I wish I could join a program like this, become an artist and join a community of artists, but I don't know anything about art.

I have lost count of how many times I've encountered someone in this situation. Someone that maybe, very far in their past, buried under the fog of a nearly forgotten childhood, entertained dreams that seem foreign to them anymore.

But in a way, the world is designed to discourage you from following passions that prioritize creative expression. Passions that prioritize beauty over financial security, and the development of skills that exist beyond the practicality of the survivalist missions we all seem to be tangled in.

We start accepting lies such as "I'm not talented" nor "I'm not creative", as an unchangeable part of our identity.

After over a decade of teaching, I can comfortably say that I haven't encountered a person yet that I cannot teach how to draw. And I dare to say that, the inexperienced might be the students of mine that progress the quickest. This is because the academic training is nothing more than a series of concepts we, slowly and through practice, wrap our heads around, until understanding and proficiency are achieved. And we do this through methods of proven efficiency, that not only soften the process of understanding and internalizing, they also provide a very straight forward form of communication for teacher and student, making the guidance objective and not open to interpretation. When the student has no previous experience, they are a blank canvas, ready for feedback and to follow instruction. When, on the other hand, students that come with pre-established habits and methods of approach have more to "unlearn".

Students do need to have a few personality traits to ensure a successful learning process, and that would apply to any discipline out there. They need to be committed, consistent and embrace the slow burn of becoming a master of your skill. Anything worth doing is going to take time, but Art is no exception to the universal rule of getting ridiculously good at something. Do it long enough, frequently enough, and under the proper guidance and you will inevitably become a professional in the field.

Umbra Academy of Realist Art is a place to give in to your obsessions. We encourage it, we cater to it.

The Only art class in Colorado were you can give yourself completely to an observation and practice based art training. Where you can study the figure every single day, the nuances of light and form, and become the artist you never thought you could ever be.

When I was looking for this kind of education, I had to end up moving half way across the world to access it, but luckily for you, it's here in your backyard, and we are looking forward to training the best artists to ever come out of Colorado.