classical education?!?

[kaboom_racoon]

Hello. I haven´t been here for awhile.
I have decided I want to go to school again and have three options. Either I want to do digital 3d, classical painting or classical sculpture.

I use the word classical because all the major art educations these days seem to not put much effort into teaching fundamental skills.
I have done a couple of years of art studies(but feel I have nothing to show for it) and I feel that I need more oldfashioned academic studies as I more and more wish to express myself in realistic figurative sculpting and painting, but lack the craft skills.

I live in Europe(Sweden), but I am open to move just about anywhere in the world. Atleast as long as the Swedish state grants financial aid. They do for most university studies in most countries.(Atleast that used to be the case).

So could anyone recommend any good schools?

Are there any other options?
Selfstudy is hard for me as I tend to get distracted around the house, needing to walk the dog, cook for my wife :P or do the dishes and laundry. NOt to mention the pull of the computer. I also have limited workspace here which makes it hard to have all supplies out and I can´t risk waterdamage. In short, a studio or school stetting would be a more favourable learning enviroment.
I´m 35 which I guess makes me older than the typical beginner student.

Well, Thank you for any advice.

[fritchie]

Welcome back. We do have several Swedish visitors regularly and I'm sure many of our other European visitors might help as well. I'm not in a position to give suggestions myself.

[obseq]

Originally Posted by kaboom_racoon

Hello. I haven´t been here for awhile.
I have decided I want to go to school again and have three options. Either I want to do digital 3d, classical painting or classical sculpture.

I use the word classical because all the major art educations these days seem to not put much effort into teaching fundamental skills.
I have done a couple of years of art studies(but feel I have nothing to show for it) and I feel that I need more oldfashioned academic studies as I more and more wish to express myself in realistic figurative sculpting and painting, but lack the craft skills.

I live in Europe(Sweden), but I am open to move just about anywhere in the world. Atleast as long as the Swedish state grants financial aid. They do for most university studies in most countries.(Atleast that used to be the case).

So could anyone recommend any good schools?

Are there any other options?
Selfstudy is hard for me as I tend to get distracted around the house, needing to walk the dog, cook for my wife :P or do the dishes and laundry. NOt to mention the pull of the computer. I also have limited workspace here which makes it hard to have all supplies out and I can´t risk waterdamage. In short, a studio or school stetting would be a more favourable learning enviroment.
I´m 35 which I guess makes me older than the typical beginner student.

Well, Thank you for any advice.

Echoing what fritchie already added, welcome back!

Lots to consider here:
You mention digital art, painting and sculpture-- In that view, are you interested in creating the same type of art for all three disciplines?

One thing to bear in mind with digital art: Most of what you learn will become outdated/obsolete rather quickly, and as such, you are likely better off learning that on your own. As an alternative avenue, you can take a few digital art courses to supplement your core studies in whatever you choose between painting and sculpture. A sizable part of my undergraduate degree was in digital art, and most of my fellow classmates (at the time) agreed that we were, essentially, teaching ourselves with the supplied programs/literature while instructor input, (along with showing up to the class) was not especially helpful whatsoever. I can't imagine that the pedagogy has improved all that much since then.

In hindsight, I'm personally all for taking advantage of a sculpture curriculum.
You can paint just about anywhere without much risk or elaborate equipment, but sculpture tends to require ample studio space and high-priced equipment, (welding, foundry, fabrication, mold-making) that is rather difficult to secure on your own.

[GlennT]

Based on what you express as your desire to learn classical skills, I would highly recommend seeking out an Atelier method school, which in most cases teaches only drawing and painting, but may include sculpting. The one that I went to for 1 1/2 years, which only taught drawing and painting, was the best place I could have gone to learn to see and render as an artist, and to problem solve. It increased my self-confidence in other areas as well, such as sports and music.

Having a reliable problem-solving method is much to be preferred to floundering. You have already experienced that. Your Swedish system of financial support may not extend to a non-accredited Atelier school, but if not, ask yourself if learning fundamental life-long skills is worth the inconvience.

The fact that the Atelier school I attended did not teach sculpting was not a problem for me. But there may be some that do, or you could take additional classes from a figurative sculptor who teaches privately or does workshops. If you know of one in your area, perhaps you could pay that sculptor to come critique your work periodically as you sculpt at your home. If you lived near me, I would offer some type of private instruction to suit your needs. It does not have to involve a lengthy period of time, just enough to get you on the right track and then you can do most of it on your own.

[Giotto]

Originally Posted by kaboom_racoon

Selfstudy is hard for me as I tend to get distracted around the house, needing to walk the dog, cook for my wife :P or do the dishes and laundry. NOt to mention the pull of the computer. I also have limited workspace here which makes it hard to have all supplies out and I can´t risk waterdamage. In short, a studio or school stetting would be a more favourable learning enviroment.
I´m 35 which I guess makes me older than the typical beginner student.

Well, Thank you for any advice.

There are only a handful of decisions we make in our lives that have a tremendous impact on our future. The career choice is one of those, so you need to think it through carefully. Most of the sculptors here are here because they are obsessed. There aren't enough hours in the day to get the work done. They wake up in the morning thinking "Oh boy, I get to sculpt today" They go to sleep thinking about what the did that day.....I mention this because I don't get that sense from your email....and there might be some other occupation you might enjoy more. So my advice is to seek out a local sculptor who you admire and visit. You could probably talk that person into taking you on for a few months at no wage....from there then make your decision.

Good Luck
G

[martine vaugel]

If you are interested in studying in France, I teach Classical Figure and Portrait sculpture in July and August. Have been for a long time, but I haven't been computer savy enough to get online with this!... feeling stupid about it, but ...
check out my www. for details. I have been teaching for 34 years. lots of ex students must be out there. hello. Started four sculpture schools, also former sculpture director of the New York Academy of Art, 1986-1992.
Hope this finds whoever might benefit from my classes,
to love and art.
Martine
www.vaugelsculpture.com

[raspero]

Giotto said it well.

I cannot imagine that if you get distracted by walking a dog or sitting at a computer you really have the determination it takes to succeed as a sculptor.

I wake up thinking about my sculpture, and I go to sleep thinking about it. I work seven days a week in my studio. If something gets in the way of that, I get it out of my life. My wife understands and supports this. She's smart; if I can't work I become intolerable to live with. But does this mean that I neglect what she needs? Of course not. We are partners.

At those times in my life when I had no place to work, I made one. Once it was just a space out behind our house next to the garbage cans. I built a small foundry there.

As far as an education, I think any kind of real education will do. The problem is that what is called education today is mostly "trade school"—training to get a job. Is that a real education? I think not. Then what is a real education? The important thing is to be able to think, imagine, (create), outside of the reality you live in, which is a sort of prison. Nothing great happens there. I studied history and physics. People would ask me, "What are you going to do with that, teach?" You don't use an education; you use a trade; an education uses you. It expands who you are. History has given me a certain perspective that has proved to be invaluable: an ability to put myself in the shoes and minds of other peoples, and to see life from a multitude of perspectives. Physics taught me the structure of the physical universe—the structure of sculpture.

Perhaps too, it has made me excessively loquacious, so I'll shut up and sign off.

R

[furby]

No way, i get distracted constantly & i'm a professional sculptor been doing it for 20 years. What you really need is a studio space or just a room or a shed where u can go that is away from the distractions. And there, you concentrate. If you can make a mental & physical space to work then you can do it.