h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I always loved art - I was the best scribbler in my primary school and was often called on by the teachers to do illustrations for special events. But when I got into secondary school, I couldn't get my head around the 'fine art' v 'graphic art' approach. Our teacher always wanted us to pursue fine art (although I didn't realise it at the time) - keep doing the same thing over and over again because you can never achieve perfection. Whereas I now realise I was more attracted by graphic art - the finished product rather than the journey you have to take to get there.

I remember one task involved designing a totem pole. I thought about the project a lot and came up with a design that mirrored the crude wood carings that we'd seen in pictures. The base was a pair of fish, then frogs, then a range of animals representing different levels of where you might expect to find them, finishing off with a crest of an eagle soaring into the sun. Compared to most of the others, I reckoned I'd really thought about that concept thoroughly. I even used crayons to give a rough texture to the picture. But our teacher dismissed it as rubbish during a rant about the general level of work done by the class on the project. I was livid that my concept had completely passed him by (and some of my classmates couldn't see why he was ranting about my pic as it was the best of the bunch).

We eventually put it down to him having a bad day and taking it out on us, but I really lost respect for that teacher after that incident. I just got on with drawing what I wanted to do, and making sculptures by making face casts in sticky tape, pasting coloured film into the mask and lining it up near the window so that it looked like stained glass. The problem was, it was all too 'graphic', too much about that finished work, so I only got a B.

But I still do art, and now, thanks to computers, I can achieve even more than I'd ever imagined.

Art always bugged me a bit by being "taught" at school. OK, I admit, I was crap at drawing, but admiringly jealous of those who could come up with interesting and creative ideas (like yours).

So surely it's a talent thing. If you're good at it - great. But if you're not - how are you supposed to learn how to "do" art??? Bit unfair as a school subject.

I both liked and hated Art.
I liked it because I enjoy drawing and its the one thing i'm good at.

I hated it because the teacher was an up himself tw*t, who never actually taught you anything, he just gave you a project told you to get on with it, while he put his feet up and drank gallons of coffee.

Then on morning before exams would tell you all your work was rubbish and that you were going to fail. This guy had never heard of the concept of morale.

I enjoyed art at school loads - so much so that I went to a lot of trouble arguing with teachers to change the timetables so that I could study art alongside all the other more academic "O" level subjects. Ended up with just 4 of us in the specially arranged class and great fun ensued. My art teachers used to have a band out of hours and sometimes brought their guitars along to practise, providing background music while we were "working". Can't say we really got taught very much (although I think I did get a good grounding in basic drawing techniques). 'Lessons' were more about each of us getting on with whatever exam project work we'd come up with and being the less imaginative and least diligent sort, I decided on my theme far too late and didn't make the grade

I liked art because I enjoyed drawing & the lessons were more relaxed than other subjects. For O levels I was persuaded to take the science course (& drop art ) as giving broader options later. However, I was allowed to do art O level in the sixth form which I didn't consider was work at all! (I got an A.)

I never sat any Art exams - not even 'O' level. My teacher said I didn't need to take any tests, because I knew I could draw.
I have carried it on, but never professionally - apart from web site design, which sometimes i get paid for.
The greatest fun of the year is designing and painting the Pantomime backdrops - WOW!! This year I have 5 or 6 canvases to do - all approximately 5 metres by 10 metres (plus a few side flats).
Even though its fairly efemeral - they get painted over the next year, it is quite satisfying when the audiences applaud before anyone has gone on stage.