do you need a degree to become a game artist?
My q is do u need a degree to become a game artist...or can you still land a job been fully self taught, and have some back ground in life drawing.
im really interested in game art, and i was just woundering if i still have the chance in this career if i just attend life drawing classes and teach my self how to use the software? will i have a lesser chance than a person who has a degree? but who has the same standard work as my self?. As i don't know whether attending a uni and paying all that money will be a waste if i can self teach it my self? also can some one give me some good tutorials to help me learn the basics thank you
im really interested in game art, and i was just woundering if i still have the chance in this career if i just attend life drawing classes and teach my self how to use the software? will i have a lesser chance than a person who has a degree? but who has the same standard work as my self?. As i don't know whether attending a uni and paying all that money will be a waste if i can self teach it my self? also can some one give me some good tutorials to help me learn the basics thank you
Replies
The long answer is more complicated and depends on who you are, how you learn, what your long-term goals are, and whether you plan to look for work abroad.
The main thing to consider in terms of future security is that a degree will make it much easier for you to get work in other countries. Without one it can be very difficult, even impossible in some cases.
The only time my schooling has actually come into play is when I needed to obtain a work visa for different country. Even then, my experience was more important, but have a piece of paper showing some formal education (1 year) impresses border officials and - in my case - was necessary under NAFTA rules.
But, in regards to getting a job at a local company - if you're a good fit, you're a good fit. There's plenty of other things employers consider before what school you went to. This topic has been covered MANY times here - don't be fraid to search for it.
This is a good answer.
I know in some places, Canada, as an example. It's not an easy task for anyone to just move to another country. But you can live in, and even become a Canadian citizen through freelancing without a degree. They have a "Self employment" path, that lets you work in Canada if you've been professionally self employed for at least a couple of years and can support yourself, if that self employment is in one of several areas.
Artists, thankfully, are one of those areas. You've still got to get your permanent resident card and live there for three years before citizenship is a possibility, but it is doable.
Overseas though, I imagine that'd be one hell of a kick in the teeth...
I think the key is just to become as badass as possible. Everyone wants badasses who are awesome at what they do. Companies, and other nations alike. The more badass you are, the higher your chances get of doing just about anything.
thanks for the help. do you know any good tutorials to get started....its just i am stuck on the decision for next yr when i apply to uni...i don't know wether to apply for game art....or real estate...as im interested in both..game art the most...but i don't want to pay alot of money on a degree when it can be self tought and it dosnt gaurentee you a job...as i think with real estate will gaurnette me a job alot more...so incase it takes me a while to get into the game buisness i can work in the real estate till then. but im still not shore where to risk a game art degree lol. how long did it take you to learn the basics of max?....im hoping to start learinnig when i get my new laptop
thanks i plan on just doing that posting my work when i get started! how long did it take for you to learn max...zbrush...and other programmes
I only have 12th grade, lol.
If you search for most job positions about 95% of them DO require you to have a degree, especially if you want to work in the digital world. A degree in anything no matter how simple it is, will always up your stature among your peers.
Now on the other hand if you are doing life drawing/ fine arts- then that is a different story. In the end school helps you meet others, keeps you motivated and you meet teachers that have worked in the Industry. Here is the thing though: school will NOT make you a better artist just by 'going' to school, you yourself have to put the effort just as much as anyone else.
I went to a school that had a 4 year program accelerated to 2.5 years. I learned maya almost to an expert level, and learned basics in all the other fields (animation/sound/compositing etc), so I got a well rounded education in terms of 3d, but I had to learn most of the game specific stuff like normal mapping, sculpting programs, and a lot of other stuff doing mod work on my own for about a year after I graduated before I got a job.
School is no guarantee, you'll have to learn a lot of stuff on your own whether you go to school or not. Especially after you graduate you will be constantly learning to keep up with the latest techniques.
Degrees are required if you want to teach later on, and the foreign stuff was mentioned as well. It's about 90% portfolio, and if you have a degree its nice to have but I don't think you would get turned down for a job if you had everything else.
If it's an art job, I'm sure they'd give you chance, if your work was awesome. Job postings are normally wish lists that companies put out there to attract the best candidates for the job. Most of the time though, I bet they don't get someone in the position that had EVERY qualification that was on their listing (especially when it comes to programming....but I digress).
On the art side of game development, I'd say that experience and talent come first, THEN education.
Sadly many people I know that went to some kind of collage or did some kind of bachelor simply suck and don't have experience at all. Thats why graduates often have a bad reputation at certain studios and companies. Because the youngsters applying there are simply yet to unexperienced and not attractive for the studios to hire because they mean work as they need more time to develop themselves into the right position.
Very experienced people on the other hand usually get easily a job or if in the right area also a very good payment.
So it's not the degree you should look after in the first place but rather the experience you will earn over time. A uni is great spot to learn especially the essential stuff while allowing you to some degree to invest time as well into self study to learn all the stuff we discuss here at polycount but hardly any institution is capable of teaching.
Universities and collages are often a old construct when it comes to modern media such as computer games that is developing so rapidly. When going to uni or collage you should more appreciate the techniques and methods they will teach you like how to apply general design, psychology or art principles. Because that stuff is golden and often stays forever. Normal mapping, RTT and other things will most likely change over time and are not that difficult to learn.
All the hardcore stuff I know for example I learned in personal projects during uni not within the regular projects schedules through the semesters. To me it was always important to push at several fronts 100% like semester projects, personal projects and hired commercial projects. All of them combined pushed me into the position I am in now.
As for game art, there is no university degree dedicated to it, yet! I believe it will soon be as it is the case with colleges here in Montreal (that's a sub uni education before moving into uni).
It really all comes down to Portfolio and your personality. If you have a good solid understanding for the methods generally used by companies and know how to implement them, then that will be what separates you from the pack. I have seen people with sub-par experience/degrees but had great character who got hired. At the end of the day a company also needs a team work oriented person and not a smart a** who can't get along with everyone in the team.
I personally have a science degree and through the years realized that my true calling is game art. What we have here was a smal diploma of 6 courses in a 3d package to learn and went that direction. But at the end of the day it is not a uni degree! It is what you learn on your own will help you in this particular field.
Here is how it goes:
1. Portfolio(Skill)
2. Experience
3. Personality
4. Schooling
So if you've got 2 people that have the same 1,2 and 3, you start looking schooling or anything else that would set them apart. Unless of course you're applying overseas, which has been covered.
From my experience of course, i cant imagine a studio that hires based on education over talent, experience or personality would be a very good place to work at.
Also check up on the degree, I've heard alot of the "game" degrees don't actually count for work visas.
Don't get too hung up on the degree/years experience requirements, EVERY job posting says x years experience
1. 4 year degree
2. 5 years experience
3. 3 shipped titles
And i know a few 17-19 year old kids that have better demonstratable skills than most people who would actually fill those requirements. Moral of the story is, if you're good, you'll get work.
Yes most countries will only accept a Batchelor of Arts from an accredited university.
And from my point of view a 'game art' degrees aren't as good as they concentrate far too much on learning technology and not learing Art theory which is more useful.
Agreed.
get an illustration, fine art, graphic or product design, learn the tech of game art on the side...you will be far better off, esp if the apocalypse comes...
game art degree will never help you then but there will always be positions for people who can draw the local gang leaders, rail guns in hand
edit and yes if you cant afford it etc etc for whatever reason, if you have the skills it wont matter on your home turf, but a good art degree does help take and give criticism, something that i think alot of game art degrees fail to teach properly...but hey if you stick around here (and post your work) you should learn to cope with it, but there is nothing like a bit of face on face criticism
I think that if there is a chance of someone having similar skills and experience with you and similar art sense the degree might count.
Some say it might actually count opposite as they might think a degree holder will ask for more.
Depends on the Studio.
Personally i rarely look at a degree.
First i see a portfolio, then i look into the CV.
BUT i have noticed that certain schools have better results when it comes to art training, so i will prefer someone from these schools after i discern that their portfolio fits our needs. This way i know that when i say complimentary colours that person will understand what i am talking about.