What is a college level drawing class like?

[Leonology]

This is my first-time taking an art class in 2 years so I have no idea what to expect. The only art classes I've taken in my life were the ones in elementary and middle school and I never took those classes seriously. This class takes up two of my periods as well so it lasts 3 hours. If this changes anything I go to a community college so I think the expectations are lower. I'm pretty nervous about attending it since I only really know how to draw cartoons and I'm the only teenager there so I won't be taken seriously.

Are you expected to know how to draw well before taking the class? What types of exercises will I be doing? How should I prepare myself mentally?

Another thing I want to ask is about internships. I need to find a mentor in 2 weeks but I don't know where to look. I want to be a sequential artist or a storyboard artist if that helps.

How do I find a mentor? What kind of art mentorships should I be looking for? What skills should I have? If I can't find any then what alternatives should I look for?

All help is appreciated!

[heterodont]

I don't think people will really care about your age? If you're the only teen there it just means you are being serious about art. You only come off as not-serious if you're goofing off/screwing around/not listening to critique given to you. And if someone makes a stink about you being young then it's not worth giving them the time of day if they're being that dumb about it.

Drawing classes are pretty basic and how they function heavily depends on the instructor themselves - normally classes usually have you do gestures as a warm-up, before gradually increasing the pose time. With my classes - that are 5 hrs long - we would always draw for 2 hours, have a lecture, then draw for the last two hours. Usually the teacher goes around and gives critique as to what to do/fix/etc. as you're drawing so you can either fix it then or with future drawings. Don't be afraid to ask for help either!

Unfortunately I dont have much advice for finding a mentorship/internship :x Is it a requirement? because a lot of artists working in the industry are very busy and a rarely have the time to 'mentor' someone. Back in HS I tried contacting a comic artist who was a storyboarder for Gravity Falls and they only got back to me for my initial email but never my following one.

[Leonology]

Yeah, finding a mentor for me is mandatory to be a part of this high school since it's an early college high school. The only person I can think of that can mentor me is my older sister but she lives in a different city and she's super busy.

Also, thanks for the advice! It helped a lot.

[SleepingPoppy]

Try e-mailing your teacher about the mentorship requirement. Generally college teachers are great about responding to e-mail, and he/she may even know someone they can connect you with. If not, they probably have advice. If it's a requirement of your HS, possibly ask someone in charge there for some direction.

Depending upon where you live, there might not be anyone near by that is a professional in the exact field you want to pursue, so consider a broader search. A graphic designer, for example, has a ton of skills that can be useful (color theory, design, how to use typography, etc etc etc) and it's a job that can usually be found all over.

Good luck!

[emkay]

I took two art classes at my community college and I loved them! Drawing 1 and Figure Drawing. Obviously it depends on the college, class, and teacher, but I can tell you my experience.

In an introduction class like Drawing 1, no one's expected to know how to draw. Figure Drawing is different because Drawing 1 is a prerequisite, so you'll have more drawing experience for it. In both classes, our exercises were always drawing from life. In D1 it's drawing shapes and environments with an emphasis on the drawing elements (composition, line quality, proportions, etc.) In FD, it's drawing people and making gesture drawings with an emphasis on accuracy instead of style.

I'd suggest one thing to prepare yourself mentally: take the class as a learning experience and not as a chance to prove yourself. All the fun will be sapped out of it if you compare yourself to others or think that the teacher is only critiquing you because your art sucks (it's great if the teacher critiques you, actually, it shows they care). You're taking the class to improve and trust me, improve you shall. I wouldn't be where I am today artistically if I didn't take my drawing classes.

Good luck!

[sarrowsmith10]

take the class as a learning experience and not as a chance to prove yourself.

This is HUGE. I was not an art major in college, but I took a few classes. At first I was trying to conform my art style into whatever the assignment was, and it was this huge struggle. Then my art teacher asked me into his office for a private word after a few assignments. He told me that I just needed to let go. That it was okay if my work was ugly or not a certain way, as there were things I needed to learn. Forget the way I already knew how to draw, and just focus on the assignments as if I didn't have any experience at all. He said he already knew that I was a talent artist, and that I had nothing to prove to him.

For example- drawing from life: draw what is actually there, not what I think should be there.

After each class I was able to take the foundations I learned and apply it to art that I liked to make (comics and such). It helped me improve immensely. Good luck!