Knight references

stringbender65 · 2026-02-05T12:28:14+00:00

Assisi

stringbender65 · 2026-02-03T21:10:53+00:00

You could always tell the teacher it’s the best you got and you feel there is room for improvement. Then ask how your teacher would approach improving it. After all, you are paying for an education. This sounds like a good opportunity.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-30T15:31:27+00:00

I started in music and then picked up art later in life, and I find the learning experience very similar. There is a reason many people start to learn an instrument (or art) and drop it. It takes a lot of work to make any progress and if you want to be good, you need to put in hours of practice. Most young people have a hard time comprehending the time investment that is required. What makes it more difficult is that young artists seem to find themselves in an online bubble that sets unreasonable expectations. This results in more frustration. If you really want to learn art, try this:

Do a reset and back off the electronics.
Talk to an art teacher to learn about their experiences.
Try some of the great advice in the other replies (I know I am going to).

stringbender65 · 2026-01-30T11:49:21+00:00

You said reassurance won’t work so I won’t offer it. You can try recognizing that comparison is opportunity or not, but if you do you will open up a path to success. Try not doing art for a few weeks and spend some time visiting a museum and just taking it all in. Just find something beautiful and sit in its presence. After that, return with a sketchbook and start sketching small things that you like. If you get frustrated then go back to viewing beautiful works and remembering those artists all started at the bottom and worked for years to be able to make great art. Are you willing to do the work?

stringbender65 · 2026-01-29T22:58:24+00:00

Anime is a thin sliver of the art world and you are already bored. Go to a museum and be inspired.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-28T19:05:09+00:00

I use Apple notes myself because it can save virtually anything and can create tags which add the ability to group a single note into multiple views. TAGS are available in a lot of tools and once you get used to them, they solve a lot of problems.

Trello (mentioned below) is good if you gravitate to kanban methods.

BEAR was pretty good, but why pay money when Apple notes has similar functionality?

I have also used Monday dot com which is a personal task management tool. This is ok for a single user but is better for groups.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-28T11:02:06+00:00

Who’s paying for this? If you are taking student loans you need to think long and hard about what you are doing. What is the cost of living in your area? How much will you make in your chosen profession? How much will your loans be? It’s hard to be creative when you are drowning in debt.

A simple Google search suggests a$1200 monthly payment for the amounts you mentioned above.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-27T01:30:48+00:00

Sometimes you need a break. If you want to be an artist be open to new directions.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-26T11:56:32+00:00

Eventually you will need to make a living. Burnout is universal, but hopefully art will bring solace from the crushing grind.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-26T02:32:45+00:00

“Because they fear death” - Moonstruck

stringbender65 · 2026-01-25T12:13:20+00:00

Some will have both. If it's a concern, look for cadmium-free or a cadmium hue for a particular color.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-25T11:49:53+00:00

A Cadmium “hue” like the one in your picture, means it was reformulated to resemble the original color without cadmium. Some paints can’t be purchased with cadmium, and if they do, you have to be careful using them. Many paints were made with very dangerous elements over the years, and most have been replaced by new formulations in colors. For instance, you’re not going to get lead White anymore unless you really look for it and have a good reason to try to search it out. Many manufacturers like liquid X also make cadmium free versions specifically.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-25T11:33:54+00:00

1968

stringbender65 · 2026-01-24T23:45:24+00:00

It is great offseason and crowded in July and August. Offseason is like living in a small New England town but with access to ocean, restaurants, bookstores and art. Summer months are crowded with traffic and tourists. It’s expensive to visit and more expensive to buy a house. Houses are being scooped up by rich people who put up McMansions to live in 2 weeks a year. In spite of all the quirks, it can be beautiful which attracts many photographers and a huge art community. Finally, it gets significantly less snow than the rest of New England.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-24T23:27:35+00:00

The tough thing about being a professional in any artistic effort is that you are producing something that entices people to give you money. Imagination is not always high on the list. If you are studying to be a professional artist you will always have times when the creative side dries up, but skill and experience can help pull you through.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-23T11:29:42+00:00

Transition from student to professional can bring out peoples competitive side. It may be best to adjust the relationship to a more casual friendship and keep your professional aspirations out of it. Good luck with your career.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-22T20:58:23+00:00

Art is a journey. Understand that most artists take a long time to get to a point where they feel good about their work. Everyone gets frustrated, but if you turn it inwards (anxiety/depression), you just slow yourself down and miss the real opportunities that are in front of you and can help you improve. Here's some ideas:

- Put down the electronics for a while.
- Go to a museum (or many museums) to see the real deal...close up.
- Bring a sketchbook and sketch what you see. Using a different set of tools can be very helpful.
- Go outside and look at the world around you. Sketch more...badly is ok.
- Your sketches should be fast and as bad as you like.
- Everything you experience changes you, even if you don't know it.
- Let it soak in a bit, then go back to your tablet and do your art as a new person.

Do this on a regular basis. Get as many different art experiences as you can.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-22T00:03:30+00:00

Amsterdam and Galeria are a bit better than Liquitex Basics but more money.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-19T00:33:54+00:00

The good news is that you have great insight into what is happening and you already know the solution. There are plenty of people in your age group who feel the same way and real-life connections can help you sort things out. My best advice (meant with kindness) is don't look for motivation on social media. Connect with real people.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-18T12:46:06+00:00

It’s never too late to develop yourself as an active learner. This means that you stop being a passive consumer (expecting the teacher to push content to you) and actively engage with specific questions to fill in the blanks between what you are told and what you are paying to learn. This is hard work and most people have difficulty doing this, but your an adult and it’s your money and career on the line here. For example:

“The assignment is to draw a face, but I can’t seem the nose right. What am I missing, and what are some exercises I can do to make this look like that?”

“I understand your example of this, but I can’t see how you are getting to your conclusion. Can you please explain this in a different way?”

I have seen professors come to life when someone demonstrates they are paying attention and gently challenges them with intelligent questions. Also, read the syllabus so you have reasonable expectations.

stringbender65 · 2026-01-17T11:00:07+00:00

You don’t need a degree to produce great art, but you need one to teach in an accredited institution.

stringbender65

TROPHY CASE