Learning To Draw: What Worked For Me

A close friend of mine is looking to pick up drawing after a long time, and complained on Twitter, that good advice and tutorials online are hard to come by... and I agree. A lot of artists and pseudo-professionals put out things on how to draw and its mostly a mix of bad advice with good intentions.

So to avoid doing that, and to contribute to some of the good advice online, I'm going to just give you my story. This is what worked for me, pick it apart and do some introspection to see what might work for you.

The Long Winding Path to Communication Design

I'm nearing the end of my first semester as a Communication Design student at MIAD, and although it has kicked my ass to the moon and back, I've enjoyed it and learned more than I thought possible in this span of time. However, based on my semester here, there seem to be three distinctly different types of students in the program... and perhaps I make for a fourth...

The Degree Is Not The Point

This fall I will be attending my third college institution to attain a third degree. This will be my second bachelors level degree, however; usually by the third degree it's at least a Masters... I guess you could say that I'm truly the definition of a "non-traditional student."

While that doesn't bother me, something else does: I have yet to attend a school for a specific program or reason that I went on to finish. But I can't afford to change paths mid-stream this time, and I'm feeling a little trapped and anxious.

NIN: Came Back To Haunt

Nine Inch Nails have released an album at almost every pivotal part of my life. Now, perhaps I'm reading into this a little too much (note: I definitely am), but Trent Reznor's knack for releasing new work in-sync with my life events is almost otherworldly and the announcement of NIN's new album, Hesitation Marks, this fall coincides with my move and enrollment in art school. This is a time where I'm more stressed than I have been in years, and, as if he knew I needed something new to comfort my soul, there is Reznor with another album to put on repeat and melt my stress away.

One time obviously doesn't match up so well with the statements above so let me run through the other times that Reznor has worked his magic at big moments in my life.

Musings: On The Self

The number three appears all over in Western history and thought. The trinity is a fundamental concept to Christian theology (father, son, holy ghost), our view of time is broken into three parts (past, present, future), philosophers often break their thoughts down into "trichotemy" (Plato, Aquinas, Kant), a musical chord is made up of at least three notes,  psychology speaks of three part psyche (id, ego, and superego), and all throughout other fields (art, science, geography, etc), the number 3 holds great significance.

However, perhaps the greatest significance it has, and the reason why this simple number has become so important to us, is that a traditional viewpoint of the self consists of three parts: the body, mind, and soul.

NYE 2012 Reflections

New Years Eve is always a time of reflection, contemplation, and looking to the future. You're supposed to reflect on the previous year and make resolutions for how to better the next. You're supposed to stay up late and celebrate with those you're closest to and enjoy each others company as you bring in a new year. You're supposed to hug your friends and kiss your loved one as the ball drops and the next year begins. 

Although I'm definitely contemplating this past year, I'm not surrounded by friends and I don't have someone to kiss. So, instead of enjoying the night like most of you, I decided to write down some thoughts on this past year to try and start 2013 on a better foot than 2012 is ending.