Becoming a teacher

(Music playing) Tink Adams, the president of Art Center, said, "We want teachers who are professionals in the field to come in and teach what they know." I don't even have a high school education. I didn?t finish the 10th grade. That?s unimportant. As long as I can teach what I do, that?s all that Tink was concerned about. (To a student) And then there?s a bump right here. And let?s add more weight to the N. The rest is good. FEMALE STUDENT: How about the space? DOYALD: That?s fine. It can go higher but what you have I think is okay. I took 4 semesters of lettering from Mort Leach at Art Center. 1953, I think it was. And that Mort had a big class. It was far too many to teach in a three-hour period. And Mort noticed that students were coming to me when he wasn?t around for help. And so finally after the 4th semester, he said "Would you like to teach here. Would you like to be my assistant?" And so of course I was flattered. (To a student) I'm more concerned really about your shape. I prefer to go one-on-one. This time it's summer session and it?s always light. I have just 5 students this time. I have them work small. First of all, because if you?re designing a complex shape, you make it the faster you can go, you can test out your ideas. If it?s 12 - inches wide, it takes you forever to make this drawing. So we can make a series of little roughs to solve the basic problems Once we have those solved, then we can then make a tighter version and finally we make a very precise pencil tissue. Once I have okayed that, it?s then translated into a digital form so that it becomes of a piece of art that can be reproduced at any size. I've always enjoyed helping people learn how to draw. It is better to give and receive, you know. And so I think that teaching is rewarding. It helps you to decide what you believe in, and what the real principals are that satisfies your aesthetics. I tell my students this: I don?t care what the rules are. And they are lots of rules. The ultimate rule is how does it look? Does that ?O? look bigger than the ?N?? Does it look taller? Does it drop too far below the line? And you have to get them to keep on drawing letters until they see the difference. You have to learn how to see it. (To a student) The ?T? is a little bit low. I think this is ideal and I think that is ideal. You've repeated that of the top of the N, which is good. There is one slight problem but at this scale, I accept what you?ve done. I think the top of the E gets a little dark. You see your hairline here? Is heavy? So the top of the E is just a little dark, a little chunky. Um. I'm particularly pleased with what you've done.