April 2023

Starting with the drawing courses at Watts Atelier

I initially started with a painting-only subscription at Watts Atelier, but quickly realized that there was a wealth of good stuff in the drawing courses, and I wanted in! So I upgraded to get everything.

I’m not a novice at art, but at the same time I don’t want to be one of those Dunning-Kruger victims who says, “I know how to draw” (nose stuck up in the air) and then refuses to review the beginner drawing courses. I figured that there would be invariably be something new to me, and I was right.

But because time and money is limited, I decided to sort of “audit” the beginning drawing courses instead of formally taking the course and waiting for grades. (I won’t do this for everything, because the critiques are very valuable, but at the same time, time and money, and definitely I’ll need critiques in the more advanced courses.)

Another reason I really wanted to review the beginner drawing courses is because of their unique way of rendering with charcoal pencil. I have a “signature” drawing style that I like, but I don’t want to be one of these artists who gets super precious with that whole “BUT THAT’S MY STYLE” horse manure. No, “my style” isn’t going anywhere, but it’s not so fragile that I can’t learn something new. The classic Watts rendering style is gorgeous; why wouldn’t I want to learn it?

So, I started from scratch with the first fundamental drawing course. There’s a learning curve with the whole sharpening the charcoal pencil to a long, loooong tip, and holding it differently—it’s all new, and I haven’t mastered it by a long shot.

Doodles on ROUGH NEWSPRINT (which we are not supposed to use). Practicing the pencil strokes, and a little crappy makeshift invented head.

I’m currently mostly using the recommended Wolff’s carbon pencil (4B right now) and am enjoying it. I switched to smooth newsprint and am fiddling with learning how to hold the pencil in the recommended way and I’m sure I’m not “there” yet…but Mr Watts says it takes a lot of patience.

Some more invented heads, quick sketches, trying to hold my pencil right, but still struggling. The head drawings are an example of my current drawing level—I haven’t taken the head drawing course with Watts yet (so anything I get wrong is not their fault!). I am looking forward to learning so much more and especially the Frank Reilly way of drawing!

I followed along to the first course in drawing, where we drew cubes, spheres, etc, and learned some new stuff. As Mr Watts did his drawing in the video demos, I drew too. These examples were again using the dreaded rough newsprint (I was still waiting for my smooth newsprint to arrive in the mail).

Practice, practice, practice!
Sketches I did as I followed along to the figure drawing Quicksketch streaming course. Heads are still too small, but I’m loving this Reilly method that they’re teaching!

And finally, some more Quicksketch drawings I did as I follow along to the streaming Quicksketch course that I’m auditing. I need to power through this class because I only have a week left before the videos are no longer available!

Anyway, I thought I’d post an update so y’all don’t think I’ve already bailed. I’m watching lots of videos, totally loving the classes, and excited for the future.

I am still following the painting classes, but got sidetracked (in a good way) with some painting studies using the new techniques I learned. Mr Watts encourages a lot of repetition, repetition, repetition, and that’s what I was doing!

Overall, I am very thrilled with this online atelier!

04/20/2023 by Art Training & Education Drawing Figure Drawing Rambling 0

Jeff Watts’ video about training to be professional artists

Some brilliant observations are in this video.

In another of Jeff Watts’s videos, he mentioned that his wife was worried about publishing the video above because of all of the things he said. And I can see why she had concerns. People don’t want to hear it that this is a long process. Too many of us want instant gratification. We don’t want to hear that some dreams only can be achieved through struggle, time, and sweat equity.

But he’s 100% right.

Some people assume art should be “fun” and will come easily. They don’t realize, it’s not about being “born” talented. He says in the video that the less-talented ones who aren’t lazy will get farther ahead than the naturally more gifted who are lazy.

When I was attending art school, I instinctively was trying to do what he talks about here. Lots of repetition. I couldn’t do it as efficiently as the students are able to do at Watts, alas. But, at least I was going in approximately the right direction.

I devoured every class available that had anything to do with drawing from life, drawing figures, anatomy—anything related to that. It had always been a weak area for me. I’m still not “there” yet with figure drawing, but thankfully I’m farther ahead than I would have been, had I taken the “recommended” amount of semesters in school and left it at that. (I’ve continued to take figure drawing classes—off and on—all through my life. This I certainly don’t regret!)

That’s why many college grads lack traditional art skills—they take the standard foundation classes, but never are encouraged (or realize the need) to continue to the next level in those areas. They are given the impression that those classes are all they need, and when they complete them, they’re “done.” But without the added repetition, they’re not done.

Another thing he talks about is the ability to choose our classes and more importantly, to choose our teachers. I was too poor to get in a degree program, so just took continuing education (at a fancy art school, but still!). Because of this, I got to pick which teachers I wanted to study from, and got to cherry-pick my areas of interest (drawing and anatomy, especially) and for this I am eternally grateful.

I’m currently taking online classes at Watts Atelier because…better late than never. I always knew that I wanted to get better, to learn more, but the opportunity didn’t present itself, until now. I could tell as soon as I saw the artwork on the site and the YouTube videos that they were going in the right direction and I only wish a school like that was available when I was attending college way back when.

04/04/2023 by Art Training & Education Uncategorised 0

To whomever graded my copper pot painting, bless you

The first assignment in the online Still Life course at Watts Atelier. 8×10 inches, pickout.

Thank you, thank you, nameless instructor at Watts Atelier, thank you for your kindness. I enjoyed painting this (more than I anticipated) and liked how it turned out, but you clued me in (in a kind but professional way) to the different problems with it. You are totally right! I see it now! The reflected light on the left side is too strong. I should have left in the fabric folds in the background to strengthen the composition. The lip of the pot is a little too wimpy and should have been sharpened. And so forth and so on.

But you still passed me and called it “a successful painting.” I like it, even with its flaws, and had a good experience with it. But reading all your comments was so helpful. Sobering, but in a good way. I don’t feel crestfallen or chagrined; I feel optimistic because I’m getting really “meaty” instruction which will help me greatly. I feel sobered because this isn’t going to be super easy; it doesn’t matter that I’m not a beginner, it’s not going to be a course I’ll “coast” through (not that I expected that). I’m going to get my money’s worth, that’s for sure!

Thank you so much again.

04/03/2023 by Art Training & Education Painting 0
instagram