By: Corey Bright <[email protected]>

It’s a 100 percent necessary part of my schedule. It’s my release. It’s my relaxation. It’s my own time of reflection. In other words, I love my art classes. And yes, I don’t know what I would do without them. The following is the journey I began as a freshman art student.

Like pretty much every other fine arts student here, I began in drawing classes. These classes definitely have a focus on technique. Most projects begin with finding a visual, such as a photo, and then choosing a crop of that picture. Then, using a variety of media, the artist does his or her best to duplicate the image on a piece of paper. It’s honestly that simple. We practiced using pencils, pen and ink, pastels, paint and watercolors.

I would always try to pick a visual that had some sort of meaning to me, such as a picture from a vacation or of a family member. If I cared more about the subject matter it would usually translate to me caring more about the finished product. I considered the rest of the project a test of my patience.
How many times can you redraw an eye until it looks exactly right? How long will you take shading every section until it has the perfect effect? How long can you look at one small, square of a visual before you get bored?

The artist with the most endurance usually wins in those drawing classes. Most of the work I used to do in there turned out decent. This piece (bottom) is a great example of that whole endurance bit.
It’s done with colored pencil and it took me over a month to finish. It’s a great artwork, because it depicts a beautiful part of nature, but generally, when I look at it all I can think of are the hours I spent slaving over it. It was still enjoyable to work on a piece and develop a technique for rendering it, but I don’t think the whole project involved much of my own creativity.

That is why, this year, I was so excited to begin working in Independent Study Art. This upper-level class assumes you know the basics. It showcases the utmost creativity as students come up with their own projects from proposals to the finished work. It’s also a great opportunity for me to develop my own style. I’m learning what my strengths are and what I like most, and combining them into pieces that send a personal message. The work is so me. It utilizes everything that I love working with, and sends a message to the viewer about the idea of peace and how it can be attained.

As much as I enjoy my opportunities now in Independent Study, the years I spent in drawing classes were necessary to my development as an artist. I’m so thankful that I’ve had time at school to develop my art skills and create some neat finished products. Also, I’ve been completely surrounded by some ridiculously talented art students. The skill and creativity of the kids in my class will never cease to amaze me. Next week, the annual art show will be set up in the commons area of the school. As you walk through the rows of finished works, take time to appreciate the endurance and creativity of each artist.