[mtw]

I've been working on the first paragraph in this post for awhile and I'm still don't like it, but I think it's time for me to post this anyways.

I can't remember when I started drawing, but I stopped drawing about seven years ago (I might have been about 14 years old). I had found another activity, programming, which I thought I would like. Now I'm not too interested in programming anymore, and I just started drawing again several days ago. I'm thinking that maybe that's what I should have kept on doing. My mom had wanted me to keep drawing--and has been reminding me about it ever since I stopped--and my junior high art teacher had invited me to continue with an advanced art class. It seemed to come naturally to me, I have fun drawing, my mind likes to be creative, and I like creating things. So right now I'm thinking about studying at the art school at my college, but I'm a little hesitant about that because I'm not sure how good I should be before becoming an art major and I'm not sure what jobs are out there. I'm going to continue drawing to see if my interest in it continues and to see whether or not my artistic skills have a possibility of improving. I'd also like to ask you guys some questions.

But before I do that, I probably should tell you what kind of art interests me, otherwise the questions would be too open ended. I'm interested in 2D art. I have only used pencil and paper so far, but I'm interested in learning to draw on the computer with a drawing tablet and a program like Photoshop, and I'd like to learn how to paint. With that out of the way, I think I can start asking my questions.

Is it uncommon to switch over to art in college even though you haven't had much formal training beforehand?

If I did get a job as an artist, I'd be interested in being a concept artist for a game company. Things don't always work out the way you plan, so what other similar jobs would there be for me? Sorry if that's a question with a long answer, which it probably is. How competitive are any of those jobs? Is a bachelor's degree enough for most of them?

What degree should I go for (painting, computer graphics, etc.)? I'm leaning towards painting because I haven't used anything besides a pencil before and I'm sure it's a valuable skill. Do companies care if you learn to use a program like Photoshop on your own?

Any other tips you guys give about the art world will be appreciated.

[eyewoo]

I can relate... this sounds very similar to my path. But before I explain that, let me start off by saying there are certainly a lot more programming jobs out there than there are meaningful art jobs.

I also got into programming... not while in school, but in the early 80's when microcomputers first started showing up. It seemed to me they could help me with a large cataloging job - sound effects - that I needed to do, but when I started playing with them I got so blown away by what they could do I totally bailed out of my job at the time (as a free lance location sound engineer for films) and became a free lance programmer for small business database applications. Lot of that free lance work back then before all the super duper funded and backed programs began showing up and before Windows.

I loved programming, but my degree was in the fine arts (yep, how I got into sound engineering is another story), so when microcomputers, now known as desktop computers, began showing real promise as tools for art in the early 90's, I got out of free lance programming and into free lance graphic design, illustration, web site design, etc. ...so yeah, I can relate... but I have to be honest... I made more money programming.

Show some of your artwork. Love to see it.

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by eyewoo:
but I have to be honest... I made more money programming.

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Money's not too big of a factor, as long as I don't have to live like a stereotypical poor college student.

quote:

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Show some of your artwork. Love to see it.

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I'll see if I can get my really old scanner up and running.

[mtw]

The scanner wouldn't work. It needs a PCI card, which wouldn't fit into my motherboard. Must be a really old type, or made just for older IBM computers. I'll have to wait until next week. I have a scanner at work that I can use.

[J Bradford]

You might want to consider getting 3D art under your belt, in the gaming industry it is a very beneficial thing to have knowledge of, and it compliments 2d (concept art, etc) very well.

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by J Bradford:
You might want to consider getting 3D art under your belt, in the gaming industry it is a very beneficial thing to have knowledge of, and it compliments 2d (concept art, etc) very well.

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I took two classes in high school where I got to use 3DS Max and learn it on my own. I got a hang of the basic tools. I'll look into it again in the future.

[AndyT]

There are other threads you might want to check out ...
Archive
Thread

[bld]

If you do go to school for art you have an 80% chance of being college student poor afterward. It's 1/2 luck 1/2 talent.

If you love art, go for it. If you don't take some generals and figure yourself out a little.

[Atherium]

MTW I can sense the employment insecurity in you. Mhhhmhmhmhmhm

Trust me man when I say that ALL of us have felt exactly what you are feeling right now, where that "oh my god I am going to be an artist" quote comes into your mind and the visions of living off of kraft dinner and tap water for the rest of your days. The bottom line to that is that there really isnt security in anything anymore, the days of working that government or bank job for the next 40 years, getting a huge pension and living your last days baking under a florida sun are now few and far between my friend.

It took 3 years and almost a commerce degree for me to figure out that I wasn't scred anymore, scared to say that I am going to be a director no matter what it takes and for me to throw myself into film school. I was trained by a disney artist and his sister since I was eight and the entire family was banking on me to become an animator but for me it was too scary, too cloudy as to what could happen, I just wasnt mature enough to really listen to myself, so I decided the safe and secure world of business was the right route. It took about 5 years of my life for my brain to catch up with my heart.

So now I am second year deep into film school and I have never been happier, it really puts things into perspective. Once you are actually doing you passion, work stops becomming work.

It could just be me, hell this is just my story but all I have to say is that GO FOR IT.

As for your questions...

1. No it is not uncommon, we have people in my program that already have degrees in marketing, biochem, pysch etc and have decided that they want to do...what they want to do. Some of them have a ton of experience while others are total novices, the people who are new to all of it have to work harder but in the end are better off for it.

2. The level of competition for a gaming artist varies as to where you live and what the position is but yeah it can get very competative, I have a few friends in that area and they are either happy as hell where they are and plan on staying there for a very long time or some work contract to contract. Bottom line is that it will help if you have some connections, I am not talking sleeping with the ceo's here, just to get noticed in wany way possible will get the odds in your favour. Go to what ever conventions or events you can or even start as a tester and get to know the guys in the art department. Similar jobs...there are no simliar jobs in the art department, the tasks vary but in the end it is the same. A degree will help but normally the requests stand as "a bachelors degree or relevant industry experience is necessary." If it is enough I don't know, just make sure your portfolio is polished.

4. (this is just my opinion) The best degree to get for the area you are asking about is a degree in communication design. Most would call this a graphic design degree but it isn't. Comm Degrees tackle much more then just media advertising and typography. And if you can try to find a school that has an industrial design program as to you will tend to get paired up with that faculty of students for much more complex projects. I would suggest the painting classes as a side thing as to even if the concept design artist thing does not pan out for some strange reason you will have some serious skills that can be applied for any type of advertising, media, web etc position.

5. Yes they care!! But if you dont have the portfolio to show them what you can do they could care less as to what you say you can do, proof is very important especially if it is the prelims of the interviewing process and they are selecting people to short list for the actual interviews, your portfolio is the communication tool that sells you to prospective employers.

TIPS
- Draw, draw your ass off.
- Begin researching companies you want to work for, what they are like, what they look for, you can begin to train yourself in some of those demanded areas and specialize your skills.
- Get alot of new music!!! Trust me on this, you will start to get all fired up and want to put the pencil to paper.
- Pick up "if chins could kill" by Bruce Campbell, you will thank me after, oh and "rebel without a crew" by Robert Rodrigueiz. They will show you what guys who had a dream and faith in themselves can do.
- Stay on these damn forums, they are your key to enlightenment, maybe not but we will help in ciritiques as much as possible.


I hope this helps. My fingers hurt.

[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Atherium ]

[-HoodZ-]

heh i started out computer science...i couldnt really follow it Phil is right though there are more programming jobs out there....

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by AndyT:
There are other threads you might want to check out ...
Archive
Thread

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Thanks for the links.

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by bld:
If you do go to school for art you have an 80% chance of being college student poor afterward. It's 1/2 luck 1/2 talent.

If you love art, go for it. If you don't take some generals and figure yourself out a little.

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Maybe I can live with being poor. I always wanted to be like a ski bum . Yeah, I'll take the prerequisite classes soon.

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atherium:
TIPS
- Draw, draw your ass off.
- Begin researching companies you want to work for, what they are like, what they look for, you can begin to train yourself in some of those demanded areas and specialize your skills.
- Get alot of new music!!! Trust me on this, you will start to get all fired up and want to put the pencil to paper.
- Pick up "if chins could kill" by Bruce Campbell, you will thank me after, oh and "rebel without a crew" by Robert Rodrigueiz. They will show you what guys who had a dream and faith in themselves can do.
- Stay on these damn forums, they are your key to enlightenment, maybe not but we will help in ciritiques as much as possible.


I hope this helps. My fingers hurt.

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It did help. I'll follow your tips and I'll look into communication design.

[mtw]

Here the sketches I've done recently. Most are from reference. All of the images are reduced to 40% of the original scan size. Shading is something I need to learn. I noticed a problem with proportion with some of them and perspective with one.

[mtw]

[Nacrisa]

Ah! It's nice to know there's someone else in more or less the same position. I'm 1/2 way through a computer science degree- I do find computers interesting, and I like a bit of programming, but I find the course slightly too hard-core. There are many things that just go *whoosh!* over my head.
I only really took an interest in art just after the chance to follow it in school had passed, and when the time came to choose a university course, computer science seemed 'safer' getting-a -job-wise (added to the fact that I didn't have any proper art training or experience, and the ol' parent pressure to get a job).
It's annoying to be doing something you find a bit boring, but not having the confidence to do what you want to do!
I'd really like to be doing something art-related (2D/3D animation, SFX, game art), but I don't think I quite have the skills to get into an art school yet. I hope to take some painting courses when I have the time (and money!), but until then I'll just keep on with the pencil.
[note to self: shut up sooner]

[mtw]

quote:

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Originally posted by Nacrisa:
computer science seemed 'safer' getting-a -job-wise (added to the fact that I didn't have any proper art training or experience, and the ol' parent pressure to get a job).

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I know what you mean. My parents are going to discuss the job issue with me before I apply. It is kind of a worry that there aren't as many jobs, but I'm willing to take that risk.

[InitialT]

There are plenty of art related jobs. It's just that people think the definition of artist means some poor guy slapping paint on a canvas and selling it for pennies.

Just look around you, very few things in this world has been made without an artist involved in its making. In fact, there are even more art jobs now than there were before due to the proliferation of gaming and various other entertainment mediums.

[gaijin]

Hmm...

There are probably more than a few art schools that you could enter, with your drawing skill level where it is. Most "good" art schools require a portfolio review of some sort to enter, but not all... and sometimes that seperates the 'good' from the not as good. I'm currently in my junior year of the Academy of Arts College in San Francisco, and while this school doesn't require any previous art training (as they supply "Foundations" courses to cure you of any lack of skill), it's just generally better to know what you're doing before you get there. Why? Well, I don't know what prices are like elsewhere, but an AAC art course is 3 credits, and at $550 per credit, you can do the math and see that it gets expensive fast. I wish that I had taken the time to do some AP art concentration or something; get the stupid basics out of the way, maybe cheaply, and be ready to get right down to business right from the start of a real art school session.

So.. uh.... my recommendations would be taking art classes from any local university/community college and establishing your basics well before you head out, because there are schools that'll take you as long as you've got that hard, cold cash..