The Advanced Art students just wrapped up a project inspired by the word Happiness. Their challenge was to translate that theme into an art piece using their unique artistic voice, while also creating depth and dimension through shading with either pencil or colored pencil.
Unlike my introductory classes, where we focus heavily on the technical building blocks of drawing, this course leans more into style development and finding an artistic voice. We still practice fundamentals like value studies and shading to show depth, but the real emphasis is on how each artist uses those tools in their own unique way.
To support that process, this semester we’ve been reading Finding Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon. Her message—that every artist has a voice worth developing—is a touchstone for our class development.
The “Happiness” projects reflect that beautifully. Some students leaned into bright, playful imagery that feels almost like a panel out of a manga or comic book, while others approached it with quiet, subtle symbolism. Every piece reveals a different interpretation of what joy looks like, and just as importantly, each one showcases the student’s growing confidence in their personal style.
For me as a teacher, it’s inspiring to see students move beyond “how do I draw this?” into “how do I say something with my art?” I feel that transition—from technique to voice—is where artistic growth really happens.
