It's amazing to me that such places as art schools where the sky is the limit in the relm of art that they have closed-minded-ness, sure once you read this I might sound closed minded but please hear me out.
Art schools, including those who teach game design and other arts not simply painting have this knack of sticking to one way and one way only in things, I don't know if it's because in the public schools they have to do it because of governmental control and a money trail or not but I know this much, the private ones should be a bit more opened minded since they aren't supposed to be controlled there. Here are some key issues I'd like to address: Drawing people who are naked, Opened source software, Japanese style cartooning.
It seems Anime and Manga isn't art if you go to art school, they will flat out tell you not to draw it anymore or at least not for homework, it doesn't count, those years you spent drawing Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece doesn't count people! I'm sorry!
If that's not closed minded I don't know what is, I don't say make it a major or anything of the like, but a span of styles from both the west and the east should be encouraged not discouraged, art school is supposed to help you grow, not diminish what you know already.
At the very least a history of other styles should be shown if they don't want it as homework to draw at least teach the history of it, right? Many kids in my Generation and the Generation before us including myself got their start in anime/manga and if they didn't stay there they at least started there, the idea that Anime/Manga is not art is a misconception at it's finest.
Art schools, including those who teach game design and other arts not simply painting have this knack of sticking to one way and one way only in things, I don't know if it's because in the public schools they have to do it because of governmental control and a money trail or not but I know this much, the private ones should be a bit more opened minded since they aren't supposed to be controlled there. Here are some key issues I'd like to address: Drawing people who are naked, Opened source software, Japanese style cartooning.
1; Drawing People Naked:
Before I'm called a prude hear me out, lets say you are a man/or woman and you have a spouse, I'm pretty sure the only person you want them seeing naked is you, right? Well, from what I have heard, maybe there is an opt-out in some schools but what I have heard and researched myself you can't opt out. so wait...My husband loves art wants to get better but he has to look at other naked women?
If you as a man or a woman have a problem with this I don't blame you, nearly every person when I researched this did not want to draw anybody naked but they had to, they got "used to it" but that's not the point, there is something in us that says we don't want to do this but in art schools from what I have researched they force you to, and what about those of religious stances like, Christian who believe it's wrong, or in Islam who's enforcement is even more intense where in some forms of the belief they cover the very hair on their head? What, they can't go to school for something they enjoy?
I don't push this as never have this in art school those who want to it shouldn't be withheld, but what about an opt-out option? Or, at the very least make an opt-out class and have them in a bathing suite, it's better than naked. - I understand it's for "learning the figure" I see how it could be helpful but those who feel it's uncomfortable, wrong or disrespectful to a loved one like a spouse should have the option to opt-out. - Again I read in research there is no opt out, but if some schools do that's a good thing!
2; Opened Source Software:
It seems that if one doesn't use Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Maya 3D, they aren't a good student, those who want to learn digital art, game design or other things of the like have to use very expensive software because it's supposed to the world's standard.
It's like Adobe and the big companies are all that's "good" in their eyes. Am I "against" using them? No! But not all students can afford it, and if it's given free to learn and use still, there are other things they can learn why do we need to be a robot all learning the same thing? I have seen countless people who have moved from Adobe Photoshop to GIMP, some have moved from Adobe Illustrator to Inkscape, and many prefer Blender over the big 3D software like C4D and Maya because it's free and powerful. Do I degrade these big programs? No! But it's very closed minded to say only the ones that cost up to hundreds of dollars are the only good ones. The Free and Opened Source programs are still great.
3: Japanese Cartooning:
It seems Anime and Manga isn't art if you go to art school, they will flat out tell you not to draw it anymore or at least not for homework, it doesn't count, those years you spent drawing Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece doesn't count people! I'm sorry!
If that's not closed minded I don't know what is, I don't say make it a major or anything of the like, but a span of styles from both the west and the east should be encouraged not discouraged, art school is supposed to help you grow, not diminish what you know already.
At the very least a history of other styles should be shown if they don't want it as homework to draw at least teach the history of it, right? Many kids in my Generation and the Generation before us including myself got their start in anime/manga and if they didn't stay there they at least started there, the idea that Anime/Manga is not art is a misconception at it's finest.
Here's my view, you're free to think it's wrong!
May God Bless and Heal all you Know and Love.
~ Firefly
