3rd Thurdsay is evolving

Lee White

I can mention things we are discussing (I told you I can't keep a secret). Note: these are in progress, we haven't nailed down the details yet...

Monthly webinars/podcasts on various topics run by jake, will, and I. It may also feature other professional artists
More direct feedback options for the students including a bigger portfolio class (which I am running), smaller individual crit sessions where everyone gets a full crit (like our fall and spring crit sessions now, except more frequent)
More live classes (6-8 week format) such as:
Portfolio development (Starting in January)
digital painting (possibly starting in January)
illustation 1, 2, and 3
basic drawing and perspective
advanced drawing and perspective
concept design
quick sketch
etc.
And more videos of course with options of live feedback on a recorded class with assignemnts

The webinars will be free. The others will have a reasonable cost so they are affordable.

Let me know what you guys think : )

evilrobot

Yes, please, all of it...lol...I think my favorite thing about the Third Thursdays is the interaction between all of us here on the forum commenting and helping each other. Plus the others are right half my portfolio is Third Thursday stuff. I'm down with anything that helps me upgrade my portfolio and get more work!

evilrobot

@Lee-White The recorded class with feedback option sounds really nice. I'd pay extra for feedback on the assignments.

Chip Valecek

To add to whatever else is saying, the 3rd Thursday gave people a reason to create a piece that maybe they wouldn't have thought of on there own. When I take a SVS class or any sort of class I already have an idea in my head of what I want to create using the new learned techniques. The 3rd Thursday prompt would help fuel something different. I also looked forward to the interaction from the SVS peeps. Maybe with the webinar you could give a prompt still based on the topic that would be discussed. That way people would still have a chance to work on it and then see how it is executed by the professionals.

I also liked the idea that I was going to win each month and then of course not win which would push me to work even harder LOL

Jason Bowen

@Lee-White I like courses more the merrier as they are great to watch and learn from. As I have on here. In fact I would say I learnt more watching the lessons on here than I did doing a degree in art (which I dropped out of because it was boring).

My only fear is that now I will miss the free quick expert advice that you get on 3rd thursday. I've only been in the group for a short period of time and finding 3rd thursdays was like finding gold so I am a little sad that it will be pushed aside. But I understand time is money and all that...

I find the forum very useful to develop pictures too as there is a lot of great artists on here giving advice so sad no more 3rd thursday but happy the forum is great.

Lee White

@Jason-Bowen It's not just that time is money, it's more about being able to help the most amount of people in a way that is meaningful. What we found about 3rd thursday was that most people really wanted to have their work looked at and critiqued (of course). So many people would get frustrated to work on something for hours and hours only to have us not really talk about it. The spring and fall critiques have been SO successful with each person getting full attention (which they deserve). So we wanted to lean into that a bit more. It does cost a little, but you know you are getting feedback and guidance.

The reason we wanted to evolve into a webinar is because we found that 3rd thursday really only catered to the people who did the assignment (which is a very small number of people). And then out of that group, only 6 really got feedback. So for our "free" offerings we wanted to be able to help more people. Which is what we hope the webinar/podcast will be able to do.

Like I said, we are still figuring out the details. But the goal is to really offer something special (and effective) to our community here.

Eric Castleman

This sounds awesome! Love everything noted.

Jason Bowen

@Lee-White I know what you mean, I just enjoyed taking part in the monthly competition, I through my teddy out of the pram but I had a nap and some food it's all good now I'm sure what you guys create will be cool too.

holleywilliamson

Hi I am new here but I've been watching third Thursday for quite some time and I finally got the courage to submit a few times but the time that you guys critiqued everybody's gave me just enough feedback to decide to join SVS and I am loving the classes (it's all I can think about right now) I am sad to see it go!

smceccarelli

The new formats sound great, and I am sure there will be a lot to be had out of them (sadly cannot make use of the fall critique, as I will be traveling right on that very day). Third Thursday though had a few winning elements. One was the prompt, which was always surprising and unusual and forced you to think out of the box in a pretty unique way (other challenges only have one word, so no real narrative). The second was the deadline - a fundamental element of getting things done (for me at least). And third, the fact that nearly half of the submissions were discussed in the forum during the weeks leading to third Thursday, with a lot of really useful critique and exchange on a common basis.
I am sad to see these things go - hopefully we can keep some of that going on in the forum in one way or other - the community here is one of the great aspects of SVS, which also makes it different from any other online offering out there.

With regard to prompts, BTW, I have bought a copy of the "Sparkbook" by Cedric Hohnstadt, which contains about 150 illustration prompts somewhat similar to the Third Thursday prompts...an alternative resource for making relevant portfolio pieces, if need be...

Dulcie

I'd echo a lot of what @Chip-Valecek and @smceccarelli have said about the unique points about 3rd Thursday - the prompt was really useful in that it challenged you to think of a story. It's so easy left to your own devices, just to fall into drawing cute character sketches, or something 'easy'...whereas 3rd Thursday made you think of a story and a solution to a particular set of visual circumstances. I don't know of any other art challenge that is similar like that... And also, it brought us all together in the forums, working on the same challenge...seeing how others approach the same problem in a different way is really interesting, and fun to help each other out.

It's entirely possible that I'd be in a minority of one about this idea, but if you did something like an 'SVS Challenge' - just posting a prompt here, no critique or winners, just giving us a 3rd Thursday-style monthly prompt/challenge/theme to work on if we want to...well maybe I'd be the only one, but I'd still like that

Having said all that, the new formats sound fantastic too - will be good to have more teaching/direct feedback options - and I'll look forward to what is decided....

Lee White

I agree about all working towards a finished illustration using an interesting prompt. That is what our classes will consist of. It will be like 3rd thursday on steroids. You will get feedback on all aspects of the project starting with how to go about it, doing the thumbnails, rough sketch, color study, and final art.

This kind of project will happen in all of the illusrtration 1, 2, and 3 classes.

BTW, you guys can keep doing prompts like 3rd thursday on the forums if you want as well. Just agree on a subject and illustrate it. : )