Should I go for a traditional arts degree?
polycounter lvl 13
... if my end goal is to find a gig working as a 3d character artist? Unfortunately, I live in an area where I don't have a privilege to go to CG schools such as Gnomon or VFS.
My major of choice is Illustration. What are the benefits of studying traditional art, what should I expect to get out of it and what I shouldn't? Besides working my butt off, all I know is I'll get out of it as much as I put into it.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
My major of choice is Illustration. What are the benefits of studying traditional art, what should I expect to get out of it and what I shouldn't? Besides working my butt off, all I know is I'll get out of it as much as I put into it.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
Replies
If I didn't know any better, I would say that is euphemism for an orgy.
I switched gears to fine and studio arts and haven't looked back since. I figure I can always read a tech manual to learn a program but will always need hours of practice to understand art fundamentals.
the problem lies in your ultimate goal. you will have to be extremely, extremely dedicated to tackle both mediums at once (traditional art/3d art). both involve a high degree of dedication and knowledge and both are time exhaustive pursuits. be prepared to have very little free time on your hands if you tackle this head on.
it will be best to try and find a balance of courses if they are offered, but a traditional degree can be viable in other areas outside of the gaming/film industries.
learning things like composition, color theory, working in various traditional mediums, life drawing, art history across all realms of periods, photography, etc. will broaden your horizons and understanding of art in general and help you to appreciate the talent and skills required to actually make art.
if i had the chance to do it all over again, i still would have taken my studio classes for my BFA. the only change i would make if given the opportunity to would be to dedicate more time to 3d art on my own free time. working full-time and going to school full-time will also be a factor in how much you are able to take on. the only thing i can say is that everyone has their limits. find out what your limits are and maintain a balance. if you get overloaded, don't be afraid to drop some stuff off your plate, but give it a fighting chance before you do. sometimes you can really do more than even yourself, and especially others, think you can.
good luck!
The degree itself (a piece of paper, really) isn't as much of interest to me as the knowledge I will acquire over that period of time. My goal is to finish strong.
Btw, thanks for wishing me luck. I'm definitely going to need it!
And you should definitely have a go at sculpting in clay, it's a very liberating and forgiving medium.
3D classes will only teach you how to make a cube and all the technical stuffs. Art classes will teach you the BIG fundamentals, which are REALLY important (perspective, colours, lightning, etc...). At my university, they don't teach that, they only show me how to click on buttons and how it works...very boring and useless...I can find tutorials on the Internet for that. Traditional art will make you understand better the world and theses lessons will help A LOT on your 3D art.
If you think you have great potential as an artist, go for the fine art degree.
If you're more technically minded, go for the digital stuffs and you can be more of a technical artist/ modeler.
Anyways, thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on this! It helped me a bunch and I am thankful for that. Hopefully this information is useful to someone else when he/she searches the forum. Best of luck in whatever you're pursuing!
Whoa dude, that's a bit rough, and don't think it's that black and white.
I don't think it matters as much as where you go, as what you want to do and what you pursue. You put the work in to be where you want to be.
The computer classes were more technical. In the beginning it was sort of like an illustrator taking a class on how to use a pencil and eraser. They didn't really push you too much artistically, they just wanted to make sure you understood how to use the tools. Eventually you get pushed hard to make things look good and everything you learned from your classes come together.
For your situation I'd say take what you can get. If you have to learn 3d on your own it will be difficult, but it's doable. The other issue is going to be trying to balance learning 3d and successfully earning an illustration degree. It will consume all your time if you're putting ample effort into it. What ever you do really push yourself...I had people in my classes who spent a ridiculous amount of money getting a degree that I can't see ever getting a job because they didn't apply themselves.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
when I get a degree, I will make a bigger salary, so now I got seee, which college is right for meee.
I went on to the internet, and, found education
CUH, NECK, TSCHION.
But anyways, the question overall should be whether to go for a degree or not. That's a whole different thing. But once you decide to go for one, then a fine arts degree is probably the best thing to do. All those schools that straight-up teach CG are really a waste of time. Especially if you consider how much they cost, and what you're getting in return. Nothing you can't get by staying at home for a year with a bunch of Gnomon DVDs.
Just as long as you realize that a fine arts degree, or anything really, isn't a magic bullet. It requires a lot of work no matter what you do.
I...what...?
You forgot the part where they don't like posting scanned artwork in the interwebz.