Paintings hung in an art gallery don’t show an audience the composition and detail. However, once a student has a model to show the creativity that is there with every stroke on a canvas, that’s what you the artist end up seeing.

Rousquit Rosales, graphic design major, said that what he has learned is the human form through the Life Painting class this semester.

He explained that not only is there appreciation but that there is enjoyment in the class.

“I have been able to create portraits and the other reason I took this class is because I wanted to be challenged.”

During the semester students who enroll in the class also paint real life naked models.

Rosales explained that at first is it hard to see a naked person but that after a moment or two it didn’t bother him.

Also, he commented that in the class there was a opportunity to socialize with fellow students.

Marcus Newson, animation and art major, agreed.

But for him there was more than just taking the class to learn how to paint.

“I love the challenge as well,” he said, “but I hope to do comics.”

In addition, he said that he’d been drawn to arts when he was little. In seeing Marvel comics cartoons Newson said that, that was the first time he knew he wanted to be an artist.

In seeing the first naked model when Newson walked in, admittedly the first thing was that he freaked out. But he also said that after a while throughout the semester, “You as a student forgot and just did it.

That is the hope that Hagop Najarian, art instructor, has but there is more of why students have repeated the class at least five to six times.

“I want the students to have confidence,” he said, “and also have trust in themselves within this class.”

Furthermore, he says that what he wants students to do is draw from their own life experiences.

Having taught at Cerritos since 1999 Najarian commented that he had known that he wanted to be an artist since he was young.

“This is my way of paying back the teachers who helped me along the way.”

Yet, during the semester Najarian said that there are things that students learn.

“The students learn about the Renaissance and Baroque period,” he said, “but there is also a lot of homework the students do and it beginning with life experiences as well as the anatomy and structure of the body.”

With a passion for art, Najarian said that he has had an opportunity to showcase his painting in the Cerritos Art Gallery as well as other art gallerys such as in Oxnard College, but it’s knowing at the end that is most satisfying.

At the end of the semester students will have a portfolio of the work and Najarian said that with the portfolio it will hopefully lead to students being admitted to a university.

There have been students who have repeated the course four or five times and the reason is because there is a historical connection through the arts.

One of those students who have repeated the class is, Anna Javier, graphic art major, who said that she would like to end up teaching art.

“I have set a goal in this class to become better at what I’ve learned, she explained, “and one of the first things I learned is what’s called, “gesture.”

What gesture is Javier explained is a quick sketch of the object or model that is there. She explained that with Najarian teaching there is a sense of understanding.

Javier said that right now she is not a deep artist, and perhaps one of the misconceptions about a person being an artist is that they are a starving artist.

“All I can do right now is that I can get better.”

Ernie Flores, art major also wants to end up teaching art.

He said that the first semester he’d postponed the class, but says it is a enjoy to be in the class.

“I learned to give a human figure a sharpener image,” he commented, “and also I have learned to take risk during the semester.”

Additionally, Flores said that there has been a sense of letting what comes out of the painting or drawing, go.

As for the nude model, he said, “You learn to forget that, that person is there completely nude and just pay attention to what you, (the student) have to do.”

“I also have learned to have my proportion correct,” he said, “because if you don’t then it’s not going to work.”

For Najarian that is why teaching the life painting class is important.

“It’s about learning about the body,” he said, “but it’s also about teaching about life.”