If you've been following the blog since I started it last fall, you'll know that the first class I took was
VisCom 1: Dynamic Sketching with
Peter Han. If you've ever thought about taking the class or wondered about what we learned, you should take half an hour to watch this video, in which Peter introduces the concept of visual communication and gives an overview of the kinds of exercises you can do to practice good sketching habits (you might remember me referring to them as "circles-and-lines exercises"). When I took the class, Peter and his TA,
Patrick Ballesteros, stressed that they still practice these often, if not every day.
I love the gold frame that they put around his face at the beginning. If that doesn't say master artist I don't know what does.
This video was made for
CGMA, an online school very similar to Concept Design Academy in most respects (except of course that all its classes are taught digitally). Peter teaches Dynamic Sketching there as well, for a similar price as CDA (so that would be a good option to take the class if you're not located in the Los Angeles area). In this second video, made for Dynamic Sketching II, he goes a little further into what's expected out of viscom students, and also demonstrates textures and forms/contours, which we were expected to do for homework as well.
Peter talks a lot about MILEAGE. This is something he stressed in our class as well. Drawing a lot, all the time. I specifically remember bringing in my homework one week and I really hadn't done too much. I think I'd taken one night that week and just shaded the stuff that I'd drawn in class. He wasn't angry, but I could tell he was disappointed. It's partly why I started the draw-every-day habit this year.
Ira Glass's famous quote about reaching your artistic goals stresses "the most important thing you can do is a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work." I've come across this attitude again and again. Just produce work. Don't get attached to anything. Just do it, and do it, and improve.
These videos were great for me to watch to refresh myself on where I began, what I need to keep practicing, and where to go from here, so even if you have already taken Dynamic Sketching, they're worth watching.
In regular life news: I'm very excited to be able to say that in 48 hours' time, I will be at the SAN DIEGO COMIC CON for the first time in my life. I went to downtown Los Angeles's Comikaze in 2012 and Anaheim's Wondercon earlier this year, but I have always wanted to go to SDCC, and this year it's finally happening. I know I'll be doing lots and lots of waiting in lines, but I'm hoping to put a positive spin on this by turning it into major amounts of sketching time. I'm also looking forward to visiting both Peter and Patrick at their booths, as well as many other of the talented artists that I follow, such as
Nathan Fowkes,
Brett Bean,
Aaron Diaz (Dresden Codak), and
Pascal Campion, and going to the many great art-related panels and demos that will be happening throughout the weekend.
If you're following me on Instagram, you'll also know that I'm going in costume on one day, making this my very first cosplay (inspired, of course, by the fantastic cast of
"Heroes of Cosplay", the show I've devoted way too much of my time to this year). I've spent a lot of time on my costume that probably should have been spent drawing instead, but it was fun and I'm excited to debut it. I won't give it away just yet but I will just say that there are a lot of things that I'm hoping to see at SDCC and I hope I can CATCH 'EM ALL.
© Gina Florio 2013
