[arenyth]

I went to Ringling College of Art and Design for Computer Animation. It was really really hard, and there were people dropping left and right, but I don't think I would have gone anywhere else. There were a few times I didn't think I was going to make it, my blood pressure skyrocketed and I had ulcers, but it was worth it to have such an intensive program. I don't know how schools can do it in two years.
Ringling has a really nice small atmosphere, the CA dept especially because we're all holed up in the labs all day. All of our animation excercises were helpful and practical for demo reels. Thesis year (starting spring of junior year) was the most mindblowing stressful experience I've ever had. But the stories that came out of it were great and I came out of it with something I was even proud of (if anyone cares to see: http://arenyth.deviantart.com/art/Th...tower-83212811 )
But it was very obvious that it wasn't for everyone, and the people who really wanted it and worked the hardest got what they wanted out of it. Ringling's career center was also the best I've seen, we had industry professionals (DWA, ReelFX, Sony Pictures Imageworks) come to our school to critique our work, give presentations, and then came back to interview us. It was heartbreaking too, since there are some companies that people think theyre meant for and then their name isn't on the interview list... the last couple months of school were really hard emotionally for a lot of people. I finally got my call for a job the weekend before graduation, and of course I was running through my house screaming :P.
The only major gripe i had with the school was that our program was so intensive that you didn't have schedule time for other interesting classes. I never got to take an illustration or painting class, and I ended up as a texture artist so those would have been helpful. So in the concept art/illustration sense I would say I'm mostly self taught. We all had to take figure and all that but minors were almost out of the question and there were a lot of extra classes I would have liked to try. BUT I liked it so much that I'm hoping when I get tired of jumping around the country for jobs I can settle back there and teach at the school. Sorry this post is all jumbled, hope it helped though!

[SKETCHFro]

I went to school at two different schools to add up to one college experience (yay transfers). I attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia and later transferred to the Art Institute of Phoenix. The beginning experience was good. I had a lot of animation classes and drawing classes that expanded on my life drawing and figure drawing skills. It was good, it got me thinking and on my toes and helped change my style and perspective of art. Not to mention its easier to learn when the next morning you walk into class and realize that of the 30 something people that were in the class before its gone down to 5-10 persons. It was a lot of fun and getting to learn programs like FLASH, Max and Maya was a blast but not emphasized too much. Learning how to use the program and learn button locations and stuff was good, but didn't improve us too much. This was applied to 3D programs as well. More or less, we were shown how to make the box, but not what to do with it, or how to make something really good with it. Beginner courses I used to think. After hearing about the courses in Phoenix being more in depth learning processes, we transferred out there to see if we can better our learning experience. Well...I was worked quite hard. Learning switched over from 2D to 3D which depressed me. And we were drilled. Having to make small scenes in a weeks time, characters, environments, but I didn't even know how to make a proper head. Some classes were informative, but the school always favored helping those students more advanced with the programs. So while I was re-making heads over and over again, the teacher spent most his time with the student that already had a full working model and rig, set up to animate....in our second 3D class. Anyways, the teachers when you could get them for some one on one were very informative and obviously knew what they were talking about. They helped keep me at least motivated through school.

To say at the least, if you wanna learn 3D or know it fairly well then its not a bad school. But since "2D is Dead" in the industry, its not safe to go in thinking you'll learn 2D animation, because it is briefly touched on. I did end up graduating with my BS in Media Arts and Animation, just not top of my class. Only 5-7 of our like 20 are working industry jobs right from graduation, and mostly because they had the most help from teachers there. But for the most part we all have still been trying to get our foot in the door.


Well...that's all I can think to say about that. The people I met there were amazing, both in spirit and in talent. And that school is a tough one to get through. Tho it wasn't fun to hear that it's a rip off already 3/4's way finished with the place.

[alismith]

I actually studied art at an online college. It was a whole lot cheaper and I mostly just wanted an art degree to pad my resume with, the real skills are never what you learn in the classroom anyways.

[alradeck]

I'm in my fourth and a half year ( I get out in 5, but not because I failed or was lazy, I was only lazy in getting signed up for graduation in time with a new system that it had to be done 8 months in advance)

I'm going to NIU. Northern Illinois University. If that sounds familiar, we're the one that had the Feb 14th shooting a year and a half back. Anyways, it's not a school recognized for it's art program, though the teachers we've gotten are pretty good, well respected scientific illustrators. But it worries me that since i'm not attending a fabulous art school of any sort, that i'll be overlooked by future employers; I'm trying to compensate for that by having an online presence.

My classes here have been manageable; the workload can be stressful at times, but usually, if you're working hard to get better, it's comfortable. Many of my classmates chose this degree because they liked drawing, and wanted to make money from it, but have no drive to achieve, because this school isn't top-of-the-anything. Some of my classmates, I can just look at them, and know they will be successful, being hell-bent on getting their name out there. I for one, know that there has never been a second here when I wasn't pushing myself to an extreme degree.

[koucha]

I just got done with my first quarter at the Art Institute of California in the good ole orange county... I'm in the game art and design program, but the classes I had this quarter were very basic. The majority of what I know, I taught it to myself. I'm really hoping school will help me improve, but I'm not too sure what to expect yet...

[kellyx]

Self taught , tons of DVD's, books and friend artist's who have helped along the way.

[AllenWilliams]

In my attic. Which is to say 99% self taught, then dvd's, seminars, symposiums etc.

[ChemicalAlia]

I received my BFA with a concentration in drawing from Kutztown University, just a Pennsylvania state school with an art department. That is where I learned the fundamentals of drawing and art history From there I went on complete my master's at The Guildhall at SMU, where I learned to create 3d art, production pipeline, etc.

What school gave me was direction for focusing my work and a place for feedback and teamwork. Without school, I might not have ever figured out how to get where I am on my own. But all of my improvements are self-driven and came at the cost of a personal life.

Overall, I value my education greatly, but as many people have said, all artists are self-taught on some level, and I think that no school is a substitute for time and effort.

[helen82]

I didn't take part in any art college or university. I'm an amateur painter. I taught myself paint and draw. people said that my works are quite wonderful and I'm living on these works.

[Manon]

Self taught - did do an art foundation course for a year when i was 18, but it was a case of being compeltely ignored by the tutors because I wanted to do traditional and they wanted to do horrible conceptual art with no soul. So I didn't actually learn aything there except that I didn't want to go to UNI!!

You don't need a degree to get jobs in this business - they don't ask for your qualifications, they ask for a portfolio

[JohnSilva]

self thought too

[chien]

i am from malaysia, from the one academy of communication design, majored in digital animation but I touched alot of art foundation more hm.... but art movement is very small here

[Evolvyn]

Hey, this thread should have a poll! I'd like to see the stats for the people who go here!

But I go to Ringling College of Art and Design. Majored in Computer Animation, Illustration, and now finally (and forever) Game Art and Design!

I've seen what the upperclassmen, and graduating Game Art students have done, and even though it's still undisclosed what the work looks like for this major, but I must say... It's prolly cuz they wanna surprise the world all at one time! Game Art is like the little brother to the Computer Animation program, and so I'm sure there's alot of expectations from it.

You don't have to believe me, since I'm prolly biased, but just wait and see this May. Ringling is training their Game Art kids in mainly ART and graphics! As of now that is. So the visuals are amazing! We learn other things too.. but since I am sophomore, I don't know everything that they are teaching the upperclassmen. PLUS, the curriculum is still changing and adapting to changing gaming industry. There are a dedicated few that are dabbling in programming in the major.

But besides that... I'd like to say I have a low biased personality on Ringling for a few personal reasons, so if you have any questions about Computer Animation, Illustration, or Game Art and Design, I've been thru all those and don't mind giving info or advice.

[nangua321]

I study art from the internet watching video and reading their tutorials .




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[Creusa]

Between the age of 6 and 12 I've been going to some sort of art school for teens in Russia (so called "extra school" 'cause it had nothing to do with the normal one). Basically it was an atelier, where we were doing tons of stilllifes using a very large amount of tools starting with pencils/gouaches and so on till batik xD
Then I transfered in Italy, for 3 years had to go in junior high. There were no extra schools for those who had 12 years, so I basically dropped my studies, hoping to resume in some art college. Then... I attended one, really good one as all were saying, for half year... I regret those 6 months even now. Ppl there were doing nothing to improve, the artistic program was... there wasn't one xD And now (3 years later), seeing them posting photos of themselves drawing a cube or a box from life makes me wanna kill myself xD
Concluding all the story, I discovered that the self taught way is the only one for me. I can't possibly lose 5 years doing boxes from life, lol
In 2010 I went to some nice places for study with my works. Got accepted in to the school of arts and trades (drawing/painting from life section) and in to school of comics (just to see what's going on in this area of expertise). Feel quite satisfied this way, painting all the day, and certainly not loosing any time doing nothing.