07-03-2015, 06:52 AM
Hi. I have just recently started taking art more seriously so my opinion will be probably the opposite you need - complete beginner's - side. Yet your mentioned doubts regarding self-teaching are the same I am thinking about these days so I might as well put my cent here too :).
I have no resources to go to famous art schools (and I am living far from US) so it will be self - teaching journey for me. Yet, would I go to such art school as Ringling if It weren't so expensive (and I would be of the level they accept at the moment)? Absolutely.
I agree that most things can be found on internet nowadays and good artists constantly strive to improve themselves and basically continue learning alone all their lives.... Yet, for the total beginner as myself, the amount of information online has been quite overwhelming so far. Bits and pieces of good and wrong info scattered all around ... So many books, artists, opinions...
Of course, art school will not hand "the perfect way" on the silver platter but I imagine that they provide guidance on where to start and mentors to lead students at least at the very beginning. There is curriculum, critique, and such. That alone would surely save much time and trouble, wouldn't it?
I believe that self taught artists can make it to the the "commission worthy level". But it may probably take a bit longer than for actual students. That said, I might be wrong as I am just starting this... I would love to hear opinions of more experienced artists out there.
I have no resources to go to famous art schools (and I am living far from US) so it will be self - teaching journey for me. Yet, would I go to such art school as Ringling if It weren't so expensive (and I would be of the level they accept at the moment)? Absolutely.
I agree that most things can be found on internet nowadays and good artists constantly strive to improve themselves and basically continue learning alone all their lives.... Yet, for the total beginner as myself, the amount of information online has been quite overwhelming so far. Bits and pieces of good and wrong info scattered all around ... So many books, artists, opinions...
Of course, art school will not hand "the perfect way" on the silver platter but I imagine that they provide guidance on where to start and mentors to lead students at least at the very beginning. There is curriculum, critique, and such. That alone would surely save much time and trouble, wouldn't it?
I believe that self taught artists can make it to the the "commission worthy level". But it may probably take a bit longer than for actual students. That said, I might be wrong as I am just starting this... I would love to hear opinions of more experienced artists out there.