This was the final week of class, and it was a breeze compared to the week before. I still worked hard (I created over 20 thumbnails for this assignment and developed two finished pieces). But a lot of the decisions about characters, style, and color were already made earlier in the course, which left me free to focus on composition. I know that's something that Lilla focuses on a lot in the class...creating assignments that build off one another, so that the big assignments feel more manageable. It really does help. As she says, "yard by yard it's hard, inch by inch it's a sinch."
I made it into the review again, and this time for good design. It was a really nice way to wrap up the class.
Course Review
I got a lot out of this course, but like anything, you get out what you put in. For me, it provided clarity. I went into it very unfocused. My work felt all over the place, and I didn't know what kind of work I wanted to do. But through the dozens of pieces I created over the six weeks of class (including the prep week), I learned a lot about my art, and how to highlight my specific skills. I know this because the work I've produced since completing this class has improved dramatically. It's not because of any one thing that was taught in class, it was just the sheer volume of work. I explored a lot, and it helped me see what was and wasn't working. I also came away with a clearer understanding of my next steps. I know what I need to put in my portfolio, and I know how to leverage it to get work.
But of course nothing beats a good pros and cons list, so here goes:
Pros:
There is a wealth of content. Between all the handouts and the class posts (which I've saved), I have over 80 PDFs of material, many of which I will continue to reference after the class.
The community is fantastic. Each course has it's own facebook group filled with inspiring and helpful artists, many of whom are professional. Some of my classmates were even artists I already admired and followed on Instagram! This community is invaluable when it comes to feedback, and (at least in my experience) the group is still active well after the class had ended. I love seeing new work from my classmates, and it's been wonderful to be able to get their opinions on new projects.
It is very motivating. The size of the class combined with the level of skill from my classmates, means there's a lot of competition for the limited review slots. Everyone is constantly bringing their A game, which means you have to, too. That means the class is hard and will kick your ass, but you'll also get a lot out of it. Lilla and Zoë also spend a lot of time showing you how to put together a great pitch, so you leave the course feeling like you know the kind of work you need to produce, and where to send it once you're done.
You'll (probably) get portfolio pieces out of it. I say probably because it depends on where you are on your journey. I had classmates that were so secure in their style that I have no doubt every piece they did made it into their respective portfolios. I've included a few of my assignments in my portfolio, but I was too unsure of my style going in to produce fully cohesive pieces for the entire course.
Cons:
Much of the course is prerecorded, and it's a little one-size-fits all.
Sometimes (as I discovered) a specific text won't align perfectly with course material, but that's not to say you can't still learn from it. You could have a text about sentient hamburgers, and you'd still learn something if you put in the effort.
You (probably) won't get reviewed. I was very lucky. There were over 300 people in my class, and only roughly 10% made it into the reviews each week. Even if there weren't repeats (which there were), with only five reviews, that still leaves a lot of people out. Not making the review each week can feel like rejection. It is wise to make up your mind going into the class that you will try to get the most out of every week, even if your work is never reviewed.
You will not learn to draw. This isn't really a con per se, it's just that this is not an art class in the traditional sense. If you're looking for drawing lessons, you're probably better off looking elsewhere. This is more of a career guidance class. It takes the art that you do, at the skill level you're already at, and teaches you how to improve its marketability to agents and publishers. There are a few drawing demos, but they're short and pretty remedial. You are more likely to improve your drawing skills through the daily sketchbook assignments.
Final thoughts
Would I recommend this class? Absolutely. It's worth it for the materials, the community, the portfolio-building assignments, and the career guidance. All of that stuff is yours to keep well after the class is over, so even if you aren't very skilled at art yet, you have it for when you're ready to start your career. That said, if you're not already skilled at drawing, the work of your classmates could be intimidating. It's bit of an emotional roller coaster, and it's a lot of work, so make sure you're in a position to give it your all, and be ready to jump in with both feet.
