#ILM
Hi Michele,
Wow, you have quite a varied artistic background, fom what you've told
me. I never quite said that computer science people can't draw, but
I was just wondering about the feasibility of "teaching creativity".
I remember a few years ago when I first visited an animation firm
here in Toronto, and they said that "It's MUCH easier to teach an
artist to use a computer than to teach a computer scientist to be an
artist". I saw the logic behind that statement immediately, and
pretty much believed it.
It's true that the only way to really learn is by actually doing it,
but you can get a lot from just studying and reading as well. My art
class now is 50% studio, where you actually DO stuff, and 50%
history, where you learn art history. The history part is just as
effective at teaching as the studio part. This is where you learn
everything. The studio is where you try it out for yourself. Not
even the most talented person can just paint a painting with no
knowledge of colour or balance. That's part of what you learn in the
history. In film theory, you learn all about different angles and
shots. This saves you the time of having to develop the technique
yourself. For example, if you want a shot to make a guy look big and
scary, shoot him from underneath. You can learn that by watching
films and talking about it, rather than experimenting with camera
angles while you're shooting. Another example: you could never
expect someone with raw talent to just "figure out" linear perspective
while doodling one day. If you study rennaissance art, you can learn
that sort of thing, though.
I think that the key to keeping your stuff fresh is to do it constantly. Never
stop drawing, look at the world through a camera lens. I think that keeps you
on your toes for the most part.
Aaron