[Typhon]

I'm a junior in high school and I'm extremely interested in becoming an artist. My ideal job would be a conceptual artist or character designer in the gaming industry. I can sketch but I would rather work on the computer with Photoshop or Painter or something like that.

Now here are my questions:

1) I've been told that for what I want to do (digital art, basically) majoring in graphic design would be best. What exactly is graphic design?

2) Are a graphic designer and a graphic artist the same thing?

3) If graphic design doesn't sound like it would suit my specific purposes, what other majors should I look into for college?

4) I'm a good student and my counselors have told me that going to an art college would waste my talents. They'd rather see me go to an all-around high level college and then major in some art field. Which path would you recommend?

I extend my greatest thanks to all who reply to the best of their abilities and knowledge.

[Plouffe]

Well to answer your question, Now a days graphic designer are taking the place of traditional illustrators. So basically graphic design is illustration but all done on the computer. If you want to be a concept artist i wouldnt recommend graphic design for ya. You should maybe look for Industrial design to be a concept artist...

well thats my 2 cents..

[Ian_Milham]

Hmmmm. I disagree with the graphic design choice. I especially disagree with the notion that graphic designers are replacing illustrators.

The distinction between graphic design/illustration/etc. has nothing to do with computers. Graphic Design is the art of composing a design, usually combining several diverse elements like images, text, etc. A web page, print spread, ad, etc. Illustration is the art of creating an image that relates (or illustrates) a text or idea.

The idea that an art college would "waste your talents" is also preposterous. It all depends on which one and how you approach it. I'd certainly agree that a well rounded education that includes film, art history, and other topics is important, however. So, I'd aim higher than the Art Institute, Academy of Art level.

The single most important thing, if you're looking to become a conceptual artist, is solid artistic fundamentals. Forget computers for awhile. It takes less than a month to get a good artist going well on a computer. It takes years and years to get to be a good artist in the first place.

When you've chosen a school, take art courses of all sorts of disciplines. Industrial Design or Illustration would both be good majors.

~ Ian

[Jason Manley]

argh...

while a diverse background is EXTREMELY important, the amount of drawing and painting you will have to do to get a job doing concept art is extrememly high. A regular college degree will not allow for that amount of focused study unless you major in art. Whether you major in art at a local school or at a university or at a private art school the carriculum will be somewhat similar. you will get your art history...your english..your math..your drawing classes...your painting classes...your film class etc...


what you need to do is find a school that will let you study traditional drawing and painting...life drawing etc.. you can polish your skills and put together a portfolio if you work hard.

while a more general ed degree is a valid path...it is a longer route to gaining the skills you will need with your hands to do the work. It will get you there but sometime you will have to spend about 6-10 hours a day drawing from life and your imagination as well as studying art history in order to become proficient.

Go to art school...any school...and take all the drawing and painting classes you can. draw on your own daily...paint daily...draw daily...hourly ....as much as you can.

that is the path to becoming an artist...make art..draw draw draw...paint paint paint...it is the only way...doing is the only way.

jason

[Mergatroid]

Typhon,


I wouldn't major in graphic design cause that deals mostly in typography. If you want to get into conceptual design, then I would look into illustration and industrial design. Each discipline has its strengths and weaknesses but the two combined can really make things work.

As far as schools, I'd look into RISD or Art Center. I know for sure that Art Center has changed their curriculum quite a bit for illustrators and although the school was going through a bit of a decline, its now coming back stronger than ever in the entertainment biz.

Bon Chance,

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Mergatroid

[Duckman2]

Your guidance counselors are obviously idiots, they seem more interested in what they want for you instead of what your goals and dreams are. Did they ever think that not going to art school would also be a waste of talent? Sorry I flipped out, but guidance coulselors piss me off.