The Versatile Master Artist

Whether it’s self-study after class or supplementary lessons in training classes, many top students can solve difficult problems that their teachers can’t solve.

If it’s for the Olympiad, those academic geniuses who win provincial awards or even make it to the national training team can easily outperform ordinary high school physics and chemistry teachers.

Art is a different story.

Because art is truly a purely technical discipline.

For both art and music, the accumulation of technique requires the precipitation of time.

Meanwhile, if students don’t have a more excellent teacher to guide them, their progress can slow down, and they might not even know where to focus their efforts.

Ordinary people don’t have such a simplistic and crude way of gaining experience as a system.

The common rule is that once you’ve reached a certain level in art, you often need to change teachers.

Those historically musical and artistic geniuses, the concertmaster of a philharmonic orchestra, or students who get into prestigious art academies, often change five or six private teachers at different learning stages.

Initially studying under a certain teacher, and then excelling so much that the teacher can no longer instruct, and thus being recommended to study with the teacher’s teacher, is not uncommon in the art world.

Otherwise, they’d be like Koizumi Katsuko, who studied with a famous master since childhood.

”Nowadays, even a student can draw like this. Damn, with such a high level, I’m under a lot of pressure as the teacher!”

Though he didn’t want to admit it.

After carefully studying Gu Weijing’s work, Professor Watter reached a conclusion.

This guy’s sketching level is likely stronger than mine.

The way Teacher Watter looked was noted by all the students, and it sparked astonished whispers in Fitz’s classroom as well.

They had been attending school for so many years, and never before had they seen the proud Germanic sketch professor display such an expression towards a student’s work.

Gu Weijing was considered one of those with decent grades, often receiving an A in sketch classes.

But he wasn’t the only one who got an A.

Even those selected by Mrs. Sakai for the advanced class hadn’t made Professor Watter lose his composure like this.

Did this kid suddenly munch on some divine elixir?

”You overpraise.”

Being the center of attention, Gu Weijing felt a bit embarrassed by Professor Watter’s praise.

This old gentleman had always taken good care of him.

”I wish I were overpraising. The mastery of lines shows in how good the work is, and the ink on paper never lies. This sketch, I find it hard to draw this well.”

Professor Watter clicked his tongue in amazement.

Faced with such a level of sketching, Professor Watter even felt a bit guilty.

Teaching such a student, he felt unworthy, almost like he was delaying and misleading him.

Besides feeling embarrassed, Professor Watter was mostly puzzled and confused.

He was well aware of the overall level of senior students, and Gu Weijing was considered a good seedling, though his skills still needed honing.

But just one holiday had passed,

and the painting in Professor Watter’s hand had grown from a good seedling to a trunk with branches and leaves.

Calling it an overwhelming success, one could truly see the budding of a mature artist.

Also, it developed way too quickly.

”Gu Weijing, during the holiday did you hire a tutor or participate in any art training camps at home?”

Professor Watter guessed.

He was curious about what kind of sketch tutoring could yield such good results.

If there really were a famous teacher, letting someone progress like they had taken a potent drug,

Professor Watter was also ready to sign up for a class himself, even if it cost hundreds or thousands of US Dollars, he’d be willing.

Professor Watter had spent a significant portion of his life on a pencil.

At his age, he no longer thought much about signing with a gallery. Simply reaching a higher realm in sketching techniques was quite satisfying.

”I just figured it out on my own, gradually got the feel of it as I drew.”

”Is that so? Then you suddenly grasped it. Your realization is quite intense.”

Teacher Watter’s face showed a layer of disappointment.

The professor felt he at least had an answer in his heart.

The art industry values inspiration and sudden enlightenment.

The urban legend about Mozart falling down the stairs as a child, hitting his head, and becoming a musical prodigy isn’t very believable.

But when an art student suddenly seems to have an epiphany while drawing, and their painting skills suddenly leap a tier in a short time, this indeed happens often.

Facing this fact,

Professor Watter could only attribute the answer to this reason.

”Everyone look at this painting. I ask you to use a pencil to shade little squares, and you all complain it’s hard work and don’t want to practice. You’re acting as if you are capable of producing something noteworthy already.”

”Look at how far the sketches of some classmates who carry a backpack to class every day have come! I don’t expect you all to draw as splendidly as Gu Weijing, but I want you to take a good look at the smooth use of the pen, the exquisite control. Who says if you weren’t picked by Professor Cruz, you can’t shine yourself!”

Professor Watter felt quite pleased looking at this sketch.

He couldn’t help but show off the sheet in front of all the students.

In the education industry, there are few teachers who don’t appreciate good students.

After days of grading failing assignments that made them dizzy, seeing a perfect paper was a breath of fresh air.