University art programs and art colleges today do not teach you to paint - they attempt to teach you to be articulate about your work.

Not a bad thing, really. :)

Some courses of instruction are more valuable than others, but even in the most valuable classes you still teach yourself to paint. You paint with your brain even more than with your eyes.

I don't think we can compare the historical Beaux Arts education to our present degree programs. Many of the artists discussed on this forum had at least some exposure within the Beaux Art system.

It's not where you learn something. It's what you learn. Anyone attempting a painting career should be open to all the culture around them and a university education is very good for that exposure.

As mentioned previously in this thread, just showing the tenacity to complete a degree program tells the world something about you.

For those reasons, I'd vote to finish the program.

Another suggestion: Talk to the faculty. Tell them what you want or offer to give a class. I expect any art faculty would be delighted to find a serious portrait oriented painter who wants to increase his/her knowledge of that subject. My recent experience in college is that figurative and portrait study is now accepted and desirable.

Also, I agree with many others here who have suggested you attend specialized portrait courses. You can do both, maybe not right now, but you are young. You have time.

The way an artist communicates IS his work. The reason we consider being articulate about our work is that much of contemporary art has to come with an instruction booklet. It has gone so far as there are some 'art forms' that leave out the oeuvre and are just books- theoretical art. I would agree, however, that being articulate is important no matter what is being discussed.

In looking at Tony Ryder's biography, I noticed he left RISD after one year to plow more fertile fields, where he felt he could actually learn something of benefit. I don't know whether he has his degree, but his search to learn what is valuable to him shows a great deal of tenacity.

Having been in a similar position, I opted out of finishing my degree and pursued the art I loved in my own quixotic way.

You

Mathew,

You are probably buried under this avalanche of information.

However, I must add that you are very lucky to get such a wealth of information from such a variety of experiences of many talented people.

Most of us when we were young artists looked at only a confusing wilderness. What indeed was the best path? There are so many more choices today. Sift through this information. You will know -believe me-what fits your situation best.

The best of luck to you, and I am sure this thought is echoed by all of us.