The road barely traveled “while standing in one place.”

Feedback from Patrick Dance

I was born with the mind of a artist, but the schools I went to did not have much of a program, then High school there was none. I went to an art college and the first design class I had was on positive and negative shapes, I asked the teacher what this was and he said just do what you think is best, I asked again but he did not tell me. The same with the painting class, I asked about stretching canvas’ and mediums and techniques, “Oh we will get to that just do what you think is best”.
Also, there were periods of monster criticism that made me insecure to even try.

I dropped that class soon after. All I have really ever learned was From books. I learned drawing from “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” and from there I went on to do Computer Animation.
Then I just stopped, my skill atrophied and now 20 years later I’am back in school taking seriously what I did not before.
I am studying Computer Animation again with the focus being Character animation and Digital Painting using Photoshop.

I’ve started to learn to draw again, starting with the anatomy.
You could say I have a lot of knowledge just not the skills yet.

Painting in oils or doing 3D animation is about patience and having an eye, about seeing and that’s what I’am trying to develop.
The technical side that is required to be a master painter or 2D/3d artist is also very important to me because I want to understand why I’am doing what I’am doing and why this works and that does not. Now at age 46 I’am attempting what one teacher (Spanish teacher) said, which was as you get older its harder to learn a new language, well that’s really the only thing I remember from her class and to me Art is a language and I intend to defy that comment from her.

If I were to find the right teachers and the people willing to guide me as well as give me constructive criticism I feel I could excel.
But mainly, its learning to be a true artist again, learning patience and focus. I have a lot in me, but need help getting it out.
This is also why I want to work with other artists because to non-artists, their eyes glaze over. So now you know how I got here, and this was a long summary.

Thank you for your consideration.
Yours Truly,
P.F.Dance

P.S.
The images I’am including are a portrait I’am working on. These are three versions unfinished of Camille Claudel.

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