Becoming a Better Artist – Critical knowledge and techniques for today’s artists

[Whirlwind123]

Thanks for the heads up Robert! :D

Sounds awesome & cant wait! just need to figure out how to hold the bloodey pencil properly :D

[kennychaffin]

Sounds very thorough. No mention of cost?

[Lunatique]

Sounds very thorough. No mention of cost?

All the CG Workshops at CG Society are $500 per student and lasts 8 weeks. (EDIT: This price no longer applies--whatever the listed price is on the current workshop page is the most up-to-date.)

[kennychaffin]

All the CG Workshops at CG Society are $500 per student and lasts 8 weeks.

Aha! Gotcha. I was not aware of that and that this was the venue.

Thanks!

[Lunatique]

Someone sent me a PM expressing his concern:


Thanks for the info; the thing is, although the course sounds spectacular, I'm not sure if I would qualify for it..


I am only working on perspective,
I don't have a tablet,
I don't have portfolio images, and so on..
I'd probably be the lowest person in the class.. :hmm:
This is my reply:

Do you mean that you're only interested in learning perspective and nothing else?

If you are serious about being a digital 2D artist, then you absolutely must get a tablet--even if it's the cheapest Wacom product, it'll still be infinitely better than a mouse.

If you don't have any portfolio images, you could still take the course--the key is that you are willing to participate in the class assignments and try your best at improving and absorbing what the course has to offer.

I wouldn't worry about where I would place in the class--I'd only be concerned about whether I'm passionate and serious about becoming a good artist. As long as you're a half-way intelligent person who is passionate about art, you'd learn tons of stuff--many of which would most likely change your life as an artist.

[halen]

Looks great. Index already gives some ideas. :-)

Congratulations for getting workshop this far. There must have been quite a lot of work.

Since the price is set, how about that other valueble resource - time? How mutch the workshop needs one's time during those 8 weeks? Does one need 2 months vacation or are the "night hours" sufficient? (of cource depends on how long it takes to make the assignments, but some average estimate would help). And are there any fixed times when you have to be online (something seems to be at week 7 at least).

[Whirlwind123]

Who ever sent that PM I still stay I could give them a run for their money in the bottom of the class category :P

[Lunatique]

Looks great. Index already gives some ideas. :-)

Congratulations for getting workshop this far. There must have been quite a lot of work.

Since the price is set, how about that other valueble resource - time? How mutch the workshop needs one's time during those 8 weeks? Does one need 2 months vacation or are the "night hours" sufficient? (of cource depends on how long it takes to make the assignments, but some average estimate would help). And are there any fixed times when you have to be online (something seems to be at week 7 at least).

Thanks. There were times when it felt like I'll never get it done, and I'm willing to bet that I'm probably the only instructor at CG Society to ever have spent so much time on the course material. My motivations are different in general though, as I'm trying to pass on absolutely everything I've ever learned to date that had significant impact on my growth as an artist. In a way it's part of my personal journey--to move on to the next phase of my life by summarizing all that I've learned so far and passing it all on to the next generation.

If you have a day job or are going to school, you should still have enough time to do the assignments, as the assignments were designed with people who have day jobs or school in mind. You don't have to be online at a fixed time--the workshop is forum-based, with text and images and videos for the students to go through at their own pace, and then all interaction is done via the forum. Every week will have assignments, and I try to be flexible when designing the assignments. For example, if I ask for three different lighting variations of the same subject, you may only do two if you don't have enough time.

[Lunatique]

Who ever sent that PM I still stay I could give them a run for their money in the bottom of the class category :P

:banghead: C'mon guys, show some competitive spirit! (Friendly competition combined with camaraderie is always healthy.) You all should be gunning to be at the TOP of the class and aiming to KICKASS. :buttrock:

[Whirlwind123]

:banghead: C'mon guys, show some competitive spirit! (Friendly competition combined with camaraderie is always healthy.) You all should be gunning to be at the TOP of the class and aiming to KICKASS. :buttrock:

Currently I am still poking at my piece of paper retardedly with this whole overhand pencil grip business. Don't get me wrong I always aim to be kickass :D

Congrats on getting it completed!:bowdown:

[Berax0r]

Really nice! Too bad that i don't have a tablet. :sad:

[hidus]

Wow! looks interesting...
try to inform me when this 'll begin :)

cheers!

[Androsm]

Lunatique I am very interested, can you add me to your mail list to inform me when the workshop will begin?.

[Troxx]

From reading Lunatique's advice on other threads, this is gonna be an awesome course, hopefully I can afford it when it starts, best get saving now then...

[Lunatique]

Aerendyl - Even if you get the cheapest tablet (which won't set you back much at all) it will still kill any mouse any day.

hidus, Androsm - Sure thing. But since you guys already replied to this thread, you'll be notified when I update this thread with any news or additional information (as long as you have your settings set so that you'll get emails when there are new posts in threads you are subscribed to).

If you guys are in any way serious about taking this workshop, then I suggest you guys get cranking on your anatomy/figure studies, because even though the workshop does not require you to know anatomy/figure beforehand, you will have a clear advantage if you have done some studying on the subject on your own (crack open those Loomis books!) and can draw people that actually look somewhat like people instead of nightmare mutants. :D

[Berax0r]

Ok. Lunatique before i buy a tablet few fast questions:
1. How much will this cost?
2. Will this be trough the internet (I assume that it will be but i need to be 100% sure. :) )?
3. You saw how i draw. Is this really for me?

Thanks!

[Lunatique]

Ok. Lunatique before i buy a tablet few fast questions:
1. How much will this cost?
2. Will this be trough the internet (I assume that it will be but i need to be 100% sure. :) )?
3. You saw how i draw. Is this really for me?

Thanks!

1) You can find all the information you need at Wacom's site: http://wacom.com/index.html

2) I assume you mean the workshop? CG Society have been hosting workshops here for years now, and I have never seen anyone say there's a problem doing it over the internet. In fact, it's very effective because everything is documented through forum postings, and you can go through the material in your free time.

3) Like already mentioned in the details about the workshop, it is for anyone who is missing the knowledge and skills mentioned in the details. If you see a bunch of stuff in those details that you don't know, then it's definitely for you.

[JoKeRman]

This is awesome. I can't wait!

[Berax0r]

1) You can find all the information you need at Wacom's site: http://wacom.com/index.html

2) I assume you mean the workshop? CG Society have been hosting workshops here for years now, and I have never seen anyone say there's a problem doing it over the internet. In fact, it's very effective because everything is documented through forum postings, and you can go through the material in your free time.

3) Like already mentioned in the details about the workshop, it is for anyone who is missing the knowledge and skills mentioned in the details. If you see a bunch of stuff in those details that you don't know, then it's definitely for you.

Hehe, thanks but i meant this:
1) How much will this workshop cost? EDIT: ah i see now the price - 500$
2) I asked if is over the internet because that is very good. I live in Croatia and i cannot go to USA for a workshop. :)
3) Ok, will read everything and see. :)

P.S. Is the same to draw on the tablet or on a paper?

P.S.2. I would like to take this but i think that i am still not ready. Will you have this workshop only once or?

[Lunatique]

Aerendyl - The tablet is not exactly the same as paper, but it's the closest thing to paper and far better than the mouse. It's really your only option when working digitally, so it's not like you have a choice anyway.

The workshops might repeat, depending on if enough people request for it, or that I have time to repeat it. You still have a few months to get up to speed since the workshop probably won't go live until early to mid 2010 anyway. Also, I really don't think there's such a thing as not being ready for this particular workshop, since it's designed to cater to all different levels, and you're not required to be at a certain level before you take the course.

[Berax0r]

I see. I must though something different when i read this: " So if your only interest is basic anatomy/figure and absolutely nothing else, then this workshop is not for you." I am interesed in basics, and after that also :)

Maybe the biggest problem then is money because i don't have very much. I will try to get some till 2010 ;)

[Lunatique]

I see. I must though something different when i read this: " So if your only interest is basic anatomy/figure and absolutely nothing else, then this workshop is not for you." I am interesed in basics, and after that also :)

Maybe the biggest problem then is money because i don't have very much. I will try to get some till 2010 ;)

I should elaborate on that point then, since I don't want anyone to misunderstand what I meant. This is the edited version of the above--hopefully it explains things more clearly:

So if your only interest is basic anatomy/figure and absolutely nothing else (drawing/painting techniques, composition, color, lighting, stylization, aesthetics, expressive characters, creative approaches, flexible and powerful workflows, visual narrative, career path questions...etc) then this workshop is not for you. Although this workshop does not cover basic anatomy/figure, it does dive deeply into expressive characters, aesthetics, stylization...etc, which are advanced concepts of anatomy/figure, and those will impact your growth as an artist more than basic anatomy/figure, because they are what will separate you from being merely competent to being creatively authoritative. You do not need to have mastered anatomy/figure to learn about these advanced concepts. You should think of these advanced concepts as knowledge that will make it much easier for you to not only master anatomy/figure when you study them, but also aid you in developing your own expressive styles.

$500 is not cheap for some people, that's one of the reasons why I crammed the workshop full of the most helpful content I can think of, squeezing every last drop out of my brain and raking through every inch of my past experiences and valuable lessons I've learned. I wanted to make sure the students at the end of the workshop will feel that the experience was worth every penny and more. If the workshop catches on and becomes popular, then it's very likely it will repeat in the future when people continue to request for it.

[NR43]

I've been wanting to do cgtalk workshops before, and reading all of the above makes me want to follow this workshop really badly as well. 500USD is indeed a lot of money (it's 4 times as much as what I pay for 10 months of life drawing at 10hrs per week), particularly because I will be unemployed by then and I have 3 kids to feed.

However, I am seriously thinking of this because I see my near-future-unemployment as a chance to finally dig in and prepare myself for a career in the art sector (I will try to avoid having to go back to corporate business at any cost really). Why? Simply because I will have time to paint, something a lot of us hobbyists or enthousiasts lack.

I know from fellow cgtalkers that previous workshops were excellent and very rewarding.

So I am anxiously looking forward to the official workshop's "opening to enrolement" announcement. (personally, sometime in 2010 would be perfect for me)
All I gotta do now is convince the wife :argh:

Thanks for sharing this and for your efforts so far Robert!

[CrimsonDX]

As a new starting artist this course sounds perfect for me. I am only just barely above stick figures, but hopefully I will have increased in skill enough before the workshop actually opens to be able to submit a proper portfolio and meet the ideal minimums. Luckily I already have a tablet that I got as a Christmas gift last year (6x11 intuos3 w00t)

[girl3D]

Hi, I'm interested in this workshop. I got a small wacom tablet (6" x 8") but don't know how to use it yet. I'm assuming this tablet is big enough for the class.

[Lunatique]

Hi, I'm interested in this workshop. I got a small wacom tablet (6" x 8") but don't know how to use it yet. I'm assuming this tablet is big enough for the class.

Definitely. 6x8 is the most common size tablet used. 99% of pros I know use that size, including myself.

[astrofish]

Hmm, sounds very tempting...
I have some concerns about whether my current art skills are good enough (they are pretty rudimentary, and I'm rusty too), but if the course isn't going to happen for a few months, then I guess I've got some time to put in a bit of practice.

If I can generate three portfolio images that I'm not too embarrassed to share, then I think I'll sign up...

Please keep me in the loop.

Cheers - Steve

[NR43]

astrofish
Create 12 or 15 images and then pick the best 3 ;)

[CrimsonDX]

One small question. Will spaces be limited?

[Lunatique]

One small question. Will spaces be limited?

I'm told that the maximum number of students is somewhere in the 30's, and going over that limit would make it very hard to interact with all the students and critique class assignments.

[SergeantOreo]

Someone sent me a PM expressing his concern:


[/list]This is my reply:

Do you mean that you're only interested in learning perspective and nothing else?

If you are serious about being a digital 2D artist, then you absolutely must get a tablet--even if it's the cheapest Wacom product, it'll still be infinitely better than a mouse.

If you don't have any portfolio images, you could still take the course--the key is that you are willing to participate in the class assignments and try your best at improving and absorbing what the course has to offer.

I wouldn't worry about where I would place in the class--I'd only be concerned about whether I'm passionate and serious about becoming a good artist. As long as you're a half-way intelligent person who is passionate about art, you'd learn tons of stuff--many of which would most likely change your life as an artist.

I didn't know you used my pm for a quote.. Depending on when the class commences, I'd definitely like to be a part of it - it sounds brilliant!

I am glad it will not start until 2010, so that I will have a few months to get used to my tablet and work on perspective.

:banghead: C'mon guys, show some competitive spirit! (Friendly competition combined with camaraderie is always healthy.) You all should be gunning to be at the TOP of the class and aiming to KICKASS. :buttrock:

I will do my best. :D

[Arahmynta]

I'd like to be notified when the course goes out, too.

I don't know if I can do it or not, but I very much hope I can.

I'm especially interested in hearing how you first became a digital artist - I've had a few years of college in a couple different programs trying to figure out what courses I should take in order to do that. The last year and a half has been in Game Development, but half of it is programming (from what I hear from those who know more on the subject than me, very difficult programming - makes me feel better for having a hard time), and any more creative side that was taught largely felt like a joke. Right now I'm trying to figure out what I should do next in order to eventually be a concept artist that people will want to hire - I don't want to be stuck as a box artist in a company for years before doing anything I like, but I'm not sure if I realistically have to take that route.

I frankly don't know how to get from where I am to where I want to be - it looks like there's no real course I can take, other than generic art. I'd really like to hear how you go from someone with some talent in art but no professional experience to making a reliable living as a digital artist.

[Lunatique]

I'd like to be notified when the course goes out, too.

Since you replied to this thread, you'll get notified when there's new replies (unless you have that turned off in your User Control Panel settings).


I'm especially interested in hearing how you first became a digital artist

...

I frankly don't know how to get from where I am to where I want to be - it looks like there's no real course I can take, other than generic art. I'd really like to hear how you go from someone with some talent in art but no professional experience to making a reliable living as a digital artist.

You can be self-taught or go to school--both works, as long as you are willing to work hard and be smart about it. Concept artists in the industry came from both self-taught and art school backgrounds.

There are tons of books, tutorials, online/live workshops, videos...etc out there (CGSociety, Gnomon, Massive Black) these days for people that want to teach themselves. For those who prefer to go to school, there are schools like Art Center in Pasadena, Gnomon School of Visual Arts in Los Angeles, Academy of Art University in San Francisco...etc. Even State universities like San Jose State have graduated excellent concept artists--I've hired quite a few of them as art director in the past. There are also schools like Ringling, Fullsail, and a few other well-known schools that teach game/animation.

The most important thing is to just keep at it. Your portfolio is your key to open the door and get your foot in. Simply study the works of concept artists you admire, study the artists that influenced them, expand your range of skills and knowledge, and don't give up. If one day you feel like your work has reach the level where it compares well to other professional concept artists, then you know it's time to apply for a job.

[TetraLynx]

I'm interested in doing this workshop. Do you have any plans for one starting in early summer? I'm rusty and it'll take me a few months to get back up to speed.

[Lunatique]

I'm interested in doing this workshop. Do you have any plans for one starting in early summer? I'm rusty and it'll take me a few months to get back up to speed.

According to my current progress, I'm predicting I'd be done with the course material very soon. I'd be surprised if I'm still not done by the end of January (although I do keep on adding stuff as I think of them though--such as the new section I just added on reflective and illuminated highlights). After I hand over the material to CGSociety, it's up to them to fit my workshop into available opening slots. I don't know how far scheduled in advanced other workshops are for next year. Once the workshop goes live, any re-runs will only happen if enough people request for them, or that I'm available to do them.

[SergeantOreo]

According to my current progress, I'm predicting I'd be done with the course material very soon. I'd be surprised if I'm still not done by the end of January (although I do keep on adding stuff as I think of them though--such as the new section I just added on reflective and illuminated highlights). After I hand over the material to CGSociety, it's up to them to fit my workshop into available opening slots. I don't know how far scheduled in advanced other workshops are for next year. Once the workshop goes live, any re-runs will only happen if enough people request for them, or that I'm available to do them.

Good; that gives me more time to get better with drawing and using my tablet. ;)

[TetraLynx]

I've subscribed to this thread so I look forward to when the workshop is announced. Hope I won't be traveling when this one is scheduled!

[CrimsonDX]

I hope its not for a few more months, need the time to save up the money and practice more ^^;;

[Lunatique]

Remember everyone, this workshop is not some kind of trial by fire, so relax. You can learn everything there is to learn in this workshop even if you only draw stick figures. The less you know, the more mind-blowing the course will be for you, since you will be learning things that will kick you in the groin and pop open your eyes in ways you never imagined. If you are intermediate or above, the course will still smack you upside the head and shake you by the shoulders, since there will be many things that make you go "AHA! So THAT'S why I always had problems in that area." People of different levels will get different things out of it, but everyone will get smacked around in one way or another (while with a grin on their faces), and the course will fundamentally change the way you approach your art (or at least that's what the goal is).

I may not be the most amazing artist compared to some of the superstars out there, but I know I've got some serious teaching chops, and I have a knack for being able to explain very complex and esoteric subjects in ways that even the average person off the street will be able to fully grasp. I didn't spend more than a year on the course material for nothing--I aim to really shake things up!

[Paperheadman]

I'm higly interested in that workshop, and it will be a pleasure to learn all you can teach.

I'm subscribing to this thread and hope for more further informations !

[DriftingEmber]

Congratulations on nearing the completion of the course materials! Sounds like quite the project and a lot of work.

Very interested in the class and subscribing to this thread for future updates.

[kevline]

Very interesting, I reply to be subscribe and maybe to participate to the course at the come moment.

(flo allez arrête de lire tes mails c'est juste moi ^^)

[Dimensional-Modeler]

I'm in! It is mind-blowing that you spent over a year developing this class. Even more so are your works of art. They are truly inspiring.

Looking forward to this class. :)

[Lunatique]

A little update for everyone. I'm now getting close to finishing the video portion, and I should be able to wrap up everything by the end of this month. I asked CGS what the current schedule looks like for CGWorkshops, and it looks like my workshop might be slotted for March (assuming I do finish everything well before then, and I'm pretty sure I would).

So, there you have it. It's likely to kick off in the beginning of March, but this is not written in stone, as we all know that life loves to throw us a curve ball now and then to keep us on our toes. If everything remains smooth sailing till then, I'll be seeing all of you in class when March rolls around the corner.

[kennychaffin]

Thanks Robert. That's great news!

[NR43]

Awesome!
I feel like we're gonna have to be quick to get a spot :D

[SergeantOreo]

A little update for everyone. I'm now getting close to finishing the video portion, and I should be able to wrap up everything by the end of this month. I asked CGS what the current schedule looks like for CGWorkshops, and it looks like my workshop might be slotted for March (assuming I do finish everything well before then, and I'm pretty sure I would).

So, there you have it. It's likely to kick off in the beginning of March, but this is not written in stone, as we all know that life loves to throw us a curve ball now and then to keep us on our toes. If everything remains smooth sailing till then, I'll be seeing all of you in class when March rolls around the corner.

Excellent. I haven't made very much progress at all in my drawing because of a very busy school semester, but I am glad to read your words of encouragement to those of us who are worrying about our skill levels.

Did you seriously mean what you said about the stick figures? :D

[Lunatique]

Update: Here are the contents for the video portion of the workshop (I only make videos when the topic is best explained by video, otherwise, I use images and text, as they are more intuitive for certain topics):

EDIT: Details removed and now superseded by the registration/details page:
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/000131/

As you guys can see, it's a lot of content, and the videos aren't even the main focus of the workshop. Those of you planning to taking this workshop will be getting something similar to years of serious art school distilled into 8 intense weeks. It's going to be a ton of fun and a hell of a challenge for everyone (me included, having to actually teach all this stuff and make sure you guys understand every bit of it).

[JoKeRman]

Wow. This is going to be awesome!

[SergeantOreo]

Wow; this workshop is going to be excellent! ^^

[TetraLynx]

Thank you for all the hard work, I hope this workshop is wildly successful so that it is offered again later this year. I'm going to be traveling the first 3 weeks of this course so there's no way I could do it this time around. Crossing my fingers that I'll get the chance to work on this later this year.

[ALeeVW]

I'm mostly a lurker on this site, but this workshop looks AMAZING. I might have to take this.

[Artkansas]

It looks like an interesting course.

[vicmonty]

I just found out that I'm scheduled to go to LA Shock Trauma for a 6 wk class. They said I'll go anywhere from March to May. It's really intense training and I'm not sure if I'll be able to participate since I don't have a laptop to take with me to work on my assignments. I'll hope for the best. I would like to know when the official date is released. Thanks Robert.

[Lunatique]

I'm probably not supposed to give you guys a heads up since the official newsletter won't go out until this coming Monday, and the official promo won't go live on CGS until Wednesday, but since you guys have been waiting so patiently, I think I should give you guys a head start.

So here it is--the registration will go live this coming Monday, and the Workshop's starting date is March 8th (and lasts eight weeks). I can't post a link to it since it's not up yet, but if you guys check early Monday on CGS's Workshop section, you should see it listed for registration. If you act fast, you should be able to to get yourself enrolled. After Monday, it'll get harder because the newsletter will alert hundreds of thousands of other members about the workshop, and after Wednesday, it'll get even harder since the workshop will officially go live on CGS and EVERYONE will see it. Space is definitely limited so act fast.

But like the rest of you, I also hope the workshop will repeat over and over so those who couldn't make it this time will have more chances in the future.

At the moment, I'm doing final editing on the text & images portion, and I still have one long painting demonstration video to do, and then I'm all done.

[SergeantOreo]

I'm probably not supposed to give you guys a heads up since the official newsletter won't go out until this coming Monday, and the official promo won't go live on CGS until Wednesday, but since you guys have been waiting so patiently, I think I should give you guys a head start.

So here it is--the registration will go live this coming Monday, and the Workshop's starting date is March 8th (and lasts eight weeks). I can't post a link to it since it's not up yet, but if you guys check early Monday on CGS's Workshop section, you should see it listed for registration. If you act fast, you should be able to to get yourself enrolled. After Monday, it'll get harder because the newsletter will alert hundreds of thousands of other members about the workshop, and after Wednesday, it'll get even harder since the workshop will officially go live on CGS and EVERYONE will see it. Space is definitely limited so act fast.

But like the rest of you, I also hope the workshop will repeat over and over so those who couldn't make it this time will have more chances in the future.

At the moment, I'm doing final editing on the text & images portion, and I still have one long painting demonstration video to do, and then I'm all done.

I'll be quick to attempt and register on Monday then. ^^

This is going to be very excellent!

[Androsm]

enrolled yeah, i´m so excited

[Kungfoowiz]

Registered too. Thoroughly looking forward to this! Thank you for the blood, sweat and tears, Robert. =)

[NR43]

As ironic as this may sound, I really hate the fact that I wasn't fired from my office job yet (now they say Q3 2010).:sad:
I was really counting on that to be able to follow this workshop, but there simply is no time for me to combine it with my family, daytime job and school (Resigning myself simply isn't an option).
So I really hope this will be repeated in 6 months or so :deal:

[Lunatique]

As ironic as this may sound, I really hate the fact that I wasn't fired from my office job yet (now they say Q3 2010).:sad:
I was really counting on that to be able to follow this workshop, but there simply is no time for me to combine it with my family, daytime job and school (Resigning myself simply isn't an option).
So I really hope this will be repeated in 6 months or so :deal:

That is totally possible. If enough people request it, it will repeat due to popular demand. As long as I'm still up to it every time it is requested, I'll do it. I spent all this time and energy creating the course material so I could help people and change the lives of aspiring artists, but I do want to have some of my own free time back too as well (for my own art, music, writing...etc), so even if it becomes popular, I doubt I'd just fill up my calender with it. But I think I can handle running it two to three times a year. It would be a shame if the workshop does not repeat because all of this valuable content would go to waste.

The truth is, I could've easily put together a workshop on some very easy but popular topic like "How to draw hot anime babes and awesome CG robots!" in a very short amount of time and then repeated it just to make money, but then I'd feel like shit doing it, knowing that what aspiring artists really need is not that kind of crap, but to really learn and grow as artists. I already knew the ROI on my workshop would be considered really bad business, but it was a labor of love, and when it comes to stuff I'm passionate about, any financial savvy goes right out the window. Spending more than a year of my life creating the course material definitely counts as "crazy" because I'm pretty sure I'm the only instructor in the history of CGWorkshop to have gone off the deep end like this.

My insanity, your gain. Take advantage of it! :D

[vapsman88]

Hi Rob,

I signed up for the workshop and i am looking forward to it. Thanks for your enormous effort in putting this together. I enjoy the way you help people in this forum and sometimes it isn't what people want to hear (There's no artist button on the keyboard?) but sometimes people need a kick in the rear.

Also I really am enjoying using your brushes in Painter, especially the pencil is so much like a real one.

John

[SergeantOreo]

Remember everyone, this workshop is not some kind of trial by fire, so relax. You can learn everything there is to learn in this workshop even if you only draw stick figures. The less you know, the more mind-blowing the course will be for you, since you will be learning things that will kick you in the groin and pop open your eyes in ways you never imagined. If you are intermediate or above, the course will still smack you upside the head and shake you by the shoulders, since there will be many things that make you go "AHA! So THAT'S why I always had problems in that area." People of different levels will get different things out of it, but everyone will get smacked around in one way or another (while with a grin on their faces), and the course will fundamentally change the way you approach your art (or at least that's what the goal is).


:D I'm going to keep reading that to myself every day; hopefully, I will enroll sometime tonight.

[Streetz]

I was hoping to get a bit more information on the course.
The first 2 weeks seem to deal with layer management and brushes etc., which seems pretty basic. But you then move on to more advanced topics.
I think i have an issue creating a mood/setting up lighting, value patterns and creating textures on clothing and objects/environments. I was wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on what exactly will be covered. How to manipulate photos for texture, use of brushes to build up texture etc. ? Will Week 3 Effective Lighting be a how to use Ps to light something or more like this is what needs to be planned and mapped out when lighting a scene and then this is how it is carried out with value? Also what kind of assignments will be given?(i did not see that mentioned)
Week Six: Expressive characters, Stylization, and Aesthetics seems very interesting.

Sorry for the long post just trying to get some clarification.

Thanks in Advance.

[Lunatique]

I was hoping to get a bit more information on the course.
The first 2 weeks seem to deal with layer management and brushes etc., which seems pretty basic. But you then move on to more advanced topics.

My workshop is structured differently from most workshops. The video portion is separate from the text & images portion. The text & images portion is the main body of the workshop. The video portion is on a separate line of progression, and takes you from the sketch all the way to the finished painting, while also containing some videos that elaborate or demonstrate techniques/workflow touched upon in the text & images portion that is better explained by videos. In a way, it's like two separate but related workshops.

The workshop is not really designed to go from basic to advanced in week-by-week progression. It's structured more like the actual process of creating artwork, going from the initial idea behind the image, to composition, lighting, colors, surface treatment...etc. Within each week's topic, I start with the basics and then with each section gets more and more advanced. So basically every week's content starts off with the basics and progress to advanced. That means even in week one there are some very advanced concepts (remember, the video portion is on a separate progression from the main body of the workshop, which is the text & image portion).


I think i have an issue creating a mood/setting up lighting, value patterns and creating textures on clothing and objects/environments. I was wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on what exactly will be covered. How to manipulate photos for texture, use of brushes to build up texture etc. ? Will Week 3 Effective Lighting be a how to use Ps to light something or more like this is what needs to be planned and mapped out when lighting a scene and then this is how it is carried out with value? Also what kind of assignments will be given?(i did not see that mentioned)
Week Six: Expressive characters, Stylization, and Aesthetics seems very interesting.

Sorry for the long post just trying to get some clarification.

Thanks in Advance.

Week 3 will take you from the most basic concepts lighting all the way to advanced. I start with just one directional light and demonstrate how direction is used for very specific effects, and why the human brain associates to these lighting directions with specific emotions and moods. From there on I explain how and why hard and soft lighting differs, and how to use them specifically in your images. Then I go through light types (direct, ambient, filtered, diffused...etc) and explain them. After all the different light qualities and types are discussed, I go into lighting setups, lighting ratios for specific looks. There's also extensive discussions about shadows, highlights, bounced light. Then there's values, from how to prevent grave mistakes from being fooled by the inherent values of colors to maintaining value coherency so your image actually corresponds to the laws of physics, to the manipulation of values for specific stylization purposes such as comic books, animation, illustration...etc.

As for textures, I do cover painting textures from scratch with brushes and also extracting/manipulating textures from photos, and how to make your textures coherent within the context of your entire image.

[Lunatique]

Regarding class assignments:

My workshop by nature is very different from the kind of workshops you're used to seeing. Just about all the workshops out there are focused on a narrow topic and teaches one specific skill or aims at one intensely focused but narrow goal, such as "How to rig a character" or "How to composite in this software" or "How to draw this kind of character" or "How to render with this software." The class assignments are somewhat like tests--to see if you can prove that you actually did learn all the step-by-step instructions you were given. Most of these types of assignments culminates in one "graduating" image that proves you learned all the instructions in the workshop.

With my workshop, class assignments are not like tests. They are more like exercises designed to see if you understood what I hoped you had absorbed. There is no "graduating" image because it's not that kind of a workshop. Each week has different exercises designed to make you think, get creative, try different approaches and solutions, and experiment. While there is one particular assignment where you work on an image and take it to a high degree of finish using all that you have learned in the workshop, it's not designed to test and see if you can "prove" that you now are a far better artist than when before you took the workshop. That is not how one should think of this workshop. At the end of the workshop, what should happen is that you learned a ton of techniques--from flexible and powerful workflow to drawing and painting techniques, gained many eye-opening knowledge and insights on the various elements that makes a compelling image--ones that will likely feel like revelations and answers questions that have confounded you for a long time, and have been challenged to rethink your goals as an artist, dig deeper into your creative abilities and push your mental capacities in ways you have never done before.

Someone PM'd me with concerns that he might be too much of a beginner to be able to execute the assignments, and he wanted to know if that will be detrimental to his performance in the workshop. This was my reply to him:


I guess it's like this:

Let's say if someone wants to take a class on filmmaking, and there are two kinds of classes he could take.

The first kind of classes are ones like "How to shoot in HD" or "How to do digital grading" or "How to edit with Premiere Pro"

The second kind of classes are ones like "In the director's chair with James Cameron" or "Ridley Scott's Becoming a better filmmaker"

The first kind is focused on a narrow singular goal, where students have to do assignments that demonstrate they learned how to perform that single specific task.

The second kind expects you to open your mind and absorb the instructors' wisdom and knowledge. While they do also teach specific techniques developed in their professional careers, you are only expected to show that you understood the lessons, but you are not expected to be able to reproduce those techniques at the same level as an experienced and skilled filmmaker. You simply pay attention to the wisdom and knowledge being passed down to you and those lessons will stay with you for the rest of your life. Do they expect you to have made high-quality films before you enrolled in the class? Nope. Do they expect you to make some high-quality films during the class? Nope. You just have to be there and absorb.

Ultimately it's up to you. If you think you'll feel really insecure and not being able to do the assignments to a certain level will make you feel really bad--to the point that those bad feelings will stop you from actually absorbing all the knowledge being taught to you, then maybe no. But if you think even without the assignments, the knowledge being taught is simply too valuable to pass up, then yes. My workshop does not make you "pass" or "fail" with the assignments you turn it--the assignments are just there to see if you understood the lessons.

[SergeantOreo]

Erm, I was just looking through the faq for CGSociety workshops, and they say that they only accept "students over the age of 18 years."; do they seriously not make any exceptions? :argh:

[Lunatique]

Erm, I was just looking through the faq for CGSociety workshops, and they say that they only accept "students over the age of 18 years."; do they seriously not make any exceptions? :argh:

Whoa, I didn't know that. Let me check with the CGS staff and find out if that's a definitive, unbreakable rule.

[SergeantOreo]

Whoa, I didn't know that. Let me check with the CGS staff and find out if that's a definitive, unbreakable rule.

For my sake, I hope not..

[Lunatique]

Ok, this is the official answer from CGS staff about the age limit:

If they’re younger, we’ll need the name and address of the person who’s credit card we are using. We will also need to know the relationship between the student and the person paying. If you know this student, ask them to contact me. (biljana@ballisticmedia.net)

[SergeantOreo]

Ok, this is the official answer from CGS staff about the age limit:

If they’re younger, we’ll need the name and address of the person who’s credit card we are using. We will also need to know the relationship between the student and the person paying. If you know this student, ask them to contact me. (biljana@ballisticmedia.net)

Thanks Robert.

I actually emailed the CGS staff a short while after posting here and got the same response; I'm glad that this will still work out - it was rather unsettling to think of not being able to do this workshop because of an age limit. ^^

[Lunatique]

Another PM asked me about how exactly the course material will be presented and if it's possible to download them for future viewing after the workshop ends. Also, the concern about being a novice and not being able to do the assignments to a satisfactory level.

My answer:

The text & images portion will either be html pages or pdf. I'm leaning towards html since it allows flexibility in my updating minor changes, whereas pdf will require complete rewrite of the entire file every time I make a change. Also, I think html is a bit more bothersome for those who want to spread my material via pirate sites. PDF makes it almost too easy for them. (Why anyone would do that after spending $549 is beyond me.)

The videos are linked in the html pages in the order of viewing. You always go through the text & images portion first before you watch any of the videos.

As for assignments, I think many of the exercises can easily be done with very simple stick figures or even just simple silhouettes. In fact, some of the examples I illustrated to explain some concepts are done exactly in that manner--every simple and easy to understand. You'd actually be surprised by how I made the assignments doable even for novices (at the same time, more advanced artists can take the assignments a step further and do more refined work). I think if you at least understand 1, 2, and 3 point perspective and can draw some simple boxes in 3 point perspective, you're already in great shape (and if you don't, I cover that in the workshop anyway). Then if you could do silhouettes of recognizable figures (circle for a head, rods for limbs, boxes for torso) performing recognizable actions (running, jumping, kicking), you'll also be able to do many of the assignments.

There might be a few assignments you'd find yourself really challenged (in week 5 and 6), but those are the minority, and even then, I provide options for the more novice artists to still be able to do those assignments and show that they understood the lessons.

The final assignment is the hardest, because that's when you try and show me and your peers how you incorporate all that you have learned in the workshop into one piece of artwork. I think the beginner artists can certainly go for a more cartoony and simple style while the more advanced artists can go for a more realistic and detailed style, but both approaches are legitimate. This is the general attitude I take with the entire workshop--I do not advocate one style over another--the aim is to help you become a better artist regardless of your style.

[Lunatique]

One point I want to stress is that this workshop is that you can't gauge how much someone has been transformed or the number of exciting revelations one had during the workshop with an assignment--it just doesn't work that way. Any instructor who tries to assess how "enlightened" a student has become with some kind of test assignment would be missing the point and going about it all wrong. My goal is not to pass or fail you--it's to elevate you and help you become someone who is fully capable to continuing your artistic journey with far more confidence, accelerated growth, and insights that otherwise would have taken you many years to acquire. The fact that this workshop contains insights on things I see many professional artists I have art directed get wrong on a daily basis, is a perfect example of the kind of workshop this is--it's about valuable insights that even being a professional won't guarantee you'll have (and this is often what separates art directors from those he directs).

I think it's likely that all of you will understand everything in the workshop, because I believe in my proven ability to explain even the most complex concepts to total beginners. What might happen for some of you is that although you have understood everything, you may not have the amount of experience/skills required to be able to execute those advanced concepts, but you will eventually be able to after having practiced more on your foundations. It's sort of like if we're in The Matrix and I uploaded all the knowledge you'd ever need to be a kung fu master, but since your body is not conditioned to be able to perform those moves yet, all that knowledge will stay in your heart and mind until you have conditioned your body to perform those moves. This workshop is like downloading kung fu secrets into your brain, but you have to practice your foundations in order to execute the moves.

[Heozart]

Robert,

I found about your workshop a couple of weeks ago through NR43's sketchbook thread, and I must say the course outline sounds amazing. I know it is filling up fast, and I am very much tempted to register, but I would like to ask a question before I make up my mind.

I am currently reading through Creative Illustrations by Andrew Loomis, and page after page I am blown away by his insights and creative genius. That book seems to thoroughly cover every aspect of a good illustration, from the importance of planning to composition, value, and color.

From what I understand your workshop will have more emphasis on principle than on specialized technique. You recommended studying Loomis books in preparation for the workshop, and also said that you will cover "subjects that students will not be able to find elsewhere". Since Loomis covers a variety fundamental topics in depth, I am wondering if the reason I won't find your workshop material elsewhere is because you will go even deeper than Loomis and lead us to an even bigger revelation...which would be totally awesome and I hope is the case. Or is it be because you will be teaching how to apply those same principles in digital format? I am just curious about the nature of your secret material, since it doesn't seem to me that Loomis left out a lot of important subjects that would help one become a better artist.

Thank you so much for the lengths you have gone to put this workshop together to help other artists grow, and I hope it will be a big success for both you and everyone who participates!

[Lunatique]

Robert,

I found about your workshop a couple of weeks ago through NR43's sketchbook thread, and I must say the course outline sounds amazing. I know it is filling up fast, and I am very much tempted to register, but I would like to ask a question before I make up my mind.

I am currently reading through Creative Illustrations by Andrew Loomis, and page after page I am blown away by his insights and creative genius. That book seems to thoroughly cover every aspect of a good illustration, from the importance of planning to composition, value, and color.

From what I understand your workshop will have more emphasis on principle than on specialized technique. You recommended studying Loomis books in preparation for the workshop, and also said that you will cover "subjects that students will not be able to find elsewhere". Since Loomis covers a variety fundamental topics in depth, I am wondering if the reason I won't find your workshop material elsewhere is because you will go even deeper than Loomis and lead us to an even bigger revelation...which would be totally awesome and I hope is the case. Or is it be because you will be teaching how to apply those same principles in digital format? I am just curious about the nature of your secret material, since it doesn't seem to me that Loomis left out a lot of important subjects that would help one become a better artist.

Thank you so much for the lengths you have gone to put this workshop together to help other artists grow, and I hope it will be a big success for both you and everyone who participates!

Those are excellent questions. I'm glad someone brought this up.

Loomis's more advanced books like Creative Illustration and Eye of the Painter are very well written, incredibly insightful, and tackles many of the essential and advanced concepts that a good artist must know. To even be mentioned in the same sentence as Loomis makes me a bit weak in the knees. Based on my past discussions on Loomis, everyone knows how much respect I have for the man and how he has helped me in my own journey as an artist.

The big difference between my workshop and the Loomis book you mentioned is that Loomis lived in an age where computers didn't dominate people's lives, there were no arts and entertainment like the ones we have today of CG animation, movie special effects, video games, Japanese anime/manga, trendy and modern comic books, the sci-fi/fantasy illustration explosion, concept art, and so on. While the lessons learned from Loomis are certainly valuable, there are many issues he did not address simply because they did not exist in his lifetime, or they were outside of his expertise. He's never worked in CG animation, video game, comic books, storyboarding, concept art for entertainment, or modern sci-fi/fantasy, and he has never been a studio art director that directs a team of professional artists on projects.

As someone who has been a studio art director, concept artist and texture artist in video games, a comic book artist, an animation writer/director, a storyboard artist, and illustrator, the ground I cover are ones that Loomis never had the chance to travel because the time periods are too different. The lessons in the workshop are all within the context of today's development in the arts, entertainment, and technology, many of which did not exist in Loomis's lifetime.

The video portion of the workshop is also something you cannot get from books. Real-time demonstration of workflow, techniques, and on-the-fly problem solving are much better explained with videos, and there are lots of digital workflow tips that Loomis could never have predicted in his wildest imagination. ;)

And as for insights that go further and deeper than the Loomis books, I think "different" is a better description. I try not to repeat what he has covered, unless I have a different take on it or additional insight. There are many things I cover that are not in his books (and vice versa). I think in a way it's like if you took two different seminars on filmmaking--one is with a well-known director from decades ago, and one is from a working director today, you'll learn some really different things between the two of them. Just like how filmmaking in terms of style, creative approach, technology, and general industry culture has drastically changed in the last few decades, so has the world of the arts and entertainment.

So in conclusion, I think my workshop and the Loomis books will compliment each other very well, and neither are replacements for the other. In fact, I wish my students will have at least gone through some of the Loomis books before taking my workshop--especially ones like Figure Drawing For All It's Worth and Successful Drawing. But since the books are already there, students can always go back and study Loomis after taking my workshop.

[CrimsonDX]

Oh how I'd love to enroll in this workshop, but at the moment I just do not have the money. Oh well, hopefully I will have the means to join a future version of this workshop.

[Heozart]

Thanks for the clarification. It was the $549 answer. :)

[Lunatique]

Another question via email:

Question
Hi this course sounds interesting but who should take this course? I'm a vfx compositor so wanted to know if this applied or if it geared more for people in design, painters etc...? Thanks!

My answer
It depends on if you are trying to improve your skills as a compositor or if you are trying to become a better artist in general. The workshop's main focus is on these elements:

1) The essential foundations of all visual art--composition, lighting/values, colors...etc.
2) Drawing and painting techniques, flexible and powerful digital 2D workflow (with Photoshop as the main focus, Corel Painter and PaintTool SAI as minor focus) (Most 2D software have similar tools, so lessons should apply to most 2D apps.)
3) Advanced concepts in character stylization, expressiveness, aesthetics
4) Creativity, imagination, striving to be more entertaining, cerebral, and emotional in one's art
5) Correcting misguided mentalities, breaking bad habits, preventing career and personal disasters, establishing a healthy outlook and direction in one's career path and personal goals.

So as you can see, while it does contain elements dealing specifically with 2D artists (illustrators, concept artists, comic book artists, storyboard artists...etc), it also contains elements that apply to visual artists of any kind. I mean, it's no secret that in CG, many 3D artists produce substandard work precisely because they lack the very important foundational knowledge and advanced concepts about stylization, aesthetics, expressiveness...etc. The workshop also addresses the cerebral aspects of being an artist as well, which is very important to artists who aren't just doing technical work.

Whether you'll get a lot out of the workshop really depends on your focus and your goals. If your day job as a compositor is your only focus, and you have no interest in doing art of any other kind, then perhaps this workshop won't excite you that much. But if you have any interest at all in illustration, comic books, animation, concept art, storyboarding, matte/texture painting, graphic design, visual narrative, fine art...etc, then I think you'll get a lot out of this workshop.

Rob
www.ethereality.info

[Lunatique]

Question regarding saving content for future viewing
>>>A couple of students asked if they'll be able to download all the workshop contents for future viewing after the workshop is over (both text/image and videos). How did CGWorkshop handle this in the past? Has anyone ever leaked material onto the internet via pirating sites before? <<<

CGS's reply
The classroom is accessible to students for quite sometime after the official end of the workshop so they can get back in. Regarding content, it’s virtually impossible to stop someone from copying the html and videos if they choose to. We have had known instances of piracy (and probably a lot more we don’t know about). Although I haven’t seen content leaked to the internet, I do know that we’ve had students who have shared workshop content with other students. I’ve looked at quite a few sites checking for this very thing and I couldn’t find any of our stuff up.

[SergeantOreo]

As of tonight, I am now registered! ^_^


Question regarding saving content for future viewing
>>>A couple of students asked if they'll be able to download all the workshop contents for future viewing after the workshop is over (both text/image and videos). How did CGWorkshop handle this in the past? Has anyone ever leaked material onto the internet via pirating sites before? <<<

CGS's reply
The classroom is accessible to students for quite sometime after the official end of the workshop so they can get back in. Regarding content, it’s virtually impossible to stop someone from copying the html and videos if they choose to. We have had known instances of piracy (and probably a lot more we don’t know about). Although I haven’t seen content leaked to the internet, I do know that we’ve had students who have shared workshop content with other students. I’ve looked at quite a few sites checking for this very thing and I couldn’t find any of our stuff up.

I think downloading the content for personal use is acceptable; sharing it with loads of outside people? - no. You have worked intensively on this course for a long time, and only the people who are interested enough to actually pay for it should be able to keep the materials.

[NR43]

That is totally possible. If enough people request it, it will repeat due to popular demand. As long as I'm still up to it every time it is requested, I'll do it. I spent all this time and energy creating the course material so I could help people and change the lives of aspiring artists, but I do want to have some of my own free time back too as well (for my own art, music, writing...etc), so even if it becomes popular, I doubt I'd just fill up my calender with it. But I think I can handle running it two to three times a year. It would be a shame if the workshop does not repeat because all of this valuable content would go to waste.

The truth is, I could've easily put together a workshop on some very easy but popular topic like "How to draw hot anime babes and awesome CG robots!" in a very short amount of time and then repeated it just to make money, but then I'd feel like shit doing it, knowing that what aspiring artists really need is not that kind of crap, but to really learn and grow as artists. I already knew the ROI on my workshop would be considered really bad business, but it was a labor of love, and when it comes to stuff I'm passionate about, any financial savvy goes right out the window. Spending more than a year of my life creating the course material definitely counts as "crazy" because I'm pretty sure I'm the only instructor in the history of CGWorkshop to have gone off the deep end like this.

My insanity, your gain. Take advantage of it! :D

Thanks Robert, for elaborating so much on this. I know you are putting yer 100% in this so your students will be so motivated to do at least the same.

I'm really going crazy myself about this too because I'm already on a tight schedule every day, but I really really want to do this... so here's another brain cracker for ya :D

Let's assume I'm just averagely skilled, I have my qualities, but there's defenitely a lot of weak areas. How much time per day would I be spending on this workshop? To see all the video's, absorbe all the info and most importantly put it in practice, would it be a matter of 2 or 3 hours per day? Or would it be more like 5 to 10 hours per day?

Sorry for being such a pain!

[VIO]

Is this course similar to Fundamentals of Digital Painting with Don Seegmiller?
regards

[Lunatique]

Thanks Robert, for elaborating so much on this. I know you are putting yer 100% in this so your students will be so motivated to do at least the same.

I'm really going crazy myself about this too because I'm already on a tight schedule every day, but I really really want to do this... so here's another brain cracker for ya :D

Let's assume I'm just averagely skilled, I have my qualities, but there's defenitely a lot of weak areas. How much time per day would I be spending on this workshop? To see all the video's, absorbe all the info and most importantly put it in practice, would it be a matter of 2 or 3 hours per day? Or would it be more like 5 to 10 hours per day?

Sorry for being such a pain!

That's a hard question to answer, since it highly depends on the individual. Some people are very fast readers, and some can't read anything for 5 minutes without getting up and doing something. There's definitely a lot of content in some of the weeks. I was told I shouldn't make more than 90 minutes total of videos per week, and I mostly stuck to that (although I might go over a little sometimes). Some weeks are more packed than others, with week 5 and 6 being the most packed.

I definitely designed the workshop around the kind of free time that someone working full-time or going to school would have on their hands, so 5 to 10 hours a day would be totally unreasonable. I think total of reading, researching, watching videos, and doing assignments shouldn't add up to more than 10~14 hours total a week, so that spreads out to about only a couple of hours a day.

The official CGWorkshop guideline says:

Workload:
Reading & Research: 3-5 hours per week
Assignments: Students will be expected to complete assignments on a weekly basis taking between 8-12 hours depending on individual proficiency and speed.

Some weeks will be more relaxed, while some weeks will definitely be kicking your ass, but I pretty much kept within that guideline when I created the course material. :)

Is this course similar to Fundamentals of Digital Painting with Don Seegmiller?
regards

I have no idea, since I have never taken any of the CGWorkshops as a student. Judging from the description of that course, it does look like there's some overlap, but only in some of the basics and painting techniques--the rest are very different.

[Arahmynta]

Can you tell us how many spaces are left? I'm concerned about money and how much time I have to get in.

Thanks,
~Mynta

[Lunatique]

Can you tell us how many spaces are left? I'm concerned about money and how much time I have to get in.

Thanks,
~Mynta

You can check availability on this page:
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/

As of now, there are only 8 seats left out of 35, and registration's only been open for 4 days. Registration ends on March 5th, so there is still about a month to go, and at this rate I think it'll fill up well before then.

[kevline]

I saw it's 549$ usd australia ? so if I convert it's EUR-->USD AUS
thank you for answer

[Arahmynta]

I'm in! :D Yay! :bounce: There was a bit of fiddling, but it all worked out.

I'm so glad to be in. I'm going to be eating this all up.

[Streetz]

Thank you for your responses to my questions Robert.

[Lunatique]

I saw it's 549$ usd australia ? so if I convert it's EUR-->USD AUS
thank you for answer

I'm not sure if that was supposed to be question, but I'm pretty sure the $549 is USD, so just convert to Euro from USD.

[amz23]

Hi!

I'm a total newbie when it comes to drawing and painting! I was hesitant to take the workshop at first... I took a drawing class once and practice SOME TIMES, however since I really need to learn to do that properly and also learn artistic foundations (color, compo, etc) then I decided to try and push myself to the max, even if I can't get the results of the lessons RIGHT NOW I bet I'll learn enough to integrate it bit by bit in my future progression.

See you in a month ;) !

[Lunatique]

...even if I can't get the results of the lessons RIGHT NOW I bet I'll learn enough to integrate it bit by bit in my future progression.

You have the right idea. That is exactly what is going to happen with the more novice artists in this workshop. They will acquire all that knowledge, and they will start to incorporate them into their work at the rate of them catching up on the technical skills (which is really just muscle memory, eye/hand coordination, and repeated practice).

The fortunate thing is that the technical skill required for artists is far less demanding than those for musicians, dancers, athletes...etc. In fact, I think by the time I was fourteen I already had all the necessary technical skills I'd ever needed as an artist--all I was missing was the knowledge and the insight, and it sure took a long time to acquire them! Hell, I'm still learning even now! That missing knowledge and insight is what makes the biggest difference for artists, and that's what this workshop is mostly about.

[Lunatique]

I want to get all of your input on something.

I'm still cramming in a bunch of stuff into the workshop (I thought I was done, but then I thought of even more stuff to add), so that means I'm still making changes as I go. I can keep working on the course material all the way till two weeks before the workshop starts--that's when CGS must lock down on the contents.

So while working on the material, I started to wonder if I should shuffle the order of the weeks around a bit. To tell you the truth, I really don't know how much interest you guys have in first week's content, since I have a sneaking suspicion that some people might not care about things like creative vision, imagination, creativity, effective visual storytelling, injecting emotions and intellect into one's work...etc. People who feel that way tend to only care about acquiring technical skills and practical knowledge, and all that talk about creative vision means very little to them and their goals as artists.

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks? Or you really couldn't care less and just want to get to the practical knowledge and techniques?

If most of you do care about the topic of creative vision, then I'll keep the order as it is right now, but if you guys don't, then I'll move the first week back and move the practical topics up earlier so you can start the workshop on a note that is more satisfying to you.

FYI, the reason the first week starts with the creative vision is because it is the heart and soul of any image, and without a compelling creative vision, technique and knowledge would have no purpose.

[Kungfoowiz]

Hello Robert

Speaking for myself, I think I would very much appreciate the creative vision part to be one of the first things we discuss.

Perhaps we could discuss our own (existing) works with you during this week, sharing our vision of a particular piece, and then you could comment on the work in light of this. That's just an idea though.

Thank you.
Edward

[vapsman88]

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks? Or you really couldn't care less and just want to get to the practical knowledge and techniques?


As for me I am very interested in the creative vision, tell compelling stories, express emotions,etc.
I think the best images are ones that tell a story and you get something more every time you look at it.
My .02 cents.:)

[DriftingEmber]

While I need a lot of practice on the technical side of things, there's something more that's missing that I haven't found addressed in any book or tutorial I've read. My art feels very empty, for lack of a better expression. It's baffling me how to fix it.

I have a goal to create a graphic novel/webcomic. It's been my little project for years, but I've never been happy with my attempts to start making it and I go back to studying/practicing. So being able to convey emotions, tell a story through images as opposed to text, and give my work that bit of soul that I'm lacking are topics that are very important to me. These are things I plan on using. If these are the kind of things you are referring to, I'm very interested in learning them as a foundation more so than as an afterthought.

[FateBringer]

hi

I'm for "keeping the order as it is"

Mark

[Lunatique]

Hello Robert
Perhaps we could discuss our own (existing) works with you during this week, sharing our vision of a particular piece, and then you could comment on the work in light of this. That's just an idea though.


That's already one of the assignments for first week (it's a two-part assignment). You're supposed to talk about your own work and tell us why you think certain pieces failed, and how you think you might be able to fix it. Then in week 7, after you have learned a ton of new knowledge, you'll do part two of that assignment, but this time armed with a new arsenal of knowledge you attained in those weeks. That's when you realize just how you've been transformed as an artist, because even your ability to assess and problem-solve your own work has drastically improved. I think that's going to be a profound moment for many of you, because so rarely in life do we get to feel that moment of transformation with such clarity--that we really have evolved and we know exactly what caused the metamorphosis.

If there are any of you that don't care too much for the creative aspect, don't be shy to speak up (you can PM me too if you don't want to do it here). I know that some people who may not have strong technical skill and knowledge, but are already exploding with ideas and already possess the ability to be compelling visual storytellers (for example, might be accomplished writers or filmmakers). I'm just not sure what percentage of my first run students fall into that category.

There are 30 of you already enrolled, so let's hear it from the rest of you. I'm going to let this be decided the democratic way, so speak up. :D

[NR43]

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks?
Isn't this what creating art is all about? :D
Even if it's for a client, I could never "detach" myself from what I create.

[arcitek]

Hello,

I am really interested in joining. My question is that I am focused on elevating my work in the digital medium. I am pretty familar with the tools in Photoshop but have been playing with Painter lately. I do not have much work at all and right now, my work is focused on trying to render architecture (since I am an architect) My scenes look flat and listless, unlike when I actually used to use traditional mediums. I guess what I want to ask is I know that most people here are seemingly focused on game character development and all of that fun stuff. I do enjoy that work and would like to get more expressive even with the boring more techical architectural illustration pieces. Would this course be suited fro my area of focus? I like figure drawing and used to do it often from life classes but have never studied anatomy. It appears this course, and your work, is more focused on figures but I thought I would ask before enrolling. Also, what time in eastern american tiem do you plan on having the workshop? It appears you are close to being 12 hours ahead of where I am at.

Thanks!

[Lunatique]

Kevin - The workshop is not in realtime, so time difference isn't an issue. The course contents are text, images, and videos. You go through them at your own pace, but just make sure you leave enough time for you to do the assignments. All critiques, questions, answers, discussions...etc will be done via forum postings.

As for your main concern, the only week that is focused on characters is week six, as that entire week deals with character stylization, aesthetics, expressiveness...etc. The rest of the workshop does not focus on characters but on all aspects of visual art--in fact I have a section specifically on how to make images that do no contain people more interesting, such as architectural visualization, car renders, and so on (although from the point of view of creative approach, not technical solutions). The weeks on lighting, colors, and composition can be applied to all types of images, and since you are working with Painter now, week 5's focus on surface treatment will definitely be of interest to you.

I think whether you'll get a lot out of the workshop will depend on not just what you're currently after, but your aspiration as an artist in the grand scheme of things. If you just want to make your architecture renders more compelling, the perhaps a good book on architecture lighting and architecture photography will satisfy those immediate needs, but if you have aspirations to simply become a better artist and visual storyteller regardless of subject matter, style, industry, medium..etc, then that's what this workshop is all about.

[Streetz]

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks?

Or you really couldn't care less and just want to get to the practical knowledge and techniques?





I honestly think that this part of your workshop is very important. I was a little put off because it seemed as though the first two weeks were more about how to manage layers and create a brush etc. (Please correct me if I am wrong) Which seems super basic. Is this the technical stuff that you are referring to?
Also the price of the cg workshops has gone up(which I know you have no control over) but the amount of weeks has remained the same.

I think I need more practice on how to tackle an image and breath life into it. Whether it be a character or environment. And how to add mood to images. The stylization of characters also seems really interesting and I seem to find that difficult but I think that is mostly attributed to me not yet understanding what my style is.( hence how do I stylize something if I am not sure what my style is in order to make it different)

thanks.

[Lunatique]

I honestly think that this part of your workshop is very important. I was a little put off because it seemed as though the first two weeks were more about how to manage layers and create a brush etc. (Please correct me if I am wrong) Which seems super basic. Is this the technical stuff that you are referring to?
Also the price of the cg workshops has gone up(which I know you have no control over) but the amount of weeks has remained the same.

I think I need more practice on how to tackle an image and breath life into it. Whether it be a character or environment. And how to add mood to images. The stylization of characters also seems really interesting and I seem to find that difficult but I think that is mostly attributed to me not yet understanding what my style is.( hence how do I stylize something if I am not sure what my style is in order to make it different)

thanks.

From what I can see, the price went up across the board on all workshops at CGS, and I have no control over that.

I think you've misread the content description. You are concentrating on the video portion only. The main bulk of the workshop is the text and images portion. Take a look at each week's description again and ignore the video portion, and you'll see that you've misunderstood:
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/000131/

EDIT: Just so there's no more misunderstanding, I've asked Biljana to reformat the weekly descriptions into something like this:

(This workshop contains a text & images portion and a video portion every week. The two portions tackle different aspects of each week's focus.)

Week One: Title
Text & Images content:
Blah blah blah.

Video content overview:
Blah blah blah.

Video topics covered:


Blah
Blah
Blah

[SergeantOreo]

I want to get all of your input on something.

I'm still cramming in a bunch of stuff into the workshop (I thought I was done, but then I thought of even more stuff to add), so that means I'm still making changes as I go. I can keep working on the course material all the way till two weeks before the workshop starts--that's when CGS must lock down on the contents.

So while working on the material, I started to wonder if I should shuffle the order of the weeks around a bit. To tell you the truth, I really don't know how much interest you guys have in first week's content, since I have a sneaking suspicion that some people might not care about things like creative vision, imagination, creativity, effective visual storytelling, injecting emotions and intellect into one's work...etc. People who feel that way tend to only care about acquiring technical skills and practical knowledge, and all that talk about creative vision means very little to them and their goals as artists.

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks? Or you really couldn't care less and just want to get to the practical knowledge and techniques?

If most of you do care about the topic of creative vision, then I'll keep the order as it is right now, but if you guys don't, then I'll move the first week back and move the practical topics up earlier so you can start the workshop on a note that is more satisfying to you.

FYI, the reason the first week starts with the creative vision is because it is the heart and soul of any image, and without a compelling creative vision, technique and knowledge would have no purpose.

I am definitely interested in learning about how to make images that have soul; creative vision is important. Here's 1 vote for going on the original schedule. ^^

[Heozart]

My question to you guys is, do you care about the topic of compelling creative vision? Do you want to be able to tell compelling visual stories, express emotions and ideas, and impart something of yourself in your artworks? Or you really couldn't care less and just want to get to the practical knowledge and techniques?

That's essentially what I hope to learn from the workshop, so if anything I would like to see it given more priority, not less. That said, I wouldn't mind if it was pushed back a few weeks. Effective story telling is probably an advanced topic that requires your understanding of many basic concepts, so building a working knowledge of those other concepts in the first few weeks actually might be a good idea.

[arcitek]

Lunatique,

My intent is not to learn technical illustration but to become a better artist so i think we re on the same page. As for the figure/ character portion, I am interested in that as well but I cannot allocate my full focus on that right now which is why I wanted to confirm what the class focus was.

My problem now is I just enrolled and tried to pay with payapl. Had an issue there and tried then to go back and pay directly with the CC. It will not let me proceed beyond the info point, probably because I first selected Paypal.

Options?

[Streetz]

Lunatique,

My intent is not to learn technical illustration but to become a better artist so i think we re on the same page. As for the figure/ character portion, I am interested in that as well but I cannot allocate my full focus on that right now which is why I wanted to confirm what the class focus was.

My problem now is I just enrolled and tried to pay with payapl. Had an issue there and tried then to go back and pay directly with the CC. It will not let me proceed beyond the info point, probably because I first selected Paypal.

Options?

Log out log back in and start over ?

[arcitek]

I could try that but that can create another set of registration issues. I do not want to shake the web I just fell into and piss off the spider even more ;-) Best to sit still and see how CG responds. Thanks!

[Streetz]

I could try that but that can create another set of registration issues. I do not want to shake the web I just fell into and piss off the spider even more ;-) Best to sit still and see how CG responds. Thanks!

Doesn't sound like you will have registration problems because you have not registered. The registration menu messes up sometimes. It has happened to me. I just start over.

[arcitek]

I would agree, except it showed me I was registered and the seat availability dropped by one. I will try again since you have me worried.......;-)

[Lunatique]

Streetz - Did my explanation about the separate text/images portion and video portion answer your previous question? If the new description format is still confusing, I'll have to think of another way so that it reads even more clearly.

arcitek - If you have any problems, just contact Biljana: biljana@ballisticmedia.net

[Streetz]

Streetz - Did my explanation about the separate text/images portion and video portion answer your previous question? If the new description format is still confusing, I'll have to think of another way so that it reads even more clearly.




Yes thanks so much for the reply. The workshop sounds really great. Seems like there will be a ton of info. I feel like I am having a hard time taking my work to the next level and I wish I could participate but I am not currently able to afford it. Good luck to you and everyone else in the workshop. I would be curious to see some images that come out of the workshop.

Thanks

[kevline]

Hi,

My technical skill is very far of what I'd want but we have a lot tutorial etc who talk about this.
So I'm for the fact that we keep the week on creativity, it's very important, the only problem it's that I haven't enough work to discuss :/.

[Lunatique]

OK, so it looks like you guys all want to keep week one about the creative vision, and that makes me very happy. As you all can tell, the creative vision is very important to me, whether it's for art, writing, music, photography, film, or even something like dance. Without a compelling creative vision, we will never be able to go beyond being just artisans that does what others tell us to do. While that's what most commercial artists do for a living, I think many of us have aspirations beyond just putting food on the table. The passionate and ambitious ones always wants to be more than just cogs in the machine. Even if we only get to create our personal vision in our free time, it's still something that feeds our soul and reminds us of why we wanted to become artists in the first place.

the only problem it's that I haven't enough work to discuss :/.
Don't worry, that assignment is just one out of four assignments for that week, so you still have plenty to do.

[Arahmynta]

Shall we introduce ourselves to each other, then? We're starting in a week and a half, maybe we could get to know each other now, see who else is in the course, talk about what we're doing and want to do some day, that sort of thing. I'll start. :)

My name's Mynta, I'm from Ottawa, and I'm taking a Game Development course part-time while I teach myself more art. I'm quitting after this semester though, because I thought that by taking this course I could end up doing the art for games, but I'm finding that's not true. There's just way too much emphasis on the programming for that. It's been awesome experience, though. :)

After the semester's over, I'm going to get a job from May-next January and keep working on my art. Then next January, I'm hoping to get into a post-grad one year course on Illustration, which includes a class specifically on game art.

My career goal is to become a concept artist, specifically for video games. I'm not sure how far away I am from that, but that's where I want to be someday.

My ULTIMATE goal is to know that I can draw anything I can imagine. More than just drawing the shape of it, I want to be able to imagine a person, a creature, a realm, and then draw it so that it looks real, exactly as I had it imagined. As my imagination gets exercised and becomes more vivid then this will get more difficult. But that's what I want eventually.

What do I want out of this course? To save a heckload of time in getting there. :P I have plenty of books on just teaching me to draw, I'm glad of those, but I love that this is about shortcuts, being efficient (and I am the slowest drawer you will find, ever), how to do lots of things I have no idea how to go about, and giving all these life tips to artists and perspective on creativity and such.

And I want to know about that carpal tunnel syndrome trick. :P Last week for the first time ever my right hand and arm muscles got suddenly very stiff and hurt after spending long hours on the computer. I should probably figure out something preventive soon.

Yeah, so hi! Who else is in the course with me? :)
~Mynta

[arcitek]

Thanks Mynta,

It's always good to have aspirations and career goals. It is all a process and everything is a learning experience so this class should be no different.

Since I am a little older I have had the fortune of reaching a career aspiration in being an architect. I started as an artist a very long time ago and got sidetracked into this profession. Now, I would like to get back in touch with more artistic exploration within my field and have a strong interest in matte painting and fantasy worlds. Not really sure it is a career aspiration as much as a personal interest. I love working in 3D but I also like traditional media as well. I am focused currently on using digital painting applications to develop more expressive work.

I am currently trying to start my own business and I just found out we are expecting our second child this coming Monday so my plate is full.....which is how I like things.

Anyway, good luck to everyone and I am sure this course will be a good bit of fun.

K.

[Lunatique]

Haha, you guys are mind-readers. I was just thinking the other day about maybe having everyone introduce themselves, but then I realized it would be a little inappropriate since this forum is not specific to my workshop, and this thread is mainly for answering questions or making announcements about the workshop.

But don't worry though, one of the assignments in week 1 includes answering questions about what your aspirations are, what you wish to get out of the workshop, what your weaknesses are...etc.

The course material is pretty much all done at this point, except I still have about a couple of hours of videos left to make. It's the longest video of the entire workshop, spanning several hours and documents every step of an entire painting from a blank white canvas all the way to completion, with very extensive explanations of every single creative and technical decision made.

Can't wait until the workshop starts. It's going to be a lot of fun and very intense!

[halen]

This is an interesting workshop. Unfortunately I'm not able to participate this time, but maybe next time. So just good luck to everyone. :thumbsup:

[Kungfoowiz]

Hey, well my name is Edward, and I would like to improve in some way, even if it's only in small things, I feel that would significantly help me. I don't have much aspiration other than being able to realise my ideas so that other people may understand them a little better. I feel that by taking this course I would be sharing and learning from Robert and others who can help to inspire me. That's it! =)

[AngelaSinner]

This is an interesting workshop. Unfortunately I'm not able to participate this time, but maybe next time. So just good luck to everyone. :thumbsup:

I second that!
I discovered this course too late, if its repeated again I'll definitely be in!

[Lunatique]

I want to get a feel for what you guys prefer in terms of classroom structure. CGWorkshop has a set way of doing things, and I personally prefer something a bit different. I'm working on trying to convince the staff of CGWorkshop to alter their forum structure a bit, but I want to know how you guys feel about it.

Which one of these two structures do you prefer:

1) The students each week has their own individual work thread, where they upload their assignments. All critiques and discussions will take place in each student's own thread. This means if you want to see other students' work and read critiques for them or to discuss them, you'd have to go to their threads to do it. The discussion of each week's course material will take place in another separate thread as well.

2) Everything is put into one thread--be it discussions for that week's topics or critiques for students' work, so it's like one big classroom where people interact easily instead of having to jump between lots of separate threads. This could potentially be a bit more noisy and chaotic, but it's also more social and intimate, as everyone is talking in one place to each other, instead of in separate threads.

Even if the second option is possible, I think the students may still have to upload their work in their own threads, as that might be how the server technically works, but the discussion and critique can still take place in one big thread each week.

Let me know what you think.

[Paperheadman]

mmmh the two options are working for me, but i prefer the second : it will provide more social interactions and i love chaotics things :p

i second that we have to upload our assignments in our own thread, but maybe that will be a bit "heavy" to look pictures in one thread and answer in another, anyway that sound great :) and i'm agreed with this ^^

that my opinion :)

[kevline]

I'm for the first option, but of course the second it's not a bad idea because with a big thread, we can see the work of everybody. Two options are good for me.

[Lunatique]

I've talked about it some more with the CGS staff, and this is what I'm going to do--it'll be like a hybrid of the two options:

The discussions/questions for each week's lessons will take place in a main weekly thread, which will be located in the Class Discussions section of the forum. In that section, you are free to start any thread you want about anything, but if it's related to the weekly course material, I'd prefer they take place in the main weekly threads--this way it's a more festive yet intimate atmosphere, where we can easily talk to each other instead of being fractured between many threads.

You post your assignments in your own individual work thread, and any discussions and critiques about your work will happen in your own work threads. So if you want to discuss the work of other classmates, you go into their threads.

Just 4 more days. I'm all excited to get started! :buttrock:This whole workshop thing started for me a few years ago (I was one of the very first instructors CGS asked to teach a workshop way back when), and now it's finally happening!

[Arahmynta]

That sounds good to me. I think having every single thing in one thread would feel too chaotic to me, like you can never keep track of who's talking about what, but I also like the idea of having more things joined together - then you dont' get as many dead threads or posts that you feel like no one ever looks at. Having people's work in their own thread and generic class discussion in another sounds good to me.

A thought for when we start, I think perhaps we should make a point of having everyone look at everyone else's new work each week. It's just that I can imagine the noobs feeling small and insignificant, with few people ever talking about their stuff, while those who have more practice at this point get all the comments because it looks better. Of course some stuff just naturally gets more discussion than others because of interesting content or whatnot, but I just wouldn't want anyone to feel left out because their skill level is not up yet. :)

[Lunatique]

A thought for when we start, I think perhaps we should make a point of having everyone look at everyone else's new work each week. It's just that I can imagine the noobs feeling small and insignificant, with few people ever talking about their stuff, while those who have more practice at this point get all the comments because it looks better. Of course some stuff just naturally gets more discussion than others because of interesting content or whatnot, but I just wouldn't want anyone to feel left out because their skill level is not up yet. :)

I wonder how many novice artists understand that when you review/comment/critique other people's work, you are actually learning from doing so, because it forces you to use your critical judgment on a variety of different people's idiosyncrasies, and you will notice patterns emerge--one sthat will serve as cautionary tales, encouragements, inspirations, challenges...etc.

I'll make a point to remind everyone to be more social and participate in each others' threads, but at the very least, I will be critiquing and commenting on each students work, so no one will feel lonely or left out, cuz they gots big love from the Lunatique. ;)

[SergeantOreo]

I wonder how many novice artists understand that when you review/comment/critique other people's work, you are actually learning from doing so, because it forces you to use your critical judgment on a variety of different people's idiosyncrasies, and you will notice patterns emerge--one sthat will serve as cautionary tales, encouragements, inspirations, challenges...etc.

I'll make a point to remind everyone to be more social and participate in each others' threads, but at the very least, I will be critiquing and commenting on each students work, so no one will feel lonely or left out, cuz they gots big love from the Lunatique. ;)

:applause:This workshop is going to be brilliant!

[Streetz]

Seems like It will be an awesome workshop !
Is it possible to see some work from the workshop, so that those of us who were unable to participate this time around can get a sense of what to expect next time this Workshop is held ?

[Lunatique]

Seems like It will be an awesome workshop !
Is it possible to see some work from the workshop, so that those of us who were unable to participate this time around can get a sense of what to expect next time this Workshop is held ?

The way this workshop is structured is very different from other workshops. It does not really have a "graduating piece" that the students work on during the duration of the course. There really isn't a piece that "proves" to the world that they took the workshop and graduated. The structure of this workshop is so that each week, the students are give carefully designed exercises that challenges them to push themselves to be more creative, and to apply the lessons they have learned that week in their own way. Over the course of the workshop, there will be lots of such assignments--all designed to challenge the students to experiment and try new things and new techniques, and to apply newly acquired knowledge. Since the assignments are carefully designed to reflect each week's course material, in a way, to give away what the assignments are would be to also give away the actual course material.

[Lunatique]

Just a quick update--there's a chance that I might be able to repeat the workshop in June, but it's not written in stone. I just wanted to give those of you who couldn't make it this time around a heads up so you know what could be coming. At this point I'm 50% sure I could do June. I'll update if that 50% changes either way.

We're just ending the week one portion of the workshop now, and I've very pleased with how the students are responding. They are having so much fun interacting, sharing thoughts and critiques, and so far the consensus is that the opening week was "absolutely mind-blowing" according to the students. I'm sure everyone's minds will continue to get blown week after week (ooh, that sounded kinky). :D

[AngelaSinner]

Just a quick update--there's a chance that I might be able to repeat the workshop in June, but it's not written in stone. I just wanted to give those of you who couldn't make it this time around a heads up so you know what could be coming. At this point I'm 50% sure I could do June. I'll update if that 50% changes either way.

We're just ending the week one portion of the workshop now, and I've very pleased with how the students are responding. They are having so much fun interacting, sharing thoughts and critiques, and so far the consensus is that the opening week was "absolutely mind-blowing" according to the students. I'm sure everyone's minds will continue to get blown week after week (ooh, that sounded kinky). :D

Thats a good thing to hear! I'll surely join this time.

[Kungfoowiz]

Hey

I'm currently taking this course and can safely say it is worth every penny (and probably worth a lot more than this). If you would like to benefit from Robert's broad experience then you should consider taking his June course.

Edward

[deblewis]

If there should be another course in June.. and a list is started for it, I'd love to be on it..

email4deborah@gmail.com

[Kungfoowiz]

Well... I had a choice, I could either treat myself to a new Wacom Intuos 4, or go on Robert's art course.

I think I made the right decision. =)

[Lunatique]

Just wanted to let everyone know that the second run of my workshop will be starting on June 14, so if you missed the first run, now's your chance to enroll for the second run. I have no idea if/when there will be more runs since my life is anything but predictable, so don't take it for granted that there will be more. The details for the workshop are here:
http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/000139/

The first maiden voyage of the workshop went very well, and it was very rewarding to see the students having all these exciting and mind-blowing "aha!" moments where the realities of their artistic world were forever changed. This next run of the workshop will be even more in-depth and complete due to all the things we expanded on in the first run, and I've updated the course with a lot of new additional material, so you guys are definitely in for a treat. :)

[steveskittles]

Im only new to drawing would this course be beyond me? Should i already have the basics in place?

[Crotalis]

I was pretty excited when I got the email notification about the workshop earlier today. Signed up immediately! Thanks for doing this again. I missed this the first time around and have been kicking myself for it ever since!


My career started out as a sculptor (actual clay) for an animatronics shop and I've had to try and learn the basics of painting/illustration on my own. So naturally, I've been flailing in the dark and occasionally bumping into something useful. It will be good to really get down to brass tacks. I can't wait!

[rafayama]

hello,

I was just wondering if the images for the submission needed to be 2D or they can also be 3D.

[Lunatique]

Steve - The course will be different things to different people. In the last class, I had beginner, intermediate, and advanced artists, and they all got different things out of the workshop. The beginners had their minds blown wide open by many of the core and essential foundations, plus all the advanced concepts they never even knew existed or had ever thought of. The intermediate artists were surprised by how the stuff they thought they had already learned and knew pretty well were in fact just the tip of the ice berg, and they had no idea there was so much more they didn't know. The advanced artists learned the advanced concepts like effective visual narrative and storytelling techniques, the complex matter of stylization, advanced brushwork, expressive characters, difficult aesthetic decisions, personal growth and career advancement strategies...etc. What was cool was that everyone did the same assignments and they all brought different things to the table, and sometimes the beginners surprised everyone with their creativity and unique approach, while other times their lack of skill and knowledge made it more challenging for them to execute certain assignments satisfactorily, but it was always fun and they always learned a ton from trying hard and giving their best shot. It's not a pass or fail kind of workshop--it's all about helping your learn and improve in giant leaps within a short amount of time, and then providing you with all the necessary knowledge and creative tools in your arsenal so that you'll be well-equipped to handle wherever your artistic journey will take you after the workshop ends.

[ceruleanvii]

I see Robert has the opportunity to teach this class again :) I was in the first go-round that just wrapped up a few weeks ago, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's thinking about it. Lots of good stuff covered, and most of all, you will find yourself thinking about your art not just a technical level, but a much deeper philosophical one. Robert is very passionate about what he teaches and gives 100% to his students (and wish I could have given 100% to the class! :) )

[SergeantOreo]

*Runs off and signs up for workshop*

Along with Del, I was one of the students who just finished in the first run of the workshop, and it is has been absolutely brilliant. As Robert has said, this is not the kind of class where you are judged based upon your execution of the assignments, but is one that combines advanced technique and concepts with philosophy, exploring the very soul of an image and helping a person in their artistic journey.

Even as one of the beginning art students in the workshop, I can easily say that nobody who enrolls in this workshop will be disappointed.


And all of Robert's students lived happily ever after.. :D

[Arahmynta]

Im only new to drawing would this course be beyond me? Should i already have the basics in place?

This would be perfect for you - even if you are missing big gaps in the foundation, this course gives you a good foundation in many other areas and a perfect place to launch from. You'll come out of the course all the more determined to get the basics so that you can implement everything you learned. :) I think it would be a great infusion of knowledge, especially for someone starting out.

[mozkozo]

I have to agree with everyone here. I'm also one of the survivors of Rob's great first run. Falling within the first group he described, I was blown away.

If you're hesitating about taking this class: please don't. Everyone who had the pleasure of being within those digital walls will agree to what has been said about this class: it will exceed your expectations and will forever change the way you look at and approach your art (and even other people's).

But keep this in mind too: you must participate, and if time allows you, participate as much as you can, post the assignments, questions, then critique/review your classmates work and you will see why Rob gets so much praise. I will always regret not having enough time to put on many of the assignments, and yet, I still got so much out of this.

You won't regret it for a second. I would take it again in a heartbeat, and I might, if Rob still runs it some time down the road.

[Lunatique]

hello,

I was just wondering if the images for the submission needed to be 2D or they can also be 3D.

While it's be great to see examples of your 2D work, 3D work is fine too if you don't have 2D work to show. I had students who were primarily 3D artists in the last class and they had a great time, as just about everything in the workshop could be applied to 3D--even the week on surface treatment could be applied to NPR solutions in 3D rendering. All visual art share the same foundations and creative philosophies, and there are actually lots of subjects in the workshop that uses 3D artworks to demonstrate points.

[Yatzenty]

Hi Robert,

I can imagine your time is very limited so I will go straight to the point.I have started working as art director in film company .I sort of jumped on that position from architectural visualization creative director position as we formed it within our group.Point is, while being an architect and visual artist, I feel I need some wider knowledge and skills to become better art director, however I would like your personal opinion if the course you will be leading will offer me a lot as per my current level.

If you don't mind please briefly look through my folio/website and tell me your thoughts.

Thank you in advance for your time! Regards from Chengdu
J

www.jacekirzykowski.com

[Punchbog]

Hi Robert


Just signed up for the workshop and really looking forward to it. I don't have a background in Art and only really discovered digital art around 18 months ago. Having said that, I have taken 3 of Don Seegmiller's workshops and I would discribe my level as intermediate. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't. I've learned a lot over the past months am looking to progress further. This workshop sounds like it will help fill in some of the gaps. I find that when I'm not on one of the workshops I lack direction and struggle to come up with ideas on what to paint and inspire me. My occupation is anything but art (finance I'm afraid) and it would be nice to get a feeling and some advice of where I can go with this and how to start, even at my age (mid 40's) :)

Cheers
Kev

[Lunatique]

Point is, while being an architect and visual artist, I feel I need some wider knowledge and skills to become better art director, however I would like your personal opinion if the course you will be leading will offer me a lot as per my current level.

I looked at portfolio, and I think you will be surprised by how much you will get out of the workshop. There are very advanced concepts in the workshop that mystifies even advanced professional artists who are veteran in the industry, and based on what I've seen in your portfolio, your current experience in photography and architectural visualization will probably not be enough if you are going to be art directing, as art directing involves many aspects that's not necessarily purely visual--a lot of it has to do with understanding of style, aesthetics, taste, the essential elements of narratives...etc.

I didn't see any advanced studio photography in your portfolio, as all the examples are travel photography using available light. While available light photography will hone your compositional skills and your 3D visualization work taught you how to light architecture, I didn't see any work in your portfolio that showed effective lighting of people for expressing moods, emotions, or achieve specific aesthetic goals, or how to artistically manipulate values in creative ways to achieve what would otherwise be impossible just by studying real life or realism.

I think the week on visual narrative would be absolutely critical to your future as an art director, because as an art director, it is your responsibility to figure out how to communicate emotions and ideas and visual stories in ways that have the strongest emotional and intellectual resonance. This applies to everything you do as an artist, not just for your job. The heart and soul of your work is most personal and poignant aspect of who you are as an artist, and too many people never think about it and just think about creating pretty pictures.

The week on expressive characters, stylization, and aesthetics is also extremely important, because it is directly related to effective body language, facial expressions, and the elements of beauty--all of these things will be involved when you are trying to work with the director, stylist, DP..etc to achieve specific looks and feelings in the films you'll art direct. The sets and props are like characters themselves and how the actors interact dynamically with them and how the entire scene with the actors in them will look will be a big part of your art direction, so the more you learn about expressiveness and aesthetics the better you will be able to interface with others. There's also a section that focuses on the differences between Asian and western ideals of feminine and masculine beauty. As a westerner art directing in China, this will be invaluable to you.

These are just some of the stuff off the top of my head, and there's a lot more stuff you'll discover during the 8 weeks that will be very useful to the next phase of your career. I see that you also do 2D and concept art, and if that aspect of your work is important to you at all, then I think you're going to love this workshop.

[Lunatique]

BTW, for those of you who have expressed concerns about being too much of a beginner, take a look at this thread:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=166&t=880796

Edward was one of the beginners in my last class, and even though he was behind most students in terms of skill and knowledge, he fought hard and kept up with everyone every single week. He never got discouraged when the assignments he turned in weren't as well executed as the more advanced students. He also totally trusted in how I would help him reach his goals, and whenever I had critiques and suggestions, he took them to heart and really tried to apply them to his work.

So it doesn't matter if you're a beginner--it only matters how badly you want to become a better artist, and how hard you are willing to work at it. When the workshop is over, you would've also learned how to not only work hard, but also be smart about it so you can improve in a fraction of the time it takes others who haven't learned how to work and learn smart.

[Yatzenty]

[QUOTE=Lunatique]I looked at portfolio, and I think you will be surprised by how much you will get out of the workshop. There are very advanced concepts in the workshop that mystifies even advanced professional artists who are veteran in the industry, and based on what I've seen in your portfolio, your current experience in photography and architectural visualization will probably not be enough if you are going to be art directing, as art directing involves many aspects that's not necessarily purely visual--a lot of it has to do with understanding of style, aesthetics, taste, the essential elements of narratives...etc.

Hi Robert,

your reply simply blew me away, I'm in for sure :) Thank you for taking time and writing back.

Sorry I didn't want to be me,me,me. I guess I needed to hear what you have said. I really appreciate that and looking forward to the course.

By the way I was never impressed by the studio photography, it seems to lack genuine feel and emotional background. Everything is set and prepared, that part somehow bothers me. I understand what you are saying about setting up the light and creating the mood but still - its just seem bit empty.
I don't know, I think I might change my mind but capturing life situations in real time and natural light appeals more to me.

Alright then, let's do this! Cheers!

Jacek

[do-re-my]

Just signed up.
I'm very exited, my gut told me to do this and feel and come to understand, that you Robert really want to convey your knowledge and skill. And that you are very dedicated, the last is key for any teacher.

My 3d sculpting skills are better than 2d drawing skills. My 3d skills seems to come more natural.
I know that when my 2d skills get better, my 3d skills will accelerate also.
I want to become a good 2d artist. 3d will be used to bring thing to live in productions.

R

[Lunatique]

By the way I was never impressed by the studio photography, it seems to lack genuine feel and emotional background. Everything is set and prepared, that part somehow bothers me. I understand what you are saying about setting up the light and creating the mood but still - its just seem bit empty.
I don't know, I think I might change my mind but capturing life situations in real time and natural light appeals more to me.


I agree that available light is the most natural, and you'll see from my own photography that I favor a natural look as well for candid shots and travel photography. But because film productions are highly contrived, the technical and artistic knowledge/skills behind studio lighting can be used in many ways, and very often they are used in seamless and invisible ways so that the audience can't even tell there was any artificial lighting used. That is how skilled photographers use studio lighting--to create the illusion of natural lighting, when it's anything but.

In most movies, just about every single shot you ever see on the screen in any movie is fake, with very few exceptions, yet they can look so natural when done right. Even a typical daylight scene will have light reflectors to fill in drastic cast shadows from the bright sun. There's very often a large diffuser above all the actors to soften the harsh direct sunlight. Even tracking shots of people just walking down the street will have the crew holding large reflectors following them every step of the way. And interior scenes are about as fake as it gets. The lights that you can seen in the shots are far brighter than normal household lights, and lots of studio lights are used to reinforce or fake very natural looks. Night scenes are the most fake of them all, because there's no way in hell you can get fast enough shutter speed using available light at night, so a whole arsenal of studios lights are place throughout the set to fake entire night exteriors, lighting up the trees, the people...etc so it looks like there's bright enough moonlight. All of that falls under the umbrella of advanced studio lighting. And in skilled hands, they can look extremely natural and artistic. In fact, without knowledge in advanced studio lighting, you cannot effectively DP on any halfway decent movie. If you are going to interface with the DP, then it would be a good idea really know what the DP does.

But of course, if you are after "authentic" photojournalism, then you are pretty much restricted to available light. But even then, often when there IS the opportunity to use a fill-flash or reflector, even photojournalists will use them, because otherwise they may end up with a back-lit dark mess. It really depends on the context and the situation though. There are times you want that dark silhouette without any details.

[DriftingEmber]

I also participated in the first run of this workshop. I've tried to think for several days of how to best describe how pleased I was with it. Unfortunately, words fail me. Best I can manage is that I'm extremely grateful I was able to take it. I heartily recommend this workshop, even if you're a beginner. As others have said, do try to set as much time aside for it in order to participate as much as you can. You learn a lot from each other, and the amount of teacher interaction I got was stellar. Nobody worked harder than Rob during the class.

[averil]

Hi Robert, really looking forward to this workshop. I'm wondering if it will make me a better Photoshop warrior. I'm currently engaged in my 14th battle (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=205431) in the istock Steel Cage (my username there is crazychristina). Although I've improved a lot since my first battle (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=67422), my work is still very pedestrian and lacking finesse. Naturally I want to compete with the best (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=82747). My best work so far is probably this one (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=83219).

This is only one of my artistic interests, but it's a lot of fun and I've been using it as a way to try to become a bit more creative. I am also a contributor to istock. My portfolio is here (http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&userID=1604425&order=6&fileTypeSizePrice=[%7B%22type%22:%22Image%22,%22size%22:%22All%22,%22priceOption%22:%221%22%7D,%7B%22type%22:%22Illustration%20[Vector]%22,%22size%22:%22Vector%20Image%22,%22priceOption%22:%22All%22%7D,%7B%22type%22:%22Flash%22,%22size%22:%22Flash%20Document%22,%22priceOption%22:%22All%22%7D,%7B%22type%22:%22Video%22,%22size%22:%22All%22,%22priceOption%22:%221%22%7D,%7B%22type%22:%22Standard%20Audio%22,%22size%22:%22All%22,%22priceOption%22:%221%22%7D,%7B%22type%22:%22Pump%20Audio%22,%22size%22:%22All%22,%22priceOption%22:%221%22%7D]&showTitle=true&showContributor=true&showDownload=true). Mostly boring food photography at the moment.

[grantmoore3d]

I was a little hesitant to sign up for this course given that I am mostly interested in producing 3D animations and not necessarily any form of drawing, but after reading a lot of the reviews and glowing comments here, I'm now really excited to get started.

I've never taken an art course in my life and up until now have just pieced together information here and there from tutorials, lectures and forum posts. I've had quite a few projects sitting in the back of my mind, waiting to be created, but have held on to them until I had the necessary understanding to see them become reality. So, I'm hoping that a course like this will really take the rudimentary knowledge and give it a much needed push in the right direction.

[Berax0r]

I read today the whole thread, and I got every information that I'm interested about.

So there are few obstacles:

Registration started few days ago and only 6 places are left :(
My friend won't borrow a tablet (he put it onto the marketplace and I'll be very happy if he doesn't sell it) :)
My mum won't give me in advance money


I have the will to attend this workshop, I saw some great posto of Lunatique, so nothing else is stopping me to attend this workshop!
:)

[Lunatique]

Hi Robert, really looking forward to this workshop. I'm wondering if it will make me a better Photoshop warrior.

Absolutely. Not only will it improve your workflow technically, it'll also change the way you think creatively as an artist, and that is one of the most overlooked elements. Very few workshop try to teach creativity, and we'll tackle it head on in the first week and throughout the workshop. Too many people create images that are simply pretty but have no soul, no meaning, and no value beyond being disposable eye candy--we aim to push beyond that and actually have our artworks mean something not only to ourselves, but to create emotional and intellectual resonance in the viewer.

Also, don't forget about the extremely important foundations of visual art, such as creating compelling and entertaining composition, effective lighting, strong colors, expressive characters...etc. They are all major elements of the workshop.

[Lunatique]

I read today the whole thread, and I got every information that I'm interested about.

So there are few obstacles:


Registration started few days ago and only 6 places are left :(
My friend won't borrow a tablet (he put it onto the marketplace and I'll be very happy if he doesn't sell it) :)
My mum won't give me in advance money

I have the will to attend this workshop, I saw some great posto of Lunatique, so nothing else is stopping me to attend this workshop!
:)


Don't worry too much about it. I think as long as there's demand for this workshop, I'll go on teaching it. I highly doubt the second run will be the last one. The fact the spaces are going very fast is because people now realize the value of this workshop, and the testimonials from the previous students are proof of that.

[Berax0r]

Woohooo, I just spoke to my mum and there is a high chance that she'll give me 549$! Yay, not talking with a mate about the tablet.

Few questions:
1. This workshop, can be used (will help me) when creating landscapes, characters, concept art etc, or it's only for drawing persons?

2. I'll have this tablet - http://www.tritech-computers.com/store2/images/Wacom%20Bamboo%20Tablet%20Med%20Silver%20CTE650S.jpg
The old version of Bamboo. Is it ok?

3. I never used a tablet before, but I'll get it few weeks before the workshop and I'll practice. Will that slow me in this workshop or not?

Thanks Robert!

EDIT:

Ok so I got the money, I got the tablet, answer me to these questions and I think that I'll enroll today! :)

EDIT 2: Congratulations you have successfully enrolled in Becoming A Better Artist with Robert Chang

Yay! But you can still answer to this three questions. :)

[Lunatique]

Few questions:
1. This workshop, can be used (will help me) when creating landscapes, characters, concept art etc, or it's only for drawing persons?

The workshop is for improving as an artist overall, so that includes everything. The only week that strictly focuses on expressive characters, stylization, aesthetics...etc is week six, while all other weeks are all-encompassing.

2. I'll have this tablet - http://www.tritech-computers.com/store2/images/Wacom%20Bamboo%20Tablet%20Med%20Silver%20CTE650S.jpg
The old version of Bamboo. Is it ok?

From what I know about those tablets, they'll be fine.

3. I never used a tablet before, but I'll get it few weeks before the workshop and I'll practice. Will that slow me in this workshop or not?

I don't think so. Just practice with the tablet for an hour or so a day and you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. There's still a few weeks until the class starts. I would suggest you not only explore using a tablet, but also the different brush settings like controlling the opacity and brush size with pen pressure, and the various other settings--just treat the brush settings like a playground/science lab and experiment/have fun.

I would also highly recommend you review the Loomis books again before the class starts, as it'll help prepare you for this workshop.

[MinkkiE]

I also signed up after reading this thread. I'm mostly a 3d gal and was worried that since I haven't done any 2d in ages I would be too much of a beginner, but after reading the testimonials I'm now looking forward to taking this course.

[Berax0r]

Great! Which particular book do you recommend me to go through again? Creative Illustration or Successful Drawing?

Thanks.

[Lunatique]

Great! Which particular book do you recommend me to go through again? Creative Illustration or Successful Drawing?

Thanks.

I'd say both, plus Figure Drawing For All It's Worth.

[Berax0r]

Ok Lunatique, will go through them starting from today. :)

[averil]

Hi Robert, will this workshop help me to be a bit more creative as well as being a better artist? I'm scratching my head for ideas for my last blow in my current Photoshop battle (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=205431), and coming up with ideas is always difficult for me.

[Lunatique]

Hi Robert, will this workshop help me to be a bit more creative as well as being a better artist? I'm scratching my head for ideas for my last blow in my current Photoshop battle (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=205431), and coming up with ideas is always difficult for me.

Absolutely. That is one of the main focuses of the workshop--it is in fact what we focus on in the first week--the heart and soul of the image. We explore different visual narrative approaches--from straightforward to sophisticated abstract narratives, and we also cover emotional and intellectual resonance, personal meaning, and how to come up with ideas that has substance even when entertainment/escapism is the main goal.

[averil]

That's great. I managed to get something together before the deadline, but I'm looking forward to finding it a little easier/better.

[soulDroid]

Wow Robert, I was interested in this course since I've seen it, but after reading this whole thread and several messages from you in the forum I'm completely sold. I subscribed to the standby list of your next workshop, it's such a pain that I haven't seen it before, cause the period seems perfect to me, since my job leaves me much more free time in summer. Anyway I'll be waiting for the next chance to join, even not having much time for it I wouldn't like to loose this opportunity.

Please take a look at the gallery of my CGPortfolio, don't have many works to show cause I'm new at digital art. Although I'm very passionated about the idea of improving my art, at the moment I only have pretty basic knowledge about drawing technics, and I'm learning them by myself, but I don't feel like I'm following the best and more efficient steps, so I think I could take some serious benefit from your workshop.

[Lunatique]

...
I subscribed to the standby list of your next workshop, it's such a pain that I haven't seen it before, cause the period seems perfect to me, since my job leaves me much more free time in summer. Anyway I'll be waiting for the next chance to join, even not having much time for it I wouldn't like to loose this opportunity.

Please take a look at the gallery of my CGPortfolio, don't have many works to show cause I'm new at digital art.
...


Keep an eye on the workshop details page, because sometimes people do cancel last minute, and we still have weeks to go before class starts. Check that details page every day so as soon as someone cancels you can jump right in and take up the vacant space. (Oops, I see that you mentioned you're on some kind of waiting list? I'm not sure how that works, but I'm assuming if someone cancels, the next person on the list will get notified?)

I looked at your portfolio and I think you have pretty strong sensibility overall. I can tell by just looking at the pieces in your portfolio how much you're going to love specific weeks that'll really turn your world upside down and show you things you never even imagined before. I promise you that you will have so many "Aha!" moments each week, and you'll feel like your brain is bursting at the seams with all the new knowledge and ideas and techniques you'll learn.

[fattkid]

So I just took the first run of this class with Rob, and my take on the class is that it totally kicks ass.

The amount of information that was covered was huge, and it was obvious Robert had spent a great deal of time getting this workshop together. Combined with the huge amount of info were tons of pictures and examples, which not only made understanding the topics much easier, but I was exposed to many new/great/unique artists I was never aware of before as well.

What also made the class so great was Rob's commitment to the class and his participation in it. He wasn't just providing notes, videos and comments - he was really engaged with the students and where they were at and what they were trying to do. This also included subjects or ideas that came up along the way. We had conversations that were really insightful and interesting that just sort of organically evolved from the material/content that was being covered.

Additionally, Rob's enthusiastic and candid approach to the class really seemed to inspire the participants to open up and become really engaged in their class participation, which seemed to take the experience to a level above a conventional class or workshop experience.

I would best describe this workshop as a sort of "Art Boot Camp". Basically just an intense 8 weeks of getting your butt kicked with a vast array of artistc ideas and concepts, and constantly pushing yourself to understand/implement the ideas and working out of your comfort zone. The class is a pretty major time commitment, so plan on really setting aside as much time as you can to focus on the class. The more the better. But also understand that you might not be able to get all the assignments done or fully integrate all the lessons taught from the get go. A lot of this info will be paying dividends later on down the road as you continue to grow as an artist.

Another thing that was great about the workshop is that it really helped me identify my weaknesses, or what I should be focusing on right now. After plowing through all the info, I found myself with a really good idea of where I'm at, what direction I'm headed, and what I will have to tackle next and how to approach it etc. The class really did a great job of laying out everything I need to understand for my artistic journey, and has helped me develop a more complete strategy for my growth as an artist.

As an intermediate level artist, I thought that this class would be a good opportunity to "fill in the blanks" in my artistic knowledge base, and be a good refresher course in the fundamentals. By the end of the workshop, I found myself being quite humbled, realilzing how much I didn't know and how much more I need to learn.

So yeah, I would highly recommend this class. It was a great learning experience, and for the price, is an incredible value. Time and money well spent indeed. Thanks Rob.

[halen]

This workshop definitely looks interesting and I'd like to take part, if there is a third round sometime at autumn or before the Christmas.

This second round seems to be full and it would have been a bit difficult for me since my summer is full of work, I need some time to get the money (and practice) - and my wacom just broke today. :sad:

[soulDroid]

(Oops, I see that you mentioned you're on some kind of waiting list? I'm not sure how that works, but I'm assuming if someone cancels, the next person on the list will get notified?)


As you said, I'm supossed to be notified if someone cancels and I'm the next in the waiting list. Anyway I'll watch closely the workshop details page just in case.


I promise you that you will have so many "Aha!" moments each week, and you'll feel like your brain is bursting at the seams with all the new knowledge and ideas and techniques you'll learn.

It really sounds promising to me, just by reading your messages I can feel you have a great power to inspire others, so I'm wishing to see the course in which you have put so much heart and soul into.

[Berax0r]

...Oops, I see that you mentioned you're on some kind of waiting list? I'm not sure how that works, but I'm assuming if someone cancels, the next person on the list will get notified?

Yup, when registering on the left was a note that said if the class is full you can still enroll to a standby list, without paying, and if someone cancels in the last moment, first person in the standby list gets an email if he wants to participate and that he need to pay if yes. :)

...Additionally, Rob's enthusiastic and candid approach to the class really seemed to inspire the participants to open up and become really engaged in their class participation, which seemed to take the experience to a level above a conventional class or workshop experience.

I would best describe this workshop as a sort of "Art Boot Camp". Basically just an intense 8 weeks of getting your butt kicked with a vast array of artistc ideas and concepts, and constantly pushing yourself to understand/implement the ideas and working out of your comfort zone. The class is a pretty major time commitment, so plan on really setting aside as much time as you can to focus on the class. The more the better. But also understand that you might not be able to get all the assignments done or fully integrate all the lessons taught from the get go. A lot of this info will be paying dividends later on down the road as you continue to grow as an artist.

Another thing that was great about the workshop is that it really helped me identify my weaknesses, or what I should be focusing on right now. After plowing through all the info, I found myself with a really good idea of where I'm at, what direction I'm headed, and what I will have to tackle next and how to approach it etc. The class really did a great job of laying out everything I need to understand for my artistic journey, and has helped me develop a more complete strategy for my growth as an artist...

I can't wait to get started! Woohoo! :)

[averil]

I've uploaded some work to my CGPortfolio. Is that the right way to provide examples of work prior to the start of the workshop? Also, this work is basically exercises from books that I've been doing over the past year or so, not original concepts. Hope that's OK.

[Lunatique]

I've uploaded some work to my CGPortfolio. Is that the right way to provide examples of work prior to the start of the workshop? Also, this work is basically exercises from books that I've been doing over the past year or so, not original concepts. Hope that's OK.

You can do that, or you could just upload your work examples in the workshop work thread that'll be provided for you when the class starts.

[averil]

Lost my Photoshop battle :shrug:. Here's the judgement (http://www.istockphoto.com/steel_cage_images.php?battleID=1501) for anyone who's interested in art as a blood sport. Looking forward to winning a few after this workshop.

[nicktechyguy]

Looks like I just decided to look into the course a little bit to late. I guess if you do decided to bring a third course it gives me time to put my funds in order. I guess my only question for you is, if we do this course, would you be all right with us saying we took your course as a portfolio reference? I mainly do 3D work but I'm trying to get into a studio here in my hometown but I need to brush up on getting my 2D sketches and digital painting worked on and bring thing up to better levels. I read this thread and thought you course would be perfect.

[Lunatique]

Looks like I just decided to look into the course a little bit to late. I guess if you do decided to bring a third course it gives me time to put my funds in order. I guess my only question for you is, if we do this course, would you be all right with us saying we took your course as a portfolio reference? I mainly do 3D work but I'm trying to get into a studio here in my hometown but I need to brush up on getting my 2D sketches and digital painting worked on and bring thing up to better levels. I read this thread and thought you course would be perfect.

Personally, I don't think anyone's going to care about what workshops/course you took, where you went to school, or who was your teacher. When I art directed and was picking candidates to hire for my art team, I never cared how they were educated, because I've seen crappy portfolios from reputable schools and I've seen amazing works from self-taught folks. The only thing that matters is the quality of your work, your resume, and your personality/work ethic/reputation.

[nicktechyguy]

That's the way I would see it too. Why would someone care who you have dealt with when the quality of your work should be what the main focus is about?

As for the next workshop, if it happens, please put me on the notification list. Thank you.

[Lunatique]

As for the next workshop, if it happens, please put me on the notification list. Thank you.

Anyone who posts in this thread will be automatically notified when there are new posts in this thread, including any news I'll announce here. It's very likely that the third run of the workshop will happen sometime this fall or winter, depending on what else is going on with me. I'll try to teach as many runs as I can, as long as there's a demand for it.

[Lunatique]

Due to personal reasons, I'm going to have to move the next run of the workshop up to early August. I was hoping to take some time off after this current run, but it looks like I have to make room for some family stuff this fall and maybe winter, and I really wanted to do one more run this year since many people were disappointed they couldn't make this current run due to how fast it filled up and also timing issues. If you think you can make the August run of the workshop, then start making plans for it. I will announce here when enrollment officially starts (probably early July).

I don't know if there's going to be additional runs this year after the August one, but if there will be, I'll announce it here. Otherwise, it's probably going to have to be early next year.

[Lunatique]

http://workshops.cgsociety.org/courses/000146/

The August workshop is now open for enrollment. Those of you that have missed the first two runs, now's your chance to get in on the action. :buttrock: Act fast because the last run of the workshop got filled up very quickly and CGS had to put people put on the waiting list.

This might be the last workshop of this year. I have no idea if I'll do another one before next year, and even if I do, the earliest would have be sometime in December. If that changes I'll let announce it here.

We're in the middle of the second run right now, and the students are loving it--lots of eye-opening "AHA!" moments and it's going to get even more fun and intense as we get into the second half. :beer:

[Sizu]

I'm interested in enrolling, but not sure if it's too advanced for me. How good, or what level as an artist would you have to be to really benefit from this course or be recommended for this course? I don't have a portfolio, but I can try to give you an idea of where I'm at.

I recently started practicing drawing again, since I haven't for many years. I've drawn a lot as a kid, but not practiced much as an adult. I think it's easier for me to draw what I see rather than from my mind. I can usually draw people's faces and hands using a pencil, and shade them to look close to what I'm seeing. That's what I'm most comfortable with.

I've been reading through these forums, and have been studying the Loomis books particularly Figure Drawing, and have practiced drawing the skeleton and adding the muscles, and done a lot of the perspective exercises in the beginning. I have also bought a book called Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, and I'm pretty comfortable with the exercises in the book. Mostly things drawing from life.

I haven't done any painting, except for assignments in Art 101 which I took about a few years ago in college. I have just started reading tutorials online on color and painting, and practicing them with my Wacom tablet using either Photoshop or Corel Painter.

I completed a handful of 3D tutorials with Maya and have done hundreds of pages of exercises from their Getting Started book, but after a while I decided I should try to get better at drawing before I try to master a 3D program.

Other than that, I've practiced a little photography for the past year or so, and read several books and magazines on how to take better pictures.

I don't know if this is enough information to give an idea of what level I am, but I am wondering if this course would be good for me to take, or if I should wait and just study the books/tutorials I've been reading until I get better.

[soulDroid]

Hey Robert, I've enrolled yesterday in your next workshop. I'm looking forward to the start date. Until that I'm into "Figure Drawing..." from Loomis and having much of those "Aha" moments you promise we'll have in your lessons. I hope to be ready for such a dense course, at least it has been fortuitous for me that you moved the date to August, because in summer my working day it's reduced in time.

[hectored]

Hi Rob! I'm more than interested in your class. The 3rd run overlaps with some projects (like finishing school this semester :P), although I would like to take right the next run.

I'm in a situation similar to Sizu's, could you tell us your opinion about that? Although I do hope we'll learn from the class.

Thank you for opening the 3rd run, and I wish to be in the next run.

Cheers :D

[Lunatique]

I don't know if this is enough information to give an idea of what level I am, but I am wondering if this course would be good for me to take, or if I should wait and just study the books/tutorials I've been reading until I get better.


I'm in a situation similar to Sizu's, could you tell us your opinion about that? Although I do hope we'll learn from the class.

I don't know if you guys have read this entire thread, and if you haven't I recommend it since it answered a lot of questions that many people had, including elaborating in great detail about the various aspects of the workshop. It's been mentioned more than a few times that this workshop was extremely difficult to create in the first place because I had to make sure it catered to artists of all levels--from beginners to advanced. I'm very proud of the fact that I have managed to pull this off. In the workshop, the beginners, intermediate, and advanced artists are all learning together, using the exact same material, and they are also interacting with each other. Artists of all levels are getting different things out of this workshop. I explain all topics--whether it's simple and basic, or advanced and complex, in ways that even total beginners can understand. I also delve deep in topics that intermediate and advanced artists often "think" they already know, but I go to much greater depths that they are surprised by how much they actually don't know, or how their creative approach/mentality was severely flawed to begin with.

This current run that's going on right now have a pretty even spread between beginner, intermediate, and advanced artists, and they are all having a great time. We have a lot of 3D artists this time around, and they are really getting their asses kicked by the assignments, but they are learning so much and having so many "AHA!" moments that they are loving the challenge. We're on the week about colors right now and many are blown away by how it's completely changed the way they observe the world around them (last week's focus on lighting and values was like that too). And they have no idea how much more fun it's about to get when we venture into week five (advanced line quality, brushwork, and textures) and six (expressive characters, stylization, and aesthetics), when many of them will feel like they've died and gone to heaven. :drool:

So yes, you can be a beginner and still learn a ton from the workshop. I've had beginners in the first run, in this current (second) run, and I will always welcome beginners. I even have an extra-curricular training routine I've developed for just the beginners.

[steveskittles]

I dont know why i keep reading this thread. Im doing nothing but teasing myself :cry:
Everytime Robert replies to this thread the sense of passion and wisdom seems to pour from every word and i cant help but get all excited inside, and im not even on the course!! The heart longs, that which the wallet cannot provide :sad:

Im going to do all that i can to participate in this next run of this course......even sell my body on the streets :blush:

[kennychaffin]

I dont know why i keep reading this thread. Im doing nothing but teasing myself :cry:
Everytime Robert replies to this thread the sense of passion and wisdom seems to pour from every word and i cant help but get all excited inside, and im not even on the course!! The heart longs, that which the wallet cannot provide :sad:

Im going to do all that i can to participate in this next run of this course......even sell my body on the streets :blush:

Is that legal in Ireland?

:)

[steveskittles]

I know a few spots haha :bounce:

[Xpandemic]

I really hope you guys do a rerun on this workshop, meanwhile I will be taking some drawing courses in community college to gain some experience and hopefully gather enough money for your next workshop.

quick question:
1. Have you seen major improvements with the students?

[Lunatique]

quick question:
1. Have you seen major improvements with the students?

I just got an email from someone asking whether the assignments could be used to fill the holes in his portfolio, and my answer to him is also relevant to your questions as well. This is what I wrote to him:

That's a good question. Generating portfolio pieces is not conductive to the kind of interaction I have designed for the workshop, because every student has different focus on what they want to do with their careers. Some want to be 3D artists, some want to be comic book artists, some want to be environment concept artists, some want to be children's book illustrators, and so on. But there are certain assignments where the students are free to come up with their own ideas, and that's when you can cater the assignments to your portfolio needs. But I will guarantee you that once you see the kind of assignments we have in the workshop, you wouldn't want to do your portfolio pieces because they will not teach you nearly as much as the carefully designed assignments will.

There are lots of assignments, covering visual narrative, composition, lighting, values, colors, brushwork/surface treatment, expressive characters, emotions, aesthetics, and so on, and they all tackle very specific artistic, creative, and technical problems that are designed to shove the students out of their comfort zone as hard as possible so they must fight for their lives, and in that process, they muster the strength and ingenuity they didn't even know they had. Not all will succeed, and many will fail in the assignments, but that's the beauty of it--until students are put to the test, they really don't know just how much they know or don't know. Then the most awesome part happens--I give thorough critiques on their assignments and that often becomes additional "AHA!" moments, where things just click and they realized how and why they failed, and how they can formulate a strong strategy to reverse the failure. The next iteration they turn in is often greatly improved and that's when you know the students have really learned a lot. I have been surprised more than a few times in each of the workshop by students who seemed to be struggling to hit the mark for the assignments, and then after I gave a thorough critique, BAM! All of a sudden they knock me over with vastly improved versions that just blew my mind how good it was compared to the previous efforts. Moments like that really put a big smile on my face because I just witnessed an amazing spurt of growth from an artist on his/her way to eventual greatness. The fulfillment I feel from knowing that the workshop I worked so hard on to cause that kind of metamorphosis really worked, is the reason I always give 110% to my students.

The students also help each other by offering advice, trading tips and tricks, and also giving lots of loving encouragement and support. The kind of atmosphere I foster for the workshop is one of positive encouragement and tireless pursuit of excellence, where students of all levels are cheering each other on, helping each other get through difficulty, and being proud of each other as they make progress and advance forward together. I just had a student in week four (focused on colors) make this really nifty video showing a comprehensive chart of the entire color spectrum (relatively speaking) being lit by a colored light source with color shift cycles in real-time of all possible colors and saturation levels--it was inspired by that week's course material on the effects of colored lights on different colored surfaces. It was totally unexpected, but this is the kind of magic that happens during the workshop, when the students are so inspired that they would go out of their way and contribute even more valuable additions to the discussion. We had the most amazing discussion in the first run of the workshop about chroma, the illusion of brightness, and the requirements of optimal values and temperature shifts for them to be maximized, and it all took place because of an inquisitive and curious student asking all the difficult questions, which got everyone involved in investigating the topic further. Out of that, a whole new chapter was added to the course material for that week.

[Xpandemic]

Thanks Robert, this is exactly what I wanted in a class, friendly students that support each other every step of the way and having that sparkly "Aha" moment :D. I still can't believe the massive amount of content and effort you put into this workshop and I really hope this workshop continues or it would be a big waste.

Thanks again Robert

[hectored]

Rob, I sincerely appreciate your compelling answer.

I've been talking to one of your current students and I'm amazed of all the great experience the students are having.

As I'm unable to take the run on August, I'll be looking forward to take right the next one!! Thank you so much in advance.

Cheers!!!

[Sizu]

Robert, thanks for the reply. I actually read through the entire thread after posting that question, and it did answer everything for me. I enrolled in the workshop soon after reading the thread, and I'm really looking forward to it. Sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for at this point to help me become a better artist.

[sedas]

Hi Robert,

I am very interested in following your course but the august one will be hard for me in terms of having enough available time ... I do hope you will find the time hopefully to do another one near the end of this year or early next year ...

Creative greetings,

Steven

[mitcoz]

Ok after reading this whole thread, and everyones replys and Roberts input, I decided to enroll:).

[Lunatique]

I have been getting emails asking about whether getting busy with life/work/school during the workshop will result in falling behind, and also if there will be more runs after the August workshop. Here's one of my replies:

I do hope to repeat the workshop in the future, but in the near future, the August workshop will be the last one for 2010. I hope to repeat it next year, but you never know what changes life will bring.

As for going away for a week or being busy for a bit during the workshop, that's what happens to majority of the students anyway. Most have full-time jobs, school, and family, and often they have unexpected things happen during the workshop. Since all students have indefinite access to the workshop and course material, they can review the content at their leisure anytime. Also, I'm pretty relaxed about deadlines--often student hand in assignments from 3 or even 4 weeks ago and I'm totally fine with that. I only care whether the students learn something and gain valuable insights. I'm not here to pass or fail anyone--I'm here to help you learn and grow. I even check-in with the students well after the workshop officially ends to answer questions, do critiques, offer advice...etc, so the 8-weeks aren't really carved in stone--at least not for me. I still check-in with my March 2010 class students even now, and it ended months ago.

[mitcoz]

Hi Robert,

quick question, how involved are you on the forums etc once the course starts? Like once you have uploaded the videos for that week for example, do you go of and leave us to our own devices? Ive done a couple courses where thats happened and you get a response back from the lecturer like 3-4 days later. Also are the classes like everyday?. Sorry if you answered this before and I didnt see it.

[Lunatique]

Hi Robert,

quick question, how involved are you on the forums etc once the course starts? Like once you have uploaded the videos for that week for example, do you go of and leave us to our own devices? Ive done a couple courses where thats happened and you get a response back from the lecturer like 3-4 days later. Also are the classes like everyday?. Sorry if you answered this before and I didnt see it.

If any of my past or current students sees this question, they'll laugh out loud. I should probably just let one of them answer this question, but just in case everyone's at SIGGRAPH and not following this thread, I'll answer it.

I'm probably one the most dedicated, passionate, and involved instructor you'll ever come across. If you simply read the testimonials on the course description page, you'll understand (in the "What You'll Learn" section):
http://beta.workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=40

The student testimonials already in this thread will also answer your question--just read this thread backwards for a couple of pages and you'll see.

[fionaaaa]

I am one of the students in the first run. I have attended few CG workshops before and I think that he is the most passionate and involved instructor that I have come across. He replied all our threads and posts everyday and he gives in-depth comments which lead you to think more. He teaches what he knows to his students and even though the class has already ended in May, he still replies our questions. I would recommend any people who want to improve their drawing skills to attend this course.

[SergeantOreo]

If any of my past or current students sees this questions, they'll laugh out loud. I should probably just let one of them answer this question, but just in case everyone's at SIGGRAPH and not following this thread, I'll answer it.

I'm probably one the most dedicated, passionate, and involved instructor you'll ever come across. If you simply read the testimonials on the course description page, you'll understand (in the "What You'll Learn" section):
http://beta.workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=40

The student testimonials already in this thread will also answer your question--just read this thread backwards for a couple of pages and you'll see.I nearly did..

Out of the few art teachers I've had, Robert is absolutely the best; end of story. During the first run of the workshop, he was very active, replying quite promptly to our forum posts. And it's not only a matter of speed, as he expounds as much as he needs to explain a subject to you.

The Becoming a Better Artist workshop was one of the best things of my year. :D
(Hopefully that wasn't too sentimental)

[Berax0r]

Robert is the extra-super-best-mega instructor ever. I just posted a really hard question 10 min ago and he already replied. I so much love him. <3

I'll write my review one the class is over. :)

[ReelNuts]

Greetings:

I have enrolled in the Becoming A Better Artist wrokshop which starts today. I received confirmation but have not received a welcome email with my user name and password. I don't want to fall behind right away. Can someone email me as soon as possible to I can get started on the class? Thank you.

[Lunatique]

Greetings:

I have enrolled in the Becoming A Better Artist wrokshop which starts today. I received confirmation but have not received a welcome email with my user name and password. I don't want to fall behind right away. Can someone email me as soon as possible to I can get started on the class? Thank you.

Have you checked your email's spam filter? Sometimes it eats legitimate emails. Also, have you tried contacting the staff at CGWorkshop? The support page is here:
http://beta.workshops.cgsociety.org/support

There's a form on the bottom you can use to contact the staff.

[girl3D]

I just joined the workshop a few days ago and I can tell you that Robert is amazing. The amount of information he's sharing in week 1 is staggering. I'm still reading through the lecture notes and there's so much material in there that it's mind boggling. Amazing!

[Jinx161]

Cant wait to catch next one

[Sizu]

Hi Robert,

quick question, how involved are you on the forums etc once the course starts? Like once you have uploaded the videos for that week for example, do you go of and leave us to our own devices? Ive done a couple courses where thats happened and you get a response back from the lecturer like 3-4 days later. Also are the classes like everyday?. Sorry if you answered this before and I didnt see it.

I'm taking this class right now, and Robert answers every single question you have, every single day that you ask. He is extremely involved in the discussions with every single student. It's like having your own private teacher, I'm not sure how he does it because it seems like it would be so much work on his part, but he does, and he does it extremely well. He also gives you detailed answers to everything, and critiques that explain to you in detail everything that you need to improve or what was done correctly, and why.

A single week in this course had more useful information in it than a whole semester of art class from my experience. I can go back and read everything from the past weeks over and over to try and absorb all of the knowledge that Robert passes on to us through the course. There is so much that you get out of this course, and the assignment are extremely fun and also challenging. Doing each assignment makes you actually feel like you have progressed as an artist because they really challenge you, and it really doesn't matter what level you are because even a novice can complete the assignments through Robert's instructions, but also will challenge the abilities of an advanced artist. This class is just amazing, and I'm thankful that Robert put in so much time and hard work to offer this to us.

[girl3D]

From my perspective, the biggest challenge for me is time. I anticipated 8-10 hours a week for this class. That works if you are already a pretty good artist, can draw realisticly (as in "dead on realism" like the renaissance masters), none of that abstract picasso-esque drawing, can draw using a tablet, and really have your brain / hand / eye coordination down; now 8 - 10 hours a weeks is a realistic time frame for you.

Since I'm still learning to draw realistically, just started using a tablet, and learning all the information that Rob gives out => this means a 40 hours a week in order to really get the most out of the class. Since my time schedule is really tough, it means that I am really slow in completing the class work. Many times I have to watch the videos over and over and reread all the material again and again.

I would say that this is the toughest class I've ever taken. Rob gives so much information that I am overwhelmed each week, plus you have to read all the other students' work (which is another 4-8 hours or so) in order to understand the critiques and think about how it applies to your own work. At this rate, I may have to take the class again just so I can absorb it all. Right now I'm in overwhelm mode so much that I stopped absorbing it all. Thinking and understanding is one thing. Being able to reproduce and incorporate what he teaches you is another thing.

[Lunatique]

From my perspective, the biggest challenge for me is time. I anticipated 8-10 hours a week for this class. That works if you are already a pretty good artist, can draw realisticly (as in "dead on realism" like the renaissance masters), none of that abstract picasso-esque drawing, can draw using a tablet, and really have your brain / hand / eye coordination down; now 8 - 10 hours a weeks is a realistic time frame for you.

Since I'm still learning to draw realistically, just started using a tablet, and learning all the information that Rob gives out => this means a 40 hours a week in order to really get the most out of the class. Since my time schedule is really tough, it means that I am really slow in completing the class work. Many times I have to watch the videos over and over and reread all the material again and again.

I would say that this is the toughest class I've ever taken. Rob gives so much information that I am overwhelmed each week, plus you have to read all the other students' work (which is another 4-8 hours or so) in order to understand the critiques and think about how it applies to your own work. At this rate, I may have to take the class again just so I can absorb it all. Right now I'm in overwhelm mode so much that I stopped absorbing it all. Thinking and understanding is one thing. Being able to reproduce and incorporate what he teaches you is another thing.

For any student that feels overwhelmed by the workshop, it's very important to remember that it is not a pass or fail kind of workshop. I know perfectly well that I've created an epic workshop filled to the brim with knowledge that will take years to fully absorb--that was what I aimed for. My goal was to give students something that is worth far, far more than the $549 they paid, and it will become like their personal art knowledge bible that they can continue to review and refer to for years to come, and still learn new things from it.

Also remember, there is no deadline for the assignment. I will continue to answer questions and do critiques long after the workshop is over--this is something I have promised all of my students. So you can do assignments you missed even after the workshop is over and I'll still help you with critiques. One more thing to remember--you don't have to do all the assignments--just do the ones that you have time for in that week, and you can do the other assignments later--as late as you'd like. I mean, even if you turn in an assignment a year later after the workshop ended--guess what? Just notify me about it and I'll still give you critique and answer your questions. In a way, my workshop has no real ending date. It goes on for as long as CGSociety still exists, or that I'm still alive and healthy.

This workshop is far more than meets the eye. I think this is very obvious to anyone reading this thread by now.

[Lunatique]

BTW, I've agreed to teach another run in early or mid October, so for those of you who couldn't make the previous runs or was put on the waiting list (all 3 past workshops were sold out quickly), here's another chance for you to catch it. It'll be the last workshop for 2010, and if you miss it, you'll have to wait for next year. I'm not sure yet when I'll be doing another run next year.

[Lunatique]

I'm taking this class right now, and Robert answers every single question you have, every single day that you ask. He is extremely involved in the discussions with every single student. It's like having your own private teacher, I'm not sure how he does it because it seems like it would be so much work on his part, but he does, and he does it extremely well. He also gives you detailed answers to everything, and critiques that explain to you in detail everything that you need to improve or what was done correctly, and why.

A single week in this course had more useful information in it than a whole semester of art class from my experience. I can go back and read everything from the past weeks over and over to try and absorb all of the knowledge that Robert passes on to us through the course. There is so much that you get out of this course, and the assignment are extremely fun and also challenging. Doing each assignment makes you actually feel like you have progressed as an artist because they really challenge you, and it really doesn't matter what level you are because even a novice can complete the assignments through Robert's instructions, but also will challenge the abilities of an advanced artist. This class is just amazing, and I'm thankful that Robert put in so much time and hard work to offer this to us.

I get it done the old-fashioned way--by spending hours and hours everyday writing critiques, answering questions, posting additional insights and notes, and so on. On busy days I put in 8 hours or more, so yes, it is a lot of work, and this is very different from other workshops where the instructors are doing it on the side for some extra money while working full-time in a studio. My mission statement is to change the lives of my students--it's a very different goal and motivation.

I'm glad you are having a great time. I really try very hard to make sure my students learn as much as they can, and I try my best to not only pass on knowledge, but to transform the students from the inside out, so their way of thinking is totally transformed by the end of the workshop. This isn't just about learning how to draw, paint, foundational knowledge, advanced concepts and workflow--it's also about metamorphosis as a creative person. You'll see just how deep the rabit hole really goes by the time you have reached the end of the workshop--it'll blow your mind. We're only on week four, and the most exciting stuff hasn't even happened yet. Wait till you see what's coming in week five, six, and seven! :beer:

[Jinx161]

I get it done the old-fashioned way--by spending hours and hours everyday writing critiques, answering questions, posting additional insights and notes, and so on. On busy days I put in 8 hours or more, so yes, it is a lot of work, and this is very different from other workshops where the instructors are doing it on the side for some extra money while working full-time in a studio. My mission statement is to change the lives of my students--it's a very different goal and motivation.

I'm glad you are having a great time. I really try very hard to make sure my students learn as much as they can, and I try my best to not only pass on knowledge, but to transform the students from the inside out, so their way of thinking is totally transformed by the end of the workshop. This isn't just about learning how to draw, paint, foundational knowledge, advanced concepts and workflow--it's also about metamorphosis as a creative person. You'll see just how deep the rabit hole really goes by the time you have reached the end of the workshop--it'll blow your mind. We're only on week four, and the most exciting stuff hasn't even happened yet. Wait till you see what's coming in week five, six, and seven! :beer:

I cant wait to get into the next run. Iv'e been searching for the answers to my struggles in drawing and painting and I think that I have possibly been just amassing too many different books, dvds, tutorials, etc and I dont have the fundamentals as solid as they should be. The fact remains that while I have taken intro to drawing and advanced drawing classes in college I didnt really have anyone explain why some of the methods were used and just didnt see the importance in them. I really wanted a good teacher or program and I think that this will answer a lot of my questions and show me the ways I can push myself and make a study that much better. Ways to think about doing things and solving things on my own rather then trying over and over with no real direction. Being able to see my own mistakes that I might not have seen before, and get some good critical thinking habits while studying is going to be awesome.
So if anyone else has any before and after drawings and any reviews on the class so far or if you have completed it prior please post. I am interested in seeing everyones progress!

[Lunatique]

Iv'e been searching for the answers to my struggles in drawing and painting and I think that I have possibly been just amassing too many different books, dvds, tutorials, etc and I dont have the fundamentals as solid as they should be.

One common mistake many people make is that they hoard learning material but never really take full advantage of them. They have tons of books and videos but they aren't absorbing all that knowledge, and instead are like deers caught in the headlight because they don't know how to analyze, absorb, and utilize all that learning material. Lots of my students have purchased books and DVD's or even took other workshops, taken classes, went to art school, and so on, and they all tell me they learned far more during 8 seeks with me than they ever did previously. Who is doing the teaching makes the biggest difference. I try very hard to be the best teacher I can be, and I'm constantly adjusting my approach as I get feedback from students, adapting to their specific and individual needs.

So if anyone else has any before and after drawings and any reviews on the class so far or if you have completed it prior please post. I am interested in seeing everyones progress!

I think I already showed you Edward's thread:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=166&t=880796

As for other students' comments about the workshop, if you read this thread backwards for a few pages, you'll see a bunch of them. The students can't post any of the assignments they did during the workshop since it's against the agreement (Edward's case is unique since that painting he posted was not officially part of the workshop but an extracurricular assignment just for him), because the assignments are uniquely designed to teach very specific lessons from the workshop. You don't do any "graduating' pieces of artwork or anything--it's all pretty much separate assignments that target specific problem-solving for each week, and they can be very challenging, to the point where the students feel like they are getting their asses kicked; however, they end up learning so much from the ass-kicking that each boot up the ass becomes a new "AHA!" moment. What you learn from the workshop will become a big part of your new creative arsenal, and how you apply them to your own personal/professional work is then up to you. I can tell you that during the workshop, the students see incredible improvements in their ability to solve creative problems, and with every critique they get, their next iteration vastly improves. Many end up with results that they never even imagined they were capable of before they started the assignments. That is part of the magic of the workshop--the in-depth and very thorough critiques.

[Jinx161]

I understand that, I meant before and afters of personal artwork, I get really excited and motivated seeing that and since I'm taking next workshop in a few weeks it's all the more!





One common mistake many people make is that they hoard learning material but never really take full advantage of them. They have tons of books and videos but they aren't absorbing all that knowledge, and instead are like deers caught in the headlight because they don't know how to analyze, absorb, and utilize all that learning material. Lots of my students have purchased books and DVD's or even took other workshops, taken classes, went to art school, and so on, and they all tell me they learned far more during 8 seeks with me than they ever did previously. Who is doing the teaching makes the biggest difference. I try very hard to be the best teacher I can be, and I'm constantly adjusting my approach as I get feedback from students, adapting to their specific and individual needs.



I think I already showed you Edward's thread:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=166&t=880796

As for other students' comments about the workshop, if you read this thread backwards for a few pages, you'll see a bunch of them. The students can't post any of the assignments they did during the workshop since it's against the agreement (Edward's case is unique since that painting he posted was not officially part of the workshop but an extracurricular assignment just for him), because the assignments are uniquely designed to teach very specific lessons from the workshop. You don't do any "graduating' pieces of artwork or anything--it's all pretty much separate assignments that target specific problem-solving for each week, and they can be very challenging, to the point where the students feel like they are getting their asses kicked; however, they end up learning so much from the ass-kicking that each boot up the ass becomes a new "AHA!" moment. What you learn from the workshop will become a big part of your new creative arsenal, and how you apply them to your own personal/professional work is then up to you. I can tell you that during the workshop, the students see incredible improvements in their ability to solve creative problems, and with every critique they get, their next iteration vastly improves. Many end up with results that they never even imagined they were capable of before they started the assignments. That is part of the magic of the workshop--the in-depth and very thorough critiques.

[hectored]

Lunatique, when do you think maybe be possible to have the next run?

I'm looking forward to it!

Cheers!!

[Lunatique]

Lunatique, when do you think maybe be possible to have the next run?

I'm looking forward to it!

Cheers!!

It is scheduled to start on October 18th, and enrollment should start about a month before that. The CGSociety newsletter, website, and this thread will announce it once enrollment is open for registration.

[hectored]

Thank you! :bounce:

Just to take it into consideration: Will the next year be opened again? If so more or less around which date?

I have a trouble taking it on October, in my particular case I'll like to take it on December o January.

Cheers!!

[Lunatique]

Thank you! :bounce:

Just to take it into consideration: Will the next year be opened again? If so more or less around which date?

I have a trouble taking it on October, in my particular case I'll like to take it on December o January.

Cheers!!

I'm not sure about when next year. I will definitely try to teach this workshop for as many times as there are students who need it, and if nothing is stopping me from doing it, then I think early January might be a good time to kick off the 5th run of the workshop.

[halen]

I'm not sure about when next year. I will definitely try to teach this workshop for as many times as there are students who need it, and if nothing is stopping me from doing it, then I think early January might be a good time to kick off the 5th run of the workshop.

Newer know what is going to happen, but early January sounds first time such that I could take part, since haven't booked work there yet and I even might have the money for the workshop. Feeling hopefull. :)

[Lunatique]

Newer know what is going to happen, but early January sounds first time such that I could take part, since haven't booked work there yet and I even might have the money for the workshop. Feeling hopefull. :)

You've been interested in this workshop since the very first run, so yeah, it's about time you jumped on board. :D

[evakristjans]

I would love to be notified about future courses. October would be very difficult for me financial-wise, so January sounds like a more realistic option for me :)

[Lunatique]

Enrollment for the October run of the workshop is now open!
http://beta.workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=76

Act quick because all past workshops were sold out and people had to be put on the waiting list.

This upcoming 4th run is going to be awesome because I have continued to improve and amend to the course material based on all the new stuff that came out the past workshops--additional insights, tips and tricks, more detailed instructions on specific techniques and workflow, and so on.

Remember, this workshop is very demanding and challenging, and it will kick your ass because I will push you hard to go far beyond your comfort zone, but you will learn so much that you'll feel like your brain's going to explode due to all the new knowledge. You will not be able to absorb all it right away, but you will be learning new stuff every time you revisit the material. Also don't forget, I'll be providing critiques and answering questions long after the workshop has ended, so there's no pressure.

[Whirlwind123]

I really really really hope I can afford to sign up in Jan :D been waiting to jump on board for ages!

Good luck to those in the Oct class. Hope you all have fun.

[FabioMSilva]

hey Robert,
i'm kinda interested in entering this workshop, specially since i know you're the kind of guy who really likes to help people(you've gave me good c&C in the past & i didnt spent a penny at that time), can't imagine how good will be to spend 8weeks under your tutoring

I guess the principles in this workshop are also valuable in 3D(i am mostly interested in composition for illustrations\classical paintings style, and color theory(i'm reading Alla Prima!! finlly got it!). Tho i'm kinda interested in really pushing my 2d art skills up as well (sometimes i think i'd like to change, since doing an illustration from scratch seems faster in 2d than 3d)

Do you cover anatomy too in this workshop? It's one of the main reasons I might not take it this time, since im going to buy a freedom of teach anatomy statue..and it's really damn expensive.

So i'll probably take the workshop :) just not this time
still looking forward to hear more from you!

cheers

[Lunatique]

The workshop does not cover basic anatomy/figure, but it does cover advanced concepts in expressive characters such as the inner workings of why facial expressions convey emotions the way they do, how subtle changes body language can completely change the emotion conveyed, how facial features convey personality types, aesthetics in figure and facial proportions, dissecting feminine and masculine beauty, stylization, idealization, the anatomy of visual vocabulary...etc. These advanced concepts can be learned even if you have never studied anatomy and figure, but they are also the kind of very advanced concepts that you cannot learn by simply studying anatomy and figure.

[FabioMSilva]

thanks Rober.
looking forward to do this class with u one day!

cheers

[halen]

You've been interested in this workshop since the very first run, so yeah, it's about time you jumped on board. :D

Definitely. :D This is an interesting workshop.

There has always been a lot of things going on and since I'm currently doing art stuff only part time (software engineering the other part), my schedule seems to be quite easily booked months from almost any current time. Now, if there is workshop starting at January, I could probably do it by booking empty there and it seems that I could even have the money by then. So - looking forward for January. And also slightly horrified, since already know some fundamental things I should learn...:D

[deblewis]

I so want to take this course but I'm very much a beginner, will I be totally lost?

[Lunatique]

I've been getting emails asking me similar questions ever since the first run of the workshop, and I'm still getting them now. The questions are always related to "I'm a beginner, so is this workshop for me?" or "I'm a 3D artist (or insert any other visual artist), and I'm wondering if this workshop is relevant and helpful to someone like me?" or "I'm already a professional artist working in (insert industry) doing (insert job), and I'd like to know what I would gain from taking this workshop."

I've already answered these types of question many times by email and also right in this thread, and I'll answer them here again, hopefully even more thoroughly than before, and I"ll be using this post as a link for any more similar questions I get in the future. So here goes:

This workshop was painstaking designed so that advanced, intermediate, and beginner artists can all learn a lot from it, and students of different levels will all gain different things from it. The kind of "AHA!" moments the advanced artists will have will be different from the ones the intermediate and novices will have, and vice versa. The workshop is so epic and encompassing that everyone will get very valuable "AHA!" moments from each week. I have had students that were already art directors and they learned a lot of valuable stuff along with the intermediate and novice artists. One of the students who was already an art director even said that the first week alone was worth the price of the enrollment fee, while the beginner and intermediate students were just completely blown away by all the new knowledge and insights they were being exposed to week after week. Yet despite the differences in skill and knowledge among the students, they all were learning from the same material, and doing the same assignments. The assignments challenged the students of different levels in different ways, but all learned very much from them--often completely changing they way they think about and approach art forever.

One of the gravest misunderstandings I see in 3D is that many people who do 3D don't realize just how incredibly important the foundations of visual art are, and every single piece of subpar 3D artwork usually suffers precisely because the person behind the artwork is lacking the essential foundations of visual art. While one can google for such information or buy books or take classes, the problem is that most don't know how to properly analyze and digest such information and be able to utilize them effectively, nor do they have the depth and range of knowledge and experience to know how to creatively wield all that knowledge as potent and lethal weapons as artists. Worse yet, is that some learning materials and instructors are often subpar at teaching, aren't very thorough, aren't knowledgeable themselves, or suffer from a very narrow point of view. My unique way of teaching stems from the fact that I'm not just an artist, but also a passionate storyteller, writer/director, composer/musician, photographer, and my creative career spans a wide range of creative mediums and industries, so I have very unique insights that very few instructors have. I've had a number of students tell me they learned far more in eight weeks with me than they ever did in all the years they went to art school or worked professionally, or from all the learning resources they have accumulated and experienced.

If you read all the testimonials from my past students on the workshop details page (linked in the very first post of this thread), you'll see how my workshop has totally opened their eyes and minds, even when many of them have already gone to art school, or even worked professionally as artists for years. My students also ranged from concept artists, illustrators, animators, comic book artists, 3D modelers, CG generalists, photographers, graphic designers, and so on. They all loved the workshop and learned tons from it, and for many, it changed their lives not only as creative talents, but also as human beings with aspirations, dreams, and goals in life. For many, I think one of the greatest surprises is that although they expected to learn a lot about the essential foundations, drawing and painting techniques, and highly flexible and powerful professional workflow (all of which they got in spades and then some), they did not expect the lessons about creative vision, personal growth, professional aspirations, and life-long fulfillment to have hit them so hard, changing the way they look at everything related to their creative inspirations, career aspirations, and personal fulfillment, thus transforming them completely as artists. You can see this very clearly from the student testimonials, as well as the posts in this thread.

I believe this workshop is relevant to visual artists of any kind, regardless of your experience, industry, specialty, or medium, and it will likely completely transform you as a creative person from the inside out, and have a lasting influence on the rest of your life as both an artist and a human being. That was my goal when I created this workshop, and from all the passionately glowing feedback I have gotten from my past students, I believe firmly that I have succeeded.

I'm always evolving the workshop, adding to, updating, improving all the material and my approach as I observe the students and their reactions, the kind of questions they ask, the things they struggle with, and so on. Each run of the workshop is better than the previous, and it'll keep on getting better and better, for as long as I'm still teaching it.

[deblewis]

Rob

Sorry I had a cross post going on there.. :) the timing on my email and forum post was a little out of whack..

Thank You for such a thorough answer.. I feel much more confident.. I think one obstacle for a beginner like myself is to remember I'm a beginner and to not be afraid to make mistakes.. I find sometimes I stop myself because my vision isn't translating on the page.. I'm not sure why I would expect a masterpiece without making my share of mistakes first.. Seeing your realistic expectations reminds me to keep my own in check.. Letting fear of imperfection paralyze me has to go!

Anyway I signed up and I'm very much looking forward to the course..

[Jinx161]

Rob

Sorry I had a cross post going on there.. :) the timing on my email and forum post was a little out of whack..

Thank You for such a thorough answer.. I feel much more confident.. I think one obstacle for a beginner like myself is to remember I'm a beginner and to not be afraid to make mistakes.. I find sometimes I stop myself because my vision isn't translating on the page.. I'm not sure why I would expect a masterpiece without making my share of mistakes first.. Seeing your realistic expectations reminds me to keep my own in check.. Letting fear of imperfection paralyze me has to go!

Anyway I signed up and I'm very much looking forward to the course..

I am right there with you! Thats exactly the feeling I have trying to draw and paint. I've seen videos and people do it in front of me, and I can see how they did it, but when I am trying to apply it to my vision onto my paper or digital canvas I freeze, and it comes out a mess and I stop. I know I should't stop now, and I have to get those 10,000 bad drawings from birth out of me asap before I can begin to see drawings I am happy with! I have been enrolled in this workshop as well, and I really look forward to the 11th! Its almost exactly like, all my question I have had as of late, and struggles, and frustrations and doubt about being able to make a career of it, all of this is going to be answered and foundational knowledge that I have not got from school or studying books alone. Its really like the perfect course for me and where I am at in my development. Its a jump start, and a solid base to build upon and be self reliant and sufficient in studying further.
Knowing that Robert is so passionate about his work and this class/students, and always adding to it, I really think I will re-take the class after a few months go by. I think the new stuff he add's and a refresher is key, as most know, when you watch a video or read a book for the second time you see a wealth of knowledge and AHA! moments you didn't in the first time around!

[EmilDR]

It's such a shame that i don't have money right now to enroll on your class :( I do hope you write a book about these workshops in the near future. :beer:

[cg-cnu]

Hi Rob,

Thank you for your valuable time and patience. I have read the posts on which you have given advice to so many people. The way you answer the questions really gives me motivation. If this is the type of attention and care you are taking with out taking a buck, then what would you do if we pay $549?

Really.... Rob I want to join the workshop, but right now I don't have a job and can't pay you. $549 is a heavy amount for me. But I will definitely join it in the future. I think you will conduct this type of workshop next year, will you? Please do.

I have little or no art knowledge. By the next time I will be more prepared for your class. As you said I will study all the andrew loomies books from cover to cover. I think the time will be enough to get some solid foundation from the book and looking forward to learn some advanced concepts and "AHAA" moments from your next workshop.

I have some questions......

I am basically a 3d artist and has been working for 2 years and wanted to develop my career in texturing so what type of art knowledge should I focus on which portion of the workshop will be more valuable for me.

Can you suggest me some cource of study or what areas to foucuss on before enrolling for the workshop. I mean what topics do you want us to have a knowledge before hand so that we can get most out of your workshop. (like anatomy or color theory...) and what are the steps to take to develop them.

Please do comment on the things which I didn’t mentioned here and which you think might be useful for me.

Thanks and regards,
sreenivas.

[Lunatique]

I would suggest that you start with the easiest Loomis books and work your way up to his most advanced book. Or you can try tackling them all at once, but doing the first chapter of each book, and then move on to the next chapter of each book. If you find any of the books becoming too advanced for you, then put it aside and concentrate on the ones you can understand and keep going, then revisit the harder books later.

It's important to get you your technical skills up to par, so try to push yourself to be able to copy an image as closely as possible, so that it looks almost identical to the original. You can try this with a photograph or someone else's artwork, or copy drawings and painting from art instruction books (or even do still life from real life). The idea is to train your eye-hand coordination as well as your ability to observe, analyze and reproduce proportions, values, colors, edges, and details. This is basic stuff and the better you can pull it off the more prepared you will be technically when you join the workshop.

[cg-cnu]

you can try tackling them all at once, but doing the first chapter of each book, and then move on to the next chapter of each book. If you find any of the books becoming too advanced for you, then put it aside and concentrate on the ones you can understand and keep going, then revisit the harder books later.

Thank you for your reply. I think the above method will be useful for me. I will start drawing.
I will get ready for the next term of the workshop.

[lukaru]

I'm currently participating in that course. We are in the 8th week. What can I say? The material is great and Robert is a very good teacher. His critiques are thorough and straight to the point.
The course is very demanding and focus on all main things a skilled artist should handle. We were constantly pushed out of our comfort zones and did things we never did before.

There is a lot of material to read and watch. And when I mean a lot I mean a REAL lot. In fact I didn't expected that amount. But still it is written in such a way that I could absorb a lot after one reading. Robert provides links to additional material and lists of books and dvds on subjects of almost each week, as well.

The course have broaden my view on art. I can recommend it to any artist that want to flex his/her creative muscles and thinks about really speeding up his/her progress. Everybody has achilles' heel being it a composition, lighting, brushwork etc. The course would reveal it painfully clear and would give a solution how to adress it.

The course also checked my ability to deal with totally new subjects and deliver assingments on topics I have never touched before. It is very daunting especially to one cursed with perfectionism. We had discussions how to approach blocks like that, too. And Robert's encouragements were very helpful for me, personally.

Anyway, I'm very glad that I took part in the course and I recommend it :)

[RicoD]

I'm also in the same course as Lukasz. This workshop is simply amazing!

There are just too many things this workshop has to offer to mention them all, so I'll just tell what it meant for me.

To me, the biggest impact was Robert's hands on and personal approach. You can just tell that he really wants to help, watches your progress and corrects where necessary. And he adapts the amount of guidance depending on what each individual student needs. Students are also encouraged to read the other students' threads and engage in conversations with them.

He also knows what he's talking about and can back up any point he presents. If it's a personal opinion, he just says so and doesn't try to force it on you. And if you need more help with something that can be more easily shown than explained in words, he can just show you since he can do what he teaches. Unlike a lot of textbook teachers out there.

I recognised a lot of the lecture that was taught. But I just thought I knew it, while actually I just had some superficial knowledge of it. Now I know enough to realize I don't really know any of it. I'm just aware of the tip of the iceberg. It's both scary and exciting at the same time. I think my old way of thinking was one of the things which prevented me from progressing. I was quite stubborn about it at first, holding on to my "I know this or that so I'm doing it right", but Robert patiently taught me differently with additional facts, occasionally referring others to our discussion later on. And these matters become vivid and personal and won't be easily forgotten. You really can't get experiences like that from a book or a tutorial video. But if those things are more to your liking, there's a huge amount of text to read through and many videos providing additional info. Doing all of them creates synergy though, so to get the maximum out of it it's recommend you do it all.

It's so much that 8 weeks seem barely enough, but that's to be expected. All of this knowledge takes years to master. You keep access to everything, so you can revisit whenever you want / need to.

I can honestly recommend this workshop if you want to become a better artist, no matter what skill level you have.

[cg-cnu]

hey guys thank you for your info.........

But, You mad me both inspired and afraid. I am frightened that there is a lot of information to grasp in eight weaks. since I am at the starting level that seems a heavy work.

But the good news is that rob will be there to help and guide us. This also gives me much motivation to work hard and learn as much as I can with the andrew's books before joining the classes. I am also planning to spend most of the time during the workshop only on drawing and nothing else. Atleast I will try.

Thanks all........

[lukaru]

Don't be afraid :)

You don't have to finish all assignments in their respective weeks. You can deliver them even after the workshop ends. The good thing is that you are forced to try new things that otherwise you wouldn't even approach - becouse you think you're too much of a novice or becouse you are not familiar with them. But in fact in order to grow it is best to adress the areas you don't know that much. And the best way to address them is under a teacher that would point out your errors straight away, so that you'd grow used to and grasp those things easier and faster then on your own.

Practising with Loomis' books is good, but you can do this along the workshop as well. The workshops is so much more then only drawing. I understand your fears :) But you'd have to swim the open sea one day, anyway. The quicker the better ;) The workshops would give you some tools and let you asses your weaknesses.

Even if you wouldn't have digested all the knowledge like me, you can come back to the material and reread it, rewatch the tutorials as you have an access to all this stuff after the workshops ends. You may post your works in the forum and Robert and your fellow classmates wold give you critiques. E.g. I won't be able to finish all the assignments before the last weak ends but plan on sending them when I can.

[cg-cnu]

hey lukaru,

thank you for the caring words.....I got all my doubts clarified. :bowdown:
Really.......if someone dosent force you to do the new thing..........the fear for the new remains with us for the rest of the life. You know after 2 years of button pushing.....It's really hard for me to sit down and do some anatomy drawings. I am having a really hard time. If the workshop was not coming in 3 months I would have definitely postponed practicing the Loomis' books, so I was keeping the goal of completing the basic books of Loomis'.

Thank you all.

[kdubayoo]

I got back from vacation and I saw this class but looks like too late. If we post in this thread will we be notified when the course repeats?

[Lunatique]

I got back from vacation and I saw this class but looks like too late. If we post in this thread will we be notified when the course repeats?

Yes, unless you change the forum setting in your profiles. If you really want to get in this run (which starts in two days), you can try emailing Biljana and see if she will let you in. Her email is biljana@ballisticmedia.net

[saprissa9]

I will definetely take this class after I take that anatomy class in January. I am a beginner, I just wanna get my anatomy class first before I take classes online with pros.

[samik99]

would like to be notified when the next workshop is open for registration.

thanks

[Lunatique]

Just wanted to let everyone know that the 5th run of the workshop will start on January 17th, 2011. I'll update again when enrollment begins.

For those of you that have been putting it off, with a new year comes new resolutions, and I'm sure that for some of you, the determination to go that extra mile to become the artist you have always aspired to be is part of your new year's resolution. This workshop would be perfect for kicking off the new year with a mind-blowing bang. It will set the tone for the rest of your year, and I have no doubt that for many of you, this workshop will become an important turning point in your life. It certain has for many of the past students, whose passionate praise for the workshop clearly states that they were completely transformed from the inside out as artists after taking this workshop. I hear from past students all the time because they continue to show me their new works for critique, and to see them apply all that they have learned from the workshop to their personal and professional works, and seeing how they have improved by leaps and bounds is very rewarding to me. Many of them are now producing work that don't even look like they're done by the same artist from just months ago. For me, that is proof that the workshop is effective for those who are willing to put in the time and effort to gain from it.

[TetraLynx]

I'm glad you still enjoy teaching these classes. I thought you'd get scared off after the first couple :)

[hectored]

That's really good news!

Thank you very much for the update Robert. Cheers :D!

[Lunatique]

The fifth run of the workshop is now open for enrollment:
http://beta.workshops.cgsociety.org/courseinfo.php?id=98

A bunch of additional past student testimonials have been added to the promo page--you can see them in the "What You'll Learn" section. Once you read those testimonials, you'll have a very good idea of what this workshop can do for you in your quest to become a better artist.

[hazelpg]

Hi,

I'm very much interested in taking this course. I'm a beginner. I took a couple basic art courses in undergrad and I just purchased the Structure of Man course by Riven Phoenix. Anywho, I'm currently in medical school for Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine in my 3rd out of 6 years (getting two degrees at once). I have my basic science boards in February. So, my question is about the average or minimum time commitment to watch the weekly lesson and to do the assignment. How long are you planning on doing these workshops? I'm trying to decide whether I should just wait to take a later workshop or go ahead and do the Jan 2011 one.

Thanks!

Hazel

[kdubayoo]

Excited to see it's back so soon, already! And I just recently became a CGSociety member, so even better.

[Lunatique]

So, my question is about the average or minimum time commitment to watch the weekly lesson and to do the assignment. How long are you planning on doing these workshops? I'm trying to decide whether I should just wait to take a later workshop or go ahead and do the Jan 2011 one.

On average, there are about 14 videos per week to watch, and they're on average ten minutes each, give or take a couple of minutes, so that averages to two hours and twenty minutes of videos each week. The text & images section would take you two to three hours to read through on average. Altogether (text & images + videos), that's roughly five hours or so of content each week.

For assignments, I think it really depends on the student--some are fast, and some are slow, as well as some are more of a perfectionist and will spend all their free time on turning in the best they are capable of. The thing is, there's no deadline. You can just do as much as you have time for, and later, you can go back and do the assignments you didn't have time to do, and I'll still review and critique them, even long after the official ending date of the workshop. My workshop has no real deadline, and my past students to this day--even those from the first couple of runs--are still posting their work in the private workshop forums, and I still review and critique them and answer questions. In a way, if you're become a student of mine, you'll always be my student, until one day you surpass me and no longer need my help.

I would like to teach this workshop for as long as I could, but if the enrollment rate drops to zero at some point, I'll have no choice but to stop. I want to help as many students as possible, since my mission statement was always about changing lives, and the more people I can help the better. But realistically speaking, once a workshop runs for too many times, all the people who wanted to take it has already done so, and eventually it'll have to end. So don't wait too long because this workshop won't run forever, and I can't predict when it'll end.

[idkid]

Robert,

The course sounds great. However, an earlier post of yours puts the cost at $500. The current fee listed on CGsociety is $599.

What is the correct course fee? Thanks.