CalArts, Ringling, SCAD hopeful

[meowmeow22]

Hi there I am new here, sorry if I'm already doing everything wrong.
I am a senior in high school and I hope to go into animation/computer animation/game animation?
I will probably apply to Calarts , Ringling, and ScAD. I know a lot about what CalArts wants, I plan on taking life drawing there in the coming months. I'm just not sure if my skill level is there yet.
As for Ringling and SCAD, hopefully you can tell me. I heard SCAD gives plenty of scholarships, which my mom would really like.
Here are a few webcam pictures of a few sketchbook drawings. Sorry for the quality. Do you think I have the skill level to get into these schools, and possibly get a scholarship from SCAD? of how much? (with a GPA of 3.6?)
Thanks for the help and sorry if this makes no sense at all. :blahblah:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/the_Evil_Shoelace/Photo26.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/the_Evil_Shoelace/Photo28.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/the_Evil_Shoelace/Photo27.jpg

[lowercase]

Lets see here,

SCAD doesn't even require a portfolio to get in, so your 3.6 will get you in for sure. As for scholarships, they do give away tons of money, but I can't say how much you'd get.

Ringling also places very high value on academic achievement, so your 3.6 will help getting in immensely.

CalArts, on the other hand, from what I've heard, doesn't take GPA or SAT scores into account when admitting their applicants.

I don't think you are quite there with your skill level to get into CalArts, and maybe not Ringling either. I'd suggest, like you mentioned, taking life drawing classes or just drawing people or objects around the house.

Hope this helps.

[meowmeow22]

thanks for the help. Aww man Id be good enough for Ringling at least. Do you know exactly what they're looking for?
Like, CalArts (Char. Animation) is looking for expressive figure drawings, with lots of life in them. As well as tons of observational sketches.

Is Ringling looking for something like this, or perhaps more detailed, furnished observational drawings?

[lowercase]

thanks for the help. Aww man Id be good enough for Ringling at least. Do you know exactly what they're looking for?
Like, CalArts (Char. Animation) is looking for expressive figure drawings, with lots of life in them. As well as tons of observational sketches.

Is Ringling looking for something like this, or perhaps more detailed, furnished observational drawings?

No, Ringling wants the exact same thing as CalArts.

[thesinfulsaint]

That's not necessarily true--I had mostly highly rendered, observational drawings in my animation portfolio for Ringling, and I won a scholarship. Just make sure that whatever work you submit is good.

[meowmeow22]

Do you have examples of things you sent in, thesinfulsaint? Does Ringling give out a lot of scholarships?

[yyates05]

accepted portfolios (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=128605&highlight=accepted+portfolios)

[Praemium]

I would definitely take the life drawing class and start laying out your ideas for a portfolio. Set some time aside and spend a ton of time sketching. Develop your portfolio ideas. Musicians practice for hours a day to get better, and can usually tell when they've skipped a few days of practice.

I don't think figuring out if your "good enough" for whatever art school matters as much as challenging yourself to make the best portfolio you can make.
I'm still a high school student too, trying to get into art school, so those are just my two cents on the subject. :)

Kind of off-topic here, but I have a question for Sinfulsaint. Did you really only submit those 10 pieces that are in the "accepted portfolios" thread, or did you submit more than that?? Some of the colleges I see recommend I believe about 15-20 pieces (which seems a bit overbearing to me.)

^^Hope that didn't just double-post.

[Naymaker]

Lets see here,

SCAD doesn't even require a portfolio to get in, so your 3.6 will get you in for sure. As for scholarships, they do give away tons of money, but I can't say how much you'd get.


You can receive up to 10k with your GPA alone.

[Meloncov]

The third piece feels a bit awkward; the face is too flat and the pose seems unnatural, like you squished the body to fit on the page. The other two are quite strong. You likely need to push contrast further, though that might just be the poor photo. I think you have the skill needed to get into Ringling (I really don't know anything about how hard it is to get into CalArts, so I can't speak there), it's just a matter of taking the time to build as good a portfolio as you can.

This is blatant promotion for my own school, but you might want too look at CCA as well. Top notch, if very new, animation program, and very generous financial aid.

[meowmeow22]

Wow naymaker, that really got me excited!! Thanks, I might even be able to raise my GPA and sat score a little

And Meloncov, I appreciate the criticism, but those were actually two different sketches. one of my legs in from of me, one of someone who was facing perpendicular from me. But I do know I can improve with contrast and what not. Do you know if people send in sketchbooks to Ringling?

[Meloncov]

Wow naymaker, that really got me excited!! Thanks, I might even be able to raise my GPA and sat score a little

And Meloncov, I appreciate the criticism, but those were actually two different sketches. one of my legs in from of me, one of someone who was facing perpendicular from me. But I do know I can improve with contrast and what not. Do you know if people send in sketchbooks to Ringling?

That would explain the issue. Try to make sure your compositions make clear what is separate and what is combined, especially if you're planning on submitting the page in your portfolio.

You can send in pages from your sketchbook to Ringling, but not the whole book. If your submitting gestures or other short drawings, you should probably combine them on the page.

Also, just so you know, while it is of course best to have strong contrast in the original image, it's perfectly legitimate to increase the contrast of your work in Photoshop.

[HTML rulez d00d]

No, Ringling wants the exact same thing as CalArts.

they may want the same thing (observational drawings), but what they're looking for is completely different. accepted ringling portfolios usually have more traditional hyper-realistic art, still lifes, and heavily rendered figure drawings. It's more photographic. look at a Calarts portfolio, and they're looking for JUST figure drawing. everything else is supplementary, still lifes are barely just looked over (if at all). the figure drawing is veered away from traditional, realistic form and modeling and more focused on experimentation and stylization.

you can't compare the two schools because they have totally different tastes with the portfolios they like. a ringling portfolio would probably not get accepted to calarts, and vice versa.

[KEM720]

CalArts mostly wants to see solid drawing in the form of gestures and, from what I have been told, they need to show a good amount of "energy" or life in the gestures you send them. When I called the admissions people, they said send in the originals and "if CalArts is not your first choice of schools, then don't." She also told me about how many phone calls she gets from people who cry because they don't get in or send in incorrect/bad portfolios. So I'd say do it right, include the good stuff and give them what they want. You can send them as much as you want, but more isn't neccessarily better with CalArts.

Ringling is different. The teachers in the animation department have control over who they admit in to the school. A high GPA seems to be a big factor because they use it to gauge the potential of you succeeding in the program. Portfolio doesn't have to be all gestures, but preferrably (I'd say) 80% or more of things from life. Ringling wants about 10-15 pieces, so only send them the best you've got.

SCAD is pretty lenient on who they accept. You can get a good amount of money from them too. If you show them a portfolio, then you will probably get even more money along with your GPA.