I love art school because... – your best pictures

Inked up: I love art school because I got the chance to wear face paint and take myself very seriously indeed Photograph: Danboy

Me in front of a 29m wide illustration I made up on Charing Cross Road: My illustration is currently up on the front of 107-109 Charing Cross Road. The artwork, ‘All Paths Lead to Foyles’, celebrates the building’s ongoing status as a cultural landmark at the centre of a London’s historic music and bookselling district. It was selected as the winning design in a competition curated by cultural placemaking agency Futurecity. Without art school - I may never have been able to participate in such a competition in the first place, much less have my art displayed at such a large scale Photograph: Steve Speller

A standard day at Chelsea College, University of the Arts, London I love art school because of things like this Photograph: Emi Dixon

Joy of magnets: I love art school because I got to put magnetic cups all around Glasgow Photograph: Rose Reynolds

Bleb by Enya Onah: Art school allows me to play around with the idea of not knowing Photograph: Enya Onah

A master's of fine art to forget my words: I went back to art school after my PhD to study for a master of fine arts in creative writing because I wanted to empty myself of everything I had learned Photograph: Snamuel Veissiere

My degree title doesn't limit my possibilities: I'm about to graduate from communication design at the Glasgow School of Art. I mostly make films, so I guess that makes me a filmmaker, but I don't see it that way. At art school, I can read philosophy and linguistics one week, psychology and the physics of sound another and after that, learn to code or use some editing software. After that, it's up to me to join the dots Photograph: Jules Gay

You learn to be you. By Angela Johnson: Art is a wonderful thing. It's very diverse. Despite finding it difficult with the occasional 'artist's block', I enjoyed my time doing fine art at Leeds University. The course teaches you who and what you are. You figure out whether you are a maker, a thinker, architect or a performer Photograph: Judgement Cat Discokitten

Janet Arnold Competition, My Entry: I love art school because it pushes you to create things. Without it, you wouldn't have the confidence to do so Photograph: NicholasG

Thats the whole (dry) point: Art school feeds your soul Photograph: Esther Bear

Draw: Learn to look. Learn to see! Photograph: Josephine Birch

Humans need beautiful things: 'The Proud King Wears a Twisted Crown', Catherine Larsson-King. Art Schools teach people to use the vivid imagination we have, and how to apply it in an effective way so that others can benefit from it. Imagine living in a world without colour and innovation. How depressing would that be? Art evolves the world as much as science and development. As Don Draper said in Mad Men, 'Creativity is the least-important of the most important things' Photograph: Catherine Larsson-King

Nude Photograph: Daniel Crowe

Biological aversions explored: I get to interact with amazing resources like the microscopy lab and behavioural sciences, I get to study and learn about more than just paint. I also get to curate amazing huge shows full of inspirational new artists. When in your life do you get to work with four other artists to create a show of more than 60 people that opens to 400 people!? Photograph: Jesse Holliland

At work together to make a vision concrete: US student Andy Wolfe and French artist Nicolas Muller working together at the latter's show. Experiencing the concentration of two or more minds on a single project is one of the most rewarding things life can offer Photograph: Florence University of the Arts

It encourages a different way of thinking This is my artwork which is currently on show at Plymouth University. Its concept is based on notions of nostalgia and shelter. Four years ago I would never have imagined anything like this, let alone design and build it. Studying fine art and art history has allowed me to realise how our thinking is influenced, and to better understand thought processes. If this kind of education were to diminish, I believe our understanding of ourselves individually, socially, and culturally would suffer greatly Photograph: Sarah Jane Hodge/www.sarahjanehodge.wordpress.com

Nowhere Else Could I Do This for Credit: Me and my course mate made a mask from papier mâché, with built in headphones and a portable cassette player playing ABBA GOLD. I love art school because in all that ridiculousness there is meaning and debate Photograph: Joseph Reed & Myles McCabe