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
As someone who is currently doing figure drawing as part of a college-level art course, and as someone who takes classes with art school students, I've never heard of anyone feeling "forced" into nude figure study. Perhaps it's an issue of self-selection– people who go to art school should know what they're getting into in this respect, so anyone too uncomfortable with it would presumably not apply. In no context is figure study any sort of sexual experience; models are professionals. I've actually found that figure study is one of the most enjoyable parts of my class, and ever since the Renaissance there's been a general professional consensus that live figure study is the quickest and most valuable way to learn anatomy. Having a formal opt-out option could be a way for students to cut class... and the school's reputation could take a serious dive if artists graduated without basic knowledge of the human figure.
ReplyDeleteOne-piece or full-body bathing suits are elastic and squash the natural figure; they also cover important elements of the human body like musculature, color, and shadow. If you're talking about bathing suits that only cover nipples/genitals, a) I'm not sure if that really makes a significant difference from drawing nude anyway and b) you still don't get to learn to draw certain parts of the human figure. You're right in that it's better than not drawing at all, but hiring entirely separate models for one or two students would be prohibitively expensive.
HOWEVER, nothing's necessarily set in stone at colleges, and I think if your husband talked to professors in person about this, he might find a solution that allows him to learn about anatomy and not violate his own beliefs. I'd also recommend he check out resources like SenshiStock on Deviantart, which are invaluable (and clothed) sources for pose reference.
And on the subject of "the only person you want them seeing naked is you", my dad's a working artist and my mom has never had any problem with him doing figure study. They've been happily married for 25 years. I wouldn't make such general statements about all couples.
I am perhaps most confused about the anime/manga aspect here. Anime and manga styles are as varied as Western styles of cartooning, and the vast majority of comics or animation concentrators I've met have been inspired by Japanese styles as well as Western ones. I think the issue here is that you have to learn the rules before you break them. Masashi Kishimoto went to art school, and that's why Naruto is so much more anatomically sound than Bleach or One Piece. Simply copying another artist's style without knowledge of how to draw realistically is a bad way to go, because you don't have the anatomical grounding that those artists do and will end up blindly copying their mistakes. It's better to study from life and let stylization emerge organically.
I don't know if art schools should teach GIMP or what-have-you, since employers are looking for graduates who are comfortable with the industry standards, but they should definitely provide their students with a subscription to Photoshop. You, me, and every RISD student I've ever met is in agreement on this point.
I see what you're saying but I know that I have researched and found countless people who DID NOT want to do the figure drawing classes.
DeleteOpened source software is almost exactly as good in a lot of ways to photoshop, I've seen people move FROM photoshop TO Gimp. I don't intend on following the flow of things so I really don't care what the industry says it "good" since they change their minds more often than Kanye says something stupid. Not to say anything wrong with following their "ways" it's just not my thing.
Perhaps where you live or whatnot people are fine with Anime/Manga style, but I've heard of plenty of people who's teachers scolded them harshly as if anime/manga is not art or said that exact thing. I know that learning anatomy can teach a lot and help in other styles that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to the unkindness and sometimes forbidding of students to not draw the Japanese style of cartooning/art.
As for "generalizing" there is nothing wrong with doing that, generalization is just that a generalization. It doesn't exclude anyone it says a general statement. I know a LOT of people are married and unable to pursue what they want because of their belief system. If your mother is fine with her husband looking at another naked woman more power to her. I personally wouldn't want that and a lot of other women think the same. It's not a matter of what "kind" of nakedness it's nakedness in a whole. The body to many people is sacred and shouldn't be seen as an object whether physically or other wise. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion obviously.
Thanks for the comment! It's only fair to see the other side of an issue. :)