What im learning at my SVA residency

Sean_H

How exciting! I've never heard of this residency? Was it a grant/application process or a continuation of your undergrad or?

Its nice to have mentors at your disposal to really give you that boost, sounds awesome!

braden H

@Aleksey Feet are haaaaard. No matter what

ArtofAleksey

@Sean_H no i have to work to pay bills sadly i cant do a full undergrad. This is a 1 month residency (well 5 weeks) so i took Vacay days and working weekends to make up. To get in you need to have an illustration portfolio, you fill out an application. I think theres a teeny fee. Then if you’re accepted it’s 3k (not including Housing but luckily I live in ny). They seem to do it every sunmer, 2 different intervals.

jimsz

Good luck with the residency! SVA is a great school. Was there in the 80's.

ArtofAleksey

@jimsz was it pricey in the 80s as well?

jimsz

@jimsz

It was expensive for it's time but now the costs associated with a college education are ridiculous. The fact that SVA s a peivaye college makes it even mr expensive.

I'll post a tuition question to a group I belong to as I don't remember the tuition costs back then.

ArtofAleksey

@jimsz yeah art schools are hella pricey. I dont get itneither because their student wifi is really bad and their facilities are breaking apart. I walked into the admissions office when it was raining and the ceiling is leaking. But I guess they are paying the teachers all the money because the teachers are all really good.

ArtofAleksey

Today we have Alexandra Zsigmont come in for a critique session and to talk about her work as an art director for the ny times for editorial work. She looked at our stuff and gave us critiques. My portfolio is not editorial enough but the current work im doing for the editorial illustration part was very well recieved

holleywilliamson

Cool I’ve never heard of something like this. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

jimsz

@Aleksey Full time tuition was about $1,800/semester in 81 and $2,300/semester in 83. At that time they had no dorms or housing.

ArtofAleksey

@jimsz dang. Yeah now I think it’s about 40k per year. I don’t think that includes housing. I got accepted to FITs illustration program which is about 2500 per semester which is more within my budget

ShannonBiondi

That's fantastic! I'm sure you're going to learn a tonne! I'm glad you're giving us updates on how it works and what you're doing there - it's super interesting. Well done again on getting in and keep sharing those drawings. They look really good. I particularly love the ex libris ones.

ArtofAleksey

@ShannonBiondi oh thank you:)

Im working on another baba yaga one

Susan Marks

@Aleksey This is so cool-and great for you that you moved things around to make this work. Share when you can so we can join in vicariously.

envy.

ArtofAleksey

@Susan-Marks haha will do. my main concern is what im going to do when the residency is over! I might have to prepare things to replace my portfolio with because ive learned it's awful right now and needs to be better curated. And also watercolors.

ArtofAleksey

WIP for my baba yaga series of illustrations. House on chicken feets! After these are all done im gonna use a lightbox to ink on then try my hand in watercolor

braden H

@Aleksey I don't know why but I always imagined baba yaga's hut pecking at the ground like a real chicken as it wanders through the woods, scattering thatched roof and creating a thundering crashing noise as it slams its porch into the ground like a beak.

Looks like you're learnin' a lot!

ArtofAleksey

@Braden-Hallett omg i have too! Like how would an actual chicken house behave? What would it do if it was upset at babayaga for not cleaning the chimney? Or accidentally setting fire to the fence or something. Would it turn bitter and lock her out or mess with her or something. Then I thought about the amount of trust that had to be built between them.

But anyway i wanted to post my updated drawings these wre done on the ipad, im gonna print them out and use a lightbox to trace over it

ArtofAleksey

Exlibris assignment but with black ink and sepia ink wash.

Coreyartus

@Aleksey These are all just flat out lovely!! It sounds like you're hearing a lot of wonderful feedback from the different guests and really experiencing something special! What a gift to know what you need to change and what pieces to develop to show of your skills! Very cool!!