[Svanur]

Now I am going to be hated as the questionner but here it goes. After taking due consideration the schools and education around here I haven't come down to a desirable solution. My first consideration was to learn animation as I want to be involved in the game (or movie) industry, but recently (yesterday that is) I have found myself more interested in a education in Illustration.

What schools are out there,besides ACCD that have a good illustration education? The cost into ACCD is pretty high.

There is also the question which one I would gain more from, Illustration education or Animation. I could take both but that would take me around 8 years to finish. I will be 30 by then, which isn't very desirable so I have thought about taking one instead of both, but that puts me into a conflict.

Does it sound more desirable to have a degree in Arts (Illustration) or Animation. I have considered this as animation tools (Maya, MAX) are only tools and they won't teach you to draw. But if I learn Illustration and then learn on Max or Maya in my spare time, I would be better off. As some people have said that a degree in animation means nothing.(semi-quoted by balistic)

Help is very much appreciated, although I doubt people will answer as they are probably getting tired of this endless questionning .

[newt]

I received a degree in Computer Graphics (BFA) from Syracuse University. I was basically in the same boat - torn between weather I should study computer graphics (web design, programming, 3d animation), illustration, or graphic design.
My solution was to major in CG, and take as many classes in illustration and graphic design as I could. I figured CG was more 'impressive' on a resume, but solid skills in illustration and graphic design were just as (if not more) important.
This is also on top of all BFA requirements - figure drawing, 2d/3d problem solving, art history etc, which are also very important.
So I'd say if you really enjoy 3d modeling and animation, you should do that. If you really want to be an illustrator, you should do that, but above all, the more skills you have in the bag the better.
As far as schools - last I checked, Cooper Union and Parsons are two of the very, very best art schools out there, and very selective.

[Svanur]

As I am not very familiar with schools in the States, did the school allow extra classes in Illustration and Design while you were learning CG?

[Svanur]

And I am currently in a local school learning some kind of multimeda thing. We go into Photoshop, MAX, Speed Razor, Freehand, After Effects and Director. Which I hope will be helpful.

[SaltyDog]

The Columbus College of Art and Design (my alma mater) has a very strong Illustration program. I DO however suggest taking as many computer related courses as possible in conjunction with it, seeing as full-time traditional illustration positions are VERY hard to come by nowadays.

[Svanur]

I of course know that illustration isn't something I could work on full time. I am just thinking that I would benefit more from illustration education than one in animation as animation tools are in reality just an extension of ones artistic ability ie. another tool to draw with. That is my opinion right now and I have heard from other people that a degree in animation isn't that highly regarded, at least in the game buisness but more in film buisness, like ILM for example are searching for people with ba in animation.

Tool(like Maya and MAX) can be mastered later but the art itself is something one has to spend time honing. Therefore art school are very helpful in such matters or so I think.

I don't know I am in a huge psychological dilemma of what to learn

[opticillusion]

I am also looking at art colleges and am glad you asked a question about which road to take Svanur.

I'm looking at Ringling Colelge of Art and Design to possible major in Computer animation, or illustration. Also I've looked at CalArts for character animation as well.

Do you know of any other schools with great illustration degrees or animation as well that have not been mentioned so far??

[Svanur]

I don't know of many good illustration schools but what I've heard about animation is that Full sail was supposed to be very good but balistic said that he had heard it was crap. Then there are schools I know of which are in Europe. One in Netherlands http://wdka.hro.nl and then there's one in Britain http://ncca.bournemouth.ac.uk/ which is quite expensive by their standards.

Why come all the schools in the States are so bloody expensive .
If you hear of any other schools, keep me updated and I'll do the same.

[chumps]

ah crap I wrote all this stuff but then it said my password was wrong then i clicked on "back" and everything dissapeared!

grrr

basically i dont think cg work can be that fulfilling. to me it seems being a cog in a giant machine. you get to animate the ring finger of the 105th subway patron, yip! I've worked with max a little bit and I got to say it just seems too tedious.

i was in the same boat as you (even though we are miles apart) and I decided that i'd rather go into illustration. so thats why i applied for accd. if i end up being good enough maybe I could hack it as a concept artist, the idea of 'creating' something and having a gajillion cg artists bringing that to life in cg land just seems way cool. if that doens't work then... heck, I dunno, I just feel a lot more confident about it than I ever did about cg stuff.

dont mind me, just ramblin', and yes accd is rediculously expensive but thats what loans are for

------------------
Stroke my ego.

[Svanur]

I agree with you on that. Animation is also something that you can learn later. I think I would die happier with a huge debt to LIN (a student loan bank) and having learned to draw with different medium than die with the knowledge that I know how to animate

And by the way, distance doesn't matter. It's the same planet after all.

[This message has been edited by Svanur (edited September 28, 2000).]