Recently I developed a new series to teach called Masters and Mediums. “Why?” you may ask. Well, as an instructor my students often seem to flail around learning how to use a medium, but they don’t seem to have the respect for it. “Why?” you may ask again. I toyed with that myself for quite a while until I realized it was the history, the lineage, the backstory they were missing. So, I started to include a bit of art history in my classes along with the mediums certain artists used. In one class Masters and Mediums: Illustrators, we talked about famous illustrators like Dulac, Rackham, NC Wyeth and Beatrix Potter. Showing examples of their work started the conversation. Then we drug out watercolors, ink pens and even some colored pencils to create just like they did. Suddenly a newfound respect and sense of challenge took over every student. “Why?” you may ask a third time. Because now they each had some insight to what it is like to become. It’s not easy. Simple storybook illustrations took on a high art feel once they dug in and experience the ups and downs of illustrating. And to top it off, they now could feel an affinity with those illustrators of long ago which boosted their confidence and self-respect as an artist. Win!