Art College v. University

[Phoenix606]

First off, I don't want to sound like a noob for this being my first post. But I have been coming to this website a lot, this is just the first time I registered an account on the forums. Now, I have been looking into colleges as next year will be my senior year in highschool. I am really wanting to go to art college and I just attended the summer early college program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. One of my questions is what courses should I take if I want to focus on becoming a concept artist for movies and games and whatnot? I was looking into illustration and graphic design. I want to improve my skills on the tablet and work more with computer drawing and painting programs. Also, every so often I have second guesses about going to art college but it's just something i want to focus on. Many of my teachers are making me second guess it because I am taking a lot of AP classes and that I would have a more secure future if I went to a university. So anyway the colleges I am looking at are MICA, Pacific North West College of Art, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Pratt. Can anyone reccomend any good colleges that would meet my standards for concept artists?

[supermark]

Welcome to the boards!
I believe seedling has a conceptart link in his signature that deals with the industry and the likes, check it out.
Do not second guess yourself, although we all have done it. It's just a way of holding yourself back,don't let it stop you.
Secure future? ha There is no such thing in any career, the individual is the one that will who has to keep their position secure. I know plenty of people who graduated college with some degree and didn't end up doing anything related to that. I'm sure you have a second love in your life next to art, well this in a way serves as a back up(hate to say that word). Let's say you decided art isn't what youu want to do well, thats where your second love comes in. Or you could do both! :) I have decided not only to have art be a part of my life, but writing and exercise/fitness in my future. (People may think that its crazy to focus on three seperate paths, but I don't let it stop me).
Point is don't let others doubting opinions affect you.
God Bless and have a great semester!

[Phoenix606]

thanks a lot! That really makes me feel better about the issue of second guessing.

[Ramon Hurtado]

to be a concept designer, you should think less about the computer and focus on traditional drawing and painting, as many people in these forums do....those skills are universal, the software you use today might be gone tomorrow....so don't think too much about "graphic design" (whatever that means nowadays) and take a lot of life drawing and painting classes (not crappy modernist painting, but representational work)....I decided to go to a university, and i have my problems with it, but on the other hand, I'm going on a full scholarship and will have the opportunity to study in various ateliers on the side.

One last bit of advice....find an atelier near where you live and take some classes there....if you do your portfolio will kick so much ass the other kids in school won't know what hit them because your impressive traditional skills will blow away their knowledge-less computer doodles

**Also....school counselors and teachers tend to know VERY LITTLE about what is best for an art career....they would probably be appalled if you told them you don't even need a degree to work in most art-related fields ...but it's true

[Julie G]

In Chicago you might want to check out Columbia College - I liked it when I visited. Also you should look at other schools - I'm going to Syracuse because I loved their illustration program (might be worth applying at lest - yes?)

[Phoenix606]

Wow, thank you so much for the responses! I am always open to your insights so please give me any info you can. Working traditionally is a very good idea, I never looked at it like that. i mean holy hell these are some of the best insights i've ever gotten. luckily I have been doing what you said by working flexibly. I just started getting into the tablet but i was oil painting for the last 3 weeks I was in chicago and I am currently focusing on acrylic, oil pastel, charcoal, tablet, and pencil drawing. Also I have been doing conceptual artwork like sculpting, but i was going to start to get seriously into the tablet and work on some colouring ability, regardless I think I will focus on more various types of mediums rather than focus all my attention to the tablet now :) I'm not sure what atelier is (forgive my ignorance). Also I wanted to further develope my technical skills in drawing and painting as well as observational but I also wanted to work conceptually I dunno if you have any advice on that. And when I was in chicago I checked out the American Academy of Art which is where Richard Schmid went who is an ultra realist painter but I attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Again thanks to panchosimpson because I really wanted to go to mica but I wasn't sure if they had the right courses, but the have a very good painting program as well as illustration so I will look into that school again.

[Ramon Hurtado]

hey glad i could help :) ateliers are one of the best kept secrets in post secondary education.....i mean, most kids that are applying for art school don't know what they are (i sure as hell didn't) and can't benefit from them. Atelier is french for "workshop"..as in an artist's workshop or studio....nowadays, an atelier is a small place, usually based on the 19th century model, where a small group of students work with one or more master painters that teach them a rigorous traditional art curriculum, with plenty of individual instruction.

Ateliers programs usually take 2-5 years to complete and normally (though not always) start with copying master drawings, then drawing plaster casts then drawing the figure....then painting the cast and figure in gray tones, then painting still lifes....then finally painting the figure.....moreover, some ateliers are all about copying what you see visually, while others focus more on construction with basic shapes....at any rate, the skills gained at an atelier will serve you well in any art field you go into, they aren't just necessarily for painters....

also, ateliers don't usually give out degrees...sorry no BFA....but they are tons more affordable than colleges...i don't know where you're living right now, but here are some links to the ateliers that i live close to and planning on studying in soon www.wattsatelier.com www.studio2ndstreet.com www.laafa.org

check these out, then go to http://www.artrenewal.org/ateliermap.asp to find an atelier near you

and you don't have to go through the whole process, you can just take a few classes there, they would serve you well......good luck