Art School Ponder

[JJ McKool]

Most people here know a lot about the subject and the artist's field, so what the hell...

I have two choices of schools, and four different programs (all BFAs) I'm thinking about taking. Wanted to get some advice on what other people would go with, I still have a little bit of time to decide, but not that much. The choices are:

A) The first program is in a general university, with a fine arts faculty. It's called New Media, and ranges all around the newer entertainment mediums, film, introductory 3D modeling, digital art, along with obligatory drawing, painting, drama, and music classes. There's also the usual 4 sciences, and 4 social science classes to pick.

B) Same school, but with focus on art this time. I'll opt for mostly studio art stuff, but you can take more museum and critical studies too to change it up. No modeling, or film, a little sculpture and about the same digital art options. GLEs again.

C) Art school this time. All the programs start off with the same basic first year. Some choice, but not a ton. After that it splits into a couple handful of focuses. This option is Media Arts & Digital Technologies. The difference between this and A is, specifically, where A has a large amount to do with film development, drama, and music/audio, this has none. The focus is almost entirely on digital art, going more in depth on the visual side of things.

D) Same school, the focus again would be on art. It has to be a focus on painting or drawing, and my guess would be to go with painting since I think I have a more solid foundation in drawing already. The big difference between the two schools is the liberal courses. Whereas you can choose which to take from a big book in the other, in this one they're all set, rather cleverly, to focus on something directly related to art. Social studies is visual culture analysis, and they don't have to specifically teach unrelated sciences at all.

Personally, I'm hoping to get into concept art and then just go with the wind. I wouldn't like it if the character modeling path to be shut on me because I don't have the time to learn it during a job, but I also don't know if I'll even enjoy it that much. With things like Zbrush popping up, I think it would be interesting to get into, but the more visual arts is where my focus is.

So is it better to get a broad range of courses, and have more ground outside of art, or would it be better to focus everything I can on getting my visual understandings up? Is digital a good route to focus on, or is it better to get an solid understanding of the more traditional arts?

If you take the time to post, I'll listen.

[ConCrete]

I am a senior at a state school in wisconsin. I am the first generation of digital to graduate from this school and heres what I wish I had been told before I was here.

1) The specific school does not matter, it is merely an outlet. If you apply yourself it does not matter where you go, you will benefit. You could lurk CA and do every "of the week" and every DSG and study in your free time while holding a part time job and get more than going to a Art Institute school. Or you could pay 30,000 a year and go to Columbia and smoke dope and slack off and get no where.

2) The connections you make are a huge part of what college is. None of my professors know anything about the digital entertainment industry. Benefit - I have very old and traditional instructors who stress fundamentals and non digital means. Too many schools have ignored the fundamentals of drawing and painting. You HAVE to know how to see the world before you can reproduce, manipulate, and augment it and a good ole fashion life drawing class does this very well. I have a liberal education I wouldn't get at an Art Institute school, which to me is very important. More fuel for the creativity. Studying math and astronomy and history have given me what I believe an edge and a depth that definitely shows up in my art.
Drawback - I have learned all my digital art by myself outside of a classroom and the benefits that ensues, I am on CA everyday to cover this and I believe that has alleviated that issue. I have no contacts through my school or professors. No internship opportunities, not even a list of alumni I can call about anything. I have no post school help, and going to a Art institute school may have allowed me that. This is something I really regret about my school choice. I founded the Game developers club here and became involved in the IGDA but I still feel I missed out. I also have to deal with a little bit of animosity from the faculty who are somehow threatened by digital.

My advice- GO to the liberal school. Study the traditional at school and the digital online in your free time. Think past the school you are going to to the future past, have some faith but plan. The saying go with the wind scares me because concept art is such a difficult industry to get into. Feel free to message me with any other questions. I remember being in your shoes and the questions never stop. So keep asking for answers.