I know everyone hates though what should I do with my life threads
ngon master
So here's another one...
I started on the animation side of CG, with basics in flash then onto Maya and then XSI, where I've been getting my feet wet with low poly (hasn't been easy). But I've taught myself for 3 or 4 years would like to start using it or taking classes.
I'm a college freshman in community college thinking, "where do I want to go with 3D? games or VFX or animation?"
I took a step back and I'm taking 9 hours of art classes 2 days a week, been doing 3-4 Photoshop studies a day and I've been learning a lot.
The thing is, the animation program at my college sucks (I'm not in it, seen it though),
but do I transfer to a art college and do both traditional and digital art (and then what about costs)?
or do try to email local studios (in Kansas City) to land a job now?
or do I stay here at community college?
I kind of wish I went to a real university (lack of friends right now bugs the hell out of me). But it's too late to go back, so it is now where do I go from here...
Of course here's my rough thrown together portfolio.
http://zac-d.blogspot.com/
I started on the animation side of CG, with basics in flash then onto Maya and then XSI, where I've been getting my feet wet with low poly (hasn't been easy). But I've taught myself for 3 or 4 years would like to start using it or taking classes.
I'm a college freshman in community college thinking, "where do I want to go with 3D? games or VFX or animation?"
I took a step back and I'm taking 9 hours of art classes 2 days a week, been doing 3-4 Photoshop studies a day and I've been learning a lot.
The thing is, the animation program at my college sucks (I'm not in it, seen it though),
but do I transfer to a art college and do both traditional and digital art (and then what about costs)?
or do try to email local studios (in Kansas City) to land a job now?
or do I stay here at community college?
I kind of wish I went to a real university (lack of friends right now bugs the hell out of me). But it's too late to go back, so it is now where do I go from here...
Of course here's my rough thrown together portfolio.
http://zac-d.blogspot.com/
Replies
Of course I'll have fun, its what I love to do
and
<Insert more random hatred which Lom Chaos got for his try at a similar post>
I went to a community college as well, though only for a couple months before deciding it wasn't giving me my money's worth. Spent the next couple years holed up practicing art and posting here. There are times I wish I had attended a traditional art college for the more abstract lessons that you don't as readily pick up on your own, color theory, etc. but for the most part if you've got the drive I think there's enough readily available information floating around and enough helpful people here that college isn't the only option.
I don't think you're ready to start emailing companies for jobs, though an internship could work, and I think would be mutually beneficial.
Are you happy with the art classes you are taking at the community college? Do you feel you're getting your money's worth? You mention the animation one blows, but how are the others?
Do you want to work in games, or in the art industry, or ___? If you want to work as a 3d artist, would you say your familiarity with 3dsmax or [software] is what's holding you back, your personal situation, your knowledge of art fundamentals, your exposure to local game companies? Make a choice that best addresses your problems and go for it.
To use a personal example, since we're in somewhat similar stages (both young/early college age and both presumably looking for careers in this field), my goal is to both meet my personal ideal of a very skilled artist and be able to find work in the produciton art/entertainment industry. I learn better with deadlines and projects to be focused on, and i'm in no hurry to get a job. Consequently, art school!
LoM: Would you quit attention whoring? 'What do i do with my life now that my options include such wonderful reprecussions as 100,000 dollars of debt' is quite a different question than 'how many pats on the back can i get until i turn 18 and have to face the same judging criteria as everyone else?'
What is your goal?
To be self sufficient and not working 24/7 and enjoying my job while being able to traditional art/my own projects on the side.
Have you decided whether you want to go 3D or FX or animation?
Nope
I think that's an important step. Once you've that in mind things will be easier to figure out, prioritize.
its a big decision, and I really have no idea, and I'm not really leaning one way or the other, both seem like fun to me, I guess I should start to look to see what one has a better job market/future, it sounds like vfx is starting to be out sourced.
I went to a community college as well, though only for a couple months before deciding it wasn't giving me my money's worth. Spent the next couple years holed up practicing art and posting here. There are times I wish I had attended a traditional art college for the more abstract lessons that you don't as readily pick up on your own, color theory, etc. but for the most part if you've got the drive I think there's enough readily available information floating around and enough helpful people here that college isn't the only option.
I've spent the last 3 years teaching myself while going to high school and working, and I feel that I've learned a lot, but its different getting critics and ideas in person than people posting online, and I find it more beneficial to push myself in multiple mediums because a most of it really applies to 3D and or other mediums. I think its next to impossible to teach yourself traditional sculpting for example, of course you can do clay work, but casting is really a major part of that medium.
I don't think you're ready to start emailing companies for jobs, though an internship could work, and I think would be mutually beneficial.
Will do, not to sure how the whole interning process works though, think I should hit up blizzard or wait on that? I don't really want to have to make a resume and all that crap.
Are you happy with the art classes you are taking at the community college? Do you feel you're getting your money's worth? You mention the animation one blows, but how are the others?
$1,200 isn't much a semester, and I have 3 different art teachers teaching me completely different things, although there basic classes the teachers really know that they are talking about. One of my friends is in the animation program and he says, no one has any art skills, and their learning perspective in their concept art class, still, after 4 weeks of school. I haven't checked out the digital art courses though.
@SupRore What are your 5/10/15/30 year goals? What are the obstacles between you and your goals?
To be self sufficient and not working 24/7 and enjoying my job while being able to traditional art/my own projects on the side, is my ultimate goal, hopefully it will happen within 10 years, I don't want to be a modeling peon for some big studio though.
Do you want to work in games, or in the art industry, or ___?
Like I said, I think I'd enjoy doing any of those things, as long as I had some choice/input in the art direction.
If you want to work as a 3d artist, would you say your familiarity with 3dsmax or [software] is what's holding you back, your personal situation, your knowledge of art fundamentals, your exposure to local game companies? Make a choice that best addresses your problems and go for it.
I suck at Zbrush, not too great a traditional painting, need to work on drawing people without references, work on modeling characters, and texturing. I don't really think there are many (or any) local gaming companies.
To use a personal example, since we're in somewhat similar stages (both young/early college age and both presumably looking for careers in this field), my goal is to both meet my personal ideal of a very skilled artist and be able to find work in the produciton art/entertainment industry. I learn better with deadlines and projects to be focused on, and i'm in no hurry to get a job. Consequently, art school!
I don't wanna do community college forever! I wanna be with like minded people, probably once I finish the basic courses it'll be less people with a slight interest in art.
Thanks for the replies guys.