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United States2063 Posts
Preface:
So a few months ago I got fired. I had already been doing commission art stuff for people on the side. So I just picked up the pace on that since I had money saved away when I lost my job (to buy a new/used car cause mine broke just before I got fired T_T). You can check my other blogs for the stuff I do if you want to see (and I'm more than willing to accept paypal and mail you stuff, I have for others and people on this forum). I digress, Since I have been putting more into this and trying/learning new things and selling more I think maybe I should go back to school for it instead of getting another shit job and doing the art on the side.
I am curious if anyone here has been through art school. In USA/CA we have this Ai (art institute) which is like a trade school afaik. And I'm sure there are other art trade school places like that. I originally went to a local community college and took a few courses towards graphic design and commercial art but dropped out because I was unsure of what I wanted to do, mostly just not ready to decide. I'm not so concerned about the type or best of schooling, as I don't think there is as much as I can learn versus just networking and getting some degree or certificate to start working. I already have an extensive portfolio of works, paintings, etc. I could probably find a job without a degree if I looked widely.
Basically what I am asking is if it is worth it to go to one? Seems like most places people just come out with terrible student loan debt [especially now], No job in sight, and nothing really to show other than some piece of paper and a commemorative tassel. Can you get through one of these schools on strictly grants and waivers alone? How long does it take? Can I get by with going fulltime without having some kind of job/part time job? What are the specific fields that art is lacking in right now?
Any information on your experiences or whatever is appreciated. Btw, I just turned 29 so I'm prob gonna be 10 years older than most of the people at any school I start out at.
Also, I dunno if this helps me but some of the things that interest me are typography, commercial art, computers, and street art/graffiti.
PS- I also really dislike photoshop because it is such a confusing, terribly organized program. I have tried to learn it many times before and it just doesn't agree with me. Are there any other industry standard programs that are used often (that aren't just clones of photoshop)?
 
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Illustrator.
But if you learn photoshop roughly and where everything is that is kind of the bases for a lot of other adobe software.
Photoshop is useful but for typography and logos illustrator is a goer. just learn how to use the pen/path stuff.
I did visual arts for a little awhile to get in to graphic design. So i know bit of both worlds. if u end up doing art its a pretty much lifestyle choice. if u finish graphics it offers u some flexibility but u cant exactly do what the fuck u want like in art/fine art.
ive seen some of your stuff and id say it be a fail not to try and learn some of the mainstream software. u could easily do your hand done stuff and mix it with the digital stuff, that seems to be a pretty big part of design now.
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"girl when I speak, I say that which I mean. All these expensive art schools teach is critique"
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based on the jobs available when you come out and the pay, art school is an insanely shitty investment chalz.
as a rule of thumb, if youre gonna go back to school due because your job prospects blow, you weanna make sure that whatever youre doing is worthwhile (i am not talking about just art here, btw).
spending 40-60k on school for jobs that maaaaybe pay low 30s coming out isnt smart. plus, if graphic design is osmething you wanna do, media jobs hire people all the time who dont have education. portfolio is 100x more important.
if you were really dead set on getting into graphic design and having your skills refined, i would look into an associate at a 2 year cc. they can be pretty good sometimes (you gotta research obviously) and more importantly, theyre way way way cheaper.
you obviously got a nose for art. you can learn all the programs youd need in a work environment on your own.
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one lady I know does commissioned art pieces for 4 digit amounts, I had a discussion about art courses in uni with her just last week. She told me about an amazing prof they had that could actually walk up to pretty much any painting in progress, grab a brush and make it look better with just a handful of strokes, and also kind of explain how he did it. Most of it seems to have been about composition.
So, my answer would be: Pick your school wisely.
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IMO you should never go to school for something that you can learn entirely on your own and the world doesnt need you to have a degree in it for any reason. Art is definitely one of those things, save your money and spend your time mastering your craft and getting your work out there.
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United States2063 Posts
Yea, well I figured this is what I was going to hear. Thanks for that resource, sths. Where is a good source for learning Adobe photoshop / illustrator. I just need to learn that shit and get a pen tablet and then I'll be set. I think I would be willing to take some photoshop class (PC version only). Fuck mac
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I honestly don't know why the industry standard for graphic designers are Macs but nonetheless...
Vimeo has quality tutorials on many programs. As a architecture student I frequently use Photoshop and Illustrator for post-production so I would say it took me longer to grasp it compared to many other programs I have to learn. And even though Photoshop and Illustrator share similar tools they are different as Photoshop utilizes pixels while latter is vector-based.
I would also advise dabbing into Indesign, its generally used to generate a neat layout for portfolios, presentations, etc. I would say it's much easier to grasp compared to other Adobe products.
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On July 19 2013 14:22 MarlieChurphy wrote:
Yea, well I figured this is what I was going to hear. Thanks for that resource, sths. Where is a good source for learning Adobe photoshop / illustrator. I just need to learn that shit and get a pen tablet and then I'll be set. I think I would be willing to take some photoshop class (PC version only). Fuck mac
I can teach you photoshop pretty in depth.
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United States2063 Posts
On July 20 2013 12:16 Coagulation wrote:Show nested quote +On July 19 2013 14:22 MarlieChurphy wrote:
Yea, well I figured this is what I was going to hear. Thanks for that resource, sths. Where is a good source for learning Adobe photoshop / illustrator. I just need to learn that shit and get a pen tablet and then I'll be set. I think I would be willing to take some photoshop class (PC version only). Fuck mac
I can teach you photoshop pretty in depth.
If you could that would be the bees knees. Do you have aim or skype?
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Don't waste your time on Ai.(and money)
Cal Arts, Otis and Art Center are the only 3 reputable art schools in California, as far as I know. All three are difficult to get into. From what I've read in your post, Art Center seems like the ideal school to shoot for if you are really serious about going about this route (they are known for graphic designs). Quite a few of my friends go there.
Edit: although, being 29 throws a wrench into that plan. CC is probably the way to go. Or a Cal State. Those are good as well.
Photoshop unfortunatley is going to be your best friend. Illustrator is best for vector graphics and Indesign is for publishing. (Newspaper layouts and the like)
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EPT
