One of the biggest frustration for me sometimes is that I did not study illustration. Of course, I had no idea that such a subject existed, or that my random doodling every hour of the day when I was a wee one actually meant something. It’s not the paper chase that I’m concerned about, no, I can deal with that. What I obsess over is the lack of good teachers who give you feedback and let you learn more about yourself by doing, instead of rote learning.
I’ve been told by many teachers during my university days over here (which in my opinion are not even qualified to teach) that I should get with the program and just be like everyone else and stop asking questions. Heck, they even want us to write by using the same style of handwriting. Of course, often speaking out and challenging the thoughts of these “teachers” often earned me scores of B-, grades that I do not care about because I do not appreciate their standards at all anyway. So I am awed by the openess of teaching institutions that let the mind of the students wander.
In some ways, I do get a thrill out of reading Command & Save, the Portland State Graphic Design blog headed by the awesome Kate Bingaman-Burt. I sometimes imagine I am a student and soak all the wonderful information in — I particularly like their segment on illustrators like Meg Hunt and Ward Jenkins called “How They Do It”.
There’s also a good list of books to read (for students of the course), and so it’s a good resource overall on the subject. I wish the classes I attended before were this fun!
Some (though very few) colleges/universities offer illustration as an online course. Though I wouldn’t worry too much of it- good taste and aesthetics come from the gut!
I took an illustration course at Portland State. It was really great! There is some really cool art coming out of Oregon these days. Must be the rain and the mandatory coffee drinking.
“What I obsess over is the lack of good teachers who give you feedback and let you learn more about yourself by doing, instead of rote learning. “
Yes. And the institutions that DO encourage that seem to be few and far between. Thank you for showcasing one that does. Cool program. Thanks for sharing!
oh, thanks for the tip! i feel the same way & look forward to checking out some the books listed over there.
I feel the same way. I wish I knew back then. Although I am not dissatisfied with the way things turned out now. So perhaps it doesnt matter after all where we went to school, but how we come to see what we do value?
i wish id studied illsutration too.
what did u study then?
letss do an illustration MA! 😮
Samantha: Haha! I do agree with you there!
Justine: Hmm, rain you say? Over here there’s tons of it — I might need more coffee though!
Amie: Although I don’t follow the program, what makes me interested was how they stay connected via the internet — and how learning spills over into their daily life as well.
easy to miss: Aaw, thank you!
AnnaDenise: So true — I’m not dissatisfied with the path I have chosen, I’m disappointed that the generations after me will be subjected to the same fate. Critical thinking is sorely lacking among our students and that worries me terribly.
wirrow: Good idea, haha! p/s—I was a trained landscape architect. 😉
i feel the same way as you do.
I wanted to study Illustration too, but it didn’t happen since none of the uni here offers that kind of course.
@ Amy: Yes, you’re right. I think I went to a great school, but I attended a year of ‘normal’ university here in The Netherlands for a year and was shocked. I was especially shocked by the attitude of most students, actually. Not interested, motivated, or willing to look beyond what they had to learn. A fault in the educational system as well, but perhaps students should try and demand more from that very system?
universities here don’t have illustration courses. I can relate to your words too. As a self-taught artist, I learn as I draw; and sometimes I feel that I’ve missed the shortcuts good teachers and technics would have given me.