Doing an animation/illustration degree in uni?
Hi, I'm an animation graduate. To get into animation, you can start by illustrating concepts, because I have a feeling that that's what you are interested in: concept design. It doesn't matter if it looks like fashion or illustration, just get drawing. Start animating too, because that's a bonus. Try it out, because it requires a lot of patience. A lot of people dropped out in my course by year 3. Be dedicated! Normally, universities like to take on animation students from first year, meaning it's difficult for those wanting 2nd year entry. They tend to accept those with HNDs/HNCs. Though it's always worth trying. Standard animation reference: The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams, The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas and Timing for Animation by Harold Whitaker. One thing to remember throughout art college is that porftolio preparation is not only your entry to college, it is the start of a career. Throughout your college years, you are building that portfolio that you are going to leave with: a showcase to remember.
Forewarning, This is more opinion than a purely factual answer, so take it with a grain of salt.With that out of the way, Nowhere.I’m sure googling your question would produce a long list of institutions offering all sorts of degree & diploma programs in concept art. All they would do is burn a hole in your wallet.As hypocritical as it may sound coming from someone who went to an art school, I’d recommend against it. You’d be better off learning from the vast library of resources available right now on the internet.As fancy as the terms “Concept art” and “Illustration” may sound, it boils down to a specific set of skills. Skills you can arguably learn better without the aid of a school dictating what you should and shouldn’t focus on.If your concern is getting a job, your portfolio matters significantly more than having a degree. The only time a degree in a relevant field would matter is when you need a work-permit to travel and work in a foreign country.If the latter is what bothers you, enroll in the cheapest art-degree program[Illustration, Fine art, Painting, Sculpture, whatever] you can find and learn the skills required for concept art on your own time. You’d save time and money and you’d be better quipped to get into the industry.Long story short, goto an art school only if it is a necessity. Learn the skills required for concept art from online sources.
Coding!If you're looking for a profession that will have no shortage of job opportunities and is endlessly flexible, really look at teaching yourself code. There are plenty of great online affordable schools too (Treehouse is my favourite).Bonus that you can do this job remotely and work anywhere, essentially enabling you to leverage a healthy income in wonderfully affordable parts of the world, and maximise the time you spend developing your creative work.Your question prompts some deeper issues & conversations.Such as whether you need to relegate your creativity to a 'hobby' instead of your full time work.And the distinction between "art" and "illustration" - I see it as a loose division between work that serves you vs. work that serves someone else (with many grey areas).Which are important ideas to ponder. But if you've thought them through -- and are still set on keeping your creative work separate from what earns you an income -- then getting into tech & development is a wonderful option.IMHO - curious to see other suggestions.
Depends on what you want. Pursuing animation can lead you to either working for yourself to tell stories or collaborate with a whole group to only tell one story. Illustration also allows you to tell a story, but the main difference between these two include the work environment and work itself. Would you rather work with other people and focus on specific parts of a project (Animation), or would you rather work from home and be in control of what you make (Illustration)? Another difference is what you’ll be working with; most animations today heavily rely on computers, while illustration can be done on that or on regular paper (it’s usually done traditionally). I recommend looking up the different responsibilities each path has and what kind of stuff you like making or watching. Once you figure out what you like doing, it should become more clear. If you’re interested in both, there’s nothing stopping you from getting a dual major or learning both on your own! Just keep in mind that both areas take a lot of time and commitment.
Animation or Fine Arts?
The career you can get with both those degrees are pretty competitive. Unless you are a very good artist now then I wouldn't waste my time with it. The best job you can get with fine arts is being a professor but due to education cuts even that job is worth it. Last but not least do NOT go to art school because you will be in debt for the rest of your life. Other than that, I suggest you major is something that you are interested that has more job security.
It depends. It's actually all about determination and your mind set. If you really wanna be an animator and follow your dreams than it's definitely worth it.People go to law schools to become lawyers or advocates, people go to medical schools to become doctors/surgeons/nurses, but if they don't have the determination and the right qualities, they are simply unemployable. I know a few people who went to a law school and gratuated. Because they didnt have the right attitude and they generally didn't give a shit about their job, they got fired. They simply didn't care.So to answer your question 'is going to an art school to study animation worth it'…It's definitely worth it but with the right mind set and a great amount of determination.
Absolutely. I am a RISD grad and have been supporting myself very well for 40 years from what I learned there in the jewelry program. It matters little what department you study in. The point is that you gravitate to the department that suits your spirit and talents. Maybe you start in illustration and finish in graphic design or film. Fine. In the years to come, creative people will be the few that will not be challenged by robots. Artists rule. Artists can do anything. Artists invent the future. Being an artist means that you are welcomed by almost any intelligent person. One can morph your talents to the challenge at hand. Being an artist trains you to see and act on opportunities. Doctors and attorneys focus on problems. Artists are trained to see possibilities. It is way more fun to be an artist. Artists say “yes”. It is fabulous to live a life dedicated to beauty and self expression. Wherever you land, being an artist is a rare and dignified role to play in virtually any society. We are unusual individuals that are respected worldwide. So start in illustration, hone your skills, but the IT is that you are an artist. From that starting point, your life will be rich, and you will be respected.
I study Illustration at OCAD, although there are a number of options in Canada and the US that are very good, such as RISD (in Providence, RI), Parsons (NYC), SVA (NYC—also has a renowned illustration MFA program), MICA (Baltimore, MD), California College of the Arts (San Francisco, CA), among others.The benefit of these schools is that the instructors are successful, working illustrators, often fairly well-known in the industry. I think that really helps because we often don't just talk about concepts and our execution of them in our classes—we discuss the ups and downs of the industry, negotiating contracts, working with clients, etc.I would keep in mind that the illustration programs at a lot of these schools, including mine, focuses primarily on illustration as a print (or online, I suppose) medium (editorial, books, comics) as opposed to animation. You can take animation classes as electives if you're at a school that offers that major, but it probably won't be within your major. If you're interested primarily in animation I would recommend looking at schools like CalArts or Sheridan.OCAD is a good place to look at, too, because being in Canada, tuition costs are much lower than in the US. A lot of the US schools offer significant scholarships too if your portfolio is strong enough. I can't speak for the costs for international students at OCAD, but it's pretty affordable for domestic students, all things considered.I'm not sure if this has changed recently or not, but OCAD doesn't do much to facilitate students finding living accommodations while most US schools and larger Canadian universities do offer student housing.I would also suggest, if you live in Toronto, Vancouver, or the US, going to National Portfolio Day in the fall (bring your work, of course) and checking out which schools offer an illustration major. You'll get to meet with a representatives from different schools and show them your work as well as learn a bit about that school’s programs.Best of luck.
I would like to do an illustration /concept art course in london but can't find one that is not a university 3 years long programme.I searched a lot but nothing relevant came up. However, I think is very strange to not find anything like that here. I am originally from Italy and I can find many different professional illustration courses there, there are private schools that teach illustration, comic, concept art, creative writing etc, all in one place. How is possible that I can't find anything like that here in London? It’s very strange to me, maybe Someone can help