What is the best art education in the UK
Question from Ragnhild
Hi! I have heard that XXXXXXXX University one of the best places to get good art education. I see they have three years in learning Fine Art. Would you recommend it? It is in the UK. I think it seems very long.
Hi,
Many thanks for your question.
I checked the University’s website you’ve mentioned. If you want to spend three years and up to $60,000 to graduate without good art skills, then it is a great place to invest your time and money.
For undergraduates, they offer Fine Art BA(Hons) and Drawing BA(Hons).
Here’s what they say:
Think about it; on average, you will receive only 11% of learning. Independent study does not count; this is as good as having no studies at all.
That 11% of teaching will be dedicated to:
“Through set projects and exercises, you’ll learn to record the material world through observation, but also to draw from your ‘inner world’, from memory and imagination, theories and systems, and concepts and narratives.”
What a pile of B.S.
Do you want to know why?
1. You cannot learn good drawing skills through “observation.” Check out this article to find out why:
https://drawingacademy.com/observation-skills-vs-constructive-drawing
2. “Drawing through observation” is the way to draw “what you see.” Why it doesn’t create good results is explained here:
https://drawingacademy.com/drawing-what-you-see-vs-drawing-what-you-know
3. “Draw from your ‘inner world'” is another way of saying “express yourself.”
Without good drawing skills, you simply cannot express your “inner world” through drawing.
This is the same as saying that you cannot express your thoughts in Japanese if you do not know this language.
4. Drawing “from memory and imagination” is good only when it is supported by strong fundamental drawing skills, which are not taught there.
5. The life drawing that they offer will be a wasted exercise without a strong foundation in drawing techniques. To learn why, check out these articles:
https://drawingacademy.com/what-is-life-drawing-and-how-to-prepare-for-it
https://drawingacademy.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-life-drawing-class
No wonder their students create such “works of art.” If you can’t draw, you must be “creative” and “express your inner world” using nonsense:
If this is one of the best art universities in the UK, art education is totally lost in this country.
Check out this video to learn more:
https://drawingacademy.com/art-college-bubble
Now, about your comment, “I think it seems very long.” Actually, it is very short and shallow. Good art education should span about seven years. However, contemporary art education curricula would not give you what you need – good drawing skills – no matter how long you work on exercises that require you to “express yourself.”
If you want good results, you must take another approach:
https://drawingacademy.com/how-should-i-study-drawing
I hope this helps.
Alex
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I see one flaw in your statement, I don’t believe you receive any kind of Academic qualification from the Drawing Academy, there fore you cannott use this for an Art Interview etc.
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you for your comment.
Actually, I did. Here are some posts published in 2015 on the Drawing Academy website:
https://drawingacademy.com/artworks-by-alex-brown-drawing-academy-student
https://drawingacademy.com/drawing-academy-review-by-alex-brown
I now help out Drawing Academy tutors with some customer support, like answering your question, for example : )
Kind regards,
Alex
Well it’s complicated. The Drawing Academy certainly appears to offer classic academy style atelier instruction. Which is great if that’s what a student is looking for. And I taught college for 40 years, very structured, emphasis on anatomy, traditional painting techniques, color theory, perspective etc, So I have no quibble with what the DA offers.
But
The fact is that galleries, museums, arts centers show a broad diversity of offerings and frankly less and less of what the show would be categorizable as “classic academic art”. This is not to say that a strong foundation is not the most desirable course, but it’s too easy to cherry pick 3 examples and say this is what’s going on in universities. In fact the top painting is sort of intriguing. Students wishing to compete in the real world of fine art must be exposed to the broadest market of ideas and approaches.
I very much agree that more hands on, demonstrated teaching needs to take place, but over time the student/artist will inevitably spend increasing amounts of time working by themselves with periodic visits and critiques from the instructor. Even maths students spend the bulk of their time working alone after lecture.
Please do not misinterpret this as in anyway a criticism of the DA approach. I am just suggesting that its is only one method of approach, not the only legitimate way of making art.
Thanks
Chris G
Chris,
You don’t need “to cherry pick 3 examples”.
Can you name just one contemporary art college in the UK or any other western country that teaches strong drawing skills? Just one that will be remotely close to the high standards of Russian classical art school today?
If not, all your blurb that students “must be exposed to the broadest market of ideas” only confirms that they are denied of good education in your country. If they can’t draw, how the “broadest market” would help?
Thanks,
Sergei