by Arnie Fenner
You might think we’d forgotten: we haven’t. Dan’s post about enrollment opening to the 2012 Illustration Master Class (June 9-15) got your attention: now it’s time to turn it up to 11.
With the cooperation of the gracious Dean Rebecca Guay, Spectrum Fantastic Art will award a scholarship to an artist—young, old, or in between: age doesn’t matter—to attend the IMC.
Getting to Amherst, Massachusetts and back home (as well as securing any materials needed for the workshop) will be the responsibility of the artist: the scholarship pays the tuition to IMC, which includes food, a dorm bed, and an unparalleled intensive learning experience with some of the most amazing artists working today. Though there will be all manner of workshops and lectures covering every aspect of a career in the arts, the emphasis will be on drawing and painting with traditional media: count on long days that are both exhilarating and exhausting—and definitely plan on getting some paint beneath your fingernails.
We’ll keep the process simple: send Cathy and me one or two jpegs (say 7″x9″ or so, 100dpi) of your best work and a few lines about yourself (not a lengthy term paper, just a few sentences about who you are and what you want to accomplish by attending the workshop) via e-mail to: director (at) spectrumfantasticart.com
In the subject line of your-email, put “IMC.” The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2011. We will announce the recipient of the scholarship on the Spectrum website December 5, 2011.
Don’t send us everything you’ve ever done. Don’t feel like you have to drop everything and create something new to submit. Don’t spin tales of woe (“Life is not a comparison of Chambers of Horror,” as Harlan Ellison says). Do visit the IMC website and read through the info and what is needed to participate: then decide if it’s something you have a passion to be a part of. The Illustration Master Class isn’t a vacation, it isn’t a social club (though there will be lots of camaraderie), it isn’t a convention: it’s a place to work the craft, to have a personal learning experience with some of the best instructors you’ll ever have. We’re looking for an artist with “promise,” a promise that can be nurtured and hopefully advanced through this opportunity.
Ladies and Gentlemen: the ball is in your court. Show us what you’ve got!
What a fantastic opportunity! Thanks for letting us older dogs try to keep up with the young pups too!
I agree–this is excellent. Please do this every year. I plan on getting the scholarship next year.
Yes I think the same they have to post it every year it is very helpful
Thank you for the fantastic opportunity. I have a bit of a silly question. I know IMC primarily focuses on traditional mediums, but can we send digital paintings in as out sample art, or should these also be traditional?
To add to Joshua's question, does the traditional medium play any role in the decision making?
Sorry, I meant “choice of traditional medium”.
Joshua—
Will you feel comfortable sitting down with pencil and paint at IMC and be able to execute the assignment traditionally? If “yes,” then the computer is just another tool and a digital painting submission would seem to be fine. If your answer is “no,” my guess is that a more CGI-focused workshop would be more suitable instead. Greg, Dan, or Donato: what do you think?
I dont think that digital vs. traditional matters for the class, if you keep in mind certain instructor's techniques may not translate as well from traditional to digital.
From the IMC website:
Digital painters /general supplies reminder:
art supplies are not included in the IMC program.
The mediums you work in( either digital or traditional) fall under the category of “art supplies”.
You will need to bring a laptop,already loaded with the appropriate painting programs( corel painter or photoshop) and wacom if you would like to work digitally while you are here.
The computer lab is not available to us.
*If you work in paint/traditionally, you will need to bring your own paints and paper etc..as well- those will not be provided on site.*
This is so awesome.
Thank you for the response Arnie. That is a very fair answer to my question. I am glad to hear that I won't be penalized for choice of primary medium.
Is there an experience limitation?
Yes You are Right Bill
@Bill:
I was thinking the same thing!
I was about to ask that. I've always wanted to come to the workshop ever since it started however I financially can't afford to and something like this would be fantastic. I feel attending could really help punch my work up a level or two and lately it seems like other opportunities through various magazines, scholarships and internships have only been catering to students or have age restrictions.
I don't know about submitting digital art, but I have always done digital painting at the IMC (the two years I have been, and most probably next year as well.)
While the instructors aren't primarily digital painters and will probably not be the best to teach you the ins and outs of the software, many of them use digital at least for some aspects of their work. Working digital has never hindered me in my attendance and never stopped me from learning a lot. If you are new to digital painting, it might not be the best place because you can struggle with photoshop at home, you don't have to be with at the IMC for that.
2012 Illustration Master Class??? really I want to participate and be in that class so badly, I have always liked to express my creativity and I think this class is the right place