need to learn to sing to be able to dance well.