I have been contemplating going back to SCAD after being REALITY PUNCHED with the fact that majoring in illustration will probably end with me ending in MASSIVE DEBT. Therefore, I will watch this journal as it is relevant to my situation.

As for advice: Find a way to exploit scholarships and/or student loans.

Also: HAVE NO REGRETS GOOD SIR.

I SHALL TRY TO EXPLOIDE!

Thanks for the input!

Me and my mate considered SCAD too.... they were not friendly to our wallets at all, and that's with scholarships ;x;

Well, I would be able to coast through it with scholarships, but I'm not confident in my ability to perform well enough to keep said scholarships.

Bleh, same here, I decided to go to AIA instead, way less of a hassle

i hated art school! but it's because i'm selfish i think, i don't want to draw what other people want. i just wanna drawing cartoons boinking haha

Man, I always placed my still life objects suggestively. That was my compromise.

You're doing that now! =D

hell yeah!! ain't need to college for that! haha

IT WORKS OUT FOR ME

I feel like I want someone to tell me what to do and train me on technique. Like anatomy and color and perspective and whatever, and be really harsh. I want to learn technical aspects to art, but I don't think I can really do it by myself.

hey man you might really like it then!!

Only go if you have a desire to learn everything presented to you, if you feel you're willing to make a business of something you enjoy, and can tolerate others.

I know some who have gone to art school and said they would have improved without it. I know some who have gone and didn't improve. I know most who have attended and greatly improved while learning a great deal about the industry and it's inner-workings, me being one of those.

Your experience will vary on the school you attend and, even more, what you make of your time while you're attending.

I attend Ringling College of Art and Design, I'm currently a senior in the Illustration major, and I'm the treasurer of the Anthropomorphic Ringling Fanclub (A.R.F.) If you want more details about the different majors and such, feel free to ask me questions.

BTW: Others from RCAD are...

 RFTigermode
 sparkynekomi
 mavuriku
 thekyleishere
 cadaversix
 blackmane
 Lancaster
 whiteafi

HEY, I know Mr. WHITEAFI!

I might have trouble learning EVERYTHING presented to me...but I guess it depends what it all is. I feel like I want to try and do something big that I've never done before, and try to learn a lot.

I went to "art school" in the sense that it's kind of a trade school for a section of the arts (music?) but I'd say it definitely depends on the school. It helps to go in there knowing what you want to do, and find a program that's pretty technical and gets you experienced in that. Not a lot of people I know were into "art" art school, but yeah. If you don't like being told what to draw, it might not be great. I personally didn't mind being told to write music in different ways, cause it was inimitably still my own music, but I just stuck to other people's guidelines and stuff. Other perspectives can help you learn, too. This paragraph makes no sense, but I'm gonna stick with it.

No, no, I think it makes perfect sense!

And thank you, I was thinking earlier today I might want to try and go for animation. I feel like if I could have the technical skill to do animation, I would have to learn a lot about human anatomy and other technical drawing stuff that would help me in other areas, too.

going to school for art is great :D


i have tons of reasons i think i bothered you awhile ago about going lol.


(I'm going to Sheridan for animation, and redics going for illustration. . .you have my addy feel free to bother us)

You think so? WELL COOL!

I'm leaning toward animation!

art school and i didn't cooperate. if its something you want, i say go for it. i went in and left not knowing what i wanted out of it and i think that was the biggest issue.

also, hurry up and win the lottery because you're gonna be in debt FOREVER

YOU DON'T NEED IT, YOUR ART IS PERFECT!

Watch Art School Confidential before you go. Says it better than I ever could.

The best influence you can get is getting in tight with other students in your field and collaborating with each other. This can be done WITHOUT paying several thousand dollars a year, but at an art school, it's easier to find these people.

Yes, his statement is seconded.

I will most definitely watch it! Thanks, man!

going to a town with an art school is also a good way to do cheaper networking in a similar vain

I've got plans to attend art school, hopefully starting next year. As much as I hated my AP Art teacher, she did offer one gem of advice. If you really want a career in art, it'd be in your best interest to pursue a degree. No, you don't NEED one, not in the least. But apparently, having one shows that you're dedicated enough to your craft to invest a fuckton of money into earning one. :o

Just my two cents. I know it's not true for all cases, but I thought it was good advice, nonetheless.

I've heard it helps, but that you don't really need it in ALL cases. But for instance, if you wanted to work at Pixar, and you wanted to be an intern there, you have to be in school.

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say. You don't need one, but it looks better on paper when you do.

on having a degree:

The reason that it helps is that, with so many artists out there nowadays, companies want a quick way to filter out applicants. By asking for a degree, they:

1) reduce the number of people they need to look at
2) are hoping to get someone who was dedicated/"responsible" enough to have spent the years doing their assignments/money into training. This is subjective depending on the school, but it still ups their rate.

But in the case that you're carving out your own career (by having your own studio/freelancing/stuff that doesnt require a hired position) you generally won't need one. It looks better to art directors who often know very little about art and art schools, but it's not the end of the world not to have one.

My roommate dropped out of school because he'd already found a job before graduating - but he managed to do it by contacting a company who didn't have any postings and emailing the people within the website to ask around and see if they'd take interns. They do want him to go back to school eventually for the degree, though.

Basically what everyone else said. If you're willing to draw what your instructors want, have the money and know it will help further you into a job in art then by all means it's great.

Personally my most desired school to get in is Joe Kubert in NJ for their comic illustration (since I want to break into the comic industry).

However, if you want to just improve your art as a hobby there are crash courses that are taught online.

I want to try and do art for a job! I'm willing to do boring stuff if I can learn a lot in the process, and meet new people.

Go to American River College in Sacramento. They have really badass classes for cheap. 300$ per semester. Sure, it's a community college, but it's affordable, you can get a degree there, and the art community is phenomenal.

I will definitely take a look at it! But I dunno, Sac is a little far for me! I might have to weigh the pros and cons of going somewhere nearby versus somewhere that might be better.

i'm leaving for art school tomorrow. I'm transferring to KCAI for photography after spending 2 yrs w/ a Biophysics major w/ a math and photo minor. I just always found photography as my driving passion and a means to make my life a constant adventure. I'm going not to just go to art school, but to better my art and self as a man. Appreciate who you are and where you are but shoot for the stars. Obviously you don't need to go, but I would think to learn as much as i can and get known in the art community before i'm trying to live on it. We visited Ringling for my brother who will be studying Illustration (don't get me wrong the illustration and 3D program, let alone the job placement, is probably the best in the country), but seeing as i'm a photography there wasn't a really big reason for me to go there seeing as it's not really known for that. Overall I really hated Sarasota and how it's just kinda a retirement facility and beach resort (there was no downtown or indie scene independent of the art school and it's ungodly hot and humid all year long u.u). The biggest reason i wanted to go to an art school in order to live w/ other artists and learn how to change my perspective and not be so closed minded in my photography. I lived w/ a business, history, and computer science major for a year and let me tell you that i felt really unappreciated and misunderstood b/c of how differently they thought.

No indie scene? They had a concert at the public library downtown! As for the retirement facility thing... yeah, any young blood is from the different colleges in the area.

I meant no offense and looking back it seems very pretentious it was just that when i was there, i was out and about trying to find it and really couldn't find an art or music district but then again I'm from chicago and have been in that scene for a few years and I guess Sarasota's isn't anything like that. *shrugs* I'm sure it's really good environment for some people, but the surrounding area just wasn't anything that I liked :3. But i hope you find something you can commit to, hopefully art. Cheers to the infinite possibility that is the future

Don't worry about it, no offense taken. :3

A friend of mine from Chicago who is in the computer animation major feels the same way, but a lot of the indie-stuff is found here and there downtown or along the keys, so it's something you have to get off campus to go look for anyway.

The school itself is in a fairly precarious spot, but it's changing by buying up quite a bit of land and the city seems to be giving incentive to change the area now. The school was set up where it was because the founder didn't have a lot of money at the time, so it's understandable.

And cheers to you!

I feel similar about going...I want to do it because it seems exciting, mainly, and I feel like it would help me to be able to do what I like doing for a living, and maybe I could grow as a person, too.

I checked out SCAD but I decided studio art was really a bunch of huge tools
plus there are a lot of university classes that you can just 'sit-in' on here
3 years ago I decided I would do the more commercial art/design MMAS major and that's been fairly rewarding

Well that is sucky/cool!

What's MMAS?

Went to art school for a couple quarters and fucking hated it. I understand that courses like 2d/3d design, drawing and stuff are important and there to help you become a versatile, well-rounded artist, but I'm too manic and hyperactive to sit and do stuff that's so totally boring. I got tired of drawing skeletons sitting in stacks of pillows next to lamps with grubby little expensive crayons reaaaally fast. I don't really like people or make friends easily though so I didn't ever have people in my classes to cheer me up.

It's also costly to go and once you get a degree and get a job in your field of choice, you're always going to be putting someone else's ideas on paper. I wouldn't do it again or recommend it to anyone. Plain boring lecture classes at normal college with boring people might put me to sleep but at least I'm not making giant teapots out of wire or fighting to get perfect measurements with cardstock in order to fold it into polygons for three hours at a time. Art is going to remain a hobby since all I really want to draw is terrible worthless cartoon animals anyway

Noted!

Those are all good points...

They make you take an art class, of some sort.. music, dance, whatever.. expression! .. if you become a nurse. You're required to take an art class down the line. So uh.. Sure why not? .. I would recommend making a portfolio of various works to see if you can't skip past a dumb ol pre-requisite class that would probably equate to a high school art class.

I am working on portfolio! And I would LOVE to skip pre-requisites if I can...

I hope you work your charms and suavey swips on the collegial advisors.

its a awful wet dog. but i know you like wet dog, so THERE YOU GO.

Thank you, mister...sniff sniff!

I have gone to art school and it was a pretty good experience. My advice is just make sure you pick a school that has a program that definitely suits you. I went to a school for animation that has a multimedia/animation program but it is really crappy compared to the design and fine art programs and I constantly bitch about it. Also make sure you go to a school that has options available for when you like...get really broke and can't pay or something. Because right now I'm getting threatened to be kicked out due to not being able to just hand over 7000 dollars to pay for my last 2 classes and there's nothing my school can do to help me. So yeah :G it is a fun experience though, but if you tend to be negative about stuff you MAY feel like it's a waste of money and that you "could have learned all the same stuff somewhere else" which is true I guess. Just depends. :R

BURK

And they can't help? That sucks! I dunno...I might just go for a little while, and see how it goes! Then I can have some of the experience, but not spend as much...

I want to go to art school :C but I'm stuck at a university playing SPORTS *cries*

I want to do illustration too. I think your style/ art stuffs would be awesome for it. Maybe that's just because I love your art like nobody's business... but uhhh yeah. I can't really offer much help there. I'm doing printmaking & graphic design (WATCH ME FAIL AT BOTH) uhhhh... uhhh.. I just lost my train of thought.

hit me up on like aim or something.

well man, you're like, totally awesome at drawing anyway, and have great taste, I think! I'M NOT EVEN GOOD AT SPORTS!

tooie tastes of orange, hehe X3

Pffffttt. sports are overrated.

if you do go to an art school, try to find one that has a lot of options so you can try out different courses and art majors. You might find something you fall in love with.

you also have to check with the students to make shure you can use the facilities for other areas if they have them

It's so hard to decide!! ARRRGH

THanks for your imput though!

art school is great

doing art for a living not great

:3

I dunno, I've thought of that too...IT'S HARD TO DECIDE TO DO THINGS

Don't go to art school, you already got more then they're offering.

The main purpose of art school is to teach you work habits so you can make a body of work to show, either commercial or fine. You're already brilliant, you can produce finished work to show, and if you feel like you have deficiencies you can't address yourself, take some regular art history classes at your local institution; the art history background is one of the few actually valuable things you'd get from the art school experience. But Art History courses are about as good or better at a normal school, all you need is an instructor who is a big art fan to get an excellent art exposure experience. Strangely, at an art school, you may not get this, as the instructor may not really care about any work but their own.

Anyway, if you want to spend several years in debt so you can stand in a critique and have a bunch of arty twats jealous of your volniness, you can, but debt is long, and gratification of being the envy of others is fleeting. I don't think there's much else for you to get out of the art school experience, in my opinion.

I'm really flattered you think I'm good already!

And I would love to learn a lot more about art history...thanks a lot, sauce! :3

buy a art history book.... read it

and save billions of dollars XD

I loved the year of art school I did (I went through a one-year post-baccalaureate program after already getting an unrelated degree), and am considering going back for more at some point, but it definitely requires a certain person and a certain mindset. For one, I was actually really glad I was like 22 going into it, because I really don't think I would have been ready to take advantage of it at 18.

I went for illustration, rather than fine art -- I can see a lot of people above bringing up the issue of doing what the instructor wants rather than what you want. As a commercial art guy, that was never a problem for me. I loved the problem-solving side of illustration, where it's all about how to do something interesting with the assignment. I was never a fine art guy because I don't really have any subject matter or theme I feel the need to express.

My program allowed me to take a broad variety of courses (and the fact that I was only there for a year made me go nuts and take like 5 studio courses a semester instead of 2 or 3), so I was in illustration, graphic design, typography, printmaking, comic art, and animation classes all at the same time. Whether that's the smartest way of setting up a four-year program, I don't know. I'd think you'd need to pace yourself a bit more to avoid burnout, and you'd eventually want to specialize in some discipline. Still, finding a program that does allow you some flexibility can mean more variety in your experience, which I think is both healthy and more fun.

Also, I took at least two courses there on turning illustration/design into a business, dealing with taxes and legal issues, etc. Make sure the program has course offerings on the business side, too. You may feel guilty or bored at the time that you should/would rather be drawing, but the information you get there is so important, and it's stuff that I'd imagine can really save you a ton of spinning your wheels and trial and error after graduation.

As far as the debt issue goes, it's a real concern, but it doesn't seem like any reason not to do what you want with your life. If you think you really want to give illustration a try, going to school for it sounds like a great idea. Yes, it will cost money, but financial aid is available, scholarships and work-study programs are available, student loans are available, and at the end of the day, you'll make it work after graduation. Worst case scenario, you decide fresh out of the program that you need to do something other than art as your primary job to pay back the loans, you still get to keep all that new knowledge and skill and those new contacts, and have access to the job listings and networking facilities at the school you graduated from.

You know, that's another thing I would like to learn more about! The business side of art stuff. Because I don't really know how to sell myself at all, but I love the idea of advertising!

Thanks so much for the advice, man!

Yeah, as Kamui said, look for a school that offers business course as well.

Sheridan has one for both animation and illustration interns - and the teacher (kathryn adams) is both experienced (20~ years in the field), still working, and makes much more than the average freelancer (150~ish grand/year). She teaches students about doing taxes, shortcuts to be thrifty when self promoting, agencies and the issues regarding them, how to write your own contracts and how to understand contracts, how to change contracts because lots of companies will give shitty contracts to artists who are desperate for a job and will sign anything put in front of them without really reading them. And she offers to take a look at contracts from past students if they're unsure about it.

This is the kind of information/assistance that you want to get out of an art school.

Wait, if he agrees then I changed my mind.

I TAKE IT ALL BAAAACK.

Wait shit I take mine back too.

WHO WILL YOU LISTEN TO NOW, VOLN?

STOP CONFUSING MEEEE

Art school gives you what you put into it.

You can't rely on it to get you a job, and for those who look to improve, it's mostly a source of information rather than technique. My friends and I had to do a lot of drawing outside of school and research and most of what we know is self taught.

It's useful in the sense of you earn a few connections and sources for advice (depending on the school/your circle of friends), but if you're one of the students who sit around smoking weed all day and just doink around, you're not gonna get anywhere.

Basically, if you're serious about art and you know what you want to do, go for it. Otherwise don't expect to make a living out of art unless you're lucky.

Personally, I think your current style and technique has a lot of potential.

i agree with your post completely.

You have very sage advice, and I agree with everything you're saying! If I don't work outside of class, I don't imagine getting very good. :<

I'm glad you think I have potential!

hahah i completely agree also I know a few people who just dick around all day and don't strive to improve...then to only complain how everyone's better then them in class/whatnot

I live in Savannah, GA and SCAD is definately one of the more dominant art schools in this country by far.


I don't have much to offer seeing that I just attend a shabby little University here, but just remember this: if you have the money, you have the means. Don't let people persuade you away from art school just because you'll "be in debt forever". I feel that if you know you couldn't have afforded something to begin with, why did you bother?

Make an important decision based on your own finances, not someone elses!

Plus, I don't really miind being poor. I don't spend much money, anyway!

It just goes on the lines as this:


just because someone else is poor,

doesn't mean you have to feel that way too. ;DDD

Wow, after reading all these great replies, it makes me want to try art school. XD

BUT YER AT SCHOOL NOW

THAT WOULD BE LIKE

DOUBLE SCHOOl

you dont have to take a huge leap if its gonna ruin you.:0
i agree with fabercastel its about how much focused you are on learning. i reccomend maybe getting a couple of side courses on whatever you wanna learn the most (i think you mentioned anatomy and stuff) it may ease up the transition. it can be a little overwhelming sometimes. i know a couple of droppouts.

here, im chippin in 1 dollar. ♥

DECISIONS ARE HARD 9____6

thx for the dollar, punk

If you don't feel like you have the drive to teach yourself the techniques you want to learn, then art school is a good bet. I didn't get as much out of it as I could have, but I didn't push myself hard enough, either.

BUT! as far as animation goes, I'd recommend picking up a copy of The Animator's Survival Kit, and toon boom's animate software has a personal learning edition. It's good for messing around in and in my experience the drawing tools aren't as obnoxious as flash's.

I would like to take this moment to say YOU ARE SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME!!

ANd I DO have that book, and it is full of wonderful things! Like Vincent Price's magical teeth...

California is the land of art schools, i am willing to bet you can find a solid community colledge nearby that you can test the waters with. you get what you put in with schools so work hard and you will get some good results. keep us updated on your progress. also avoid scad, they are lame.

SO MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS :<

But, I will keep updating on my progress! Thanks for your help, Balsonz!

I am currently going to SCAD. Finishing up the summer quarter atm wooo, but yea. Just going to an art college just to go, to me wouldn't seem like a good idea...As long as your getting something out of it I guess its not SO bad. SCAD is a nice college lots of furs in the area and the historic downtown area is wonderful, well for me anyway Ive heard others whine and complain bout it, but I enjoy it.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that you wont be drawing what you want persay. Not untill you get foundation classes out of the way. Because art foundations are nothing but "HOW I DRAW LINE" and "LOL WOT IS COLUR!!?".Something you should look into is going to a cheaper college and take a few of the foundation art classes (Make sure they transfer) then go to said art college you wish to attend. That will cut your time and cost in half just about, PLUS you dont have to take those boring foundations! and can go straight into your major :D

if you have any questions about the college Ill be more the happy to answer them :3

Also when I'm done with my Masters Ill be over 100k in dept :'3 I CAN BUY MY OWN HOUSE WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY! D:

So you're saying that if you go to an art school, like SCAD, they'll make you take super beginner stuff even if you already know it, SO you might as well take those classes for cheap, and then transfer over?

yup! unless you like spending 2,500 on a drawing I class. Its better to go to a community college and pay like 150 or 250ish a class instead of something in the thousands.

who cares? Just kill yourself.

You always know just what to say!