Oh The People You’ll Meet: The Stereotypical Art Major

January 19, 2009     Posted in HaHa

hipster.jpgSooner or later, you’re going to have to take electives.  Maybe you’re taking Physics 1 and Chemistry 101 at the same time.  Maybe there is a math class in there too.  Or maybe your advisor just told you that you need an elective to be able to graduate.


By CC Staff

Either way, more than likely, you’ll start looking at the art classes.  It’s a coast class right?  Draw some pictures, get a little paint under your nails, maybe make a charcoal drawing of fruit.  Simple.  Relaxing

Until you meet… The Art Major.

She will show up on the first day of class with a portfolio already in hand.  It doesn’t matter if she’s a freshman or not; her portfolio will be as big as Barbie’s dream house and contain every sketch, scribble, and doodle she ever made.  Be careful about this one.  There’s a great possibility that you’ll get whacked with that thing before the semester is over (she doesn’t always care/is too high to notice where she’s  swinging it).

Just like any other stereotypical person on campus, the Art Major one has a uniform.  This person is going to be wearing a black hoodie zipped up.  The hoodie will have <insert “artistic” band name here> on it.  They wear jeans or cargo pants.  Their shoes will be flats with something like stars on them, oftentimes doodles on by the wearer.  Sometimes the uniform will vary so, when in doubt, look at the face.

No, it’s not like art majors are horribly disfigured or anything.  It’s more like they all have the same “I’m artsy” vibe goin’ on. The girls will usually have cat-eye shaped glasses (whether they need them or not), over eyes lined in any crazy shade of liner.  Red, blue, or green, it doesn’t matter.  They will use the whole color palette on their face if they can.  Only the complementary colors, of course.  They are art majors, after all.

When not in art class, the art major will be sitting in front of blank walls/buildings on campus/plates of food and sketching. Or painting. Or making you feel uncomfortable as you get the feeling they are doing some sort of art project with you as the centerpiece. They will be with a fellow art major discussing topics such as how much deeper they are than everyone else, the cost of oil paints these days, and some hippie Indie film that just came out.

And when they are in class? Well, their natural talent is just going to make you feel like crap.  They can make your bowl of fruit (that you spent hours on) look like a 3-year-old’s doodle. And then look at you with a mixture of pity and resentment over those cat-eyed glasses and make you wish you’d taken a music class instead.

29 Comments on "Oh The People You’ll Meet: The Stereotypical Art Major"

  1. Cat says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 200912:03 pm 

    haha that picture is so dead on!

  2. Beth says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 200912:18 pm 

    Although seterotypes are sometimes funny, and I can see the humor in this article, I'd like to point out that not all art majors are this way. I'm an art major, and I don't do drugs, I wear Hollister and high heels, and I don't overdo my makeup. Art professors expect students to bring their portfolios and all their supplies on the first day of classes so that they don't waste anytime. And any small breeze can send those portfolios flying, they're like kites.

  3. Tiffany says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 200912:42 pm 

    Beth,

    She obviously said stereotype in the title. Which would imply that she understands that not all art majors are this way. It wouldn't be a stereotype if there weren't people who did differently, it would be characteristic. Chill.

  4. Darcy says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20091:27 pm 

    Actually, when out in the open, I find art majors usually too busy chain smoking and talking about the deepness mentioned in the article to actually do a lot of arting. And you totally didn't touch on their love for recreational drug use and fixation on sexual liberation (unfortunately, I went to art school)

  5. Jacks says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20091:55 pm 

    Eh. Actually none of the art majors at my school were like this.

  6. Jes says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20092:11 pm 

    i go to an art school as well, and honestly i could find maybe one person at my school like this?

    i'd agree with the chain smoking though!

  7. Mel says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20092:32 pm 

    You're in college and you still wear Hollister?

  8. Dana says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20093:19 pm 

    I was an art major also, and I agree that this is not an accurate portrayal of our "clique." These people are what you would call "posers" or even "hipsters." Art majors are cool people who actually dress normally.

  9. Amber says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20094:36 pm 

    "Either way, more than likely, you’ll start looking at the art classes. It’s a coast class right? Draw some pictures, get a little paint under your nails, maybe make a charcoal drawing of fruit. Simple. Relaxing"

    Statements like this make art majors dislike the non arts majors who take art classes just to bs them. Just because you get to use paints and charcoal doesn't mean you get to draw disfigured stick people and get an A. My art school is one of the top public schools in the nation and they expect students to take their classes seriously.

  10. jodi says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20095:48 pm 

    Aw come on, I feel like this sort of splitting hairs, or I'm-an-art-major-and-I'm-not-like-this is going to go on through this entire series, and I don't think it's necessary. I think, due to her use of "stereotypical" in the TITLE, that the author realizes that this is an overly simplified persona that she's describing. The purpose is to say, "Oh hey, I know someone like that and he/she makes me laugh too."

  11. Emily says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20096:15 pm 

    This more seemed to describe the music major as opposed to the art major. Most of us realize our major is complete bullshit and simply pity the rest of you that get to spend your college career doing busy work as opposed to "doodles" which is all we do all day anyway. I wish an actual art major would write about the stereotypical art student cause that would be much more accurate and not piss everyone off. And word of advice to non-arts majors, if you want to take art as an elective take the class for non-majors cause you will work much harder then you wanted to in a real art class, get a bad grade, and the critique process will possibly make you cry.

  12. Alison says:
    Mon, 19th Jan 20099:52 pm 

    I don't know about your schools, but I know A LOT of Fine Arts majors that look just like these people.

    And of course a lot of them that don't.

  13. Jes says:
    Tue, 20th Jan 20098:06 am 

    Ha! I think its funny (being one of the better art students in my class, although I dont go around spouting off about it- like a can here where no one knows me) that usually the only kids who look/act like this are the art majors who suck, and actually try REALLY hard to LOOK/act like a deep, mysterious art major.

    Those of us who, yes, are probably much more cocky than these guys, realize that fitting into this sterotype doesnt make you a good artist, and moreso makes you look like a wannabe douchebag.

    And we consistently make your artwork look like shit in comparison.

    Hahaha.. A little big-headed stereotypying of my own. :)

  14. Jes says:
    Tue, 20th Jan 20098:08 am 

    …but then again, I have (true to stereotype) done an absolute shit ton of drugs. But I dont smoke cigarette's (gross) and am simply way to cute to ever dress in a black hoodie or wear beaten-up converse with stars on them…. Ouch.

    hahaha Narcissistic? …who? lol

  15. Darcy says:
    Tue, 20th Jan 20091:30 pm 

    I kind of agree with what Emily said. It'd be fun for CC to feature articles written by art majors about stereotypical art majors (or any other clique or group found in college), you'll probably get a more intimate look with weirder, funnier trivia.

  16. Star says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 200912:28 am 

    I don't think you can write a stereotype of yourself. Stereotypes have to be bluntly honest and often end up insulting someone. So if an art major stereotyped an art major, they'd probably mess it up. But maybe I'm just being stereotypical :)

  17. Sarah says:
    Fri, 23rd Jan 200912:38 pm 

    I think this was totally off-target. I'm not saying it wasn't humorous, but the only people I know that fit this description are high school hipsters, not college art majors.

    I was a graphic design major for two years (switched to English!) and I think I could do a better job satirically describing the stereotypical art major than you did. Sorry.

  18. Stacey says:
    Sun, 29th Mar 20094:11 pm 

    Ugh, this could/would have been funny had it actually described an art major. But it doesn't, it describes any 16 year old at this point in trend-history.

    Sorry.

  19. Chris says:
    Fri, 24th Apr 200912:45 am 

    Kind of a weak sterotype, were’s the full sleeve tatoo, beaded hemp necklace and thickframes? Also art majors are somewhat trend resistant, so you’d more likely find them in retro indie clothing than black band hoodies. Maybe even mod dresses and flapper hats and can’t forget the classic Wharhol turtleneck.

  20. Ace says:
    Fri, 26th Jun 20096:14 am 

    I live with all artists, and while they are always drawing or taking pics, they don't dress like that. They're lovely, and they all know I'm the deepest.

  21. kady says:
    Sun, 20th Dec 20097:51 pm 

    Maybe you mean FINE ART major?

    because "art majors" consist of more than just painting.

    google it, get your facts right.

  22. Matt K says:
    Tue, 23rd Feb 20109:40 am 

    Haha, that's dead on. I have to spend most of my day with people like that. I'm probably the most un-stereotypical art major. I hate Mac computers and prefer solo piano music. Not to mention I prefer to do my art alone with no one around. So true man.

  23. beth says:
    Sat, 6th Mar 20104:09 pm 

    Yes and usually they have an art show (where your friends only show for free wine and pretzels) applausing an extraneous speech, which no one actully understands, about how those pictures you took -with the lens cap still on- possesses a divine code of intellect!

  24. skunky beaumont says:
    Fri, 7th May 20104:22 am 

    Haha, all art school majors are totally like this. If you are denying, you are probably an offender!

  25. VF says:
    Mon, 17th May 20101:15 pm 

    Don't forget the bi-sexual, feminist, vegan, animal rights activists who wear their entire wardrobes to school every day! SAVE THE TREES SAVE THE TREEES

  26. Cara says:
    Wed, 26th May 20109:34 am 

    HAHAHA! Oh my god, this made my day! I'm an art major, and you don't know how many times people have told me that i'm not because i don't do this! And when i do hit people with my portfolio, i almost cry and appologize my head off! Also, you all forgot the part where we carry tackle boxes and can open doors magically without our hands!! Woo hoo do i love this article!

  27. iowa art major says:
    Sun, 29th Jan 201211:00 pm 

    you've never met a real art major, have you? I'm one, and I don't fit any of those categories…

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