Thanks to everyone who participated in my education poll! I’ve been giving a lot of consideration and re-consideration to whether or not I really do want to go back to finish my degree in a few years. There are many reasons not to and only a couple valid ones that support returning to school full-time. So its kind of a no brainer.

Really, it comes down to the fact that returning to school to complete my degree won’t necessarily make me a better artist. I can take courses here and there and still grow as an artist, expand my craft and be completely (or mostly) satisfied with my creativity and my skills. I don’t need a piece of paper to prove that. I know, I know, this is something that my peers have been telling me for years. I’m just a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

From a pragmatic point of view, given my current aversion to selling my artwork, the time and financial commitment that I would need to invest in completing my degree could never, ever be recouped so it doesn’t make a whole lotta sense to do it. Especially since I could be perfectly content in taking evening and weekend courses/workshops and having the same type of satisfaction.

Plus, I won’t lie, the idea of returning to art school at the age of - what - 37 or 38 does not appeal to me. I remember how arrogant and annoying art school students can be when I was 18, I can’t imagine how much I would loathe it at almost 40 (gah, did I just type almost 40?! Christ.) No, thanks.

There are other ways to experience creative and artistic community. WetCanvas, for example. And I might even try to join a local group or something.

Unless something outrageous happens, I believe I’m just gonna keep truckin’ and leave the degrees to lawyers, doctors, archaelogists, and all those fancy smart folks.

In other news, I have posted a shiny new poll to the right. It’s directed mostly to those artists who work digitally (or have worked digitally). My pal, Esch, suggested that I give digitally colouring a try for my circus freaks series, which might be kind of appealing to me. But I’d like some suggestions about software packages from those who are more knowledgeable.

I took a break from the portrait last night to mess around in my sketchbook - something I haven’t done in longer than I care to admit. I grabbed my Faber-Castel pitt pens and had just some fun. It was great. And I was an absolute nerd and drew a quicky portrait of my Everquest Drakkin Shadowknight toon. Heh. Though, I think I need to invest in some skin tone colours because she looks like a vampire and she really truly isn’t. The scan kinda makes her darker than she really is.

“The Drakkin are a human race, much like the Barbarians and Erudites but unlike them they have been touched by the blood of dragons.” (from here)

Overall, I’m pleased. Though, she’s harsher than I would have liked. But hey, it’s an attempt at illustration, so that’s kinda fun. I enjoyed myself which is probably the most important aspect about messing around in one’s sketchbook. Playtime!

Last night, Will attended a painting clinic for War Machine miniatures. He loves painting miniatures (something I used to do a good long time ago) but he doesn’t really have much in the way of technique - save dry brushing. He’s just rediscovering it and wants to improve and expand his technique. When he got home last night, he was happily (giddily?!) telling me all about the clinic. It’s funny. People tell me all the time how quiet Will is and he doesn’t speak - he’s a bit laconic sometimes. Sometimes, I WISH I could see that side of him. Like any nerd, once you get them talking about their nerdiness, they go on for HOURS. And he usually does. He’s a blabbermouth, really.

Anyway, Will was telling me about everything he learned and what struck me the most about the clinic was the fact that it doesn’t seem like the dude running it even touched on the idea of colour theory. Like at all. I guess he was primarily talking about paint application methods - including mixing. But failed to mention colour theory!? Weird. I mean, Will seemed a bit baffled when I was asking some very rudimentary questions about colour theory. Isn’t colour theory kind of important? Even when painting wee tiny things?

I don’t know about anyone else. But I think understanding proper colour theory is probably one of the most important things an artist could have in their arsenal of skills. My colour theory course was probably one of the most educational courses I have ever taken. I mean, to some degree, every person has some understanding of colour theory even without “proper” education. I think its just an ingrained understanding that our species has. Otherwise, the advertising and marketing industry would have floundered eons ago.

Colour theory is so important, man.

Now to be fair, the clinic was probably just run by some dude who just really likes to paint miniatures. Not necessarily by someone who has any significant amount of colour theory training and I am probably being too hard on him. Still, if you are going to talk mixing with people, better make sure there is some colour theory thrown in. It just helps. I’m a firm believer that you can’t mix* without basic knowledge.

After almost completely baffling him, I think Will wants me to give him a crash course in colour theory. That should be amusing. I need to find my colour wheel, man.

*ok, you can mix. But I bet that the mix won’t be very pretty.