Alternative education

[janitor]

Hey I'm entirely new to the world of proffesional art. I really like drawing but so far I've been self-taught.
Unfortunately my parents were never much for "artsy fartsy" sunjects so to speak so when i did my GCSEs and A levels i could never really choose art subjects.
I don't have the largest portfolio and my parents certainly won't pay for art school tuition.

So my question is, are there cheaper alternatives available for an art education?
Preferably in England, east midlands, but I'm not fussy :yayca: Thanks

[ikken]

How much is "cheaper"?

[Maxine Schacker]

I'm not familiar with what's available in England, but there may be evening courses that you can afford to attend. I did that when I was young and worked days. If you're working, you will be able to pay for the classes.

You can begin to build your basic skills, find out if this is really for you, and build a portfolio to try for a scholarship, or perhaps convince your folks that you are really serious.

By the way, Ikken when are you posting your work? I'd love to see what you've been doing.

[ikken]

By the way, Ikken when are you posting your work? I'd love to see what you've been doing.
I'll post my college portfolio here to get critiques/comments, roughly in the mid January.
Your interest looks so flattering, am I targeted for some special Max the Mutt spam?

[Maxine Schacker]

Ikken, Max the Mutt doesn't "Spam." We play by the rules. I'm really just interested in seeing your work. Why the hostility? We have never wished anything but the best for anyone trying to get education and develop him/herself. There is room in this world for many approaches to education The trick, both for the school and the individual, is to find the right fit.

It certainly seems that you have found the right place ! Enjoy your holidays, and we'll look froward to seeing your work.

[dguy]

@ikken: lolomgbbq....(translated)hahahaha. That's a good one.

[Quasi-almost]

There are probably independent schools that you could look at (ex. Ashland Academy) that are very cheap but don't give you room and board I think... Ashland isn't in England however. If that doesn't work- they are always ateliers that may be cheaper...

A little Off topic: I really don't think Max the Mutt spams- they do talk about their school a lot and they do reply to a lot of threads telling about their school... However, they are just looking for the best available talent and promoting the school to those people- we all know that CA has lots of very talented people who are looking for instruction... Thus their approach to commenting in this forum is more than logical...

If you compare Max the Mutt to all the BIG art colleges that spam the mail here in the US, however, they would be a squeak in a sea of blow horns...

[Zirngibism]

When you ask for alternatives, do you mean you desire an actual degree, or just the education?

There are many helpful DVDs out there (many of them pricey, but cheaper than going to school full time).
There are also some online learning programs (no, not colleges) that teach things like figure drawing, digital, and traditional painting.
Problem is, you don't get a degree, so the question is how much the degree matters to you.

[lilwashumillenia]

Actually there are lots of online colleges that teach figure drawing and other animation courses for a degree. However, they aren't necessarily cheap. For example, the art institute has an online branch of the art institute of pittsburgh. It is a bit expensive, but the degree is from the art institute which is highly respected, and they offer financial aid. There are a lot of options out there that look cheap and worthwhile, but you really have to look out for scams. Good luck.