Academy of Art College

[William_Easlick]

Does anyone go to this school? I've looked at the catalog and it "seems" like a great school.

Just wanted some actual student feedback.

Thanks!

[Crackatomb_Lupaz]

I'm also very eager to hear what people have to say, seeing as I am seriously considering applying.

So anyone care to chime in?

[STiCKy]

i just enrolled at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and I start in may, i hear its a great school, but i havent even been there to see it, Alex Ross is an alumni there so it cant be to bad

[xHUNTERx]

i think what he is referring to is Academy of Art College in SF, but anyways, I went there during one summer and they offer some pretty nice classes there. Academy is supposed to be one of the best place to study for computer animation. The only downside is that it isnt very cheap, and it's open enrollment.

[Garon]

I go to this school. yes its very expensive. hopefully i can answer some questions you may have on classes and such.

[Crackatomb_Lupaz]

Hmm, well I guess if you could tell us your general impressions that would be a good starter? I'll try to think of something specific, heh.

[Hagac]

I'm a Senior 3d student at the Academy, and I've been through all the college shennanigans. First off - do not live in student housing past your first semester. Secondly, if you're here on student loans, make sure you are extremely talented to begin with, think top 5%. Companies do not hire people who are just 'ok'. Being $70k+ in debt is VERY serious. Student loans are easy to get because they're PROFITABLE. (Declaring bankruptcy after graduation no longer absovles student loan debts, btw.)

The Illustration and Fine Art departments are very strong, with excellent teachers and a lot of student talent. They offer free workshops to students where you have access to other models and other students who are as serious about learning and excelling as you are. (Most of the best people at the academy fill up around 7-8 sketchbooks a semester, if you aren't prepared to do this, save your money and go to a 2 year program.)

It is true that the 3d animation department kicks ass, with teachers from Pixar who take thier job seriously and are very helpful to students. However, one must test into these classes and have an excellent portfolio. I don't know about that process firsthand since I'm 3d modeling.

The issues I have with the Academy are 1.) They dont take plagurism seriously enough, 2.) Most intro classes are a complete $2000 waste of time, 3.) A great deal of 3d teachers are very underqualified, or just plain dont give a shit and 4.) Outside of the Pixar Animation classes they do not offer any accellerated learning programs or offer portfolio required classes. It can be hard to focus and learn in a Maya class where most of the students dosn't even know how to use the UV texture editor at all, because they dont ever use the program outside of school.

With the Academy, the time you put in to refining your skills means everything, the classes and teachers just guide you. Personally I suggest working on student projects as a student, they're a great place to meet people and learn how to work with others.

The Academy tends to treat you like a number in every aspect outside of class. For example: you must pay a $400 lab fee even if you never use the lab.

Keep in mind that just because you like Drawing or 3d dosn't mean you're cut out for it. It takes TALENT and DEDICATION. If you have just one of those, you wont hack it. Dont lie to yourself and wind up 6 digits in debt working at Starbucks.

[Main Loop]

Originally posted by Hagac
The Illustration and Fine Art departments are very strong, with excellent teachers and a lot of student talent. They offer free workshops to students where you have access to other models and other students who are as serious about learning and excelling as you are. (Most of the best people at the academy fill up around 7-8 sketchbooks a semester, if you aren't prepared to do this, save your money and go to a 2 year program.)

The issues I have with the Academy are 1.) They dont take plagurism seriously enough, 2.) Most intro classes are a complete $2000 waste of time, 3.) A great deal of 3d teachers are very underqualified, or just plain dont give a shit and 4.) Outside of the Pixar Animation classes they do not offer any accellerated learning programs or offer portfolio required classes. It can be hard to focus and learn in a Maya class where most of the students dosn't even know how to use the UV texture editor at all, because they dont ever use the program outside of school.

With the Academy, the time you put in to refining your skills means everything, the classes and teachers just guide you. Personally I suggest working on student projects as a student, they're a great place to meet people and learn how to work with others.

The Academy tends to treat you like a number in every aspect outside of class. For example: you must pay a $400 lab fee even if you never use the lab.

Keep in mind that just because you like Drawing or 3d dosn't mean you're cut out for it. It takes TALENT and DEDICATION. If you have just one of those, you wont hack it. Dont lie to yourself and wind up 6 digits in debt working at Starbucks.

i agree with all that.. even though its open enrollment, the better you are going into the school the more successful you'll be and more you will get out of it... try to pick up good study habits quick..it took me about 2 years of going there to really start to work hard.. Its like every school.. you get out of it what you put into it.. id say im more dedicated than most students i know, but i can be doing more.. and there's always someone working harder... Oh yeah, hang out at workshops and make friends with the good artists.. itll help as far as motivation goes

[Hagac]

I would take Animated Figure with Barbra Bradley if you can test into it. Any drawing class with Carol Nunnley.

Basically all the good classes are ones that you have to test into.

[wet-nap]

sorry i can't offer any answears but i have a couple questions to add...

i was thinking of taking a/some sculpture classes offered at the Academy of Art this spring, in particular Head and Figure Sculpture 1 (FASCU_234) and Ecorche (FASCU 270). does anyone have any feedback on either of these particular courses and/or their teachers, Jane Whitten and Steen Parkins (sp?) respectively? or for that matter any recommendation on other figure sculpting classes?

thanks in advance.

cheers

[klev]

I have echorche with Steve this semester. I had him for Still Life painting 1 last semester, also. He's a good guy, and he knows alot. Echorche is tight. Anatomical sculpture...don't waste your money with any other "anatomy" class.

The Academy is pretty tight. Honestly though, from what I've seen, the kids that go here are pretty wack. There's only a handful of really dope kids. Alot of people are just geeks that have rich parents. Open enrollment sucks...but the teachers are really good. It's essential to hand pick your teachers before each semester & make friends with them. Also...go to all the free (!) workshops (I go to 5-6 a week) and draw your ass off. I'm a fine art (painting) major and I still draw like mad.

The Academy is cool because it teaches practical artistic structure and not some artsy "express yourself" bullshit. Learn some solid foundations first and express yourself out of school later, you feel me?

Anyways, let me know if you need more info. SF is a dope place to live. The homosexual scene isn't as bad as people claim it is...they basically chill in one area. SF has mad culture and personality. It's also very beautiful...a perfect city for inspiration. Plus the hip hop scene is about as fresh as it gets.

pzz

[U2DeathBear]

I too am an academy of art student. This is my senior fourth 1/2 year and am also fast approaching the $70+ debt. BUT, it is well worth it.

I was a 3D Visual Effects major for 1 1/2 year and found that I just wasn't as passionate with that as I was drawing. So, I switched to Illustration.

For those of you who are thinking of coming here...try going to a JC first and get credits so you don't have to waste money paying for a $1650 English I class! Get as many credits to transfer over. Also, you don't have to follow the general major breakdown. Talk to your advisor, and you can tailor make your major. Take the classes you want!

The AAC is open enrollment...many flock to this school and city, but the drop out rate is really high! Come knowing that you love this stuff, connect with other people (making connections with say a film major can get you storyboard jobs, etc) and stick it out.
The first two 1/2 years are really hard because you are sturggling very hard to come to terms with style, consistency, time, etc and all those factors, but after a few years in the system, you'll learn it and then eventually learn how to break it. good luck.

[Sole]

Just dropped by these forums and saw this post about the school.

I have a question about taking a degree online from the school... is there anyone who has or knows anything about it?
Any info would be helpful. Thanks.

[klev]

Don't don't don't don't don't don't don't don't and don't
waste your money on the on-line classes.

The Acadamy is a big-time business, and the on-line classes are all a scam. I'm talking about the art classes...but who would want to pay $1,500 for a liberal arts class? The Academy is a cool school, but please go to a J.C. and pay $30 a unit first for all of the gen. ed. As far as online art classes, that's a rip off for sure. You get no one-on-one benefit from the teacher, and no help from the students. It's a total scam.

[daarken]

yes, definitely take your liberal arts classes at a jc. there are some really awesome teachers in the illustration/fine arts department. if you are planning on attending the academy i would suggest taking teachers like zhao ming wu, james wu, henry yan, kazu sano, stephen player, and chuck pyle just to name a few.

and actually you dont have to test in to classes unless you are trying to skip the prereqs.

[William_Easlick]

Thanks for the info!

[Special K]

I was recently looking into AAC and I have a question myself:
Do you know if the credits transfer to other colleges?
I'm checking it out this Tuesday and I will e-mail the other colelges I'm applying to, but I just wanted to find out in case anyone knew already.
I'm looking into a BFA Cinematography (I saw that both Humboldt, Western Washington, and Evergreen State University in Olympia, WA -the other colleges I'm applying to- have Theatrical courses with similar Cinematography classes) and BFA Storyboarding in Computer Illustration.

[teyekanik]

I am CURRENTLY enrolled in AAC san francisco.. I'd have to agree with most of what Hagac has said. I am pulling a double major in Illustration and 3D and I feel I have alot of potential that is bieng STOMPED on by lack of money. I am constantly wrestleing with the faculty when it comes to loans. It is not uncommon for them to make huge errors in loan ammounts and dispersal dates that can ruin you and make you late on RENT. They DO think of you as a number, with a big dollar sign on the end of it. If your lucky enough to get a good teacher the classes can be great but there is no in between with the school when it comes to help with supplies or financial aid. They don't offer any scolorships or assistance (screw poor people). My overall impression is FUCK THE ACADEMY.. the rare good class is not worth the hastle or CASH.. . there has to be a better alternative to this. If you find it, go there. This is my last semester here.. I'm going to look for a better school. Maybe the CCAC or the Art Institute SF.

[teyekanik]

also, Klev... you go there now right? you said some solid shit about the school... good luck in your studies bro.. If I stay here I'm switching to a full illustration major so maybe I'll be happier with that.. peace.

oh, and gays are people too, it's all love! -a true SF opinion ;)

[AlexPanzer]

Hey guys, can you point out how much is the cost per course/class and the cost of each credit/unit. I am considering of taking like 2 courses, and maybe I can complete a Associate of Arts degree in a couple of years. Also, what are mandatory fess for online classes?

[U2DeathBear]

There has been recent press coverage about the Academy of Art University (they recently changed their name). This story was featured front page on the SF Chronicle. here's the link:

A Work of art or a harbinger of violence? Grisly short story gets student expelled from S.F Academy (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/25/MNGI85QTK11.DTL)

Here's what a teacher had to say:

"Alan Kaufman, author of "Jew Boy" and editor of "The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry,'' teaches modern art and popular culture at the school and has taught sections of Narrative Storytelling. "The (school's) system is based on corporate greed,'' he said. "It doesn't even give the bare minimum to students in terms of psychiatric counseling or social services. It just treats kids like credit cards, like clients, basically. There is no artistic vision."

To answer your question, each class is $1650 (550 per unit). This doesn't include hidden course fees which are about $65+, lab fees $100, registration $140 each time you register per semester (and online courses), supplies, and if you are doing housing (which i don't recommend) that will run you $1000 a month. Believe me, you will be buried in debt. And financial aid/administration is really not that helpful to your plight. You are a number.

For an associates and BFA, I would not recommend taking online courses. They are a waste of money. You might as well go to class and try to get a teacher/student relationship. If at all possible, try transfering credits from another institution.

for BFA: The catalog says you must take 5-6 classes to graduate in four years. LIES!! Advisors say, realistically, 4 classes is more than you can handle.If you really want a good portfolio, a life, and if you are planning to work part time to ease your financial troubles and the high cost of living in SF, you will graduate in 5 or 6 years...or maybe longer. I know plenty of students who have been there since 98 or 99. If you want to graduate in four years, you will have to take 5-6 classes every semester, summer school, and possibly winter intersession. Again, that will probably leave u with a shitty portfolio and an early death due to stress.

hope this helps.

[jyang48]

I go to AAC as well... They renamed the school Academy of Art University recently after getting their full creditials.

[Hagac]

It's got some cool things going for it, reps from Blizzard North are giving a presentation on Monday, for example.

Although some of the stuff that goes on in the school may appear unfair to us students, in reality it is no different at any other college. The difference is - in order for this degree to pay off, you have to be extremely talented. That is my warning to all new non-3d students.

The 3d department is slightly different, as I've seen some insanely good modelers that could not draw or paint to save thier lives. However, they are extremely dedicated and focused, and often do more then is required of them by the school.

www.Panzar.com - for new 3d students, this is at least what you should have on your senior demo reels, when you get there.

www.GoodBrush.com - For new Illustration students, this is the quality of work you need to be putting into your senior portfolio, when you get there.

Do not make the mistake of only comparing yourself to your fellow students, as they are not your only competition. Do not let this discourage you, as we all have to start somewhere, but excelling beyond those examples should be your goal.

[phade]

hi all.
been lurking about for awhile, but this thread made me register :)

I was wondering, are there any thoughts on AAC's Transportation Design course? I'm contemplating mortgaging my life away with student loans, but wonder if AAC is worth it . . .

[Hagac]

I've seen some amazing stuff come out of that department, and the teachers seem really qualified - but I've only had a few classes there.

The best thing you can do is go on a tour. Ask students what they think about the program on the tour.

[teyekanik]

Hagac makes a good point.. any school you go to is going to be what you put into it at the end... but be warned and prepared for money to be a constant problem at art school in general. If your dad isn't rich you are going to have additional struggles rich kids won't have... AAU isn't the worst school as a whole like I might have imlied.. but the financial aid department and counseling ARE the biggest disasters I've ever seen..

[phade]

Thanks for the advice; it has been near impossible to find any thoughts online by AAC(U) students or faculty on the Transportation Design program.

I agree that it all comes down to what you put in, and in my short experience with them, that thier financial aid department could be a bit more helpful - maybe that part will change for the better eventually :confused:

[el coro]

i attended academy for 2.5 years, and i think its a pretty good school. i got alot out of it, however i was very serious going into it. art school is not a magic bullet. if you wanna work hard and take it very seriously, then take the life drawing classes, heads and hands with james wu, is a must, dont waste your time on liberal arts classes,, and work hard. i would rush through my homework so i could do my own personal work or work on illustration gigs, and i feel i benefitted immensely from this. it also depends on your major. dont bother getting a ba in illustration if you dont have to. i have never had anyone ask me if i have a degree, your portfolio will speak for itself.when i look at portfolios, and i see somebody has a bachelors or worse yet a masters in illustration, i think to myself, they need this piece of paper, why? not to diss you degreed professionals out there, because there are a lot of very talented ones, but all i know is that i know alot of guys i went to school with who have bachelors degrees in art that are working landscaping and cashiers jobs, while i never even finished highschool, dropped out of art school a bit onthe early side, and work as a conceptual artist today. i'm not bragging or anything like that, but academy has a bad habit of misleading potential students into thinking they "need" a degree to work in the field, which is poppycock. so my advice to anyone considering academy is to get in , work your fucking ass off, and get the hell out before you owe them for the rest of your life. -c36

[AmadorL]

something i needed to hear, so Thanks C36

[Hagac]

The flip side to El Coro's statement that if you want a Degree in art, then the Academy of Art University is an excellent place to go if you can afford it.

If you want to work in games I humbly have a few suggestions based upon personal experience...

Your best bet is to spend the first 2 years here drawing your ass off. Several sketchbooks a semester. Enjoy this time. It's low tech, and the people are friendly.

The last two years you should spend learning technology, Maya, Zbrush, BodyPaint... anything you can get your hands on. Learn 3d and learn it well, this is your key to quickly entering the industry. All that time you've spent learning to draw and paint really comes in handy here, and those base artistic skills will help you greatly.

Too many students think they're going to be concept artists. Be realistic with yourselves. How often do you think a concept art position at Blizzard opens up? Check thier website. See who they are hiring. http://www.blizzard.com/jobopp/

Now that you've read what skillset they're looking for and what jobs are open... I hope you can see the light. If you are still unconvinced, check other companies websites.

It is rare to find someone who can draw/paint well AND use 3d. Most of the excellent 2d students I know who dont know 3d are still jobless. Most of the excellent 3d students who cannot draw that I know are still jobless. My question to you is - Would you rather be the exception or the expected?

[silentbrain]

Wow, a lot more AACers than I thought come to this board, neat. I would generally agree with everything already said here.

Just about housing, definitely don't use the school's dorms, as said before. I've heard some wack stories about those places. If you don't have a choice, ie you don't live in the bay area, then it might be a necessity, but try to hook up with some friends and get an apartment. (though...2-3 years with 2 other roommates in a one-bed apartment may wear on your sanity :D ) Housing on the SF side is expensive (bollocks to you, SF city planners) but BART, the subway system that runs from the bay area into SF, is also expensive (think $9-10 round trip)

Remember that unit costs go up each year, too.

BTW, the Pixar class that was talked about earlier does require you to submit an animation demo reel, and spacing is limited. They accept both 2-d and 3-d animators though, and there are three levels of the classes, with one of them lasting for 2 semesters (if I remember correctly)

[lyghEsnorer]

thks for everyone's inputs cos i m currently considering their online illustration course. i definitely cannot make the trip to sf so online allows me the flexibility to reconsider (finances/time/effectiveness of program) every semester. and i am not too fussy about not getting the paper; i want the education & training.

would be great to hear tots from someone who's currently doing their online course... or anyone knows someone's doing that? thks!

[daarken]

im graduating next month from the academy in traditional illustration, and i really dont understand taking an online illustration class.....spending $1650 to take an online class? you might as well go buy a book or go look up some tutorials. yeah i can understand you can not drive out to sf to take classes...but do you really think its worth taking a painting class over the internet?? it just doesnt make any sense to me. i would rather to go some community college close to me to take an actual hands on class. some things you can not do over the internet. one of the greatest things about the academy is the number of free workshops you can attend..you should take advantage of that.

[silentbrain]

Okay, I remember that one of my pals took a liberal arts class online. It was basically a forum setup, all students have to take part for participation grade. I suspect their art courses are similarly set up, maybe with downloadable materials and instruction papers and whatnot.

It sounds kinda like this here forum actually...and conceptart is free. I highly advise against taking an online class, you're cheating yourself out of the experience of being around other students and just drawing, checking out their progress, seeing the teacher draw. In any case, if you're going to go to this school, you're going to want to make frequent use of the free workshops, so you'll be heading in to the city often anyway.

[Hagac]

Taking your major classes online is a waste. You should take History and the likes online, as they're not worth the trip to downtown for.

On another note - I see so much wasted talent at the school. So many totally awesome illustration students like Daarken, Christian and Tim that are unwilling or have been unchallenged to step into the 3d realm and learn a new skillset that greatly expands thier artistic ability and skyrockets thier raw market value. If people this talented would learn 3d (which you can learn with proficency in a few months of dedicated learning), our school would be HIGHLY respected in the entertainment industry.

Partly the Illustration department leadership is at fault, as they are not affluent in this highly desireable medium. Every art student at the AAU who wants to be a game oriented concept artist MUST learn 3d. This is a MUST. For example, Blizzard North recruiters just came to the school to look at elected students demo-reels. How many illustration students did they interview? None!

Companies are always looking to get a jump on the new talent. They do not want to have to train a fresh graduate in new technology when they didn't bother to learn it on thier own in the first place. Espically not when they had 4 years of thier lives devoted to higher learning. It's been beaten into my head by various recruiters and companies that you can train an artist to learn 3d but you cannot train a 3d person to be an artist.

I hope you guys take this seriously. Everyone I know that can draw well AND use 3d programs with a high degree of proficency has had multiple companies fighting to hire them before they even graduated! Flying them out to thier locations and offering very nice salary wage benefit packages.

Maya, Zbrush - they're just Tools. Anyone can learn to use them. ANYONE!

[lyghEsnorer]

point taken.

just that i live in asia and i need to fly (not drive) to sf, plus all expenses almost doubling the exchange rate of my country's currency... makes aac online courses worth considering.

we don't have illustrations courses available here... its unlikely to get someone to mentor as well - it is not our area of strength. from the looks of it, i'll have to get my foundational skills from a fine art course here, even though i would love the experience of a cross-cultural art education.

silentbrain - yes, while lurking around this site, i find similarities in the concept of online classes & CA (esp. middle class). unless there is a syllabus and the same, qualified people to consistently correct newbies, CA will remain a great site for enhancing skills, not educating... i am not even sure if educating is in line with CA's objective. ahh... i digress. :p

[Main Loop]

what i learned yesterday is that the teachers hate it.. They sit 4 hours a day just looking at the computer.. They say its the worst crap they've ever seen too.. they cant tell who understands the instructions (non-native english speakers beware) and its just so impersonal.. you can probly get the same out of hanging out on this website, maybe even more..

[Jonny]

Hey everyone I'm a second year AAC (oh, that's right "AAU")student and I just registered to the forum. You can check out some of my stuff on my webpage. (Though it really needs some updating) Anyway I just wanted to know if any of you AACers (AAUers) are going to the Austin workshop.

[softdrawer]

If school was free, i'd burst all these classes in few years, barely sleeping and eating. And i would'nt care, i'm just some art freak with lots of imagination and talent to give away.

I just wish it could be free. heh...we can always dream right ? At least that's free.

[instructordude]

How 'bout an instructor's view?
What... you don't think we hang out here too????

There's a lot of good and valid points being made here, both on the positive and negative. However, I'm gonna throw a lot of my support behind Hagac - listen to what he says about 3D too. It's competitive out here and you need to offer more than the next guy that can paint exceptionally.

I like the Academy and their "open" orientation; "Art for anyone that wants it - taught by actual professionals in the business". That's why I teach there. (I graduated from the great University of California @ Berkeley, was mostly taught by TAs (teaching assistants) and had to go to Heald's vocational school after graduation to get enough actual skills to get a job.)

I think it's already been said well, but I'll state it again. The name of the game with the Academy is to provide you with opportunity. YOU have to run with it, seek out the best instructors, attend all the workshops you can get your body to and take advantage of the Library and ARC resources. TIP: ask for a [free] tutor, even if you don't necessarily need one - ARC will provide one; usually a very good one that you can work with in a kind of mentoring way. That's one way to work the system and get your money's-worth.

Let me tell you what's frustrating as hell to an instructor. Seeing students with talent sleepwalk through their classes, not complete assignments and not apply themselves. I simply don't understand that behavior. I know it's none of you folks, so I'll lighten up. :D

Because the Academy is expensive, I would support the idea of getting your general ed. out of the way the first two years and finishing up at the Academy - it's a good plan, but it means you will need to work even harder at the Academy.
This is all assuming you want that degree.

Here's where I agree with El Coro. If you've got talent and a killer portfolio and can show me you can complete tasks on a deadline basis it counts for lots more than any degree. I have talented top-drawer colleagues that are self-concious about not having a degree. I tell them their work is better than 90% of the people with degrees...they don't need that piece of paper. I got the degree and it didn't get me where I needed to be.

Lastly, let me touch on the online system. Here's where I think it makes sense: If your schedule won't allow you to take a class you need or want and/or if you are living somewhere that classes like these are simply not offered.
I teach online and I don't hate it - there are some very good things about it. However, I'm not teaching painting, sculpting or studio classes - (well until next fall) -- and I do think those would be difficult. In addition, there are many analog traditional artists/teachers that simply don't have the necessary computer skills, (though pretty basic to me), to do this well.

As an instructor who has developed online classes, there are some real changes that have to be made to an online version of a "ground" class. Primarily, this has to do with being able to [re]view student submissions. For example, drawings, concepts and rendereings are done on letter-size rather than 12"x18" or larger. I have to live with sketchbook/journal samples or compilations rather than requiring scanning and uploading 7 pages/week of sketchbook per each student. Stuff like that. Now I have to type review responses for each student, in the near future the Academy will be implementing voice comments (real audio, etc.) which should be much better and faster for everyone.

Like silentbrain said, the online system is similar to this forum's vBulletin system, except that you actually upload your files to the Academy servers rather than linking them. You DO get one on one with the instructors, you're typically in smaller class sizes online. If the instructor is responsive it can be a positive experience; worth the expense if you're after a specific instructor or course, under the circumstances I listed above.

Hey, Seegmiller is teaching online at the Academy this fall...how cool is that???

That's enough for now...comments, slams and flames welcome.

[I'd agree it is hard to beat San Francisco as a cool place to live and go to school.]

[silentbrain]

Well, considering I haven't taken a single online class yet, I'll have to defer to you, instructordude. I take back my (hastily made) comments. :D (although, nothing's quite like being in the class and having the teacher jack all the monitors to give a real-time demonstration, open to comments and questions, imho. But I guess it's balanced by being able to have something near to a 24/7 class, am I seeing right?)

It's pretty cool to see the instructors are sharing a forum with the students tho!

I agree that SF is a damn cool place to live, if you can afford it. Where else can I find Lamb Shank, Super Burritos, Pizza, Gal-bi and Pad Thai all within a 5 block radius? I still miss Blondie's chicken-topping pizza...

(btw, would you mind if I asked for your name? Just curious if I've had a class with you, don't tell me if you don't want to.)

[instructordude]

silentbrain -
Don't take anything back :D
That's the beauty of these Forums. Free speech, no editing, free sharing of thoughts and ideas. You can disagree, I can disagree -- we're all equal here. Makes for potentially tremendous creative collaboration and learning.

I KNOW there are teachers that hate the online system. that's okay; there are teachers that are adapting and figuring out how to take advantage of the online system too. I know there are students that will try it and be extremely frustrated by it - since it is so different that a "ground" class.

As far as who I am, I normally post under a different name. The Academy has gotten a lot of bad (and erroneous) press lately and have asked all instructors to chill out for awhile (my paraphrase). So you'll excuse me for staying anonymous for awhile. And um, no, I don't think I have had the honor of being your instructor yet.

Peace
:chug:

[silentbrain]

Well, not like my arguments hold much water since I am speaking from no experience, so I would rather take my comments back. :D

Wow, I didn't know that things were not so hot at the academy like that, I guess it must be a bad time. I understand why you can't give your name, no problem.

(But what's this about honor? Man, I squandered my time at the Academy, it was only during this long hiatus that things they taught me back in FOUNDATIONS finally started to sink in; more likely if you had me as a student, it would have been your misfortune... :eek: )

[hkbb]

I went to the academy for almost 2 years and I actually miss it sometimes. If I could afford to go back, I would. I think the school provides plenty of resources to become a better artist, but you really have to bust your ass the second you get there. There are alot of people at that school that just goof off and waste an ass load of money. As it was mentioned before, it's essential to find the right instructors that you can identify with and will help you raise the bar in your work. Also try and keep an open mind about your style. Try everything and then decide waht you like and don't like. I don't think a degree is important in our field of work. I don't think it's even important if you go to the most well know schools. Just let the blood, sweat and tears show in your portfolio and I think you'll be fine.
I've been working as a concept artist since dec, and really love it, but it's frustrating when I never have time to sketch and paint my own stuff any more. Work and school both have their ups and downs. Reguardless of where you are at just remember you are doing what you love.

[BlueJackal]

I noticed one (negative) review on the online courses. Anyone else have anything to say about their online Program? I'm in the Marine Corps, and would like to have the opportunity to take classes online, but I don't want to get into something that's no good.

Thanks

[Cybergig]

All right after reading all the stuff you guys said, basically:

-Expensive (like most art college's)
-Great class's (if you know where to look for)
-And then there are millions of different things you guys talked about that helped.

Ahaha, sorry I don't remember everything. (If you there's something important plz say so)

So basically after reading all that:

How hard is it to get into the academy?
What should one do to get in?

Sorry, can't really think of much at the point, but you guys were to answer just those questions and elaborate on them that would be cool. Thx.

[Main Loop]

^if you're capable of writing and sending in an application, you're in.. oh and you need a high school diploma

[Cybergig]

^if you're capable of writing and sending in an application, you're in.. oh and you need a high school diploma

???!?!?!?!

is it really that easy? or do i need something more like portfilio and all??

[silentbrain]

is it really that easy? or do i need something more like portfilio and all??

Yup, no portfolio. The freshmen dropout rate is pretty high though, as I remember... some people just aren't prepared for the regiment of drawing naked people, pots and pans, and etc.

[lavhoes]

I posted this in another thread, but figured it would be pertinent here:

AAU is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest, art schools in San Fran., is it not?

Tuition at $17k per year vs. other schools which are $20k+, right?

Where does the notion that AAU is expensive fit in? It's probably something I hadn't considered.

[Sam0s]

i think i might know who instructordude is...
your words and the way you put your phrases down rings a bell in my subconcious...that and facts you revealed bout yourself ..eeexcellent :dork:

aight, coro and daarken spit out there fav teachers, now if anyone else have a teach to recommend, please do so.
fall semestre is closin in and Im having doubts of whom i should honor with my presents this semestre :P (especially in anatomy & intermediate fig.drawing <-- james wu?)

thx peeps

[silentbrain]

Where does the notion that AAU is expensive fit in? It's probably something I hadn't considered.

For me, it's mostly the liberal arts classes, which are priced the same as regular classes. CalArts in Valencia allows you to take those classes at a community college, so are they really that important?

[Main Loop]

fall semestre is closin in and Im having doubts of whom i should honor with my presents this semestre :P (especially in anatomy & intermediate fig.drawing <-- james wu?)

thx peeps
Lee ballard with anatomy, especially if you're illustration/animation.. I wish i did.. but for some retarded reason people were saying that he was a dick, which is not true at all... what else are you taking?

[Cybergig]

alright thx.
You guys also said alot about taking liberal art class's or soemthing like that.
So what are Liberal art class's?
About the basic edcuational class's you have to take, is there any way to test out of that?
Also, is going to a 2 year community college then transfering to A.A.U a better idea than going straight to the acadmey??

[silentbrain]

Liberal Arts and basic education classes are the same, I think. LA means basically english/english composition, art history, acting, etc. I think you can take some kind of test to opt out of some or all of them, but my memory's kind of fuzzy...

Going to community college first is a real option, I guess it would be up to you whether you wanted to take those extra 2 years. I'm not sure if you have to have graduated from community college or not, in order to transfer those liberal arts credits, I hope someone else can clarify.

I wonder if Henry Yan teaches Int. Figure Drawing, I remember having a positive experience with him...

[U2DeathBear]

henry yan, from what i remember is a great teacher. Awesome talent that made me draw a lot better. James Wu is a really good Heads & Hands 1 & 2 teacher....altho he disliked me for various reasons. Animated figure with barbara bradley i hear is awesome. Bill Maughn is pretty good ( He teaches Heads Hands 2 over the summer and is also the director of Illustration for the Masters program). of course you'll go thru chuck pyle for clothed fig 3. Clothed Fig in Color & Value with G. Silveria is pretty fun.

as far as liberal arts classes, i think you can test out of English 1, intro to computers, and math. not sure bout the other LA classes so ask your departmental head.

[Cybergig]

Alright thanks alot you guys. I guess is really want to go to the acadmey now, only things i'm worried about is the money. And like you guys said its all about how much i put in, that i will recive. hmm, got some time to think so i'll just see what happens.

[Sam0s]

Main Loop , thanks man

Just to clearify, the other 2 classes are liberal arts classes (Art.History 1 + Gest.Emotion) , sadly im not as fortunate as elcoro...LA classes are obligated in my case.

Int.Figdrawing:

Regarding Henry, he draws like a god (wish he could post here), but ive heard different bout his teaching methods. They never really elaborate the facts why though.
James Wu is someone that has had a good rumour allround. He's my primary choice atm.

..and anatomy, ive heard so many opinions im close to letting faith decide for me...
although Lee Ballard is someone ive never heard of, and as I am in illustration I assume its someone i should consider...other choices: Doug Mallone, August (--), James (--) and Chris (--)

:[

besides that, im all excited to get rolling again, and i hope to see more CA members gather around at AAU .

thx again

[Jonny]

what teachers do you guys recommend to take for the illustration (1, 2, 3,) and clothed figure classes? (I already took carol nunnelly. She was awesome) Thanks

[Main Loop]

what teachers do you guys recommend to take for the illustration (1, 2, 3,) and clothed figure classes? (I already took carol nunnelly. She was awesome) Thanks

illustration 1: everyone seems to recommend cameron wasson.. i had chantal.. she was aight

illustration 2: Probably Steven Player. I had Diana Thewlis, i didnt like her as much as ida hoped.. People dont seem to like mona caron, but she subbed for my class once, and i liked her

illustration 3: I think Robert Revel is the only one teaching it.. i dunno.. i've only heard good thigns about him though

Clothed Fig 2: Bill Sanchez.. Only thing is he talks too damn much, but he's so good who cares..

your only choice for clothed fig 3 is chuck, but he's probably the best clothed fig teacher there is

[Main Loop]

"Bill Sanchez is the more HILARIOUS little man ever! I'd take his class just for the experience! hahaha!"


Bring a spitguard


I cant wait to start again as well.. i get lazy cooped up in Santa Rosa.. I long for the 16 hour art days..

[danteort]

I'll be attending the Academy this fall (Animation major), and I was just curious about how helpful some of you found the foundations classes to be. What I mean is, I've had some drawing classes, as well as a year of figure drawing. But there's a few basic things I feel I could do better. Would you say it would be smarter to try to get out of Analysis of Form and Figure Drawing, or did you find the classes informative and worthwhile enough such that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take them simply to brush up on the basics?

Are there any foundations teachers you highly recommend? Any you don't recommend (you can PM me those if you want)?

[Jonny]

I've heard a lot of people complain about foundations how they're boring or not useful but honestly I think any figure drawing or still life class can help your drawing abilities. The beginning foundation classes are especially important because they give you all the basic information and abilities you need to build upon when heading into your major. I found everything in there pretty valuable. There are a lot of good teachers there. David Lee, Henry Yan, and I think a lot were already mentioned.

Btw, thanks for all the advice guys

[Main Loop]

no way, take figure drawing at least.. all drawing from the model is good.. Most all of the figure drawing teachers are good, i dont remember all of em since they rotate, and there are so many, but Yan's the man... I had Karl Jensen, who i think is hugely underrated.. i owe a lot of my seeing skills to his insistence on straight lines..Analysis of form, the more serious you take it the better, which is hard sometimes cuz of all the grumblers in it that will tel you its the stupidest thing ever.. do your best to ignore em and treat them like the valuable exercises they are.. Anybody but Ruben DeAnza.. ive never heard of anyone liking him (hope he aint reading this) i had Baoping Chen, which is really lucky since he mostly teaches master's painting classes.. and he's good, very very good.. above all treat the classes seriously, if you do that you'll be ahead of 80% of your peers.. why do you think there's such a high dropout rate? cuz of all the people that dont have it in em..

[silentbrain]

For as much as he says it, "Wrap it around" isn't something I see being practiced too often...

Foundations are essential, even when you're done with all the classes you should still be taking workshops to beef those skills up. Basically, you should be practicing foundations-level skills until the day you die, because those things don't stick with you like learning to ride a bike does. Hell, I took a hiatus from school for 8 months, I am dying to take workshops again because of how rusty I've gotten. Must....draw...naked people...!

Aside: A couple of years back, they took figure modelling (ie, with clay) out of the foundations curriculum for certain majors, which imho wasn't a good idea. I won't say much about Craig Marshall, but I think the construction of a clay head as part of his heads and hands class was very helpful. What do you folks think?

[Main Loop]

i hated craig marshall. i thought he was the worst teacher i have had there.. i was so turned off by his assignments that i didnt really take the head sculputre as serious as i should have.. maybe sometime i'll take another figure sculpting class.. its a valuable skill as far as im concerned.. figure modeling i liked.. i dont see why they would tak ethat out..

[lavhoes]

Just a quick question regarding the financial aspect of AAU:

Where are you folks getting your funding to go to this school?

Right now I'm looking at maybe a 20-25k a year loan, and that doesn't look too appetizing, especially to my father, heh. I know the university doesn't offer any scholarships, only some sort of summer grant, and seeing as how I'm not a resident of California I'm ineligible for the Cal Grant or whatever that is.

I've taken 2 years at a state school (University of Georgia) so I'm sure I've fulfilled many of the liberal arts requirements, which has reduced the cost a bit. Unfortunately I'm trying to build a strong argument to present my father to let me transfer, and simply saying "loans" hasn't cut it. Are there any other student-related grants or scholarships associated with the school or city, or will I just have to suck up the debt until I'm 40 years old?

[danteort]

I qualify as an independant according to the federal government (you have to be at least 23 as of January 1). So I was eligible for an extra federal loan, plus I got a Pell Grant. The remainder of the costs I have covered with a loan from Sallie Mae. My parents cosigned that one, since I didn't qualify on my own.

[Main Loop]

yeah thats right.. william whitaker will be doing a presentation at the "church" academy building next wednesday the 29 at 7:30.. its open to the public.. id be there if i were you..
He's also doing a demo in the morning at the Powell building.. find a way to sneak in if you're not an academy student..

[Jonny]

aw man I have class that same morning he's doing a demo. Man this thread is dying. Where are all the Academy people at?

[Cybergig]

aw man I have class that same morning he's doing a demo. Man this thread is dying. Where are all the Academy people at?
lol, don't think its dying, it just that most people got the info. they wanted. :)

[Crackatomb_Lupaz]

While I'm basically a lurker at these here boards, I just wanted to pipe in and say that I'm another student at AAU now. Now to do my color and design homework.... :nohope:

[Main Loop]

aw man I have class that same morning he's doing a demo. Man this thread is dying. Where are all the Academy people at?

so do i. but there's gonna be a sub for the class im in. so its worth the skip

[teyekanik]

Main Loop - above all treat the classes seriously, if you do that you'll be ahead of 80% of your peers.. why do you think there's such a high dropout rate? cuz of all the people that dont have it in em..

How about the extremely high tuition and lack of scholorships or expert financial advisors?... that's why I'm out this semester.. but I'll be back when I turn 23... bastards! >:{

but I agree with the first part of the statement... there are alot of short sighted people around that school...

[ArifQazi]

Two questions

How much annually do you pay for the school, including room n board?

and Just curious what do they look for when you enter your admission? portfolio?

[Jonny]

You can find details on tuition and board at the school site www.academyart.edu I think right now it's basically $1650 a class (students usually take 4 classes a semester). Believe it or not, the school does not require a portfolio. It's open enrollment. However, once you start getting into your major classes, you will be expected to perform at a professional level. That's why the dropout rate is high. Honestly, the more prepared you are for whatever major you apply for, the better. I've seen students come to this school with no drawing skills whatsoever and graduate with skills and a decent portfolio. In the end, it's all about personal motivation. If you're applying for illustration, expect to be doing a lot of life drawing.

[ArifQazi]

Double majoring , same tuition?

Just curious

some schools make you pay more

[Jonny]

They really don't let you officially double major at Academy. However, you have around 4 or 5 electives where you can take classes from other majors. There are also some majors where you are required to take classes from multiple majors. Check out the degree outlines on the site.

[ArifQazi]

Yea I checked out the degree outlines

even compared several to see what class would be best for me

But im still curious, If you go in their will they allow u to take 2 majors and pay the same tuition each year?'

EDIT:
and thanks for responding

[Jonny]

Basically the answer is no, You can't have two majors. Honestly, all majors are pretty focused. You get options when it comes to art electives as well as whether or not you want to do one of the animation majors, illustration, or whatever. It's all about what you want it to say on your diploma and which degree outline looks the most beneficial to you. (Keep in mind, this is taking into consideration you want to get a BFA for a certain major.) There's always the option of talking to the director of the programs and maybe you can work something out. The way Academy works is you basically pay for your individual classes as opposed to a certain amount each semester (kind of like Art Center.)

[ArifQazi]

Thanks, still trying to decide between illustration and animation

[NukeouT]

Heya.

Read everyhigng here. The lil writing story banishing incident was pretty wack! Costs are relitivley high but since I theyre lower than in other schools its not that much of an issue.

So you DONT even need a portfolio to submit?? You shittn' me, rite?

Isnt there still that portfolio grant. Where you give them that portfolio and they lower costs or something?

Also came and took summer art experience classes, twice a week. I had video gaming and sculpture. For sculpture I liked the class and my instructor, so it was a great learning experienece. Even thou my bust died because its head got over-impaled on the armeture and the whole wire array came out thru the clay roof! So it couldnt be fired..

The video gaming class was awesome too. The instructor was a really cool Russian guy, who had worked on Silent Hill, Frogger, Castilvania, Frequency, and many more. At the time he was teaching he was even working on another project taht he was not at liberty to discuss.

I got those two finish paper things that say youve completed summer art experience. I had MOST OUTSTANDING STUDENT on the video gaming one. Because I sucsessfully wressled my team into completing our video game by the deadline. & animating the best sequence in summer art experience. IT was like a bunch of robots invading a city.

I think those lower costs freshman year, and some other stuff I cant remember right now.

Working on a full video game which I can put up for applying. Now it only needed for portfolio grant thinggy? Dats nice.

I still think AAU is the best art collage in Bay Area. :^^:

[risu]

I'm seriously considering transferring there... :[ does anyone know whether the credits from UC is transferrable and is it worth it to give up the degree i might get in the current school i'm in? there really isn't much art classes (especially hands on studio classes) around here. I am thinking of getting my general ed thing done this quarter, and start taking class right away in january or something, and probably take illustration. I looked around their website, the illustration section said that "Focus areas include editorial, promotional expression, cartooning, feature film animation, the book format, the graphic novel, informational and children's book illustration." so does that mean there'll be a tight focus on one of these? 'cuz i'm thinking of children's book... also, since the above thread had mentioned the housing is wacky, any possibilities i can find a room on my own? (say, share with unknown ppl or somehting)

anyway i am also working on the convincing parents part :rendered: they said it's suspicious, not needing a portfolio and all that, and having the notion that it's too easy to get in thus isn't a good school. mom also said it looked like a cram school that makes money or something, tho i dunno where she got that from. i also have to find time to go visit there sometime... bleh. any suggestion or advice would be appreciated....

[xHUNTERx]

risu yea UC's art programs are more research based rather than the hands-on approach art schools have. So usually graduates from UC's art programs becomes art teachers and such (being only able to have ideas but not able to produce them into actual works). As for academy of art u. There's a number of good students there, it's just that there're also alot of slackers (because you dont need the porfolio). Never the less, the school does have quite a reputation for it's computer animation programs (one of the best in the country). Plus alot of the big companies like sega, pixar, are around that area so it'll be a pretty nice place for interns and jobs.

[Main Loop]

risu, proably not all of your credits are transferrable, maybe you can get lib arts credit but you're better off taking all the art classes you can.. forget what they try to tell you about liberal arts classes, you dont need em, especially with the worthless degrees they give out..if its important to get a degree (and for the purposes of financial aid, it is) then go through with it, but its not necessary to become a better artist..

Arifqazi- you'll find that alot of animation majors take illustration classes and vice versa.. same thing as with risu, dont let your advisors push you around into taking classes you dont need.. get the foundation classes down, and then go for the classes that will give you the skills to be hired..

[risu]

hmm, is it wise to just follow the degree outline thingie? another thing is there seem to be several choices of tracks within animation. which one is better if i want to do art with computer and still take lots of illustration at the same time?

thanks for the replies i think that helps with the decision making. all classes i have this quarter is, sadly, liberal arts/conceptual related (UCs love to give out conceptual classes for unpractical reasons) so hopefully the academy will take me if i like it when i visit it next month. by the way is it true the acceptance rate is like 100%? like u just need to fill out an application and they accept everyone? when i checked it on collegeboard.com, it actually said the acceptance rate is something along the line of 49% (but probably they're wrong) :rolleyes:

what's the average age group in the academy anyway? (just curious, cuz im like 20.... >_<;; )

[ArifQazi]

the dropout rate is 49%

acceptance rate is 100%

[el coro]

and placement rate falls somewhere around .5 percent, or thats the number i have heard pertaining to the illustration department. promising numbers... i could be wrong, i cant offhand remember who told me that....but from my experience, judging from how well the people who attended when i went there did, it seems about right.-c36

[NukeouT]

So basically getting in is a sich.

Whats this general ed stuff everyone is talking about? Im Highschool Junior and have 1.5 more years to go untill collage. I thought all history boring math and lit classes end here..

What can you tell me about the general ed in collage? Requierd for degree? Is that what youre all talking about taking at a community collage like DeAnza (thats right next to my house) to save money and not have to take at SF. I really have limited info about all this :rolleyes: and the AAU site isnt much help because its terminology is vaigue and mysteriously undesipharable.

So yea..

[Jonny]

The average age of Academy students is probably really hard to find out because I think we have such a variety of ages. There are some 18 year old frieshmen yet there are also 30 year old freshmen and some times 40 year old. The average is probably mid twenties I think. I started straight outta high school. As for general ed, Academy makes you take a lot of their liberal arts if you want to get a degree. I also recommend taking english classes, art history classes, and US history at another college first so you dont need to blow all your money away like i am.

[NukeouT]

What specific classes do you guys think need to be taken at community collage?

History
Lit
math.. (hopefully not)
.. and..

How long does it take to finish all those?

[ArifQazi]

I am curious too

I recently asked my admissions counselor, the question

and the answer

" If you wish to transfer in foundations classes the work that you did in those courses at the other school must be evaluated by the appropriate department here and they will make the final decision."

Im not exactly sure what classes either and thinking bout going straight into it without any hubbub

[SeraphSword]

On Arif's question: Sounds like he was talking about foundation drawing classes. Which would involve a sort of portfolio review, to see if you're qualified to skip this or that foundation art class.

Nukeout: If you check the academy's website, they have sample class schedules, and anything that doesn't look like an art class is probably something you should take at a community college. Examples are Composition, College Math, Introduction to Computers, US history, etc.

Check between any prospective CC and the academy to see if they have classes that sound similar, and then ask someone at the academy, if taking that particular class from that particular school will transfer and fulfill that requirement.

One note, I've looked into the Academy before and it appears that their Intro to Computers class is for the Mac. So that's something you'll wanna be double sure about if transfering. Pretty pathetic, but almost every college requires you to take a class to learn things that would take two hours of fiddling around the computer to figure out. Please don't pay $1500 for that class.

[danteort]

One note, I've looked into the Academy before and it appears that their Intro to Computers class is for the Mac. So that's something you'll wanna be double sure about if transfering. Pretty pathetic, but almost every college requires you to take a class to learn things that would take two hours of fiddling around the computer to figure out. Please don't pay $1500 for that class.

Actually, Intro to CG is done on PCs. And starting this year, it's technically a foundation class. But, getting out of it simply requires contacting the teacher in charge of it (Tad Leckman) and taking a test. The class is specifically designed for people who have pretty much never touched a computer in their lives. It's incredibly rudimentary stuff, so keep that in mind. If you can get around Photoshop and After Effects, then there's really not much in there for you to learn.

[NukeouT]

Actually, Intro to CG is done on PCs. And starting this year, it's technically a foundation class. But, getting out of it simply requires contacting the teacher in charge of it (Tad Leckman) and taking a test. The class is specifically designed for people who have pretty much never touched a computer in their lives. It's incredibly rudimentary stuff, so keep that in mind. If you can get around Photoshop and After Effects, then there's really not much in there for you to learn.

lol

Yeah guess im going to shitty community collage for while.. :rolleyes:

[jaikar]

hai,iam jake,
iamdoing my second year engg.
i am working my ass off on drawing and trying to get into any of the good schools for art.
iam not too sure about which one to get into?
is royal college of art,london good?
can you post some works of the students from school of art institute of chicago's best students?
hope to get a reply
see ya :dur:

[Antilight77]

HI,

I have a quick question regarding the Game Field, Concept art and this school.

I am a recent graduate with a B.F.A. in computer animation with a focus on modeling. During my study I learned that I really enjoy the pre-production or “concept work” phase of the creative process and would ideally like to pursue this avenue further. Additionally I would like to get a MFA so that someday I could teach at the college level. I and am debating two things. They are the best corse to take to 1. Get a job doing concept art (within the game field) and 2. Get a good education to some day teach with.

so my questions regarding this school.

Would it be best to get a MFA in illustration? (As this would increase the concept skills and make me a better concept artist and more marketable as I have 4years of Maya learning and know 3ds already)

Or,...

Would it be best to get a MFA in Gamming? (As this school seems to have a good MFA program in this field and would open up a wider knowledge base about games.... knowledge is power right?.)

any suggestions you may have to help I would be appreciative for.

Thanks

~TIm

[ambas]

wait. im a bit confused.

Lets say I took the liberal arts classes at a community college and transfer those credits to AAU. What happens then? Will I skip a semester or something since I wont have to take any of the lib arts classes there?

sorry i dont know how transfering of credits works. :D

[Jonny]

AAU's classes really just works in terms of units, not semesters. In other words, some people end up graduating in 6 years because they are taking a small amount of classes each semester. If you take community college classes at another college, you can waive a bunch of liberal arts classes which basically just means less classes to take to graduate. So yes it would probably mean a few less semesters.

[ambas]

So yes it would probably mean a few less semesters.

and it would also mean less tuition and more money for me :confident

[Dizon]

what's the average age group in the academy anyway? (just curious, cuz im like 20.... >_<;; )


yeah there's alot people you age there so it's cool! :)(

[Hagac]

Here's some good advice about the AAU. I went there and had offers from multiple companies before I graduated. If you follow these suggestions you'll do fine.

Step 1. Know how to draw, learn how to paint. If you have not been drawing your whole life before you came to this school, quit while you're ahead. The creative industry is way WAY too competitive. We don't consider filling an art position at my company with someone who isn't an artist.

Step 2. Have parents who are willing to help tackle the financal burden of going to an expensive college located in an even more expensive city.

Step 3. Dont put yourself in any serious amount of Debt. Espically for a gamble like betting your future on a career in the creative industry.

Step 4. Learn technology. Learning Maya and Photoshop give you marketable skills that will help you land a steady job faster. Not learning these programs is like owning a car with three wheels and 1 piston.

Step 5. Listen to instructors who are worth listening to. Anyone who's worked at ILM can definitly teach you what you need to know. Hound them until they teach you thier precious secrets.

Step 6. Have a goal and focus on it. At the AAU you will probably find or meet a teacher or student who was worked at your dream company. Hound them for thier precious secrets.

Step 7. Take action. If someone from your dream company is going to give a speech, make sure they don't leave without them seeing your reel. I respect a student who has the initiative to give me thier reel because they know I work at thier favorite company.

I can't think of anything else right now. Good luck and be honest about your abilities.

[Poland]

Hey all,
I'm a 4th year student at AAU in the Illustration program. I've also worked in the video game industry for 5 years (Origin, Maxis, EA, America's Army).

Instructors:
I've experienced an equal number of good and bad AAU instructors. The Good: Chuck Pyle, Bill Sanchez, Henry Yan, James Wu and Lisa Barrett. I have Barbara Bradley next semester and her class is considered THE top and toughest Illustration class in the program. The bad: well, this is subjective.

As an example of what level of technique is being taught at AAU here's some of my work from James Wu's Heads & Hands 2 class last semester: http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23984 - Trust me, I did not possess these skills prior to James Wu's class; in fact, I had never touched a pastel before!

Classes:
My only issue with the tradional Illustration major at AAU is they try to cram way too much information down your throat at times: Illustration 1 & 2 introduce Gouache, Watercolor, ink, acrylic, colored pencil, and scratchboard techniques (it's overwhelming to say the least). It's only in your final two or three semesters that you are capable of logically choosing what you really want to learn. A lot of the required major classes (Illustration 1 & 2, Heads & Hands 1 & 2, Clothed Figure Drawing 1, 2, 3) are exhausting as each is a 6 hour class - the benches are excrutiating!

Homework:
Nearly all of my classes had both a lab assignment and a homework assignment (some required a sketchbook too). There's almost no way you can take 4 major classes in a single semester and keep up, a good reason to spread out those Liberal Arts classes - I recommend 1 non-studio or non-major class per semester. Instructors often say: two hours of homework for every hour of class - trust me, you can double that figure in James Wu's classes if you want to compete with the top students.

Workshops:
Free workshops are held every week for almost every aspect of Foundations and Illustration. However, the number of workshops have diminished over the last couple of years. Don't expect a lot of "help" from the workshop instructors though, workshops are largely open drawing sessions with live models.

Advisors:
My advisors have had little or no comprehension of the Illustration curriculm. I've had 5 different advisors, none really impressed me. Talk to other students, ask questions of the instructors and go to workshops - that's the best way to figure out which classes or instructors to take.

Online:
I've taken 6 online classes, 1 per semester. For Liberal Arts classes and non-studio classes this is great (Art History, English, Intro to Computers). But never, never, never take an online class for a major or studio class - it is a waste of time and money - you are better off buying a $50 book at Amazon.com and teaching yourself. Critiques in online classes are a joke. If you don't live in San Francisco and think an online Illustration degree is viable, I think you'd be lying to yourself.

Bottom line:
AAU is always reacting to the marketplace, which is a good thing. Right now there's a lot of emphasis on Digital Illustration, Comic Book Art and Core Drawing Skills. Plus, new classes are being offered every semester (this fall there's a "Fantastic Figure Drawing Class" taught by Chris Schenck, for example). Chuck Pyle, Director of Illustration, is very approachable and cares a lot about the students and what is being taught.

However, you have to put in a lot of time and effort to be successful here. Don't miss class, do complete all of the homework, try to attend workshops and definitely seek knowledge outside of class (books, seminars, etc...). AAU won't make you an artist by itself, you have to put in the effort.

[Sam0s]

I pretty much agree with everything David (Mr.Poland) have to say, be sure to be careful picking the right classes for you each semestre.

A dear friend of mine had 5 practical classes during ONE semestre; this included Fig.Modeling, Fig.Drawing, Color&Design, Analysis of Form AND Anatomy. He A'ced all the classes.
Point is, you COULD do it, you just have to be determined, cause there will be NO time for others then school. and sleep..

his recent work from james wu's intermediate fig.drawing class can be found here : http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=34534
(besides the point, but yes james wu's classes are intense, yet easily the Best Figurative classes out there. A must.)

Nonetheless, its all about YOUR abilities, how far you can push yerself and what you REALLY want out of the school.
__elcoro is a good example, he sucked out all the practical classes and then dropped out before the LA-classes choked him

yah you get the point

[daarken]

wait. im a bit confused.

Lets say I took the liberal arts classes at a community college and transfer those credits to AAU. What happens then? Will I skip a semester or something since I wont have to take any of the lib arts classes there?

sorry i dont know how transfering of credits works. :D

sorry if im repeating anything, as i have not read through the thread in a long time, but you have to take classes at a community college before attending the academy. if you start the academy they will not let you take classes at a community college and have them transfer...thats how they get you because a lot of people dont realize you have to transfer everything in before you start the academy.

sam0s: you are gonna be at the workshop next week right??


and in conclusion my diploma hangs above my toilet.

[Sam0s]

daarken: you're !@%&*^ right I am!! I'll definitely see you there. It's gonna be badass! :D :confident

and in conclusion my diploma hangs above my toilet.

hahah amen to that

[Main Loop]

for those who it matters to, here's the dept. workshop schedules:

http://ess.academyart.edu/sas/workshops/department/index.html

[SweetOutrage]

Daaammnn I coulda linked to that instead of typing all that myself! Thanks for the link!

I'm trying to get us a Saturday workshop. Chuck will try and find and instructor willing to host it.

For the Illustration Majors (2D Animation welcome too):
There is a Town Hall meeting Tuesday, Feb 22nd @ Powell
11:30am in the Student Lounge

This *might* change. They tend to postpone these things a lot.

[neostrider]

I'm going to be majoring in Animation>Games this Fall. I'm transferring from the CA program at the Ringling School of Art & Design. I've heard a lot of negative views about this school so far on this board, which surprised me. Is it really that bad or are these views just from people who maybe didn't put as much into the school as they could have? Has anyone had a positive experience there? All art schools are ridiculously expensive so I would like to hear more about the quality of the Animation program rather than the cost of the tuition. I'm not that concerned about the expenses. I plan to put more than 100% into everything I do there. Are there any instructors/classes I should try to get? The one thing that does make me cringe is the living expenses in San Fran. I could get a studio apartment and a full meal plan at Ringling for $4,400. AAU seems to want to herd me into one room with 4 other people for twice that price. CRIKEY! Does anyone going to AAU know of anywhere better (cheaper) to live or looking for a roommate off campus?

[Cybergig]

I’m going to go to a JC, and get the class’s that require math, history, literature, etc. done there. The reason being that I don’t want to take them at the A.U.U and pay a lot of money to take. When I’m done with the JC, I want to major in Animations at the A.U.U. But when I was looking at the “Animation & Visual Effects Degree Outline” there where seven different majors (3D Modeling, Character Animation, Games, Background painting, VFX/composting, storyboard, and Visual development). So my first question is that are these just Major things you will learn to get an Animation’s degree, or are they separate things, that will focus on only those areas? Which one of these is closely related to what an animator might do at Pixar, or what an animator working on a CG peace for a video game might do? I want to know this because that’s what I want to major in, and I’m not sure if its Modeling, or Visual Development, or VFX/composting. Next question is does the A.U.U have any Articulation agreement with The Art Center? Have any of you guys gone to a JC and transferred, and do you have any advice, suggestions or anything about it?


Thx for all those who respond and help me out. It is greatly appreciated. IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANSWERED ANY OF THE QUESTIONS ALREADY, JUST DIRECT ME TO IT.

[silentbrain]

I'm in visual development, it's more focused on concept art and preproduction, and I expect Character Animation will be more up your alley. You can talk to your advisor/department head about it.

There are 3 character animation classes taught by people from Pixar, sounds like you are looking for something like that. You also have some freedom to take extraneous classes not related to your specific major (ie, layout design) and I would suggest you don't limit yourself to a narrow range, and try to branch out.

Maybe someone else can provide some more info on the other "sub-majors" (or whatever they are called, I don't know)

[Poland]

Just the other day AAU's Barbara Bradley (legendary Animated Figure teacher) mentioned that a recent AAU graduate was hired by Pixar; in fact she was being pursued by both Pixar and Dreamworks - I don't give her name out of respect for her privacy. Her work is very good and certainly within reach of any serious AAU student.

The very fact that Pixar, ILM, Lucasarts, UBI Soft, Sega, Apple, Sony, Microsoft and EA have either their HQ or a remote campus within 45 min of the AAU campus is nothing to sneeze at.

Two new classes were added to the Illustration/Anomation curriculm this semester:
Fantastic Figure Drawing (Chris Schenck instructor)
Advanced Perspective (Joko Budiono)
I'm enrolled in both; each are proving to be very serious, intensive classes and really emphasize developing concepts from imagination rather than slavish reliance on reference!

[mecos]

Anyways, let me know if you need more info. SF is a dope place to live. The homosexual scene isn't as bad as people claim it is...they basically chill in one area. SF has mad culture and personality.
pzz

what the f____?!! we basically chill in one area? like we live in some sort of homosexual petting zoo? that is a dumb thing to say! in case you are referring to the castro, there are "the castro fags" and then there is the majority - yeah, we are everywhere!

[SweetOutrage]

<i>Two new classes were added to the Illustration/Animation curriculm this semester:
Fantastic Figure Drawing (Chris Schenck instructor)
Advanced Perspective (Joko Budiono)</i>
I'm in the Adv Pers class and it's really great so far. I'm tired of my flat one pt pers compositions with no background, so this is forcing me to work at it and get something interesting. There are a lot of really good people in that class.

There are also a few other new classes.
Dig Painting with Robert Revels. It's a Portfolio level class. He'll be much harder on you than in Ill 3. You basically need to get 5 portfolio pieces at the end of the semester.
There's no set syllabus. If you want a demo, you can ask him and he'll prepare it. I like that we can just request demos like that! :D

There's also the Seegmiller class that I have no idea is even in session. Does anyone know? I'm going to try and take it next semester if available.
It SAYS it is in the summer schedule, but can we really believe the <i>schedule</i>?

Hey Dave, Bill Sanchez came in Adv Perspective looking for you. It was really funny. You know how loud he is. He just came in and inturrupted the class describing you. hahaha
Oh man! I better email you the homework! We have to bring extra stuff!

[SweetOutrage]

Illustrator <a href="http://www.blackshearonline.com" target=_blank>Thomas Blackshear</a> will be speaking at the Academy this Friday, April 1st.
It will be at 3:30 in Bradley Hall at Powell.

I don't know if alumni will be able to come without an Alumni ID, but if you have time, you could try and maybe sign in.

[DeadSilentSaturn]

:bashful: Hidiho, first timer on these forums here.

Well, I've pretty much decided to move to San Francisco & go to the academy for this Fall. Considering my current lifestyle, it is going to be a BIG change.

Paying is going to be hell but I'll figure it out.

I have a question though, and I think it would pertain more to someone familiar with the animation industry, but any input will be helpful.

I noticed under the Animation BFA there is a storyboarding emphasis.

You see, I really want to be a comic book artist, but really I'm too passionate about my comics. I couldn't make them for money.

So, career wise I would make a good storyboard artist or character designer for animation.

Please don't reply with "You have to be good to get those jobs. That's the most important thing." Well, DUH! And whether or not I'm dedicated enough is not an issue either. You guys go on about that way too much. Let the quitters crash & burn and forget about 'em.

My question is would it be better to major in Illustration or Animation with a storyboard emphasis?

There are many comic book and storyboard oriented classes and I want to take them all, but not enough elective slots.

If you look at the degree breakdown both majors have many of the same classes. I could take illustration with a few storyboard and comic book electives or animation that already comes with the storyboard classes and take all comic book electives.

The animation major seems like the better choice but then I'd be missing out on all the illustration classes that focus more on drawing. :( Drawing really is the key to getting a good job in animation pre-production, right? But oh, how those storyboarding and comic/sequential imagery classes call to me... I mean that was the main reason I chose this school.

I wish I could make up my mind!!!

HELP HELP HELP!!!

[teyekanik]

Hey, Im in the Academy now. I have majored in 3d animation but switched after 2 semesters to Illustration. I think Illustration has enough fine art emphasis to help you develop as an artist while also teaching you computer production techniques for a professional environment. Traditional animation (not 3d) has some of the same classes but less of a fine art emphasis and much more of a speed production process. If your looking for pre-production work after you graduate, your going to want to go with illustration. Think about it, if you can paint or draw a great illustration then how hard is it to pull it back in detail and do some nice storyboards? Also, if you're worried about electives you dont need to be. There's so many ways to push around classes and bend the rules. You can test out of alot of classes pretty easy also. For instance: My first semester I tested out of Color Theory, Begining Drawing, and Computer Science 1... So this opened up 9 units to use toward any electives I want before I graduate, it's not hard to free up units for electives.. So I'd go with Illustration as you will get a stronger fine art foundation as opposed to Animation.

Another thought: The quality standards of comic art is constantly increasing. Certain titles in mind have every panel as a beautiful work of art (Alex Ross for instance) So the better ILLUSTRATOR you are, the better comic artist you'll be.

Ne way, hope that helps.

[DeadSilentSaturn]

You actually took the time to give me an answer. And a GREAT one at that. Thanks a bunch! :bashful:

[MaxNighthowl]

I'll be attending the Academy this fall (Animation major), and I was just curious about how helpful some of you found the foundations classes to be. What I mean is, I've had some drawing classes, as well as a year of figure drawing. But there's a few basic things I feel I could do better. Would you say it would be smarter to try to get out of Analysis of Form and Figure Drawing, or did you find the classes informative and worthwhile enough such that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take them simply to brush up on the basics?

Are there any foundations teachers you highly recommend? Any you don't recommend (you can PM me those if you want)?


I personally found figure drawing more informative then Analysis of Form, but Analysis of Form helped me out big time. Probably the reason I found FND Figure Drawing more informative is because I had Robert Revels for it. Awesome teacher! He's the guy that to be honest taught me how to draw. You definately need this class and will help you tremendously when you advance to Clothed Figure 1 and Intermediate Figure Drawing (I took both at the same time and its helped me out). When you take perspective, take it with Leandro Ng or Joko Budiono. Both are really informative and well liked. Leandro is the best to be honest. I have him right now (well I'm almost done with the class since finals are up) I really enjoyed his class (Warning: his lectures can be boring but very informative.) Color and Design was great but I struggled (I took it in the Summer with Analysis of Form DONT DO THAT!!) It wasnt that I understood the concepts (I did) just I didnt have time to do alot of the projects. Good luck to you and welcome to AAU.

[MaxNighthowl]

"Bill Sanchez is the more HILARIOUS little man ever! I'd take his class just for the experience! hahaha!"


Bring a spitguard


I cant wait to start again as well.. i get lazy cooped up in Santa Rosa.. I long for the 16 hour art days..


Hahaha yes I know that well from his Thursday Clothed Figure Workshop!! But damn that guy is freakin awesome, he's another one that showed me alot in drawing that has helped me tremendously in my Clothed Figure Drawing class. I love the way he talks and how he draws. "Wrap it Around....Wrap It Around." LOL Great instructor.

[DirtEater]

Actually, Intro to CG is done on PCs. And starting this year, it's technically a foundation class. But, getting out of it simply requires contacting the teacher in charge of it (Tad Leckman) and taking a test. The class is specifically designed for people who have pretty much never touched a computer in their lives. It's incredibly rudimentary stuff, so keep that in mind. If you can get around Photoshop and After Effects, then there's really not much in there for you to learn.

I'm proficient with Photoshop but have never touched After Effects; do any of you guys think I could just play around in AE and read some tutorials and be able to test out of the class? I'm sure most of the test would just be terms and "what do you do to get this?" But I don't want to cheat myself if there's really relevant info in the class.

Also, is Analysis of Form a waste for someone who can already sketch and render decently?

Thanks for all the info put into this thread, it's been a huge help for me. Anyone more into the modeling/animation aspects should check out the huge thread over at cgtalk as well:

http://www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?t=9146 (www.cgtalk.com/showthread.php?t=9146)

[Main Loop]

Hahaha yes I know that well from his Thursday Clothed Figure Workshop!! But damn that guy is freakin awesome, he's another one that showed me alot in drawing that has helped me tremendously in my Clothed Figure Drawing class. I love the way he talks and how he draws. "Wrap it Around....Wrap It Around." LOL Great instructor.

yeah but take his class only once, any of them, it dont matter, they all end up being the same thing anyway... then go to his workshops and crash his classes.. you'll end up learning the most that way....

"you gotta feel it.. ok here you were right, here you were right, right there you screwed up.. its too 'perfek'.. drow more chairs"

[silentbrain]

And SHOES!

[FunnyBimbo]

Hi, I am a student at the AAU too... just extra info...take classes with(I am in no racist..it just so happen.....) asian instructors..eg. Henry Yan, ZhouMing..etc...theyy are reallly goooddddddd...............I know Henry Yan teaches Figure drawing and head& hands classes...i don't know about the othersss....he really helped me a lot....But...yeahh..take advantage of the free workshops and free food they give out now and then....

our school library sucks though........and they don't give scholarship to peeps cuz they need the money to buy some private planes.....

[MaxNighthowl]

yeah but take his class only once, any of them, it dont matter, they all end up being the same thing anyway... then go to his workshops and crash his classes.. you'll end up learning the most that way....

"you gotta feel it.. ok here you were right, here you were right, right there you screwed up.. its too 'perfek'.. drow more chairs"


I havent taken a class with Bill yet, just gone to his workshop. I had Lisa Berrett for Clothed Figure 1. I like her she was a good instructor. Lisa did help me make my drawing skills stronger. However Bill gave me some good tips on getting better I really like his style too. I'll try to get him for Clothed Figure 2 (The last clothed figure drawing class I need for Character Animation major) hahaha yes I know that quote quite well!

[MaxNighthowl]

Hi, I am a student at the AAU too... just extra info...take classes with(I am in no racist..it just so happen.....) asian instructors..eg. Henry Yan, ZhouMing..etc...theyy are reallly goooddddddd...............I know Henry Yan teaches Figure drawing and head& hands classes...i don't know about the othersss....he really helped me a lot....But...yeahh..take advantage of the free workshops and free food they give out now and then....

our school library sucks though........and they don't give scholarship to peeps cuz they need the money to buy some private planes.....


He also teaches Intermediate Figure Drawing, Figure Painting. I think he still teaches Analysis of Form too.

[silentbrain]

Henry Yan, now there's a name I haven't heard in a while... does he still drink a mysterious fluid out of that sport bottle? I think that's where he gets his powers... >:D

[NoSeRider]

Keep in mind that just because you like Drawing or 3d dosn't mean you're cut out for it. It takes TALENT and DEDICATION. If you have just one of those, you wont hack it. Dont lie to yourself and wind up 6 digits in debt working at Starbucks.

What do people mean when they say stuff like this?.....my imagination goes wild and expects a person to graduate with the ability of Bay Rait, Meats Meier, Sargent or Brom?

Somehow I don't think that happens.

[teyekanik]

Well, your gonna have your own skill hopefully, not meats or broms, etc.

I think anyone saying this is warning against people getting into the school and finding its not a magic package that makes you "good". Your going to have to work your ass off.

I think at the very least you should leave with skill enough to get a job, and start paying off those loans. The thing with seeing these pros today is your seeing thier art after they've been working for 5-10 years as an artist.

People mistake talent as this lofty, genetic or god-given thing. I think LOVE is the word everyone is looking for. I've seen guys come into that school that couldn't paint or draw thier way out of a box, but in a year or two they improved 10 times over because they loved what they were learning. If you don't get juiced about bringing your ideas to life and aren't willing to do the work then no, stay out of school.

[teyekanik]

BTW: I'm taking clothed figure 1 and still life painting this summer. Any teacher recomendations?

[Main Loop]

clothed fig 1? hmm since carol's gone, maybe robert revels is teaching it.. never had him for figure drawing but he was a great illustration teacher.. thomas gronbukt is pretty decent, i think.. See if Tomutsu Takishima is teaching still life painting at all.. there's so many still life painting teachers out there, its impossible to know who you'll have until 2 weeks before class..

[Dizon]

The AAU has really great instructors but the training i received especially during studio classes isn't intensive enough even when highly skilled instructors run the class. IMHO i think the instructors should really give more than what they can inorder to push the students and not just give loads of homework. This is one of the reasons why I plan to leave this university.

[Sosage]

Long time lurker. First time actually participating. :teeth:

People mistake talent as this lofty, genetic or god-given thing. I think LOVE is the word everyone is looking for. I've seen guys come into that school that couldn't paint or draw thier way out of a box, but in a year or two they improved 10 times over because they loved what they were learning. If you don't get juiced about bringing your ideas to life and aren't willing to do the work then no, stay out of school.

You hit the nail on the head imo. If you're not dedicated or don't have the “love” for doing this kind of work, you need to try a cheaper alternative before jumping head first into the AAU (or any school that charges 500+ per unit...art school or not). This goes for any major. I'm a games modeling major and I've seen some guys who put in zero extra effort and end up praying a 'look good' button will magically appear in the next version of Maya/Max (these aren't just the guys who dump/test out of the drawing classes...these are guys who also refuse to work on anything outside of the regular class hours). Everything takes time and dedication. Even ditch digging requires you to at least get familiar with your shovel.

On Bill Sanchez, I love the man. Really fun guy. Willing to put a lot of positive energy towards students that at least show an interest in trying. I also agree that you should only take him once and then go to all of his workshops. He repeats the same things over and over again, but they are things people keep refusing to work on (someone mentioned chairs...I think everyone is guilty of not working on enough furniture :P ).

Speaking of workshops, this was the reason I dug up this thread. Anyone have the summer workshop schedule (I know it is probably early, but I'd like to plan my weeks out asap)?

[jelsutra]

Hey Everyone

I've just been accepted into the Grad Program for Motion Pictures and Television and I was wondering if anyone has heard how the program is?
I've read/heard lots of ups and downs about the undergrad stuff but haven't heard much about the grad program.

thanks guys

jelsutra

[mecos]

I was recently looking into AAC and I have a question myself:
Do you know if the credits transfer to other colleges?
I'm checking it out this Tuesday and I will e-mail the other colelges I'm applying to, but I just wanted to find out in case anyone knew already.
I'm looking into a BFA Cinematography (I saw that both Humboldt, Western Washington, and Evergreen State University in Olympia, WA -the other colleges I'm applying to- have Theatrical courses with similar Cinematography classes) and BFA Storyboarding in Computer Illustration.



from the people that i've met that transfered from AAC the answer is no.

[jubjubjedi]

I'm going to SF next week to check out the school :dad: ,probably the 3D, Illustration, and Industrial Design programs specifically...

[dustintinkler]

i am looking to go to AAU sometime in the future for illustration and my question is what should i be doing to gear up for this school in terms of drawing/painting. i have been in the cg field for 4 yrs modeling and texturing but i want to go back to school because i dont think my skills are where they need to be for me to advance in this field the way i want to.

if someone could let me know what i should be doing at home i.e. 2 min figure sketches, stil life, gesture drawing so on and so forth i would greatly appreciate it.

thanks

[carotello]

i am looking to go to AAU sometime in the future for illustration and my question is what should i be doing to gear up for this school in terms of drawing/painting. i have been in the cg field for 4 yrs modeling and texturing but i want to go back to school because i dont think my skills are where they need to be for me to advance in this field the way i want to.

if someone could let me know what i should be doing at home i.e. 2 min figure sketches, stil life, gesture drawing so on and so forth i would greatly appreciate it.

thanks

Draw from life, all the time. Seriously. I am a senior at AAU, graduating in December, and that was the one thing I realized I didn't do enough before I started. Most classes you will have to take at the begining: Figure drawing, intro to anatomy, clothed figure, are all drawing from a model. You will be a lot sharper if you have been drawing people in the street. Draw your family members, draw at picnics, draw at the zoo. Just don't draw from pictures. It's a waste of time if you are trying to get better.
If you fill up sketchbooks, and sketchbooks, then when you get to the academy you will realize that you don't feel so strange doing it, and you can concentrate then on learning the finer points.
As for painting, make sure your sense of value is strong, before you start going into color. Practice doing things in black and white, using your full range of grays. This will really help you as most painting classes start you off with this before getting you to paint in color. Then move onto limited palettes, monochromatic, complimentary. This should help you a lot.
Good luck.

[dustintinkler]

carotello:

thanks a lot for the advice i will start drawing from life today and here on out. as for painting i have never painted before in my life and i dont know a lot about value and color as far a theory goes. are there any good resources out there either internet or print that you would recomend.

thanks again
Dusitn

[sweetoblivion314]

would there be any disadvantage to starting in the spring semester? I would like to get started in school as soon as possible. And while i really want to go to SVA, i dont want to wait so long and only chance getting in, so i think im gonna head here in spring 2007.

[Sleep_Eden_sleep]

I'm not sure if anybody's brought this up but..

Isn't AAU cheaper than MOST art colleges for it's quality?

I mean, I checked other art colleges, hoping for something cheaper, but nope, they're all more expensive than AAU. I've attended classes in AAU that they offered for high school students exclusively, and I got to say, even if I don't have any basis for comparison, they were pretty good. I learned alot despite how short the classes were.

Anyway, back to the main question: isn't AAU cheaper than most art colleges?

[Quartercircle]

I know it is easy to get in to. But I keeping hearing about high school diplomas. Can somebody get in with a GED?

[jubjubjedi]

It's just about half as much as Otis or Art Center in Southern CA, so you're right about that.

I'm not sure if anybody's brought this up but..

Isn't AAU cheaper than MOST art colleges for it's quality?

I mean, I checked other art colleges, hoping for something cheaper, but nope, they're all more expensive than AAU. I've attended classes in AAU that they offered for high school students exclusively, and I got to say, even if I don't have any basis for comparison, they were pretty good. I learned alot despite how short the classes were.

Anyway, back to the main question: isn't AAU cheaper than most art colleges?

[Sleep_Eden_sleep]

Yeah. So to me, that's a good enough deal.

[Bard]

Does any one taking online classes or took some?

How good was it? Is it a waste of money?

Would like an info on this if it's no bother.:yayca:

[carotello]

Illustration one, Chantal is ok, Kris is pretty good too. It doesn't really matter since most things you do in ill 1 are basic and will not really remain in your portfolio for long.

Illustration two: Stephen all the way. No Diana Thewlis under any circumstances, I am not afraid to say it.

Illustration three: Robert is the man. I think Cameron Wasson was teaching it for a while and things went kind of crazy with students dropping her class and crying for Robert to come back and teach it. I haven't had Cameron myself, but I haven't heard good things. Robert is a fantastic teacher, though, and I recommend taking any classes with him. Same goes for Stephen.

I agree with Main Loop. Bill, and Chuck are awesome clothed figure teachers, and their focus is very different, so it's good to take both of them. I know Robert Revels was teaching clothed figure two last semester as well, and he is very good too.

[carotello]

It's just about half as much as Otis or Art Center in Southern CA, so you're right about that.

Yes, AAU is cheaper than most art colleges, however there are no scholarships available, so everything comes out of your loans or sad sad pocket.
I have friends who are students at San Francisco Art Institute (Fine Arts), and their tuition is covered by tons of scholarships and grants that the school has for them, which is awesome. I wish AAU had something like that, but they don't.
Also, keep in mind housing. AAU's housing is ridiculously expensive, even for SF standards. If you live on your own, or with roomates you will save big bucks, but still it's an expense to keep in mind, as well as food which is expensive in SF as well. Now that I think about it, everything in this city is expensive.

[carotello]

I know it is easy to get in to. But I keeping hearing about high school diplomas. Can somebody get in with a GED?

Yes, you can get in with a GED.
I know a few of those. C'mon...it's an art school. Most of us at least thought about dropping out of high school.
:-)

[carotello]

would there be any disadvantage to starting in the spring semester? I would like to get started in school as soon as possible. And while i really want to go to SVA, i dont want to wait so long and only chance getting in, so i think im gonna head here in spring 2007.
No disadvantage. It takes longer than four years to finish anyway, unless you take summer classes every year, so no problems there.
The degree breakdown the Academy has on their site is completely unrealistic, as I don't know a single student who has been able to take more than five classes each regular semester and come out with their minds in one piece. The work load in most studio classes is HUGE, so keeping it at four classes per semester is not such a bad idea.
I took five classes per semester for my first two years. Then I dropped down to four, and I took classes the last two summers. Still it's going to be four and a half years instead of four. And I almost didn't come out with my mind in one piece.

[IcyM]

Carotello is totally right. At the same time, you don't just take four classes to keep your sanity, but to improve more than just a little each semester. Having four studio classes pulls your focus into four different directions, by staggering it with liberal arts, you can further focus on what you feel you're lacking in/strengthen what you know. Then, build upon that in the following semester. Yeh, its not DeVry's six-month-program, but afterwards you won't be a six-month-artist.

[Mitchell]

Hey guys, I'm definately thinking about going to this school, Right now i am attending college in New Mexico, but I would really like to finish up my last two years at AAU. I was wondering if anyone knows or has a list of general classes I need to have so that I can get those out of the way and go straight to the good classes while I am there. Anyone know of a list or link I can go to?

[carotello]

Skeiff, your best bet is to contact AAU's admission office and directly ask them. AAU is usually happy to give you credit for some liberal arts classes, but I have heard they can be quite difficult giving you credit for art classes, no matter what school you are coming from.
There is a degree breakdown for each school in the schools section at their site: www.academyart.edu
I am not sure what major you are going for but they should all be listed there.

[asillisa]

what about the online courses that Academy offers? are they worth it? does anyone know how that works?

[carotello]

There is another thread about online classes at AAU.
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=75020
Also the Academy site has a pretty good explanation about their online courses. Reading it won't hurt you.
http://online.academyart.edu/about.html

[meechums]

I've recently come upon this forum and it's very resourceful to me so far since I'm very interested in going to AAU. Before I came here, I was looking through a website that reviews different places/colleges/etc in the San Francisco area. Most of the reviews about AAU have been negative...and didn't seem as honest as this forum, so I'm glad that I've been linked to here. :)
Anyway, I have some questions to ask...so here goes:
1) Would it be possible to take liberal art courses at a community college while attending AAU? Originally I would go to a community college first, and then to AAU, but being that, when my husband and I move to SF next summer, we - or at least I - won't be of California residency, so I'd have to pay out-of-state tuition I think.
2) I'm planning to be an Illustrations major, and while looking through the degree outlines I noticed that it's broken down into two categories: Graphic and Traditional. What's the difference?

Thanks in advance. :)

[IcyM]

Sorry this might not help being so long to reply. Sadly, you can't take simultaneous classes while attending AAU and a communiuty college. Everyone I know has tried and failed. Once you're in, they'll take your transfers, and more if you are adamant. But don't let them replace any of your art electives. Its one thing to lose a silly english credit, but another losing a studio class.

You don't have to worry about out of state tuitions for AAU, cuz its a private college, so its tuition is set the same for you, me, and the guy from Germany. However, if you are planning for CA state aid, like the Cal-Grant, you will need residency for one year to be able to apply. It will also affect you when you goto community colleges here, like SFSU, City College, etc.

Despite that tho, you'll still save money be transfering your basic math, history, etc over from community colleges. Their tuition by class is astronomically less than AAU's version of math, history, etc... and maybe more involved. You see, every one of those classes I have had to take is half assed and near zero student involvement. Who wants to learn about US History when you have a film, painting, fashion design, sculpture to work on? When you're there, will you be more worried about history or your illustration? Well, everyone is thinking the same thing you are. Slide by with a C and finish up a high quality illustration, film, etc etc for critque.

As for your second question, graphics part of the program is just mainly graphic design aspects, programs, and web applications. It has some focus on illustrative areas, but its mainly 90% graphic design and 10% illustration. While the traditional is just that. Painting like Rockwell, Parrish, and Wyeth. This part is getting some more attention with digital, but by the time you get there, it could be.

Good luck! :}

[sweetoblivion314]

sorry to necro this post but i will be attending classes starting Spring 2007 and im trying to register. I have one quick question. Is there anyway to know who the professor is for the classes im registering for? And if so is there a website with info/rating of each proffesor?

[silentbrain]

sorry to necro this post but i will be attending classes starting Spring 2007 and im trying to register. I have one quick question. Is there anyway to know who the professor is for the classes im registering for? And if so is there a website with info/rating of each proffesor?

Memory's kinda fuzzy (which is funny because I graduated only a few months ago) but the teachers for all classes are listed 2 weeks before they begin. (because some might have to drop and be replaced by other teachers, etc. etc.)

You can call admissions and ask, or log in to student self service and try there.

Not sure about info/rating...there was some site that was floating around, ratemyprofessors.com or something like that I think. Otherwise, it's mostly word-of-mouth.

[sweetoblivion314]

cool, thanks. I'll just go by making the best schedule then adjust when i find out who teaches what :)

[bojones4]

I would be interested in everyone's opinion about the online MFA in graphics art. I have worked in the industry for five plus years and am looking for MFA to take me to the next level. Am I wasting my time? anyone in the online MFA graphics art program?

Thanks

[glow*]

How is the Photography department at this school?
All i've read about is the 3d illustrations department

[sweetoblivion314]

anyone have any opinions of Valerie Winslow for Intro to Anatomy, Choong Youb Lee for Analysis of Form, and Ruben Deanda for Figure Drawing?

thanks :)

[studentsequalprofit]

Check this link out... you'll learn about all the crap at that school.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Art_College

They steal from students. Sallie Mae funding, if it is 1 day late while you are entered in class, they lock you out and make you pay for the classes. We are still trying to pay back over $7000 in classes I never got to take!!!

They have complaints from BBB, but the BBB does not take action on them because they are a member!

I learned more in 1 hour of class at a state university then 1 full semester of classes there. They are overpriced, there are not enough of the "pixar" animators. The owner of the school Dr. Elisa Stephens is an attorney! Kevin who is in charge of their financial services department, "DIRECTOR" as he yelled it at me, is rude and nasty.

Executive management promised a refund, Kevin decided to "take back" that promise and send it to an attorney Grant and Weber, who verbally abuses you on the phone and tells you that they are going to take your house, car, whatever they can get their hands on for judgement.

This school is overall a horrible school in terms of customer service, organization, freedom of creativity, and they just want your money. The sales person will promise everything to you, and as soon as you are enrolled and they have your money, they steal it from you. BUYER BEWARE!!!!

[kawakaze]

Hey guys, I'm definately thinking about going to this school, Right now i am attending college in New Mexico, but I would really like to finish up my last two years at AAU. I was wondering if anyone knows or has a list of general classes I need to have so that I can get those out of the way and go straight to the good classes while I am there. Anyone know of a list or link I can go to?


i believe its different depending on which school you are coming from. my community college had some sort of agreement w aau to transfer over certain GE. even still i had to do some arguing and fighting to ensure my credits would fully transfer. i believe once you are in they will not accept any transfer credits there after. if there are any borderline classes they will probably respond strictly and say no thus forcing you to take them for hundreds of $ more at aau, but you may be able to argue your way around that.

[The Amazing Lindsey]

I'm 15 and might be going to AAC for the high school program this summer.

Can anyone tell me if that's any good?

[sweetoblivion314]

i dont know about the HS program. But if its the same teachers in that thats in the University. then it would be awsome!

I have David Choong Lee for class. Its crazy hes so awsome. And Ruben Deanda is the man too. Im so psyched!!

[Lurial]

This might be a stupid question, so please forgive my ignorance. :^^;:

I noticed that there is a "Graphic" Illustration Major and a "Traditional" Illustration Major.

What does "Graphic" Illustration denote? Illustration that is more digital-based?

[Sol Blue]

Thanks to everyone who has posted info in this thread!

I have a question of my own. What are class sizes like? I read that AAU has about 10k students and 84 faculty. When you're in a figure drawing class or whatever, trying to draw a model, how many other people are in there with you? Do you get any individual help from the professors or are there just too many students?

Lurial: I forget the answer to your question, but I know I saw it explained earlier in the thread, so if you read through you'll probably find it.

[kawakaze]

from the classes i took it varied. general classes such as color and design tend to be pretty large. i believe my class had about 20-30. vs more specified classes will have lower numbers. my design problem solving class had 8.

[jubjubjedi]

from the classes i took it varied. general classes such as color and design tend to be pretty large. i believe my class had about 20-30. vs more specified classes will have lower numbers. my design problem solving class had 8.

Hey Kawakaze, are you an illustration major? Just wondering. It's my first semester at AAU as an illustration major, though I really do want to take some industrial design or related classes down the line. Do you find the design problem solving class helpful?

[ukanfoff]

Hey Kawakaze, are you an illustration major? Just wondering. It's my first semester at AAU as an illustration major, though I really do want to take some industrial design or related classes down the line. Do you find the design problem solving class helpful?


theres a design problem selving class at aac?
never heard of it, and im an illustration major.

[deeevo]

Hey guys!
I'm going to visit AAU in June to check out the graphic design depart. I was wondering what depart. is the school most known for and if anyone is currently enrolled in the graphic design dept., what is it like? what should i expect? is it what you expected?

I understand it's going to cost a shizzat load of paper soo i want to make sure that it's worth enrolling into.

And if you were to pick, calarts - artcenter - or AAU.. which would it be?

And for all you community college goers that want to get those transfer credits in..
A maximum of thirty-six (36) semester units (54-quarter units) can be applied towards the Liberal Arts
course requirements at the Academy of Art University.
Nine (9) units (15-quarter units) of transfer level art classes that are related to Academy of Art University
majors can also be transferred as art elective units. Department director may transfer additional units based on portfolio review. Courses must be reported on an official transcript and must have a record grade of “C” or higher to qualify for transfer credit.

ART ELECTIVES (9 units)
There are 3 classes or 9 units of Art Electives that student must take to fulfill a Bachelor’s degree
graduation requirement. Art Elective courses are studio classes where students receive direct hands on
experience. Students choose Art Elective classes that are of interest to them and don’t necessarily have
to be related to your major. Some examples of Art Elective courses are Introduction to Ceramics,
Introduction to Photography, Introduction to Graphic Design etc.



www.deeevo.wordpress.com

[k.yulo]

I'm entering this coming fall semester, I'm thinking of taking up Advertising. Can anyone help me out with these questions?

1. Do you actually learn anything in the Advertising Program of AAU?
2. Are the student commercials as bad/gaudy/tacky/amateurish as the
reviews say?
3. Is it hard to stay in the Advertising Program?
4. What sort of practical work do they require for this course?


:^^: HELP.

[UrsusArctos]

Hey everyone, I just joined...

I have a question about the Academy of Art MFA in Illustration program...

I am currently finishing up my BA at a California State University, and to be honest the classes offered are pretty bare boned. I am probably in the top 5% of art students in my school but when I compare my level of work against illustration students at the BA level at AAU I can see that I am not as strong.

I am trying to figure out how the MFA process works. I see that you need to apply with a portfolio. Does anyone know how difficult it is to get into the MFA Illustration program? Does the academy allow you to get in if you agree to take remedial coursework with them? I am strong at drawing, but I have only painted with oil, they do not teach water color, pen and ink, etc to us.

I am taking a 5th year of college here at my university, and I want to know what you guys reccommend I study before I apply next year. They only offer ONE Life drawing class here, and its all nude figure. There are no costume classes or clothed figures, and no courses specifically focused on the head or hands. I am trying to draw from life more often, its just difficult because where I live there are no outside workshops for artists to study from. Very Frustrating! Any tips for things to study would be greatly appreciated. Right now I am looking to take Life Drawing 2 (there are only 2 life drawing classes, this will be the third time Ive taken life drawing 2), Scientific Drawing (animals, plants etc) and I am taking a directed study course with my advisor, and we are going to focus on head painting. Any other ideas?

Also, how do the directed study courses work within the MFA Illustration program? And, does an MFA student have the option to take lower division Illustration program that they think might be helpful?

Thank you in advance for your responce..

[jeteffects]

SIghz......... Here i am finally. It has been 3 days of lurking around CA, and its my first ever post. I am here first off, to thank all the people that posted replies in this thread. It is not everyday, someone is willing to offer enlightening advice. Thank you so much.

Secondly, i have to state who i am. Im Jet, average joe with big big, BIG DREAMS. One of which is AAU. I paid for the application fee not too long ago, and is in the process of turning my transcripts over to the AAU, to see what units i can transfer into the college, from my highschool and JC ive been going to for the past 3 years. I am going this fall, 2007 With that, i recently discovered this forum. I was not sure where i was headed 2 years ago. a year ago i decided, and that was to go to AAU, and work my butt off, regardless of the expenses and what not. Just as long as that fighting spirit burns bright, Because i figured AAU stands for the best, and i shouldnt settle for "0kay". So i was on the move. I felt confident, and i worked hard on my art skills, which i feel pretty comfortable with. amatuer, never really had formal training decent... But after reading this thread i am haveing mixed thoughts. Im not sure wether the light is going away, or someone just made the room lit to confuse me.

First mixed thought. I am hoping i can transfer enough liberal classes to satisfy what i need, so i dont let that crap get in the way of my true focus. And if i enter now, then does that mean, i cant go back to JC to finish classes? which i doubt ill have to.

Second mixed thought. 2d, 3d or illustrator??? what the hell. I want what moves me, the way i was when i loved art for the sake of art. But at the same time, it requires to make a wise choice, so i dont end up making less then what i am capable of in the professional world, and that should be 6 or maybe even 7 digit figures. what type of profession could i look forward to that is stable right out of graduating, again, does the degree even matter when become THAT good? So 2d or 3d, What should my focus be, degree, or personal gain, and pacing to enhance skill without a fancy certificate?

Lastly, some of that negative press has kind of scared the crap out of me. Are they greedy scum bags??? Dammit im f@Y&#( poor, parents coming from 3rd world country with dad, who hates getting involved with stuff like this(yeah my future), me living in the ghetto all my life where people are always getting shot at...Id like to get a shot at aau, and Id like to be considered independ for cal grant, but that doesnt take effect unti after 1 year of residency, so dam...

If any of that made sense, i hope you can help clear my head
thanks again CA

[carotello]

Well...Institutionalized education exists not out of charity, but out of an opportunity to make money. AAU is a business, and yes, they will take your money regardless of whether you become a successful artist or not.

My two cents worth: I am a Concept Artist at a game company in San Fran. I graduated from AAU in December, and yes I got employed right away. Do I believe AAU helped me get a job? Well, having friends at AAU got me a job, as I was recommended by one of them, and that got the company to look at my portfolio before looking at the eighty others they probably got.
What I wish I had known when I started AAU is that nobody in the game or film industry will ask you whether you have a BFA or not. Seriously, nobody cares. If your portfolio is good, then your portfolio is good. That is the bottom line. If I could go back, I would save myself some big bucks and just do the personal enrichment program, which means you just take the classes you want, without accumulating credits towards a degree. A friend of mine did that for two years, and got a job. I envy him. His debt is a minute portion of mine, and the end result was the same.

Ask yourself what you want out of your college experience. Do you want a pretty shiny degree? Do your parents want you to get one? Or do you want to be an employed artist? AAU is a commercial art college. If you want to study fine arts, go to a better school for that like CCA or the San Francisco Art Institute. I know people there and those schools are the bomb for the development of your personal artistic vision. However, if you wish to become a commercial artist AAU is as good as any...because it will come down to your skills and your portfolio.

[jeteffects]

To CAROTELLO
thanks for that, i will keep that in mind for sure. But how do i tell that to the people, helping me choose my classes? Also i got my loans papers in today, it says i will recieve about 30 000k in loans, what do i do. Accept? is there anything i should watch out for, ask for a lower loan. Um, i need to fill this out before 10 days, so if anyone can help me on that one, i would be much greatful. Thanks again all.

[Nint3nd0 Fr3ak]

I know it is easy to get in to. But I keeping hearing about high school diplomas. Can somebody get in with a GED?

Yes my cousin got into AAU with his GED

[sweetoblivion314]

First mixed thought. I am hoping i can transfer enough liberal classes to satisfy what i need, so i dont let that crap get in the way of my true focus. And if i enter now, then does that mean, i cant go back to JC to finish classes? which i doubt ill have to.

no you cant go back. they do not accept any credits after you begin taking classes at AAU.


Second mixed thought. 2d, 3d or illustrator??? what the hell. I want what moves me, the way i was when i loved art for the sake of art. But at the same time, it requires to make a wise choice, so i dont end up making less then what i am capable of in the professional world, and that should be 6 or maybe even 7 digit figures. what type of profession could i look forward to that is stable right out of graduating, again, does the degree even matter when become THAT good? So 2d or 3d, What should my focus be, degree, or personal gain, and pacing to enhance skill without a fancy certificate?

do what you want to do. And you realize 7 digits is $1,000,000 a year. An animator who makes that is extremely rare. So do what you want to do. If you think at all about the money, its not good for motivation or your personal happiness.

The degree doesnt really matter. Im personally doing the Certificate program so i dont have to bother with the liberal arts crap. But i wont have a degree. If you already have the liberal arts credits though you might as well just get the degree on the way.


Lastly, some of that negative press has kind of scared the crap out of me. Are they greedy scum bags??? Dammit im f@Y&#( poor, parents coming from 3rd world country with dad, who hates getting involved with stuff like this(yeah my future), me living in the ghetto all my life where people are always getting shot at...Id like to get a shot at aau, and Id like to be considered independ for cal grant, but that doesnt take effect unti after 1 year of residency, so dam...


they will take your money. It is a buisiness like others have said. Just make sure to read the stuff carefully. And work your ass off. The school grades very hard especialy in foundations and they will have no qualms with failing you out and taking all of your money for that semester.

good luck.

[carotello]

JETEFFECTS:

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3158523

Ok, take a look at that link. They are kind enough to provide salary estimates for each job.
7 figures...forget it, you will never make that much as a commercial artist. I assume you mistyped and you meant 5 to six figures.
6 figures is a realistic LONG TERM GOAL. I know people who have been in the industry for 10 plus years as artists and just now they have broken the six figure mark. However it is NOT going to happen right out of school. Five figures is what you will be looking at, and it will be a little better than your average starbucks job, but not by that much.
If you are really aiming for the kind of salary range you talked about, then get good at the wallstreet game, study finances or something like that, and do art on the side.

[jeteffects]

omg sweet o blivion 314, thanks so much for going through and answering all those questions, and dam what a fool i must sound like. 7 freaken digits!!!! dam what the hell, i meant 6. And honestly, i could care less, as long as i can provide for a family. Ill love the art no matter what. I guess i was just getting really stressed out and anxious. Thank you so much for all of that.

and corotello, yeah i totally agree. I just didnt realise what i wrote. Thanks for that. I think my main concern was not money, more of, what has a better success rate, 3d or 2d, cause i heard its rediculous to try and major in both. My heart says, as long as i get to draw, ill be the happyiest person ever, but can i have that happiness in 3d work as well? i dont know. kind of a lame question, dont even bother answering if this is getting annoying.
thanks in advance er body.

[OlegDjimbinov]

i heard it sucked in teaching besides being expensive

http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/AAC_g.html

[sweetoblivion314]

i heard it sucked in teaching besides being expensive

http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/AAC_g.html

Ok do you have anything insightfull to add or any questions to ask?
coming in here randomly spewwing a rating website that gave it a poor grade when the ranking was based off 6 people that attended the school for an average of 1.8 years is helpfull to no one.

[Maxine Schacker]

Has anyone read the comments on AWN's animation cafe? It seems that realistic planning is 5 to 6 years to complete the program, which is fine a long as incoming students are aware of it.

[TomatoMan]

Has anyone read the comments on AWN's animation cafe?

I'd like to. Link?

[MelissaCrystal]

I've recently come upon this forum and it's very resourceful to me so far since I'm very interested in going to AAU. Before I came here, I was looking through a website that reviews different places/colleges/etc in the San Francisco area. Most of the reviews about AAU have been negative...and didn't seem as honest as this forum, so I'm glad that I've been linked to here. :)
Anyway, I have some questions to ask...so here goes:
1) Would it be possible to take liberal art courses at a community college while attending AAU? Originally I would go to a community college first, and then to AAU, but being that, when my husband and I move to SF next summer, we - or at least I - won't be of California residency, so I'd have to pay out-of-state tuition I think.
2) I'm planning to be an Illustrations major, and while looking through the degree outlines I noticed that it's broken down into two categories: Graphic and Traditional. What's the difference?

Thanks in advance. :)
Honestly, most of the people I met in my first year could draw, sure...but they only came here because they thought art college was going to be easy and it was the cheapest and easiest art college to get into. I knew people from all over the states... From all the people I met in my first year in the dorms---probably about 5-7 stayed.

Honestly..all the negative reviews I hear on those sites are from students who don't know what it's like at other art schools either. Art school isn't supposed to be easy..it's designed to challenge you and hone skill. On some of the reviews, it talks about bad teachers---there -are- bad teachers..just like every other school has. Academy is very strict though with their teachers, and when one gets too many bad reviews from students during the semester, they're given a talk to or replaced. I've seen a lot of bad teachers go already, which is cool. All I can say is try to avoid the teachers you hear about from students--and trust me, the students talk very loudly about those teachers lol

Your questions were answered in a couple posts, but just to clarify---you cannot transfer credits at AAU. I'll just say that so that you don't plan to.. if you've -already- taken units elsewhere and plan on trying to transfer, there's a small chance some units will transfer..but most, probably not.

Graphic= Knowing traditional illustration with and design that can be applied to advertising, not just illustration. Also, there's an emphasis on computer knowledge

Traditional= just painting and drawing, anything else can be chosen as electives. Check the website for recommended courses for each.

Personally, I'm a part traditional part graphic...don't really need to choose. You can customize your classes---there is a small amount of required courses and a lot can be substituted. TONS of portfolio building classes that aren't required and that are cool to fit into your plan.

[MelissaCrystal]

Has anyone read the comments on AWN's animation cafe? It seems that realistic planning is 5 to 6 years to complete the program, which is fine a long as incoming students are aware of it.
Luckily my family is poor and I can get a shitload of loans and government scholarships, otherwise..the only way to graduate in 4 years is to take at least 2-3 full time summer schedules. (which usually means money out of your pocket unless you had extra loan money leftover from the year you applied for it)

I've taken 3 summers and 3 intersessions (intersessions are 1 class and summers are 2) and 4 classes per semester (5 would kill me), and I'll even have extra units to graduate in a sum of exactly 4 years.

I'm in my senior year right now though and I'm really hoping to take some extra portfolio building classes before I graduate..so I may take another semester or two. I just want my portfolio to be worth my debt ;p (it's fine though, college debt is normal debt)

I wish I could figure it out exactly...but I'm kinda lazy sorry =( Plus it depends on the major. I'm ILL and I -think- it's 4 years and 2 summers to graduate. I could be off by a summer though. People usually end up forcing themselves to extend it to 5 or 6 years though because it gets REALLy tough (tough meaning pressure to be awesome and spending a lot of time on assignments..not really number of assignments..debatable for some classes..but teachers think that by that point you should be able to handle it as an illustrator) at the end and a lot of people like to take either 2 of those tough classes per semester, or 2 tough ones and 2 easy lib art ones. The latter is what I'm doing for my last year. Mostly cause I screwed up and took all my easy classes first.

[rice picker]

Hi, my girl and i are going to be moving from florida for the spring semester. I need to know how high the need is for a car at this school. We will be living off campus, hopefully near the school. But i essentially dont have a car right now and will not be getting help for insurance so i need to know the need for self transportation. Any help is appreciated.

[sweetoblivion314]

Hi, my girl and i are going to be moving from florida for the spring semester. I need to know how high the need is for a car at this school. We will be living off campus, hopefully near the school. But i essentially dont have a car right now and will not be getting help for insurance so i need to know the need for self transportation. Any help is appreciated.

well the thing is there really isnt a campus. The school is located all over downtown SF and has building in SOMA and Northpoint. Public transportation is cheap and you can bassically get anywhere in the city with it. Also if you will be living in the city, parking is almost as bad as NYC so i really wouldnt advise having a car. The school has its own bus system that shuttles students between the different school buildings so if you can get a public bus or train to a school building you can get to any other building from there.

hope that helps.

[rice picker]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[rebel ink]

My thoughts about Academy of Art art the same thoughts I have about any other art school. If you are not willing to work your ass off or use all the resources available, then its going to suck. I've been AAU for 3 years now and in that time I had to really kick myself in the nuts to change my attitude. I thought my first year and a half was all crap. Then I realized the only reason my experience sucked was because I didnt fully commit myself to what I was doing. After I changed my attitude, everything has gone smoothly. There are some teachers there that shouldn't even be allowed to hold a pencil, but that doesnt mean you cant still learn. Your peers will sometimes push you more than the teachers. Art school can teach a lot, but if you cant seem to learn anything at one school, chances are another school wont be able to help you.

[oomgawa]

Good info from everyone. I am possibly starting the online MFA
this Fall. Why? Because I am required to get a Masters degree at work,
and because I specifically want it in illustration, and it has to be online.

That leaves AAU as one of the few contenders.
Here are the two fast semester choices:
MS: Water Color Camille La Pointe-Lyons
MS: Clothed Figure Drawing David Mar

Which would be the best teacher?

THANKS!

[VonVix]

I'm glad I read through this. I'm working on going for spring of 08 for a AA in Traditional Illustration. That is if I get to go.

I come from a family of artists so generally we aren't packing the cash at all. I.E I am totally on my own and it really has got me worried now. I'll be working for the fall but who knows how much that will get me.

My family refuses to let me get a student loan and frankly, I am pretty scared of them myself.
AAU is at the moment the more sensible college to attend. I just don't have an idea how I'll be able to pay for it.

[Eva K]

It's good to have a thread like this to be able to check out from time to time.

I myself just got accepted to the school, starting Spring '08 in Traditional Illustration. Can't wait =)

[Cyrus]

Speaking of which, will anyone here besides myself be starting this fall(not to mention already attending)? I'll be taking tradition Illustration myself, and it would be great to meet some fellow CAers.

[Nabirye]

I went there online for a year. I hated it. All of my classes were pretty useless and I learn more on forums online than I did in that school... it's a good school if you enjoy wasting your time and money, but I think you could get a better education for cheaper at another school, where they don't treat you like a number and your teachers know what they're talking about.

I don't even know if I want to go back to an art school though. I don't think it's for me.

[blue bed]

I'd like to ask a few questions regarding AAU
1. What is JS? "try going to a JC first and get credits". Is that some specific community college?
2. My general plan is going to a community college for all the crap courses like history and spending the final two years in AAU? Is that really as easy as it sounds?)
3. I've already got a Bachelor's degree (actually an Engineer's, its BFA+1 year of work) in Oil and Gas engineering (Moscow Gubkin Oil and Gas University). I've gone through alot of math classes of course, as well as some liberal (philosophy, english etc), will that give me any credits?
4. Considering my status (F-1 student visa) what course would you recommend? I'm specifically asking this because I'll have 1 year of Interning available after graduating and if I don't find an employer ready to do some work visa assistance, I'll have to wave sayonara to the States. So, generally I'm considering Illustration (that's what I've been doing here in Moscow for the past few years, plus I'm deeply interested in comics and gamedev), but is it the most suitable course to choose in my situation? Perhaps studying graphic design or something will provide more job opportunities?
5. Finally, AAU is incredibly expensive for international students, the fees go as high as 30k a year. Perhaps there are more affordable solutions? Again, I DO need a degree in order to change my visa time and have a work permission.
My website is http://www.bluebed.net
Thanks in advance

[sweetoblivion314]

I'd like to ask a few questions regarding AAU
1. What is JS? "try going to a JC first and get credits". Is that some specific community college?

JC means Junior College. It can be refered to as a comunity college also. bassically any 2 year post secondary educational institution.


2. My general plan is going to a community college for all the crap courses like history and spending the final two years in AAU? Is that really as easy as it sounds?)

very good idea to get your crap courses out of the way at the cheaper school. However, even without the crap courses you wont be able to complete a degree in 2 years. And you really wont want to be taking 4 studio courses a semester, besides all of the complicated prerequisits that prevent cramming it all into 2 years.


3. I've already got a Bachelor's degree (actually an Engineer's, its BFA+1 year of work) in Oil and Gas engineering (Moscow Gubkin Oil and Gas University). I've gone through alot of math classes of course, as well as some liberal (philosophy, english etc), will that give me any credits?

i would assume that would give you all of the required liberal arts courses, granted you show them the transcript before you begin classes, but i am not sure. I would talk to the admissions people.


4. Considering my status (F-1 student visa) what course would you recommend? I'm specifically asking this because I'll have 1 year of Interning available after graduating and if I don't find an employer ready to do some work visa assistance, I'll have to wave sayonara to the States. So, generally I'm considering Illustration (that's what I've been doing here in Moscow for the past few years, plus I'm deeply interested in comics and gamedev), but is it the most suitable course to choose in my situation? Perhaps studying graphic design or something will provide more job opportunities?

Do what you want to do and have faith. If you apply yourself enough when you get out of school you will get an illustration job. Dont settle for something else because you are afraid.


5. Finally, AAU is incredibly expensive for international students, the fees go as high as 30k a year. Perhaps there are more affordable solutions? Again, I DO need a degree in order to change my visa time and have a work permission.
My website is http://www.bluebed.net
Thanks in advance

There are alot more art schools in the country. Just got to look around, but they all seem to be very expensive.


hope I helped.

[sweetoblivion314]

hey guys.
does anyone know anything about Keith Wicks for intermediate figure drawing? He seems to be a pretty well known artist and I'm just wondering how his teaching is. The other teachers available for the class are: Diana Belenky, Robert Revels, James xavier Barbour, Mark Roberts and Mark Bowen. Any recomendations about any of them?

[aridante]

Hullo everyone... *noob wave* I thought I'd toss in my .02 here and see if it does any good....

I'm very suprised--and delighted--to see a lot of students and instructors on this thread. Having gone and graduated from what was then AAC, my experience can be described as "hellish".... in good and bad ways. Good because I met some wonderful, creative people, and bad because there was always some sort of office politics or technical detail that was "accidentally" missed until AFTER you paid tuition.

The Academy is a vocational school, and like any specialized school, you should have a clear path about what you want and the mental maturity/work ethic to get you there. The same could be said for any private school; be prepared to work your noggin off. And just because you have talent doesn't give you justification to slack off. You need to hack it to earn it, and I've seen countless of talented artists get lost in the system because they were either creatively drained or unchallenged to continue.

It is true that the Academy is run as a business, and that's where the small niggling questions come into play: Are you talented enough to get into the industry with a strong portfolio? Do you have the financial means to support yourself? Does the Academy provide substantial financial aid, but if not, do you think you'll be able to get a job to help pay for student loans? How does their department compare to other art schools? You need to ask yourself these questions if you know this school is for you. I agree 100% about student housing: there's always never enough and the facilities aren't reliable. Bear in mind that you need to ship all that art crap back home at the end of every semester, and it isn't cheap. Save yourself the pain and get an apartment, and unless your family is rich, partner up with a buddy to share the expense. SF is a cool but expensive city, so don't be surprised if you have to drop $1100 for a breadbox (I come from Hawaii, and that's saying something).

My sister and I both graduated in the same year, but in different departments and degrees: she earned her MFA in 3D, and I got my BFA in illustration. We came to the conclusion that there are certain departments sorely lacking in basic support (3d) while others excelled (illustration/fine art). That was back in 2002, and a lot of changes can happen in five years. I remember her department went through two or three Department Directors in two years. On the flip side, the Academy's illustration department have a strong group of foundation teachers that've been there for YEARS (Barbara Bradley notwithstanding). While there are a lot of students who start off in the program, only less than a handful make it to graduation (less than eight students to a teacher in your senior year).

My advice would be to visit the school and, if possible, chat with students. They'll give you an honest opinion, whereas student advisors would just give you the pamphlet version of the school. If you do decide to try out for a year, take advantage of the drawing workshops. They're a great place to network and improve your skills.

*Whew* Hope this helps, and good luck!

[Sptfire]

Hi, I'm coming into San Fran from Sept 12-26, 2006 and will be touring the Univ with Rick Boucher around 4pm. I have a bach degree in Computer Science and a second bach degree in Fine Arts and I am considering applying to the 3d animation MFA program.

I was wondering if any students and/or professors will be available during that time or during the two weeks I will be in the area (I currently live in Texas). While I'm there, I will be staying with a friend in Sacramento.

If anyone is available or interested in meeting with me, email me and I will give you my contact information or we can designate a time to meet.

Thanks alot

[Odayga]

this question is a little off topic. but i have the same plan.
Doing my General Ed at a local JC.
Directly transferring to an art school in los angeles.

Okay do they look at high school transcripts too even if i go through a JC? or does high school not even matter any more at that point? just curious. and need to know as soon as possible.

[sweetoblivion314]

this question is a little off topic. but i have the same plan.
Doing my General Ed at a local JC.
Directly transferring to an art school in los angeles.

Okay do they look at high school transcripts too even if i go through a JC? or does high school not even matter any more at that point? just curious. and need to know as soon as possible.


depends on the school. Call or email the admissions department and ask.

[Odayga]

I looked up some schools under their transfer sections and whatnot and it said that all one needs is official JC/other college transcripts and a portfolio. plus other important things involved with getting in and accepted. damn im excited :D. I'm Going to Double Major/Master in Fine/Studio Arts and Illustration. :)

Oh yeah and i did the Academy of Art Saturday art experience program. it was pretty fun. i loved it. gosh im gonna have a blast in art school. cant wait. i got a unit of credit at that school and an award. i had john wentz in still life. cool professor :D.

[blue bed]

So, I finally made it to AAU (Illustration MFA).
Advise on advisors (ugh) would be really appreciated.
Another thing, I got advised anatomy, clothed figure drawing and creature design all for the first semester... I guess that might turn out a bit too hard, maybe I should replace some of the advised courses?

[sweetoblivion314]

3 studios is definitely doable. I do it every semester. depending on the classes it can be alot of work but doable.

[DeusJones]

I was accepted. Too expensive for my taste. Roughly $170,00 for the whole shebang, then there's interest on loans. The way I look at it living in the mid-east is that if its that expensive and that far away from my family I can go somewhere else. Nice people to deal with and seems like a great place to go, but I'm not paying over $200,000 in loans. I received no financial help from this school at all. I got a measly $7k a semester form federal aid.

[Magnas]

Great thread! I've been worried about some of the things I've heard, but the actual students here have given me more incentive to find out more. Thanks, folks.

But there is a problem. I'm not comfortable with my skills, but I have the drive. I don't think anyone who attends an art school is happy with their skills. Do you really need some decent drawing skills going in? I don't want to rush it, but I don't want to wait too long. I'm obviously going to keep drawing, but I want to make sure that the school is fairly 'newbie friendly.' Any words of wisdom from a kindred soul, perhaps?

On a slightly unrelated note: sadly, I may have to take liberal arts classes there, as well.

[Shin-Kensou]

wow this thread literally blew my mind haha and now i think i have a clearer view of wut i want to get now. i have already submitted an app to the school and wut not, but the problem wit me is that i'm still unsure i want a bfa or just go through the certificate program. like carotello said in an earlier post, no one in the industry will ask if one has a degree or not. if the portfolio is slammin then u got the job. now dont get me wrong, i'm in no way dissin any1 that wants to pursue a degree at all, hell i have/will have an associates soon.

anywhoo, my thing was about online classes at AAU. i'm starting to lean on the certificate program dispite me having a good bit of LA credits and so far from wut i've gathered is that the online art or studio classes arent quite worth it? has the school not stepped its game up in terms of this? i intend to start online then move out to SF once a few things are settled however i have considered doing the whole thing online. so are there any ppl out there that have completed any program online? if so wut was it like?

outtro

[sweetoblivion314]

the main problem with the studio online classes is that you dont have the teacher there in the room with you helping you move forward with your piece. Which depending on the teacher could be a huge loss on your part, because there are some amazing teachers here. You just gets crits when its due. Its also a completely different atmosphere to be in a studio with 15 other people and a teacher hanging out painting and talking.

[silentbrain]

On the other hand, I found it useful for LA classes where I would have saved a lot on commute. (was living in SJ at the time)

On the other hand, for drawing classes...well, I was there when they started having them, and there was interest in trying them out and seeing what they could do. But they are basically like forums, you attach your images/documents to new threads, the teacher and other people respond. The teacher has the ability to do drawovers, but not in any sophisticated fashion. (think "mspaint", unless they have upgraded recently)

On the other hand, it does relax your schedule since you can attend the class any time during the week and you can save the lecture webpages for later.

Magnas- For this school, you will be okay starting out from square one. The initial classes will cover the basics, and as long as you can keep up then you will get up to speed.

[SenseofTouch]

Woah woah woah wait a minute here, so you guys are saying I don't have to go through the actual BA degree system? I'm a high school senior in San Francisco and I've applied to AAU and City College. I'm much more concerned about becoming a famed artist (3D) with a high paying job than getting some degree crap.

So what is this "Certificate Program" you guys speak of? You mean I don't have to take any Liberal Arts classes and just go with the personal enrichment classes and save thousands? Originally I had two options; go to City College for 2 years then transfer to AAU or go to AAU right after high school if I get enough financial support and get my BA Degree. But now discovering this, maybe I'll have a third option?

Can someone provide more info regarding this please? This is making me exited

[Arin]

Can any current students give me an opinion on their 3d visual effects program?

[Ashkitty]

Woah woah woah wait a minute here, so you guys are saying I don't have to go through the actual BA degree system? I'm a high school senior in San Francisco and I've applied to AAU and City College. I'm much more concerned about becoming a famed artist (3D) with a high paying job than getting some degree crap.

So what is this "Certificate Program" you guys speak of? You mean I don't have to take any Liberal Arts classes and just go with the personal enrichment classes and save thousands? Originally I had two options; go to City College for 2 years then transfer to AAU or go to AAU right after high school if I get enough financial support and get my BA Degree. But now discovering this, maybe I'll have a third option?

Can someone provide more info regarding this please? This is making me exited

you have to take 120 credits (BFA is 132 credits i believe) and only 6 of those are Liberal Art classes. Only problem is you will run into having to take 4 studio courses a semester if you need financial aid or need to stay in student housing. Thats about it really. I have also found that my advisors care alot less about prereqs because I am in the certificate program. But it may also cause problems with things like cal grant and financial aid so i would look into that.

[James Kei]

My biggest beef with this institution is that they do not reward merit with scholarships or grants.
They have a ton of money due to open enrollment and targeting wealthy students from over-seas.
But Elissa Stevens would rather spend all of that extra money on cocaine. (but you didn't hear that from me....)
I say fuck that, give the students an incentive to do well.
Give back to the students that can add to their list of companies that the alumni now work for, who are now struggling to pay for these debts.
I know several talented graduates that have found themselves in $100,000+ in debt. This is capitalism at it's worst.

I had a great time at the academy, and I learned quite a bit. But the politics of that school are some of the worst out there.
Don't waste your time with a degree. I have never had a client ask me for my educational credentials.
Take the classes you want with the instructors you want and then get the fuck out of there. That's what I did, and I'm all the better for it.

[SenseofTouch]

My biggest beef with this institution is that they do not reward merit with scholarships or grants.
They have a ton of money due to open enrollment and targeting wealthy students from over-seas.
But Elissa Stevens would rather spend all of that extra money on cocaine. (but you didn't hear that from me....)
I say fuck that, give the students an incentive to do well.
Give back to the students that can add to their list of companies that the alumni now work for, who are now struggling to pay for these debts.
I know several talented graduates that have found themselves in $100,000+ in debt. This is capitalism at it's worst.

I had a great time at the academy, and I learned quite a bit. But the politics of that school are some of the worst out there.
Don't waste your time with a degree. I have never had a client ask me for my educational credentials.
Take the classes you want with the instructors you want and then get the fuck out of there. That's what I did, and I'm all the better for it.

So what exactly should I do?

Well first of all, I don't need housing because I'm a local here in San Francisco and it takes me only 30 minutes to get to school by BART.

I'm currently a 2.5 Grade Point Average high school student.

The only options are City College and Academy of Art University for Fall 2008.

I'm not rich.

What should I do? Don't aim for the BA degree and take the Certificate Program instead? Generally how long is the Certificate Program? What should I apply for? I am so confused. There's this issue and the financial issue.. Can someone help me come up with a good plan? It'd be great if someone can explain to me on instant messenger or something.

My AIM is "Cybad3n",

MSN "TheSenseofTouch@hotmail.com"

[James Kei]

It depends on what you want to do.

If you want to be an Illustrator/concept artist. Practice a lot on your own. Take "personal enlightenment" classes at the AAC and only with the teachers you want. (I can give you a list of teachers if you would like) Thet will give you the foundations you need to get started with. Attend all of the free drawing workshops at the academy. Work a part time job if you need to make ends meet, and focus the rest of your waking hours to study, and drawing. Post your progress here on the boards and seek helpful criticism.

That's all.

[SenseofTouch]

It depends on what you want to do.

If you want to be an Illustrator/concept artist. Practice a lot on your own. Take "personal enlightenment" classes at the AAC and only with the teachers you want. (I can give you a list of teachers if you would like) Thet will give you the foundations you need to get started with. Attend all of the free drawing workshops at the academy. Work a part time job if you need to make ends meet, and focus the rest of your waking hours to study, and drawing. Post your progress here on the boards and seek helpful criticism.

That's all.

Oh sorry I forgot to mention, I want to be a 3D artist. And yes please gimme a list of teachers, thanks.

I also want to know what kind of classes generally should I take? I'm not that good at drawing

[Arin]

Oh sorry I forgot to mention, I want to be a 3D artist. And yes please gimme a list of teachers, thanks.

I also want to know what kind of classes generally should I take? I'm not that good at drawing

I would definitely take as many figure and life drawing workshops/classes as you can afford. Those will definitely point you in the right direction. I'm a 3d art student as well and can say that it defintely helps. I'm in the same boat and have decided to take a 3d visual effects program offered in my area rather then AAU. When it comes right down to it, employers look at your portfolio and could care less about a degree. I would also definitely get involved in your local Siggraph chapter if you haven't already. It's a great place to meet other 3d artists and potential emplioyers.

Networking, Networking, Networking!

[SenseofTouch]

I would also definitely get involved in your local Siggraph chapter if you haven't already. It's a great place to meet other 3d artists and potential emplioyers.

What's a siggraph

[Arin]

What's a siggraph

I am so glad you asked! Siggraph is a yearly convention for 3d artists where you can hook up with other artists, learn about the latest software, get to know your potential employers, etc. It's a great place for anyone interested in 3d arts to check out.

A lot of cities also have local chapters. Members gather every month or so for lectures and discussions on the latest technology, techniques and generally anything about 3d. It's fantastic for networking as well. I've been a member for less then a year and have already met staff from Blizzard, Pixar, Blur, Dreamworks, etc.

[SenseofTouch]

I am so glad you asked! Siggraph is a yearly convention for 3d artists where you can hook up with other artists, learn about the latest software, get to know your potential employers, etc. It's a great place for anyone interested in 3d arts to check out.

A lot of cities also have local chapters. Members gather every month or so for lectures and discussions on the latest technology, techniques and generally anything about 3d. It's fantastic for networking as well. I've been a member for less then a year and have already met staff from Blizzard, Pixar, Blur, Dreamworks, etc.

http://www.siggraph.org/s2008/ ?

[Arin]

http://www.siggraph.org/s2008/ ?


Yep, that's the convention website. Below is the website to locate your local chapter.

http://www.siggraph.org/chapters

Let me know if you have any other questions. :)

[IcyM]

Speaking of conventions and since you've mentioned 3D, you should check out the GDC (Gamers Developers Conference) thats happening right now at the Moscone Convention center. Its the start of the few videogame conventions this year, its a good place to get a feel and information about working in videogames. I'm not sure if videogames is an avenue you want to go into, but its a good career option once you're done with school. Its a great place to network too!... then stop by WonderCon afterwards! ;)

Its expensive to get in, but on Friday is discounted for students at $75.
http://www.gdconf.com/register/passoptions.htm

[Arin]

Speaking of conventions and since you've mentioned 3D, you should check out the GDC (Gamers Developers Conference) thats happening right now at the Moscone Convention center. Its the start of the few videogame conventions this year, its a good place to get a feel and information about working in videogames. I'm not sure if videogames is an avenue you want to go into, but its a good career option once you're done with school. Its a great place to network too!... then stop by WonderCon afterwards! ;)

Its expensive to get in, but on Friday is discounted for students at $75.
http://www.gdconf.com/register/passoptions.htm

Yeah, I would have gone myself but it's an 8 hour drive and classes just started. :(

PS: If anyone in socal is interested, they're holding an event with Blizzard down here. Let me know and I'll post the details. :)

[Magnas]

Magnas- For this school, you will be okay starting out from square one. The initial classes will cover the basics, and as long as you can keep up then you will get up to speed.

Whoa, massive delay. Sorry about that!

Many thanks for your advice! I know they have an open enrollment, but being able to learn from scratch is a completely matter entirely. I was worried it was just a sort of marketing ploy of theirs.

[waltlindsay]

Hi, I've been a long-time lurker on the CA forums and the AAU thread piqued my interest.

I had actually planned on attending the 2008 Spring semester in S.F. at AAU but I ended up getting cold feet and bailed because the cost made my hair curl. (I'm a poor girl that can barely make ends meet already and I got declined on a loan that would've helped me cover living/first semester tuition costs. But I digress...) I was originally enrolled in the 3D Animation program and was taking a bunch of random first semester pre-planned classes that I felt didn't fit the bill for foundation courses. You don't have much choice in the matter it seems. My enrollment counselor guy, Scott, plopped me in Introduction to Computer Graphics for Animation (yawn!), some Super 8MM photo storyboarding class, Experimental Animation, and a figure drawing class. Some of the classes felt more like "fluff/filler" classes to run up my debt. Maybe not all of these classes specifically, but some of 'em are pretty friggin' stupid.

Anyway, I decided for the next semester or two I'm just gonna work more on foundation drawing on my own. (I have a well-known artist father who's been in the illustration industry for fifteen years and he agrees it's a solid idea.) I.e. going to the zoo, park, etc. and doing life-drawing yadda yadda yadda.

So here's where this long-winded story is getting at. I already know that professionals and employers don't really give two shits (overseas jobs and circumstances aside) whether or not you have a degree, and it's all about your portfolio that reflects your talent. My dad went to CCAC and AAU back in the late 80s and took about 2 years at both schools, took the classes he wanted, and dropped out when he felt he had absorbed as much as he was going to get from those colleges. So my question is this: nowadays they're not as lenient about students going to upper-level classes/skipping out on your Gen. Ed. classes because, really, all they want is more of your money (because they're all blood-sucking capitalist vampires).

How would I go about taking a similar route that my dad did...? And that is: taking classes that I need and finding teachers in advance that don't suck ass, all the while learning stuff that isn't my main "art major". I plan on Illustration being my main area of focus all the while becoming proficient in 3D.

I've read most of this thread this evening and gotten a few names/courses, but if there's any more to the list that anyone would like to add, that'd be super helpful. Whether it's awesome teachers, workshops, or classes I should really take or classes to steer away from.

Sorry this is super long, but I felt it'd be helpful to be pretty specific since I really don't wanna be at the AAU spinning my wheels taking useless classes and then not being able to pay off my debt until I'm forty-five. :dead:

[Samari]

I'm currently happy with it. The teachers there are really helpful and have a lot of insight. And the online class feature is pretty nice, although I only use it for my liberal arts classes.

Some previous posters were right on target about the expense though. And I guess you can say that the school might be open to some financial criticism due to it's open enrollment and it's private/"for profit" status as a university...at least according to some critics.

I'm doing the whole student loan thing...which is giving me more incentive to practice more and more since I know I'm going to owe a decent amount once I'm through. Really I just want to make my way as someone in the field of traditional illustration.

All in all, a good school to learn from. Just be careful with your financial decisions.