Does That Make Sense?
One thing about leaping out of your box, you think it's going to be a BIG DRAMATIC SCENE. Alas, no. It is SO BIG AND DRAMATIC in your stormy heart, that you fail to see the normalcy of it in other people's eyes.
Such was the experience with Marshall Arisman.
I was A BUNDLE OF NERVES, went the wrong way TWICE, thought for sure that all the GENIUS ARTY students were STARING at me LIKE A PEE ON, until they smiled and waved and gave me the thumbs up when I arrived to the CORRECT exit.
Showing him my work at first was like showing it to almost any aquaintance. Some reaction. No reaction. And then some more reaction. Then he showed why he is the chair of an illustration department, why he is, um, GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES. He went through my work and showed me what was already strong. He also showed me the thread of my work and how that might work in an illustartion industry. It was interesting. As someone who knows nothing about "industry" other than the pictures she sees in magazines and books, it was cool to get an idea of what someone might gather from my work--and therefor what I might WANT them to gather from my work. I was worried that he'd tell me I should DO THIS and DO THAT with my work, or worse, that I should NOT do this and NOT do that. It wasn't like that at all. It was very gentle. He spoke quietly and considered things. He has a habit of saying "Does that make sense?" at the end of every idea he offered me. "You might want to express an ASPECT of a story, not necessarily a SCENE from the story. Doesthatmakesense?" "You obviously know these women you're drawing, why not add more of that to their portraits? Doesthatmakesense?" YES!
The great part is that he gave me some goals and then he asked me to come back. I like being invited to come back. It makes me feel like I have a little calling card that says, "come back soon." I am not so set loose to my own devices in this hurly burly city that is New York, and is my mind. Doesthatmakesense?
Such was the experience with Marshall Arisman.
I was A BUNDLE OF NERVES, went the wrong way TWICE, thought for sure that all the GENIUS ARTY students were STARING at me LIKE A PEE ON, until they smiled and waved and gave me the thumbs up when I arrived to the CORRECT exit.
Showing him my work at first was like showing it to almost any aquaintance. Some reaction. No reaction. And then some more reaction. Then he showed why he is the chair of an illustration department, why he is, um, GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES. He went through my work and showed me what was already strong. He also showed me the thread of my work and how that might work in an illustartion industry. It was interesting. As someone who knows nothing about "industry" other than the pictures she sees in magazines and books, it was cool to get an idea of what someone might gather from my work--and therefor what I might WANT them to gather from my work. I was worried that he'd tell me I should DO THIS and DO THAT with my work, or worse, that I should NOT do this and NOT do that. It wasn't like that at all. It was very gentle. He spoke quietly and considered things. He has a habit of saying "Does that make sense?" at the end of every idea he offered me. "You might want to express an ASPECT of a story, not necessarily a SCENE from the story. Doesthatmakesense?" "You obviously know these women you're drawing, why not add more of that to their portraits? Doesthatmakesense?" YES!
The great part is that he gave me some goals and then he asked me to come back. I like being invited to come back. It makes me feel like I have a little calling card that says, "come back soon." I am not so set loose to my own devices in this hurly burly city that is New York, and is my mind. Doesthatmakesense?
posted by Summer Pierre at
4:53 PM
3 Comments:
Oh YES! Itmakesalotofsense.
Congratulations. Sounds like it was a wonderful meeting. So happy for you.
That sounds like a really productive meeting. He sounds fantastic. So many instructors can only critisize without any helpful suggestions, that you get stuck thinking, well, now what? You have a direction! GO!
Wow you are so brave!
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