Chapter 6: The Training: Not All Art Schools Are Created Equal

"Old School New Art - Craftsmanship: Today's Avant-Garde" - Jeffrey T. Larson

The greatest naturalistic painters were all well trained. It is foundational.  In a culture that stresses “originality” I am afraid that too many young artist-hopefuls believe that it will replace skill. It won’t.  Don’t think that you are going to be the exception. Such a belief is nothing more than a manifestation of arrogant, shortsighted laziness.  

Once I committed myself to the goal of becoming an artist, I immediately understood that I needed to learn an awful lot before I could visually communicate to others in a way that was clear, simple, beautiful and true. 

I know that I am painting with a very broad brush with what I am about to say, but I’m going to say it anyway. It’s my opinion, take it or leave it: 

Most university fine arts departments, despite what they may advertise, will not teach you the necessary skills to be a fine, naturalist artist. 

Many, in fact, are aggressively hostile to your choice in wanting to gain these skills despite their proclamation that everyone needs to follow their own personal muse. This is not to say that there is not the occasional graduate student work that is fairly solid as well as individual professors who are excellent, encouraging, well-trained artists themselves and passionate teachers.  Unfortunately, they are very rare. 

The majority of university fine arts programs are overpriced institutions indoctrinating naive students into the realm of postmodern conceptualism and upon graduation, students will most likely not know how to paint.  If that is what you want to explore, wonderful.  Postmodern conceptualism and classical, naturalistic, representational fine art are two completely different animals with different visual languages, serving disparate purposes.  One holds, in respect, standards and the other does not.  One is based upon sound craftsmanship and the other is not.