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279 posts in this topic

Mercurius, talk to your employer about taking a sabbatical. For some employers its a viable option over outright quitting.

 

If your life allows you to take such an opportunity, go for it!

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Mercurius, talk to your employer about taking a sabbatical. For some employers its a viable option over outright quitting.

 

If your life allows you to take such an opportunity, go for it!

 

Thanks man, thats an awesome idea. This is exactley what I'll do!!!! :)

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Mercurius, talk to your employer about taking a sabbatical. For some employers its a viable option over outright quitting.

 

If your life allows you to take such an opportunity, go for it!

 

Thanks man, thats an awesome idea. This is exactley what I'll do!!!! :)

 

My job gives Leave Of Absence for 6 months and perhaps even one year. I know a fellow who went to Europe for 6 moths with his wife at age 50 and then came back. You can always take a LOA/Sabbatical just in case and then quit if you decide to stay.

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Go for it! At worst you get to live in a beautiful city and the life experience is worth it. And you get to try to learn what you love while there? Why not? My wife loved Vienna, worked there for a few years and always wishes to go back. Do this while young, you have the rest of your life to worry about bills and family. Never want to look back and wonder what if?

 

Don't let others drag down a dream because of their experiences. No old man is wiser than the youth because the bias experiences can be no farther than the truth. No two experiences the same. So while some hear talk horrible of art school or school in total, some of the most successful People did go to school. Some drop out when they have gotten all they need. The different perspectives and forms can be appreciated sometimes with the help of a professor or mentor.

 

This all coming from a successful (so far) entrepreneur who dropped out of college. My greatest successes have been my failures. I interned at a record label and after driving twice a week 2 hours to Hollywood and putting in full days I realized I did not want to work for a record label. Greatest failure because I realized what I didn't want to do. Great experience and wouldn't change it if I could.

 

Live life, get outside and have experiences that will last a lifetime.

 

 

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Exactly my experience Artboy. The students that could actually draw were loathed by the instructors.

In response to the other comments of why didn't I put myself out there-I worked with several writers, had several books printed, won an award with my Mr X story, Tales From the Void was lauded at comicon, books are on websites, reviewed and lauded. I did everything humanly possible-there are just way too many talented wannabe artists and writers out there. In a field that has maybe one job opening a year. The current comic artists many of them have to struggle to find work.

when people ask me how do you break into comics I tel them 'you don't'.

 

To the guy who said maybe I'm just not very good (techvoodoo) - bite me.

If someone who can paint this is 'not very good' you are a dolt:

 

http://kaviart.deviantart.com/art/airbrush-painting-284287269

 

Just the one I was going to comment on - really nice, kav.

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If you feel you cannot accomplish it on your own like Mr Frazetta, I guess the school might be right for you. You may return and wish to get your old job back and find things have dried up and there's no money to be made in painting-as long as you are prepared for that.

 

Kav, maybe he just wants to paint. Nowhere in his original post does he say he wants to become a famous painter so he can make lots of money at it.

Is money the only acceptable reason to want to learn more about painting?

Is money what drives your passion to draw?

 

I enjoy drawing and I enjoy painting (landscapes), although not prolifically, and have never once attempted to make a dime from anything- I give them away because I feel satisfaction when seeing the joy and appreciation from friends and family, and when I see my art on their walls. I've given art away here (in raffles) and feel satisfaction when someone claims them when I think their are better choices still available.

 

Aren't people allowed to want to paint just for the love of it- Tuition be damned?

He might go to art school and find his actual calling in another medium (shrug)

Edited by MR SigS☺
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Fourteen pages of presumption. This thread has so much wrong in it. :/

David, c'mon, don’t be so 'snob'… :)

There is a lot of valuable advice and good considerations as well, if you skip past presumption.

 

@kav: tech was speaking in general, not questioning the qualities of your work, which are evident. You have developed style, and this is not necessarily what people looking to hire for commercial work are interested in.

What has been criticized in your advice is this "absolutization": it’s clear that there are many paths in pursuing an interest or gain a formation in a field. It‘s not always possible to earn through one's own interests, but if one manages to do so (even to a limited degree), now that’s a valuable skill you have acquired.

I‘d say your attitude is central to how what you pursue will develop (and into what).

 

@Mercurius: While in Vienna, make a full immersion in Jugendstil for me. :whee:

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Good point.

Ps what if OP, left to develop his own style, would be successful, but learning the style of the school, not. There's that to consider.

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Good point.

Ps what if OP, left to develop his own style, would be successful, but learning the style of the school, not. There's that to consider.

 

I've always been of the mindset, to borrow from artists you admire. Then taking that step further into your own style. Kind of melding them together.

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I'm a big believer in Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule. That it takes a person 10,000 hours of practice to become a master of a skill. My question to the OP is, are you willing to put in a minimum of 10,000 hours to possibly achieve your dream (that's 8 hours a day every day for 3 and a half years)

 

I guess I'm a master masterba....

 

Nevermind

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... maybe he just wants to paint. Nowhere in his original post does he say he wants to become a famous painter so he can make lots of money at it.

Is money the only acceptable reason to want to learn more about painting?

Is money what drives your passion to draw?

 

 

You are totally right - I just want to paint :) and I want to learn some technical aspekts like MISCHTECHNIK... :whee:

 

 

 

 

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There is so much bad advice in this thread from Kav.

 

Go to art school, it will make you a much better artist, and mixing with other students will be invaluable to your development as an artist. And of course Vienna itself will be an inspiration. Trust me on this. Good luck and have fun :)

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There is so much bad advice in this thread from Kav.

 

Go to art school, it will make you a much better artist, and mixing with other students will be invaluable to your development as an artist. And of course Vienna itself will be an inspiration. Trust me on this. Good luck and have fun :)

 

 

Bad advice, or honest advice. You might be confused.

I really think you should apologize.

While I think the experience would be awe inspiring. I also think that you don't have to spend 70K to master your craft either. Isn't that really what kav is talking about?

Art comes from within, not some diploma from a prestigious art school.

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sounds like a potentially great experience. I'd rather be sitting in Vienna than eating Cheetos in my basement.

 

I wonder if those who studied under Michelangelo would have been as good just doing it on their own.

Edited by krighton
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Ok.

 

Kav can only speak to his personal experience which was based on his decisions on his path and his skill and his drive all in the direction of his goals.

 

Kav's advice is only bad in the sense that one shouldn't let someone else's failue dissuade you from trying.

 

Now Im not saying ignore his advice, listen to it, let it be part of collection of information that you use to make your decision. Ignoring it (since it seems at least some what applicable) would be silly, just as saying "well Kav said it was a bid idea so I'm not going to do it"

 

I would say Kav's way of presenting his experience and advice (as an absolute) is bad, but anyone foolish enough to take Kav's (or anyones) personal experience as some sort universal truth has a whole 'nother set of problems to deal with!

 

Kav, you have the benefit in your future of knowing you tried to do the thing you were passionate about. That's a big thing. Plenty of people hit 40 and wish they had tried to do the thing that pulls at their soul. You gave it a go. Thats awesome. It didnt work out. That sucks. But it doesnt work out for 99% of people. But you gave it a shot. Plenty of other people didn't and then spend their 40s, 50s wondering "what might have been" (when we all know that what it might have been was a swing and a miss).

 

The questions is what version of "giving it a shot" will be enough for the OP down the road. Maybe to him "giving it a shot" means going off to school in Vienna. Maybe it means practicing nights and weekends and putting his art in a local craft show in a few years. Both are just fine ways to "scratch the itch" IF they ring right and true to the OP.

 

I think art, and most "creative" areas of expression require a strong network to be successful (and successful can mean making a living doing it, or just having as many opportunities as you desire towards sharing your art). My advice would be to look at alumni of the school you are looking to attend, that will be your best initial network for getting work, getting introductions, getting gallery contacts or how ever you want to share your art. Also look at what sort of alumni services the school has (if any). Since it's an "abroad" school, will you come back to the US leaving your contacts and classmates behind?

 

And remember, so much goes into "succeeding" in any field. Only a percentage of it is related to talent and/or effort. I've seen brilliant people fail (repeatedly) because they lacked any of a number of "soft skills"... communication, social awareness, ability to relate, flexibility

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There is so much bad advice in this thread from Kav.

 

Go to art school, it will make you a much better artist, and mixing with other students will be invaluable to your development as an artist. And of course Vienna itself will be an inspiration. Trust me on this. Good luck and have fun :)

 

 

Bad advice, or honest advice. You might be confused.

I really think you should apologize.

While I think the experience would be awe inspiring. I also think that you don't have to spend 70K to master your craft either. Isn't that really what kav is talking about?

Art comes from within, not some diploma from a prestigious art school.

 

70k is chump change for an opportunity to be enlightened. We live for experience, not to hoard money. Motivation comes from within... art is a reaction to to experience. Without experience, what are you trying to say... Look how well I can draw? Lots of people can draw, it's how and what you communicate that matters. If you get fixiated on just drawing, you will fail as an artist. Go the Vienna. Work the system... get funding. Be great. Only people who do nothing have regrets.

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