I’d like to know more about the difference between attending the Ani Academy (online) versus going with the Lod, and Lop dvd material on my own.
I live in Denmark and attending the Academy is a bit difficult, although I have seen that it’s possible to attend online, but you have to visit the instructor, but in which European country does the instuctor live? And is it $150/month?, and for how many months?
I hate the word “benefits”, because everything today is about the benefits for someone. But, that being said, how much would one “benefit” or improve by attending the online Ani art academy, compared to following one’s own pace with the lop, lod material? Would the dvd’s be enough?
First off, welcome to our community here! I hope that the resources in our forum/archive prove very useful to you.
Second, The ÀNI Art Academies does not technically offer a specific online curriculum, rather some of our senior students engage in a Long-Distance Mentorship (online and in person) with some distant learners who are driven to utilize our curriculum for their own development. Tuitions charged by mentors vary based on a number of factors including time and workload.
As to benefits, I would ask to know exactly what you are trying to achieve with your training to best offer useful advice here. In the same manner as the aforementioned “benefit”, goals like “getting better” and “improving my art” are equally nebulous. Let’s talk about what you would like to do, in as much detail as you feel comfortable with, and I’ll do my best to see if any of our resources might be a good fit.
Again, welcome and best wishes for a happy, healthy, and successful 2025!
I have thought about what I want. I am reading George Leonard’s “Mastery”, and I realize that mastery is not a destination, but a journey.
I’d like to paint realism. To be able to capture an object with paint, and to narrow the gap between what I intend, and what I am capable of. Almost everything is hard with oil painting for me. My paintings looks flat, and, 2d-like. Also, I am having trouble with color.
I also need to better handle the “plateau”, when I am not having leaps of progress. Because the plateau is really bothering me, and it makes me quit. And then come back, and quit…etc.
Handling this, I decided to read up on Mastery, and deliberate practice. I read the article “8 practice hacks”, and I think I am on to something going that way.
I have let go of my ambition of being able to live off my paintings, because that really kills my joy, and makes me want to quit, when the gap is too big between my vision and reality. If someone wants to buy a painting in the future. Sure, why not. But I am not having it as a goal in itself.
Sometimes I get the thought: “Who am I kidding, trying to learn how to paint?”. But then I remember my reaction (“I want to do that!”) to Paul Foxton’s plums, and here I am … again.
Currently, I am doing the free K12 material, and will eventually move on to LoD, and LoP.
Thank you so much for such a thoughtful response and such a candid insight Mattis.
Your specific experience with development is one that I honestly hear all too often. Any worthwhile path of development will indeed hold much frustration but please know that being able to perceive the areas that are wanting (which it seems you can do) is an incredible advantage. Believe it or not, there are many with such performance deficits that are mired in a Kruger-Dunning driven view of their efforts that stifles much of their potential development.
The main difference between a self-guided journey through our curriculum and the Academy experience really comes down to how effectively and efficiently you can remain in the “Zone of Proximal Development. (ZPD)”
First introduced by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with support (e.g., guidance or assistance.) In his own words, Vygotsky writes, “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).”
The term “proximal” in the ZPD refers to skills or abilities relatively “not too far” outside the learner’s current abilities. The ZPD ensures challenge is not too hard, and not too easy, serving as the region where instruction is often considered the most beneficial. This zone is where deliberate practice takes place. You may have read about or seen my video on deliberate practice that uses a dynamic or flexible fishbowl metaphor. In that case, the ZPD is the “moveable” edge of the fishbowl.
It’s important to understand that effective and efficient skill development requires the learner to be presented with tasks just outside of their current ability range. Engaging in such tasks allows learners to effectively “grow” skills.
In the end, the speed and quality of your development will always be tethered to the quality of information one has access to, the quality of your practice, and your ability to hold yourself within in the ZPD. Evaluating the self-guided experience, long-distance learning, and Academy attendance learning with this lens would be most beneficial to you in my opinion.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have further questions~~~
