“How do I become a successful LAAFA/Atelier applicant?”
The LAAFA/Atelier is primarily looking for motivation and talent in prospective students. Demonstration of a strong work ethic will show us that you have the desire and persistence to put in the necessary effort to succeed. A certain level of talent, while not a guarantee of success, is desirable as a starting point. Artists, it has been said, are lifelong students of their discipline, so what we provide is a solid foundation that we hope is the beginning of a lifetime of learning. If you have some skill at art, the desire to be a well-trained, knowledgeable artist, and possess the willingness to immerse yourself in an intensive course of study as all great artists at some point must do, then you will be an excellent fit for the LAAFA/Atelier program. Our goal is to find dedicated students, and then give them the tools to become a well-trained artist, thoroughly versed in the fundamentals of composing and creating a representational figure drawing or painting. Where you go after that, and what you do with your newly acquired skills and training – is entirely up to you.
Portfolio Suggestions
The core focus of LAAFA/Atelier is composing, drawing and painting a realistic figure from life. Obviously, we don’t expect unblemished perfection in your submission. What we would like to see is some sort of experience and interest that aligns with what we do: drawing and painting the human figure realistically. Therefore a good portfolio submission would contain a mixture of short observational sketches, and longer, more studied pieces taken to a finish, or with a finish at least attempted. Show us work in both color and black-and-white, if possible. The shorter sketches should display a sense of looseness and confidence – let us see what you can get down in a few minutes, without reworking the life out of each line. In the longer pieces, we are looking less at the finish than at the accuracy and simplicity of the underlying form and construction, with some sense of how to apply tone to indicate light and shadow. Again, we don’t expect flawless gems – we will teach you how to do all that stuff, after all! We just want to see that you’ve worked at drawing a bit, and that you’ll be a good fit for one to three years of hard, rewarding study, with possibly more concentrated drawing and painting than you’ve ever done before.