Evaluation

An evaluation of self, class, etc...

The class has been helpful. That is for sure. Although I believe I came in with a proficiency in drawing, I definitely have improved.
The time spent on each small, foundational element really hammered ideas in. Honestly, I love foundations courses. There's always some concept I could get better.
Studying old sketchbooks vs. my work from drawing one, it's interesting what's happened, primarily I think because we worked with the rulers so much. I used to work very loose, I found it hard and tedious to put too much detail into anything--not without losing the big picture.
And now I find it hard to loosen up. Also, I definitely have become quite preoccupied with line variation. I'm always tweaking lines.
My time spent on each drawing has also been able to decrease without quality suffering, and this is really great.
I don't know how many people actually like still lives, but I definitely don't hate them. So I've never found that very tedious. Observational work is almost easier than making it up off the top of your head, since you can see what you're drawing, rather than guessing how it should go. So I'm enjoying it while I can.
I've found drawing elements seeping into other parts of my life. I gave advice to my boyfriend while righting a paper telling him to work loose to tight, to just write what he thinks and then he can go back and refine. Which is what we were doing for part of the year.

Keeping the sketchbook was probably the most challenging element. I find being graded on sketches somewhat intimidating, and therefore harder to draw in since I feel like I have to design every page. To remedy this, I've started drawing in a separate sketchbook and just cutting those sketches out and pasting them in with additions into my class one, thereby creating an easier way to design the page. Plus I love multimedia/collages.

This'll probably come in handy next semester, but I've taken up taking paintings and drawings I really like and trying to copy the style/piece (like a sketch version of a master copy). It's helpful, too, I think. I am glad we didn't have to do it as an assignment, though.

Am I supposed to analyze you, Jason? I don't remember. I think you've been really helpful, and you're not the kind of teacher that makes me want to ignore everything you say. I generally take the advice given. Also, I think that you're one of the only drawing teachers I've had who actually can live up to what they preach. (My high school teachers weren't very good at drawing. The two that taught foundations, one was more into 3D and the other was the main photography teacher) and so when you give an example, you actually can do it correctly and don't stop halfway through and say, "well, something like that" or just don't draw the example at all. And I think that's really nice--plus, you actually gave us examples of your own work. Definitely haven't seen that from my high school teachers (Sorry to compare? But first semester of college doesn't leave me much to compare with college-wise.) I signed up for your class for next semester, since I think your style of teacher works well for me, but I didn't get you, I got Cook. So hopefully that'll still go well. I heard you were really helpful in the painting 1 class you aided in, so maybe if I take painting 1 I'll come by in your office hours for advice.

If I forgot anything I'll post or edit this one later.