The Swan...

is almost done. I spent much of this afternoon working on her, and she's almost done. I've still got to add the water around her, which will consist of drawing about a million horizontal lines of varying shades throughout the background. The reflection looks more like it has fur then feathers, but most of that will be diminished by the water lines drawn over it. Of course, a lot of the detail is diminished in the scanning process as well. The swan looks much better in real life. I am quite pleased at the way her head and upper neck turned out, but I haven't quite gotten the body like I want it.

I also finally finished that art test, though I don't at all like the scene I did. They had printed a house, and I was supposed to finish the scene. I ended up making a wintry scene by adding a chimney to the house, with a snowman and a snow fort in the front yard. I also put little foot prints from the snowman to the front door of the house. It is ready to send in as soon as I buy some two cent stamps.

Of course I haven't shared this news with the participants of the Drawspace forum as they are very much against me even seeking more information about this school. The gist of the conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm working on the test for Art Instruction Schools.

They: That school is a scam because the test requires you to draw a cartoon doodle.

Me: I've checked them out and they sound pretty legitimate.

They: They can't be legitimate because they make you draw a doodle.

Me: As I said, I've done a bit of research and believe they are a legitimate school because of the following information:

A) The school was established in 1914, and has been in business ever since. Scams tend not to last 92 years, since they must frequently change their MO to stay one step ahead of the law.

B) The school is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, a nationally recognized accrediting agency listed by the U. S. Department of Education. It first received accreditation in 1956, and is periodically reviewed to determine if it receives re-accreditation. The last review was in 2005. Scams wouldn't stand up to any sort of accreditation process, and certainly wouldn't remain accredited for 50 years.

C) The school is licensed by the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office.

D) The school's curriculum has been reviewed by the American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, which has recommended that over 3000 colleges and universities grant up to 24 university credits for completing the course. Scams don't allow any sort of review, much less get recommended by anything.

E) The school has produced many outstanding artists who credit the fundamental training they received from the school as a big part of their success. One graduate, Charles Schulz, even returned to the school as an instructor. Scams never get recommended by anyone, especially not by those who were also "scammed."

F) The school is a member of the Better Business Bureau . Scams are NEVER members of the Better Business Bureau.

Based on the above six points, I do believe the school is legitimate, and would like to pursue further information about them.

They: But they make you draw a doodle! And if you won't agree with me, I'm just not going talk to you about it any more!

They accused me of being hostile and getting mad about it, and claimed that nothing constructive was coming out of the argument, meaning of course, I was not changing my mind based on their opinions. I haven't even been back there--to the forums, that is. That is not the kind of support I want or need.