Hello Kari! Okay, longest comment in the world coming in...
First of all, thank you for such nice compliments! I'm really glad my blog could be of some interest to you. You sound just like me just a few years ago! And looking through your blog, I can say that you are on the right track to getting where you want to go. You're doing a LOT of figure drawing which is ABSOLUTELY GREAT! In fact, it's critical! Not only for just getting into CalArts but for anything else animation-related.
First of all, I think I should mention that as amazing as CalArts is, your experience is what you make of it. It is great to me, because I've connected with wonderful students and teachers there. It's what I hoped it would be because I love doing the work. I can tell you love doing that too, so I'm not worried about you! But I thought I'd mention that all the same. For example, to be honest, I learned more about figure drawing at my local junior college. So it's what you (and the specific teacher) makes of it. Just a little thing to keep in mind.
Coming back to your figure drawing portfolio, it's looking very good. It made me go back and compare my first and second portfolios. I'll critique myself, and maybe you can glean something from it! I think I was missing several things in my first portfolio. This portfolio got me on the wait-list, but eventually rejected, from CalArts. First, A) I see that my drawings were loose, but didn't have a good, solid structure underneath the skin. Proportions were often skewed (I always drew the legs much bigger compared to the torso). I don't think that is always important, but I'll get to that. B) I had very little variety in my subjects and in what materials I used. It was charcoal after charcoal and a few conte crayons here and there. C) I didn't have many face shots. No emotional grounding in almost all of the drawings... Sometimes I left the face off completely; and that's the best part! D) My zoo drawings were weak and I did not show very much of what I like to draw for myself either, which is important I think too.
I said I'd come back to the importance of having a solid structure underneath--this is important, but we are artists after all, and we were born with artistic licenses! CalArts also wants to see this license, I think. So have fun with the figure. Get to know what makes the body work, and then play with it. Bend it and then break it. Experiment. CalArts LOVES experimentation. But know the rules before you bend them. :)
You're on a roll. Just keep doing what you're doing, and observe other artists and life, and you will inevitably improve more and more. It's pretty cool what can happen in just the length of a year when you're constantly working at something.
I had fun writing this. Thanks for giving me an activity! haha. Let me know if this helps at all, or if I can help out any more. That red pencil you were asking me about is a conte crayon; they come in sanguine (reddish brown), black, white and gray. It's like a thick colored pencil crossed with chalk.
Good Luck!! Keep posting, and keep looking forward. Don't stop till you know you're where you want to be! You can do it!
Hello Kari!
ReplyDeleteOkay, longest comment in the world coming in...
First of all, thank you for such nice compliments! I'm really glad my blog could be of some interest to you. You sound just like me just a few years ago! And looking through your blog, I can say that you are on the right track to getting where you want to go. You're doing a LOT of figure drawing which is ABSOLUTELY GREAT! In fact, it's critical! Not only for just getting into CalArts but for anything else animation-related.
First of all, I think I should mention that as amazing as CalArts is, your experience is what you make of it. It is great to me, because I've connected with wonderful students and teachers there. It's what I hoped it would be because I love doing the work. I can tell you love doing that too, so I'm not worried about you! But I thought I'd mention that all the same. For example, to be honest, I learned more about figure drawing at my local junior college. So it's what you (and the specific teacher) makes of it. Just a little thing to keep in mind.
Coming back to your figure drawing portfolio, it's looking very good. It made me go back and compare my first and second portfolios. I'll critique myself, and maybe you can glean something from it!
I think I was missing several things in my first portfolio. This portfolio got me on the wait-list, but eventually rejected, from CalArts. First, A) I see that my drawings were loose, but didn't have a good, solid structure underneath the skin. Proportions were often skewed (I always drew the legs much bigger compared to the torso). I don't think that is always important, but I'll get to that. B) I had very little variety in my subjects and in what materials I used. It was charcoal after charcoal and a few conte crayons here and there. C) I didn't have many face shots. No emotional grounding in almost all of the drawings... Sometimes I left the face off completely; and that's the best part! D) My zoo drawings were weak and I did not show very much of what I like to draw for myself either, which is important I think too.
I said I'd come back to the importance of having a solid structure underneath--this is important, but we are artists after all, and we were born with artistic licenses! CalArts also wants to see this license, I think. So have fun with the figure. Get to know what makes the body work, and then play with it. Bend it and then break it. Experiment. CalArts LOVES experimentation. But know the rules before you bend them. :)
You're on a roll. Just keep doing what you're doing, and observe other artists and life, and you will inevitably improve more and more. It's pretty cool what can happen in just the length of a year when you're constantly working at something.
I had fun writing this. Thanks for giving me an activity! haha. Let me know if this helps at all, or if I can help out any more. That red pencil you were asking me about is a conte crayon; they come in sanguine (reddish brown), black, white and gray. It's like a thick colored pencil crossed with chalk.
Good Luck!! Keep posting, and keep looking forward. Don't stop till you know you're where you want to be! You can do it!
Amelia