throws questions at the AD

[chadolbaegi]

i never post here or go here (besides to find threads like this one) since a lot of it is threads like this, and up till now i've never been worried about this sort of thing. but i just want/need some feedback. there's also just some random questions i'm mulling over and am looking for answers, i guess. answers or....feedback...wow i sound very repetitive moving on;;

i'm currently a high school soph moving to illinois in the schaumburg area, and i'm wondering if there are any cheap art supply stores in the area? as far as i know schaumburg is mostly a suburban area and there are bus systems/public transit downtown, too, so...i guess, cheap art supply stores both in the schaumburg area and in downtown chicago as well (i can't really hop around trains and stuff for long periods of time, esp. for art supplies, seeing as my mom's not a huge fan of me drawing)?

i'm also wondering if any of you are either currently in art school or have graduated from it enjoy/ed it or thought it was beneficial to you, and if you haven't graduated from art school, why you didn't, and whether you regret it? because my mom previously studied fine arts at university of illinois-champagne and we're very far from rich, and i don't want to make a mistake that will bring me down for the rest of my life.

also do you know where, if i don't study at an art school, i could study art? like reputable sites or schools/programs that aren't around $50k a year? 6_9

tl;dr
a) are there any art supply shops in the downtown chicago/schaumburg areas that are inexpensive? (answered)
b) are any of you that are either currently in art school or have graduated from it enjoying/enjoyed your experience? do/did you think it was beneficial? OR have you not gone to art school, and why haven't you? did you regret it?
c) where to study art informally at reputable places/sites

sorry again for the long long long post but i just have so many questions!

[Syrella]

Well, you could try doing an online search for local art supply stores. I don't live around that area, so I can't really say. If there aren't any, you could try ordering supplies online through Cheap Joes or a similar site. Order in bulk to save more on shipping costs.

As for art school, I didn't go. I'm just a hobbyist. That said, I've heard it recommended that you do your general education classes at a community college ( where it's cheaper ) and then transfer to a good art school when you decide that's what you wanna do.

As with anything, you only get as much as you put in. There are some good art school relate threads around. Check them out if you can. smile

[dublah]

Quote:

a) are there any art supply shops in the downtown chicago/schaumburg areas that are inexpensive?

Isn't d**k Blick in Chicago? Idk where it is specifically, but d**k Blick rules on prices. Check out their website: dickblick.com

Quote:

b) are any of you that are either currently in art school or have graduated from it enjoying/enjoyed your experience? do/did you think it was beneficial? OR have you not gone to art school, and why haven't you? did you regret it?

I'm a super-senior at an art school and it's been great. I think just being around so many people everyday with similar interests and talents as me alone was worth the tuition. I definitely recommend art school. Life drawing classes were super beneficial for me, and peer review sessions are always great. Plus, the teachers at my school were great about giving out challenging assignments that helped me grow as an artist.

Quote:

c) where to study art informally at reputable places/sites

I think the critique threads on conceptart.org are great. The Pixelovely figure drawing tool is a great resource for gesture drawing. I'm also a fan of the idrawdigital tutorials.

[chadolbaegi]

Syrella

Well, you could try doing an online search for local art supply stores. I don't live around that area, so I can't really say. If there aren't any, you could try ordering supplies online through Cheap Joes or a similar site. Order in bulk to save more on shipping costs.

As for art school, I didn't go. I'm just a hobbyist. That said, I've heard it recommended that you do your general education classes at a community college ( where it's cheaper ) and then transfer to a good art school when you decide that's what you wanna do.

As with anything, you only get as much as you put in. There are some good art school relate threads around. Check them out if you can. smile

oh haha i was/am going to i just wanted to see if there are any stores that like...won't show up on a google search? i mean there are stores here that are great and cheap but aren't really on google so...idk /shrug just like "local discount stores" was what i was searching for haha!
but yes thank you! i will go check that site out 6u6

ah, i hadn't considered some would be...hobbyists oops
slaps self
thank you though for this!!! i have heard something like this too, but i wasn't sure if it was a good idea? or if it wasn't credible or something. not that gaia is better than any other site, but i do trust the AD on this.

i'll have to, haha! the AD has helped me with a lot already, even if i don't participate in it.

dublah

Isn't d**k Blick in Chicago? Idk where it is specifically, but d**k Blick rules on prices. Check out their website: dickblick.com

i had no clue *M* WOW THANK YOU!!! i've heard of d**k blick loads of times haha i just had no clue it was in chicago holy crup
but oh my gosh they have one in schaumburg! this is great wowza!!!
holy god thank you so much!

dublah

I'm a super-senior at an art school and it's been great. I think just being around so many people everyday with similar interests and talents as me alone was worth the tuition. I definitely recommend art school. Life drawing classes were super beneficial for me, and peer review sessions are always great. Plus, the teachers at my school were great about giving out challenging assignments that helped me grow as an artist.

whoa whoa where do you go? if it's ok, could i ask your opinion on some schools i'm thinking of? ah sorry i just have no clue what to do haha
that's actually part of why i'm so interested in studying it in school, since it's hard to teach myself using the internet etc vs learning it in a classroom setting < m >

dublah

I think the critique threads on conceptart.org are great. The Pixelovely figure drawing tool is a great resource for gesture drawing. I'm also a fan of the idrawdigital tutorials.

ah i actually visit conceptart a lot haha, i just don't have the courage to really post...i had a thread for a month i think but then i just sort of...stopped posting in it;;
but yes i actually have the pixelovely tool bookmared heh it's so...lovely...(sorry) it's really fun!
and i'll have to check that site out, i haven't really heard of it!

[jpeg artifacts]

i'm an art school grad and i loved it
i went for graphic design and illustration
it seemed little more practical than majoring in studio art

it was great. i went in a mediocre artist and came out a MUCH better one
i currently work as the lead designer at a screen printer.

[apiyo]

I went to a liberal arts school and ended up majoring in art. Even though it wasn't a fancy art school, I'm really glad I got to take formal art classes. If you can go to an art school, or even college or a class, it would be great (assuming the teacher isn't a stooge). It's so helpful to get instructed in person. My drawing from before looks laughable compared to post-university. I don't regret it at all.

Can't help you on Illinois, I never been.

[chadolbaegi]

Doom Squad

i'm an art school grad and i loved it
i went for graphic design and illustration
it seemed little more practical than majoring in studio art

it was great. i went in a mediocre artist and came out a MUCH better one
i currently work as the lead designer at a screen printer.

oh gosh that's actually what i want to major in! mostly focusing on illustration but yeah! *M* where did you go? kgjklj i'm sorry i just have like a list of schools and i want to be able to expand it since i have only five or six...

apiyo

exactly why i want to go to school. there're resources aplenty on the internet but i just need someone there to help me along it, i feel pretty bad for it considering the amount of self-taught artists on the web, but i just can't learn it alone. gjkljkbl
i just don't know about being able to pay for it on my own, $50k is...just a lot...

ah well! i think i'm good on that, d**k blick's is ridiculously cheap haha

[God-the-almighty]

google (your area including town and state) art stores/craft shops etc.

It works for me.

[chadolbaegi]

God-the-almighty

google (your area including town and state) art stores/craft shops etc.

It works for me.

ah that's a good idea!!! sob i just wanted to make sure if anyone lived there and was on gaia i could get info on shops not on the "radar" (like local shops i guess, if schaumburg has any of them). i did get a link to d**k blicks, which has a shop in schaumburg, so i think i'll be good on that! they're super cheap!

thank you!

[God-the-almighty]

rompipalle

God-the-almighty

google (your area including town and state) art stores/craft shops etc.

It works for me.

ah that's a good idea!!! sob i just wanted to make sure if anyone lived there and was on gaia i could get info on shops not on the "radar" (like local shops i guess, if schaumburg has any of them). i did get a link to d**k blicks, which has a shop in schaumburg, so i think i'll be good on that! they're super cheap!

thank you!

You're welcome.I'm glad I could help. I've going to be visiting Minneapolis in a few days and hey have a d**k Blick there, that's where I got my first copics.

[chadolbaegi]

God-the-almighty

really? that's pretty nostalgic, haha. i'm hoping it's close to where i'll live, the shop, but if not it's fine, i'm sure.
AD is really good sob

[God-the-almighty]

rompipalle

God-the-almighty

really? that's pretty nostalgic, haha. i'm hoping it's close to where i'll live, the shop, but if not it's fine, i'm sure.
AD is really good sob

Yeah, I've just been using copics for a couple of years. I'm thinking about getting some oils this time. I'd like to get back into that.

[Ozevi]

-Jumps up and down- I work at Blick in Schaumburg! =DDDDDDDDDDDDD

[chadolbaegi]

God-the-almighty

Yeah, I've just been using copics for a couple of years. I'm thinking about getting some oils this time. I'd like to get back into that.

wow *O* i've never used either, to be honest...what's it like?

Ozevi

shrieks REALLY???
UM
how far is it from like the nearest bus stop/train station??? sob so noob at public transit...

[Ozevi]

rompipalle

God-the-almighty

Yeah, I've just been using copics for a couple of years. I'm thinking about getting some oils this time. I'd like to get back into that.

wow *O* i've never used either, to be honest...what's it like?

Ozevi

shrieks REALLY???
UM
how far is it from like the nearest bus stop/train station??? sob so noob at public transit...

Well, we're right across from Woodfield Mall. When my BF used to work at Teavana at Woodfield, I clocked it at about 8-10 minutes to walk across the parking lot. This of course, varies based on how fast you're walking, and the time of day. The inner drive can sometimes be totally bare, but if it's noon-ish, or later like rush-hour ish, there's no hope in getting across any time soon. I was almost ten minutes late back from lunch once because of the traffic. >__>

There's no train station nearby, unfortunately. The closest one that I know of is the Palatine stop, or the Schaumburg one, but the Schaumburg one is still kinda far.

As for buses, a lot of them stop right at woodfield, though which route you need largely depends on where you're living, since the route I used to take was the Harper College/Woodfield route, but there's others that go into Mount Prospect, which is to the east, versus the west. -shrugs-

http://www.pacebus.com/sub/schedules/system_map.asp If you know any major roads you'll be by, then do that and Woodfield for keywords.