If you were going to do an art class in SL, where would you learn from?

If you were going to do an art class in SL, that would work the same way as an RL art class (ie, it's a lot about examining and learning to appreciate existing art, practicing your own and getting feedback on it), where would you use as good examples for places to learn from?

Now, let's just clarify: this isn't a class on "what is a prim, how do you apply Advanced Cut" anymore than a normal art class spends hours on holding a pencil. Assume that people on this class already know that kind of thing. This is a class on techniques for making things actually look attractive in SL. So that the Ivory Tower, for example, would probably be on the list, but *not* for the technical tutorial it contains - but for the "simple prim pattern, duplicated and rotated" technique that's used to build many of the attractive designs that make up the walls of the tower.

Of course, real life art principles apply as well, but real life art can provide examples of that - so that's less important that the purely SL ones like the above.

(Also, please no complaints about intellectual property, too: it isn't an intellectual property violation to look at a painting and learn from the artist's brushwork techniques.)

So, are there any particular places people would suggest, and what techniques would be visible at each?

The Caledon Gaiety Theatre in Caledon Penzance. Go inside - have to see it to believe it. It breaks just about every rule of 'building' in Second Life.

But the reason it so jaw-droppingly works is an intensely informed design, based on real knowledge of historic architecture and how things were, how things were supposed to be - and even reproducing the architectural flaws of the era.

Persephone's first build on the grid (no longer there, look in Caledon Penzance for comparable) was even featured on brassgoggles.com:

http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/brassgoggles/?p=291

Well not quite sure if it's what your looking for but Rivers Run Red have some sims around, the SKY news sim was built by them. It's not classical looking but I guess it does demonstrate what you can do with prims.

If you're looking for a diversity of examples, you must go to the Blackwater gallery - search places or just open the map and type in Blackwater. Many pieces from many different SL artists there.

The Avaria sims.

And (not buildings, AFAIK, but still...) Starax/Lightwaves' work.

I was going to say Inspire Space Park, but they've changed it and the new build, while nice, just doesn't have the same magic to me.

I'm sure I'll think of others.

Yumi, send me an IM in world or look up the Artists Workshop group.. Stefanik at the S&S gallery and Niki Dreamscape and I started it a while ago for the sole purpose of artists sharing with other artists and holding art workshops/classes etc.. to help inspire and learn from each other. I like your idea and maybe we can all work towards a common goal here.

Personally I would use http://npirl.blogspot.com as a source guide for the most part.