Eric
This course’s introduction to the basic practices and concepts of drawing and composition has helped me accomplish a variety of techniques to increase my basic ability. These abilities were increased by drawing assignments, critiques, group discussions, research and writing assignments.

Evaluating this portfolio was a rather strenuous endeavor due to my initial inability to critique myself. For whatever reason, I felt uncomfortable making observations to whether my work was good or not. Then I realized, it’s not how good or bad I thought these drawings might have been; it was the experience behind each of them.

After tearing myself down for a little while I began to look at each piece and began to notice their gradual progression. The progression in sight not in what I [think] as being good work. Paying attention to all the visual paradigms and mood behind each one, I noticed my work depicts my emotional states and physical comfort. With sharp jagged lines and frustrated movements one pieces reveals who I am and how I feel at times. Other pieces show my softer and more patient side, which can be seen in the texture and values of the drawings.

In all my experience and personal growth has increased over this semester and I believe a large part of this growth has come from this class. Coming into this class I would have never thought that I would experience such great personal gain and belief in my personal ability to see past the shroud of misconceptions that our world has conditioned us to see and believe.

Brianna
In the beginning of this class I had very little art experience and I was extremely nervous, but what I loved about your class was that no one ever judged me and you were always looking for a way to improve my skills. Overall I really enjoyed this class. The critiques were awkward at first but then I really started to get into them and appreciate everyone’s work. It was amazing to see how far everyone came along in only a few months. Thank you for all your help, you truly did make the class enjoyable and it helped me relax and let lose. I have actually learned an incredible amount. Thank you.

Juan
Learning to draw with seeing was the greatest thing learned, at first I could not allow myself to see. I feel convinced now that I can draw anywhere anything by letting my hand draw what my eyes are seeing. Overall I did learn a lot from this class and I strongly recommend it to people, because it is fun and they will learn how easy it is to draw from what we see, and the feelings are unbelievable once we see the composition complete.

Cynthia
I did not expect that taking a drawing and composition course would affect my view of the world. However that is exactly what happened. I learned to see the world around me. It was exciting to look at man-made objects and nature in this new way. The overall experience of learning the basics of drawing was a fantastic one. I can say with great satisfaction that this was one of those college courses that had an immediate and lasting impact on my life.

Richard
I began this course because I needed an art class in order to get into a University. I had no intension of becoming interested in it, but as the class progressed I have become greatly influenced by the passion of that my teacher and the other students have for art. My first thought about taking this course was that it would be easy and there would be no homework. But on the first day, I realized that there was going to be homework assigned, it wasn’t going to be easy and that we were going to have critiques. My biggest fear from the beginning was the critiques because I usually blank out in front of an audience without an explanation. However throughout this course I have gained knowledge. In the end this class did not only give me knowledge and passion for art, but it was a learning experience that I will never forget.

Johnny
I’d like to start off by saying I’ve learned a lot more than I thought I was going to. This class had a lot to offer. As a beginner, I didn’t think I would ever feel comfortable using anything other than a regular pencil to draw with. In this class I was pushed out of my comfort zone, and it was a beneficial experience.

Nancy
The most important thing I learned is the eye hand connection. My portfolio shows improvement. I feel like I have developed skills to tackle drawing something without just freezing up. I enjoy the process of drawing more now, and I can draw for a longer period of time without becoming lost or board. I have become interested in visiting museums and looking at famous art. It was a valuable experience. Thank you for your time, expertise and effort.

Ralph
Going into this art class I had little experience with drawing and no concept about design and composition. I’ve always appreciated art and wished I could draw. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this class but was enthusiastic from day one. It has been adventure, learning… This process takes lots of focus, concentration and practice. Overcoming bad habits and ill-conceived notions of perception has been an additional challenge for me. Committing to a piece of work is important, too. I can now see how easy it would have been to give up out of frustration. I perceive my environment differently now. This has been an awakening for me. With each assignment, the process has begun to fall into place. Each challenge has widened my ability to implement and understand more of the lessons taught. I have enjoyed this class, teacher and students.

Daphne
This class has been a roller coaster of emotions. Some days I enjoyed it tremendously and other days I was completely stressed. Either way I am happy that I took the class. I had to fight what I had learned in the past to learn something new. Overall I have to say that I enjoyed this class. It made me constantly aware of composition and value. It has helped me to focus more on that things I would have ignored.

Adam
In past times I might have found it somewhat difficult to evaluate my “works of art.” After taking this course I find the task of writing about and evaluating my work less daunting. To my surprise working in this new way, that is to say from actual concrete objects where observation becomes primary, was difficult, intriguing, exciting and eventually easy, fun and rewarding. With my landscape drawing my strong sense of perspective and my newly acquired skills of tone development coalesced and in a matter of one and a half hours I had gone from a blank page to blobs of tone to a fairly competent depiction of a moment in time recorded in vine charcoal. I have gained insights that should be common sense but were somehow elusive and lost in a deluge of societal mumbo-jumbo.

Sarah
While going through my art portfolio, I was amazed at how much my skills have developed. Before starting this class, I never tried to really draw anything aside from doodles. As the semester progressed, so did my abilities. The most important thing I learned was how important seeing is. It wasn’t until probably mid way through the semester did it finally clicked in my head what seeing was and how to do it properly. Just like I was told, after seeing is engaged, I could draw anything, it was true. I went from drawing flat boring pictures to drawing pictures that you could touch with your eyes. I can’t look at anything the same anymore. Wherever I look, I see shadows in people’s faces, the angles in the road that I am driving on, everything. Taking this class was an integral part of expanding my abilities farther than I thought I could go. I am thankful for the passion in which the class was taught; it forced me to also be passionate.

Benjamin
I had a pretty good understanding of art before I stepped into this class. But the first couple of days I was blown out of the water and completely shocked. I had no perception at all and I didn’t know what seeing really was until it was burned into my head throughout the semester. Well, I really did not know as much about art as I thought I did. Whatever I knew did not even scratch the surface.

Tamara
This class has been of great value to me. A long repressed desire is now being expressed in new and challenging ways. From the very first day of class through the last there has been challenge to grow and expand skills, not only techniques but also learning to speak proficiently and present one’s self. This class has taken me to new heights of art that I never thought I would ascend to. I don’t really expect to be a famous artist however I have achieved a competence that has made me proud of myself and that I can continue to work on for pleasure. Thank you so much for being part of my search to find me.

Russ
The things that I have learned and the skills I have developed will defiantly help me in my career. The art of seeing what is really there will carry over into my everyday life.

Amber
I actually think I’ve learned quite a bit taking a second class with you. I think my perception has improved immensely. One major thing I’ve overcome in this class is the fear of messing up. If you don’t take risks, your work is going to suck anyway, so just go for it.

Samantha
Being in this class is one of my more life changing experiences. I keep walking around my home, street and everywhere and looking at angles, shapes, shades and lighting of buildings, cars and even people. It’s a little disconcerting yet at the same time fun. It will defiantly stick with me for a long time to come whether I want it to or not.

Natasha
When first walked into the class I thought I was a well-rounded and educated person when it came to art and I was not going to learn anything new, boy was I wrong. I learned new vocabulary words to better express myself. Also what I feel to have been a breakthrough is that art is not just a way of expressing oneself. Art has dimensions and sophistication. I am glad I took this class but still have much to learn.

Paula
The most significant concept I have learned in this class, and perhaps the most difficult at times, has been the process of really “seeing” my subject. This process also includes ‘seeing a whole composition and the arrangement of its elements. In the past I had been trained to produce a “pretty picture” as the goal. However, the goal of this classes’ artistic experience has been very different. It has been very freeing and also daunting at times.

Gloria
The work in my final portfolio has really been an evolving process in drawing and composition; before this class drawing had absolutely no integration in my world. If each piece is chronologically analyzed or critiqued, it is evident that my drawings reflect the absorption of one concept after the next. My drawings begin with a mental and physical interaction with my subjects and content. How I determine if my drawing is finished is by considering if I have addressed all the proportions, values, high or low contrast, but most importantly if I feel I have addressed the content of my composition to the best of my abilities. In my drawings it can be seen that I have made a lot of progress from a beginning drawer to someone who is beginning to understand the concepts behind the art of drawing. Nevertheless, my drawings reflect a mental struggle I have endured in learning these concepts and techniques.

Juffer
Throughout the semester we have several critiques. When we do critiques we use words in terms of art. We make comments about drawings and we give each other advice on what to improve on. It didn’t only enhance my vocabulary; it also made me become a better speaker. The things we do in this class made me become more of a confident person. I’m not afraid to show my drawings, and I’m not afraid to talk about it.

Beret
As I review my portfolio, it is easy to see how my skills have improved. As the semester progressed, my drawings started to have a better composition, have more depth, better perspective, proportions, and the objects started having form and volume. My drawings started to improve when I started focusing on what I saw and not what I thought I saw.

Grisel
I would like to thank you Wendy, for taking your time to teach us what we now know. I didn’t realize how a drawing, or any visual art for that matter, has so many techniques to consider. I bet there is so much more that needs to be taught, I wish there was another class to continue. Thank you, you’re a great professor I enjoyed being in your class.

Richard
I learned vocabulary—I learned about different types of material—I also learned how to look at things different. The teacher Ms. Angel taught me how to draw step by step—thank you for helping me to show me how to pay attention and understand and follow the rule in class and to respect VAF 211 teacher Angel w.

Danielle
I just wanted you to know how much I learned in this class, and I wanted to thank you for making me understand what I know now, and pushing your students to see things differently. In the class Art 3, I believe I learned so much compared to what I had known before. It also made me see things differently. Before I had taken this class, I had taken design, ceramics, History of Art and Photography; and I don’t believe I’d seen things the way u taught us to see, it took time for me to finally get it, but the more practice I got, the better for me to understand what you were talking about.

Arieseli
My work does not look as flat as it did at the beginning. I also noticed that as soon as I became more confident and let lose I was able to produce some good work. Once again I’m really glad I took this class and I want to thank you for being an outstanding teacher.

Beginning Drawing and Composition comments are taken from students' assessment of their final portfolio. The images here are from the first Art 3 class I taught at Hartnell. These comments are from an assortment of classes taken from the folder I happened to find this week.

I began with Eric's comments because what he expressed is something I see in most students in all classes. Personal challenge and intense concentration combined with the group experience and interaction of discussing each other’s work produces a noticeable maturing that takes place in studio courses.

English skills vary but communication and sincerity are prevalent. Comments about having more confidence, more ability to concentrate, focus and articulate are common. Most students comment on seeing everything with more intensity and some connect this to how they perceive the world in general. Periodically students express gratitude for the class. Most students leave the class sorry that it is over. I run into students sometimes years later and they express gratitude.

I wish more people would pay attention to what can happen in well-taught studio courses because they are environments where a kind of learning takes place that is truly foundational for all learning.