The Versatile Master Artist

"Just now I forgot to mention in class. You, you, you... and you, hand over your prepared portfolios to me. If you didn’t bring them today, then next class. I have some free time over the weekend and can check your portfolio progress."

Professor Walter returned to the classroom, not even glancing at those playing games under the desks or secretly napping classmates.

He just walked through the desks, calling out a few names.

Since a week after the course started, the classwork actually became quite sparse in collection.

Using a sketching pencil to shade is quite a mentally exhausting task.

From a technique practice perspective, it’s not too difficult. It can’t compare to drawing complex still life arrangements, let alone the intricate little wrinkles on the faces of elders.

But it’s very monotonous and tedious.

The main test is one’s calm and focus.

It requires each practitioner to settle their mind and endure solitude.

Wanting to shade well and quickly is certainly not easy; one needs the level of a professional painter. These high school students, in their pursuit of speed, easily end up making a mess due to hasty work.

But if they are serious enough, not afraid of spending a long time drawing, and can maintain a calm mindset while shading steadily, line by line.

Then even a beginner who hasn’t been studying art long can handle this practice well and produce good work.

"It depends on whether they have the intention," thought Teacher Walter.

"Teacher, this isn’t fair! Why do you only look at these few students’ work, and not the rest of us?" A student murmured discontentedly about the sketch teacher’s blatant favoritism.

Professor Walter shook his head, his square face full of disdain.

"Who else wants me to look at their portfolios? All the assignments you handed in are still in my office, go find them now. If you can find more than eight pieces you think are serious work, I’ll stay up tonight and review them for you. If not, shut up."

With one sentence, Professor Walter neutralized all the discontent.

He couldn’t bring himself to like those students who neither had talent nor accomplished even the most basic efforts, choosing instead to coast along.

If you want to sustain a career in art, hard work is the minimum requirement for success.

Only after putting in 99% effort do you deserve to seek the 1% chance of luck and the recognition of a benefactor.

Otherwise, how can you compare with those naturally gifted geniuses who were born for this?

This isn’t a tortoise and hare race.

Geniuses might be working harder than you in private!

Professor Walter himself was the kind of art student who, despite his efforts, did not encounter sufficient luck.

He knew his sketching skills surpassed the gallery sign-up threshold but wasn’t fortunate enough to catch the eye of a talent-seeking agent.

He had to settle for being an art teacher at a private school, with a salary neither high nor low.

Thus, Professor Walter had a lot of understanding and sympathy for those children who, despite lacking luck or being chosen for Mrs. Sakai’s advanced class, still worked meticulously.

They were all just ordinary people who worked hard enough but weren’t lucky enough.

These days, he was planning to select a few students in the classroom who usually listened carefully and submitted their assignments earnestly.

Teacher Walter hoped they would submit their prepared portfolios for him to review.

Carefully reviewing and modifying students’ art portfolios was also mentally taxing.

The teacher of a large class wasn’t obligated to provide personal guidance.

Yet Professor Walter was still willing to give them special attention, sharing personal creative insights and some tips for interviews.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

For children eager to seize every opportunity to work hard, as their teacher, he was willing to lend a hand when he could.

"Gu Weijing?"

Professor Walter circled the classroom and finally walked to the corner.

He saw Gu Weijing practicing diligently on sketch paper and felt satisfied.

Just as he was about to tap the desk to remind the boy, Professor Walter’s hand suddenly froze.

The sketch professor stared at Gu Weijing’s pencil tip.

On his way over, he initially noticed that Gu Weijing’s drawing on the sketch paper wasn’t what he required.

The final drawing seemed quite good, though.

What intrigued the professor more was the confidence radiating from his entire being while drawing.

"For someone so young, he really exhibits the presence of an artist while drawing." Professor Walter smiled kindly in his heart.

But as Professor Walter stood in front of Gu Weijing, concentrating on the details with renewed focus.

He was startled to his core.

"Uh..."

His breath suddenly halted, his pupils trembled, and the messy blonde hair on his head seemed ready to explode from the roots.

Professor Walter felt as though he had been hit squarely on the head, leaving him dazed and dizzy.

What is this?

Damn, is this really the sketch assignment I gave?

Can it really be drawn like this?

Hmm,

How exactly was this drawn?

Professor Walter gazed at the sheet filled with various lines, with intricate strokes radiating out from the center point, creating triangles with different shadow details.

The two-dimensional plane presented the texture of a three-dimensional space.

Clearly, it was just a small square before his eyes.

Yet Professor Walter could envision it artistically as Egypt at sunset, seen from a high altitude, resembling the Hufu Golden Pyramid.

Sunlight flowed across its surface.

The different, mottled surfaces of the pyramid formed various contrasts of light and shadow due to the varying intensity of the illumination.