Animated Thoughts: CalArts Teachers Recommend: Study These Artists

… [I] make sure I am studying good art. There is a phrase that says "Garbage In Garbage Out". Meaning... if you are looking, studying or around bad stuff (in this case art) you will absorb it naturally, and then when you put pencil to paper that is what will come out. You can only produce what you know. So if you would like to be a great artist study great art work, be surrounded by it. Study just the good stuff

– Randall Sly

At CalArts, teachers seem to be at odds with each other when it comes to the question of whether or not studying from other artists is an accepted approach for learning. The foremost agreed approach seems to be that you should learn most about drawing through life-drawing and sketching. This way, you will make your own observations, which you can use for characters and the way they act while also finding your own sense of appeal.

On the flipside, I think all the teachers also see the value in studying other artist’s artworks (for learning – not for sharing as your own work). Drawing “in the style” of that artist forces you to observe what makes the art work and why the artist made the choices she or he made. When balanced out with sketching from real life, I think studying art can be a great learning tool!

Whenever I “feel bad” about that way of looking at it, I remember what artist Glenn Vilppu, a great believer in originality, says in his book Drawing Manual: “Copying or drawing from other artists is an accepted traditional approach to learning in conjunction with drawing from observation and creating from your imagination.”

Throughout my studies at CalArts, teachers have given us names of artists that they recommend looking to for inspiration and study. I have shared these below, as well as links to their websites. There were more than a few I had not heard of prior to being given their names. Now, I can’t imagine not being familiar with them and their art!

Enjoy!

Emmanuelle Walker