Mike Lin Workshop

[amy von thun]

I just took a two day seminar with Mike Lin. I learned how to draw one point and two point perspectives, but that was a half day session which took two days. If you have the stomach for very tasteless jokes, bordering on offensive, and hours to spear for constant mindless dithering, Mr. Lin has something to teach.

[Boilerplater]

Sounds like he’s selling the same old-time religion he was 20 years ago. Amazing. Yeah, some of his stage banter will make the more intellectual and socially conscious LAs cringe. I attended his seminar as it was offered as part of our curriculum. I never really cared for those kind of gaudy, cartoony renderings he does, though I’ll admit they do sell projects. Yeah, and the ShamWow guy sells nearly-worthless pieces of polyester. We can do so much beter now with 3D models in CAd and Sketch Up, and who wants to deal with those smelly markers anyway? I gave ’em up years ago.

[Jill Bellenger, ASLA | LEED GA]

I’m surprised he’s still offering this class… I emailed him when I was with my old firm to see if he’d be interested in offering a course in the MD/DC area that I’d gladly hook up with the local ASLA to coordinate, and he (or his secretary, whoever), got back to me A YEAR LATER.

[nca]

All that said, I would have to say that Mike LIn’s book was my bible for several years before I went to school. I learned to draw and all the principles of design and drawing from that book.

I’ve never met Mr. Lin so I can’t make any judgement of his character, but you have to give him credit for bringing the ‘Be Loose’ philosophy (which I still basically live by..lol) to the masses of designers.

Personally, I’d like to here a more objective review of his course, rather than a general impression, though I appreciate the discussion.

[Jennifer de Graaf]

I took his 2 week workshop back in college and I don’t remember a lot of it, but I do still use the book. I actually just got it off the shelf last week to refresh! He’s doing some workshops all over the country this year (check his website, anyone interested). I briefly considered going to one, but can’t quite rationalize that kind of spending.

[Mike Mitchell]

I would like to say that I took his course a few years back and was a TA for him in Manhattan, KS. His course truly offers people a way to loosen up and build a solid foundation for rapidly cycling ideas and refining them through spatial organization. The key here is rapid. If you are sitting in front of a client and they would like you to change something about your design while they are in the office sketch-up, rhino, 3ds max, etc are not going to help you out. The course has a ton to offer. Every educator has their own style for conveying ideas and if you can get past the humor (or lack of, etc) then you’ll walk away a better designer. My best to everyone looking for ways to better themselves in this profession.

[David Hunt]

I just got back from the two week workshop in Kansas and loved it. Mike has a unique style in his presentation, but I for one was just there to refine my graphic skills. He keeps it light for the long hours in the studio, which is always appreciated. Who wants to sit in one spot for two weeks with a spiceless presenter and fight nodding off?

He breaks down the process of how to generate quality hand graphics, not just tell you how to change your rendering (like a lot of professors do). If you are looking to gain a solid foundation of how to build graphics, I would say it is worth the money to go to the two week session. I agree that you can do some fantastic looking renderings on the computer, but in this era of competitiveness, can’t anyone?

I have posted some of my drawings from the workshop on land8, so check them out if you are interested.

[Chad Crutcher]

I attended one of Mike’s 2-day events. While some of the disparaging descriptors used in this thread may be true, I assert these harsh attitudes completely miss something about the man and what he does. First, he is a business genius…wouldn’t you like to be doing something you absolutely love to do and make oodles of cash doing it? His cookie-cutter formula is a great business model! Second, he mentors more than he teaches. His bantering usually contains a gem of wisdom that helped me to grasp his entire concept of be loose. He pushes that attitude for every aspect of life. Lastly, I think criticism of his style is inappropriate in the context of this conversation.. He does not insist that your drawings be like his. He is very supportive of developing your own style. If you don’t like his, so be it. Use the techniques to develop your own. More than anything, I can relate to his passion for what he does and his drive and desire to share it with anyone who is interested…for a price, OK, but hey, one has to make a living!. The rapid skill level improvement is worth far more than his fee in real dollars. I’ve done a few sketches for fee that before I would have wanted an artist to prepare. I still use the artist for major renderings, but I now do more studies and quick sketches for clients. Just the few little tricks about drawing trees with different media was like gold for me!

Do well doing good.

[Trace One]

well said chad! I agree – what he said!
🙂

[nca]

Now we’ve got a discussion going..

I like the term ‘rapid-cycling’ and use it almost everyday, though I cant remember where it actually comes from. I agree that Lin’s workshop and technique is about rapid cycling in graphic communication of design more so than the style.

I dont particularly care for the style and admittedly have never taken his class, though I like the ideas discussed in the book.

A professor at CSU, Joe McGrane once told us that ‘the person with the pen holds the power’…regarding design meetings. I could not agree with this statement more. You dont have to be a fine artist or draw like Mike Lin, but understanding how to make a connection btween your mind and paper is key. So many designers are afraid to draw, especially in fron of other designers.

[Chad Crutcher]

Well, folks, as an atheist, I can understand the consternation over religion, however, let’s be both adult and American about this. Adults are capable of filtering input and extracting the really important stuff. So who gives a damn that Mike believes in God or that he uses that concept to make his point(s). His point is that orange and blue work well together; that in theory is what you paid for. By now you should have realized you get out of any effort what you put in. Having said that, Mike damn near spoon feeds his classes very valuable insight and tricks into graphics. Americans are tolerant of other folks views, culture and religion. As Americans and landscape architects who supposedly aspire to those views, we need to be sensitive in our multi-cultural marketplace. To characterize another’s personal values (religion or whatever) as mindless propaganda suggests a landscape architect who needs to lighten up and open up. That kind of vitriol will kill your career.

I was young, brash, cocky , arrogant and angry when I was young and I do not wish to deny any other young person that experience as the consequences will be the teacher. Maybe because I am older now I am increasingly put off by this kind of chatter on this site. Let’s be open about our feelings but be sensitive to those of others. Love or hate Mike Lin, don’t disparage him as a person. He is a fellow designer of great gift. If only we were to do as well as he.

Do well doing good.

[nca]

I agree Chad.

I think I’m still in the brash, arrogant, and cocky phase though.

[David Hunt]

Well said Chad. Enough of the mindless bashing. If you didn’t get anything out of it, it may have been because you were all too consumed with your own perception of what you should think instead of focusing on the techniques and concepts. Just say his teaching style did not fit your personality, but his techniques were something to build on. If you are a Landscape Architect, I am pretty sure there is a code of conduct that we all hold ourselves too by not uttering disparaging remarks about other design professionals.

Talk about what you did or didn’t learn, period.

[david j bockman]

I can certainly appreciate that irritation. I think it’s interesting and just a little sad that, between 2 people:

One who takes money to teach graphic design and then spends an inordinate amount of time proselytizing– when there is absolutely no indication anywhere in any of the descriptions about the classes that such activities take place

The other, who complains about that activity

Contributors here choose to condemn the latter party, not the former.

This is not even touching upon the OP’s comments about tasteless jokes and offtopic tangents.

To David Hunt: You have engaged in the very behavior you’re accusing others of:– accusing other design professionals of ‘mindless bashing’ is disparaging.

[David Hunt]

That’s a strech for sure, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. I don’t have a whole lot of time to read all of these discussions, and would prefer to keep it on a level above where I thought it was going. I wasn’t calling everyone here mindless, but the comments were disparaging him on a personal level, which I feel is out of line.

I’ll say this to end, I thouroughly enjoyed the workshop and feel I learned a lot from his techniques. Was there some humor I didn’t personally like, maybe, but I was there and learned a great deal. I feel that it was well worth the money for me, but everyone has a different perception of what that means to them.

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