Need some advice...

chademond

Hey guys,

I'm looking for some advice/opinions on a current issue I'm having. For the last 8 months I've been on this path to try to break into the industry and become a 3d character artist. I dropped out of my 4 year undergrad Psychology program to pursue 3D, and left myself with just over 20,000 in student loans.

My plan has been to develop my skills as best as possible on my own over the next year, and apply for positions in Canada starting mid-next year. I've taught myself Max, Zbrush and all the fundamentals of game art so to speak, but obviously have much left to learn.

I've been thinking recently about the prospect of going into a Game Art program either at VFS or more likely Think Tank, both in Vancouver. They both seem to offer great benefits, I would get a year program, alot of experience, connections, hands on teaching/learning, and help with job placement.

But it also comes with a $40,000 tuition, and the living costs of the most expensive city in Canada. My debt would skyrocket, and I'm not sure if it would be worth it.

I know it always comes down to the artist, but 90% of the job postings I see the dreaded sentence

"REQUIRED: Bachelor's Degree in Game Art or related field"

I really want to give myself the best possible chance to make it in the industry, and become a successful artist, but I need some input from you guys who work in the industry on how to weight the pros and cons of undertaking such a massive debt load for really MOSTLY just a degree on my resume.

Especially in this economy, its hard to tell what is gonna give you the best opportunities to succeed.

So, what do you guys think?:\

www.chademond.com

Ben Apuna

This subject comes up quite often here. I believe the general consensus is a degree won't get you into the industry a good portfolio will.

My own thoughts on this are:

A degree can be useful/necessary if you want to work in another country, though some game art degrees aren't accredited so they don't count for this.

A good traditional art degree will help boost up your core art skills and help make you a better artist in the long run.

A person with good self discipline can learn enough on their own to put together a good portfolio for entry into the industry.

Just some things to keep in mind before you jump into a games degree program which IMHO isn't really all that useful.

Disco Stu

I will soon have a german graphic design diploma.
Would that be considered an art degree?
After all it gets very artsy fartsy at times:D

Rick Stirling

As Ben says, this comes up a lot, and I think we should have a sticky.

I think people do overlook one aspect of university in that universities don't in themselves teach you very much - yes they have lectures, and coursework, but a university is actually more like an educational environment where you have to teach yourself using all the resources that they provide. They have lecturers who are there to introduce you to subjects and guide you, but they are not there to hold your hand like teachers for your earlier stages of education.

This is not a negative rant on universities, this is how they work - the onus is upon the student to learn from the resources that they are being provided. Unless you put in an amount of self teaching, you won't benefit from the course.

So what has this got to do with the original question?

If you do a videogames art related course and expect that to be enough to get you a job, you'll likely be disappointed. If you do the course and self teach in the way that university is supposed to function, *and* work on your portfolio at the same time (during the last year or so), then you'll likely come out with a strong portfolio and skill set.

So what about not going, and simply teaching yourself? As long as you are dedicated then you'll pick up some strong skills and get a good portfolio, however you'll miss out on a lot of ancillary learning, topics that you'd not choose to teach yourself but are part of the course - topics that may have never even considered but that you discover enjoyable.



As to answer the question - that's up to you to decide.

rooster

I will say what I usually say on the topic though- by going to uni I learned about a lot of topics I wouldnt have otherwise done from self-teaching, many of which feed back in to the useful knowledge pool of game art. film studies and photography in particular

edit: plus some of my best friends I met in uni

chademond

When companies put that requirement on applicants for a Bachelors degree, does that mean they really don't need it, its more of a bonus? And a good artist would be able to get beyond that "barrier"?

Ben Apuna

Yup I believe so, a good portfolio + no degree will always win over a bachelor degree + mediocre portfolio with all other factors being the same.

fritz

depends....what kind of a drive/work ethic(on your own time) do you have? this is very important. what i mean is: you have to ask yourself whether or not you are the type that HAS to have a school driven deadline to create something to completion. or if you are the type that can bust your ass on your own time to learn and develope. if you are both...you probably will succeed.

BUT....if you have tons of drive and are a diligent worker.....then you can forget about spending all that money and just start goin at it. cause there is a buttload of info on the internet.

p.s. i HAVE worked w/some peeps that have been to VFS....and they have all been pretty damn good so.......

dunno....that's my 2 cents

FunkaDelicDass

One other point - getting into the industry as a character artist is more difficult than getting in as a prop or enviro artist. Most studios only have a need for a few character artists. So if you're needing work right now, expect to struggle finding a job. It wouldn't hurt to try some basic environment work. It enhances your versatility and makes you more appealing to employers. Your portfolio shows you have some talent, but sometimes you have to do the less desirable work to get to where you want to be.

JO420

Im with Funka,forget the college,break in as an environment artist,get experience and work your way to character artist.

Justin Meisse

everyone knows it's the enviro artists that like to partay!

chademond

I've never really considered doing environment art before, but I have heard that it's a lot easier to break in. Perhaps even doing a few portfolio pieces of props/environments would work to my advantage.

I'm definitely the kind of person with a lot of drive. I mean I dropped out of my Doctorate to teach myself Zbrush/Max/XSI/UVing/Texturing etc.. in the last 8 months. Always just wondered how much of an asset that hands on approach from instructors could or couldn't help. If I had the finances to do it, I think I would, but it's looking more and more like I'll have to do it without a degree and just find a different route.