I have always been less impressed with technical skills. Though in
its entirety it is impressive, it is also something anyone can obtain with good
teaching standards. But a creative individual is exactly that. Someone who
cannot be copied or replaced very easily, they are unique and this I think can
make them a more valuable asset to any company. These people are usually those
who are very interested in the subject to begin with, they have a passion and
it is what I think gives them that little bit extra. This being said, learning
the technicalities is very important and is almost like a foundation as without
it, the art itself (for 3D artists at least) is nonexistent.
In a degree like mine however, I think it is very important to have a
foundation in drawing. In today’s secondary schools students are not taught HOW
to draw, so when students get to university they are a mix of experience from
drawing their favourite cartoon characters and the life studies/artist studies
they did for 2 years in A levels. Because of this lack of foundation and
understanding, it becomes very difficult to become a 2D artist or concept artist
and 3D art becomes a more realistic option. It is something I am considering
myself though I came here with concept art in mind, which I’m sure many others
did. If the funding was proper and teachers were more in number it would be
brilliant to have a Perspective class, or Colour Theory class or Lighting
class. That being said, it is not impossible to learn the key skills without
teaching. A self taught artist is not inferior to someone that went to all the
classes, in some cases the self taught artist can have a wider range of
understanding as he or she is not bound by a curriculum.
Student experience is another key thing to consider, they must be
motivated and inspired at all times, especially in art degrees. As a student
here I can say there isn’t much to complain about, we get tons of work and if
you THINK you have finished everything, there is always SOMETHING to do.
>_< ! However it is commonly known that outside this small world I live
in, people don’t think highly of art degrees and others even consider them
‘worthless’. This is probably because it isn’t so easy to find work and as a
subject it probably does not have the best employment rates. Due to this,
teaching should be very critical and target each and every attribute the
industry requires; these attributes must be hard wired into the students as
much and as soon as possible. I think if a degree can keep students inspired so
they freely explore for themselves but at the same time, push them to their
potential so they learn everything they need to know, the students will be very
successful. All this being said, it must be understood that students will carry
on learning in their chosen industry, kind of like passing a driving test; when
you get on the road by yourself in your own car, the learning really begins.
(interesting article on art degrees and their worth)
A really good example of a 2D art school is FengZhu’s School of
Design. The students are much like us in the sense that most do not have any
foundation in design or drawing. They come with portfolios of amateurish work
and within a year or two are producing professional concept art. They are
taught perspective, colour, and lighting and are encouraged to learn and do as
much as possible. Another great is Art Centre. Today’s very popular concept
artists that are working on the biggest games and films obtained degrees from
here, although I know little about their teaching, the institution always
creeps up in my favourite artist’s bios like Neville Page and Scott Robertson.
I think what students can also do whilst at a games design or game art degree
is to purchase online courses and content to facilitate their learning. The
Gnomon School of Design is one of many places where you can do courses online
as well as buy DVD’s with tutorials straight from artists in the industry.
http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/index.jsp
http://www.fzdschool.com/
Unicity is very good company www.unicityin.com and it have very nice plan for net-workers.
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