2D design

One of the things that annoyed me about going back to college for some select classes was the fact that in order to take any fine art photography courses, I was required to take non-photography prerequisite courses as well. I was allowed to split them up and take 'em concurrently with the photo classes--one this semester and one next (if I do end up taking more classes in the future).

The one I'm taking this semester, 2D design, has turned into quite the pleasant surprise. It's not a drawing class, technically speaking, but everything we do involves drawing. I used to do quite a bit of pen-and-ink when I was younger (read: high school and college) and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it. It uses an entirely different portion of my brain than does writing, and the net effect is that I can effectively zone out while working on the various design projects and let my subconscious take over.

My first big project was pretty rough, since I was woefully out of practice and distinctly lacking in confidence. For the second project, I threw caution to the wind somewhat and the end result was something that surprised me and even generated approving nods from The Wife. The current project is an order of magnitude more difficult and challenging, but I'm loving it (after a horrendously rough start). I'm literally channeling some of my writings into the piece, and there's a degree of Wayne Douglas Barlow influence in there for anyone who's looking for it. I'm quite eager to see how the end product turns out.

So, to make a long story short, even though I didn't want to take it, 2D design is becoming one of the highlights of my semester.

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