[kamidake]

hehe, well as you can see, yet another newbie asking for advice, and what better place to ask? well, Ill get right to it.

here I am, 18 years of age, I've been drawing as far back as I can remember. I have around 5 years photoshop experience (self taught), not allot of formal Artist education (minus a few years high school art classes), with the will, and desire to take a few steps in the direction of a potential artist carrier.

I have literally no idea where to go from here. everything I know is self taught, along with tons of Internet reading on the subject... however, I have somehow managed to miss any/all advice on following carrier options through my travels.

so here is what I ask-- where did YOU start? (assuming your either a pro, or a soon-to-be)

perhaps collage classes? freelance all the way? iduno, thats what im looking for, any and all advice for a person such as myself, trying to break into the profession.

I would LOVE to do animation, something I've been trying to learn for a while now.... but ive set that as an overall goal, right now I'm just trying to figure out what I need to do, to prepare myself for the real world, and its many frustrations.

thank you for your time, and any information you can provide will be appreciated greatly!

[kamidake]

ack! I missed a wonderfull topic much like this one just a few posts down... I apologise for wasting space, when I could have goten the same information if I just took the time to read the other topics a bit closer instead of rushing to get my question answerd like the greedy newbie that I am ^_^.

but all replys are welcome, in case anyone wants to add anything to my specific situation.
eiether way, I just want to say thanks for all the information that is archived away in this gold mine of a forum o.O

[Derek]

Insert my standard reply here...

I went through a University, have a Bachelor's in Illustration and studied traditional animation, 3D animation and Industrial Design. So, that answered that bit. I've been a Lead Artist, and Art Director, and a freelance grunt. Right now I work in a frame shop to make about 2/3 of what I need, but don't let that scare you.

The foundation for your skill is made the strongest through drawing. Anatomy, perspective, lighting. Draw a lot, draw well, keep on going.

Our images are made to represent three-dimensional objects. Study the world around you, and I mean get right up to it, feel it. We don't perceive the hard-edge qualities that we put in our image; our mind translates the data, compares it to past experience with similar data, blurts out something that you think you understand. How's this mumbo-jumbo pertinent? It means you need to take time and put the pencil down, too. Go to the places and types of places you want to create in your images, play with or operate the objects you put in them, go to the zoo, the aquarium, the theater. It's all part of your training. Live and build up your visual vocabulary.

School- don't decide too early what you want to be when you grow up, but don't delay the choice either. Do everything that you do, for yourself or school, well. It will open up infinite choices. Would you like to be an animator? Then by all means draw a ton, create flip-books, try a few in-betweens. Maybe get or build a small lightbox, and get a peg-strip and some paper. Do a bit. But right now, you're just 18, don't focus so narrowly as of yet unless you are 100% sure that it's your only love. Look into various schools, local groups or possible ateliers, and private groups too. Think of the work you love. Where can you learn it? Who teaches it? Which companies do it?

Information is formidable, can strengthen you in this arena by leaps and bounds. So... read. If you area afraid of reading, you're pretty much screwed. The amount of information available in about 3 dozen very good books (email me if you want a list... [email protected]) will arm you for formal education. Applied well, they can surpass any academic program, though they will not give you the persoal attention and contact.

Sculpt too if you can. My girlfriend is incredibly knowledgeable about horses, it's staggering. But, she has just begun an incredibly arduous series of sculptures, and it amazes her daily how much she is learning still, that which she had a mere knowledge of before is now seen to be so incredibly vast. Does good stuff for your understanding of 3D space.

Speaking of 3D, might as well take a good bit of time down the road to study 3D animation. Even if you want to be a background painter, rough animator or such, or go into another area of design that's related... You should know the language and have a basic understanding of how the pipeline works.

Remember to eat, sleep, and recreate as necessary. You have an incredible responsibility to yourself to stay healthy, alert and capable.

I'll end this here... I'm sure you will get more responses.... good luck. Don't worry about similar topics... usually happens.

[ January 13, 2002: Message edited by: Derek Smith ]

[LoTekK]

you sound like me, only 6 years younger... i only started taking drawing and art seriously as a hobby and more when i was 22... and it was only when i was 23 that i really got into the theory and whatnot... i'm turning 24 next month, and trying to decide if i should do my minor in studio art or graphic design, and seriously considering art as a career option... anyways, i can't offer any advice, but just wanted to say welcome to the forums...

[Satan]

quote:

---

Remember to eat, sleep, and recreate as necessary. You have an incredible responsibility to yourself to stay healthy, alert and capable.

---

I for one was never savvy to this piece of information as i embarked on my (art) education/career and as much as it is an obvious piece of common sense - i felt it was important to hi-lite, else you'll fight a never ending battle with the dreaded 'Burnout' and will never be able to realise or achieve your full potential.

[ January 14, 2002: Message edited by: Satan ]

[nova]

The first thing I started drawing for fun was my character from this text-based roleplaying game, GemStone III. You could only imagine what your character looked like based on a text description. That got me into fantasy art which I started coloring in photoshop, and I've been painting ever since. The only internet reading I did was these forums when i joined in late '99 and a lot of my practice was copying other artists' styles and techniques. In my sophomore year of high school I started doing 3D.. i didn't get into it as much as 2D, but I animated a few scenes, logos, and made 2 heads and a human body by the time I graduated high school.
So, I guess I started just drawing what I liked to draw, and learned little by little different ways to do it.

[kamidake]

Thanks much for your replys, your advice will be considerd.

>Remember to eat, sleep, and recreate as necessary. You have an incredible responsibility to yourself to stay healthy, alert and capable.<

oh yea! I totally forgot about that concept ^^; but seriously, good advice, I learned it the hard way