![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.pikaland.com\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/rsz_transformer-dark-of-the-moon-transformers-bumblebee-430708.jpg\" "\\"Bumblebee"){kind=spacer}
Bumblebee is my favorite Autobot!<\/h6>\nBumblebee is my favorite Autobot!<\/h6>\nHere’s a little conversation I had with a student a few weeks back:<\/p>\n
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*A student was showing me his sketchbook for the assignment*<\/em><\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Why do your robots look like the ones in Transformers?<\/em><\/p>\n Student:<\/strong> No it doesn’t.<\/em><\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Yes it does. Are you telling me that your robots look better than Transformers \u2013 right now?<\/em><\/p>\n Student:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Right. You think your robots are better looking than Transformers, when it’s not done nearly as well, but it has the same elements as their robots? <\/em><\/p>\n Student:<\/strong> Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n (At this point I almost wanted to gnaw at my fist which was hovering near my mouth)<\/em><\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Why don’t you try drawing them in a different way? Why must your robot be the same as everyone else’s? Look at things differently. Why not offer your own opinion of what it should look like instead of following them to a T? Where’s your take in all this? What are you trying to say?<\/em><\/p>\n Student:<\/strong> Hmmm.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/box]<\/p>\n I have more of these sort of hilarious exchanges (kids these days…) but, my point is this:<\/p>\n The challenge isn’t to be the second best at something.<\/strong> Why copy other people’s style and drawings \u2013 like manga? (I know some of you are going to shake your head at this, but it’s the easiest example I can muster!) Why should you try your darndest to produce a drawing that’s as close as realistically possible to what you see?<\/p>\n You’ll never be as good as a camera, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n You’re not going to be better than the best replicator out there, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n So why should you continue on a path that will set you to be the second best?<\/p>\n Why not be the best that YOU can offer?<\/strong> A different view. An interesting angle. A story. Something that’s uniquely yours \u2013 that no one can take away.<\/p>\n Get into the habit of creating so that others can only be second best when they’re up against you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Now that’s something to shout about.<\/p>\n [box icon=”heart”] \u00a0Every week, I teach about the creative process of illustration at a local college. And when I come home, I realize that I\u2019ve forgotten to point this out, or to remind them about something. Dear Students serves as my own personal compilation of thoughts, and is a series dedicated to students around the world who might find my musings useful.\u00a0To read the entire series,\u00a0click here.<\/a>\u00a0[\/box]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[ Bumblebee wallpaper via Wallsave<\/a> ]<\/h6>\n