a good graduate course in illustration

[shounak]

hi all,
does anyone know a good grad course in illustration in the US, preferably in and around NY. schools like Ringling, CCAD, Art Centre etc all have really good undergrad illustration programmes, but hardly any have a graduate programme in Illustration..Except maybe SCAD..i feel i dont have too many choices..:(..(my area of focus is concept art, pre production art for games, movies..)..im applying to fENG zHU school of design as well..they seem to have a very solid programme...but havent heard much about the course..although id join just to learn under Feng!..

[Elwell]

In NY, SVA and FIT both have MFA programs in illustration. In California there's AAU in SF. None are specifically production art focused, though. Why do you want a masters?

[shounak]

hi elwell
i want a masters because
a: Im still not satisfied with the level of my art skills..and although iv been sketching on a daily basis, and taking up work as a freelance illustrator, i feel that a solid illustration programme will help me further my skills..

b:I want to work in the US.. coz thats where all the action is as far as game art and design is concerned..and everyone says that you need to have studied in the US if u want to break in to the industry there..i might be very wrong about this..in which case feel free to correct me..

(i know that a good portfolio is what it takes to get you the job..but apparently people dont even consider hiring you if you havent studied in the US..again i might sound really silly..but id rather clear my doubts here and risk sounding like a fool :)

[Elwell]

OK, also if you're coming from abroad getting a student visa will probably be easier for a degree program.
Check out the schools I mentioned.

[Amber Alexander]

The AAU masters in illustration program has several specializations. I believe its Editorial/children's book, Concept Art, Graphic Novel and Traditional. Those are also available online, several of the people in my classes are international students (i'm currently in the Illustration/concept art online masters program at AAU).

[shounak]

many thanks
elwell and amber..
AAU looks promising..:)

[Kismet]

If game art & design is really what you want, SCAD is a good choice. It's honestly about the same price as AAU (if not cheaper). Plus you have so many ways you can bend your classes/concentrations to your liking at SCAD. AAU is kind of... "you're doing THIS and you're gonna like it". But at SCAD, you can take classes all over the freaking place. I think that sounds much better for what you're looking for, but it's just my personal opinion. :X

[birdman03]

hi dude~!
i'm having the same thought and concern as you!
and i'm hunting such grad illustration program with good quality and equal/reasonable price!
if it is in CA state would be a plus(that's the industry center,right?)...

but for i've been searching for so long, i found that most art school doesn't have a grad program in illustration... especially in CA state..

as many guys said,aau and scad are over price of what you get,though they are almost the lowest price of art schools......are they?

does anyone know what school would have reasonable price of such program quality?
or is there an art department of an uni can provide this?

lower price but not lower quality,and not too far from the industry's need....is there such grad program...?

[Amber Alexander]

If game art & design is really what you want, SCAD is a good choice. It's honestly about the same price as AAU (if not cheaper). Plus you have so many ways you can bend your classes/concentrations to your liking at SCAD. AAU is kind of... "you're doing THIS and you're gonna like it". But at SCAD, you can take classes all over the freaking place. I think that sounds much better for what you're looking for, but it's just my personal opinion. :X

Actually the AAU Master's in Illustration is not like that. I got sent the generic class plan, I sent an email to my advisor complaining about some of the classes and she got the department head to make me a personalized lesson plan. I'm not trying to say AAU is all that, just being honest about my experience so far.

Note: DO NOT go to UC Berkeley for this unless you only want to learn how to make gallery art and how to critique the deeper meaning of paintings.

[shounak]

hi all,
well from my research thus far..the only options available (worth applying to) for a grad course in illustration are
1: FIT (ny)
2: SVA
3:AAU (SF)
4: SCAD (Georgia)
5: Feng Zhu School of design (singapore)
6: The new Online course Concept art.org is offering (yippee!)
7: The atelier (ca.org)

if anyone knows any others iv missed(im sure i have) ..please add to he list

[niranjan]

Hi Shounak,

Nice thread. I am also searching more information about Feng Zhu School. Their one year diploma looks very good.

I have a question: What exactly you consider as a career opportunity, as you are very specific about a grad course in illustration?

[birdman03]

about the grad course
i think shounak probably has the same consideration with me~
1. already have an undergrad degree
2. not yet in US
3. wanna enhance art skill systematically

i'm looking for the answers too!~is there such grad course worth applying?
and i think..if the school locates in california ,will it be easier to find intern at the industry?

if anyone know something about this, i will be appreciate too! :D

[shounak]

hi niranjan,
well if u want a job in the US where all the major game design studios are..
it helps if you have a degree from an American. university.but..portfolio is paramount..as always. the feng zhu schools looks very promising..with a good one year program..which im applying to..amongst others..its just that its quite expensive for a one year course and i dont think you can avail any scholarships as it isnt recognised by the govt of singapore(im not sure tho).
birdman..if ur looking to apply to a graduate illustration programme..just read the previous posts..some names of institutes were taken..
im really waiting for the CA.org online course!!..it will have to be accreditted tho if i have to have a realistic chance of working in the US, besides a kickass portfolio..:)

[birdman03]

hi shounak,

thank you for your words~ ya i do agree portfolio is paramount! and i want a realistic chance work in the US as you said~ :P
i want to have the ca atelier's courses too!~but it seems that the student visa doesn't work in this way... :(

about the schools,i searched a lot, and this thread really helps too~ i mainly looking into the schools in the westcoast of US,(because the ones in the east are so expensive,either SVA,RISD... ) ~and the west is also the industry center,right? and there're not much choice for having grad illustration program...

so,i mainly looking into SJSU,AAU,CSULB,SCAD~

sjsu and csulb are public,much lower tuition, but the out-of-state tuition is quite high.. the illustration in sjsu sounds not bad, does it?
aau and scad probably have the lowest tuition among the private art school.~though some said they're bad because of accepting everyone,there's totally a thread talking about aau here: http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16698 there're awesome guys like el coro,daarken...told us the good aspects of it~ but its grad illustration is a 3year program....
probably aau is the school with the most info i have~
but i still want to hear more about the schools~ and which practice program of them would be better? and figurative training?~~ :)

[steve kim]

i can't believe you can get a masters in illustration

[OurSin]

So which school would be better for a masters aimed towards Concept art and game art?

I'm looking at SCAD and see what seems like a good sequential imaging degree (but honestly even though i love comics it seems kinda hard to spend that much money for training and a degree in something that dosn't pay well) And i don't see much or anything about concept art.

I see something on the AAU website, but it's for an undergrad degree.

I already have my BFA in illustration from Columbia College Chicago (which i don't feel i really learned many technical skills, but more so about how the business works) So i feel i need a lot more training....and I feel i'm ready to be much more dedicated to learning than i was, after 4 years of working odd jobs and subsititute teaching instead of doing anything illustration related.

So what would be the best for concept art? And would that sequential imaging master or the generic Illustration master be worth the time at all in terms of learning skill? I'm really more concerned with learning and honing skills than a degree tbh, but my enviornment right now is kinda holding me back....

[Amber Alexander]

So which school would be better for a masters aimed towards Concept art and game art?

I'm looking at SCAD and see what seems like a good sequential imaging degree (but honestly even though i love comics it seems kinda hard to spend that much money for training and a degree in something that dosn't pay well) And i don't see much or anything about concept art.

I see something on the AAU website, but it's for an undergrad degree.

I already have my BFA in illustration from Columbia College Chicago (which i don't feel i really learned many technical skills, but more so about how the business works) So i feel i need a lot more training....and I feel i'm ready to be much more dedicated to learning than i was, after 4 years of working odd jobs and subsititute teaching instead of doing anything illustration related.

So what would be the best for concept art? And would that sequential imaging master or the generic Illustration master be worth the time at all in terms of learning skill? I'm really more concerned with learning and honing skills than a degree tbh, but my enviornment right now is kinda holding me back....

AAU's master's Illustration program lets you choose what you can specialize in, one of the options is concept art. For whatever reason its just not advertising on their website, ask an advisor and they can give you more information.

[Polina]

Does Feng Zhu School of design teach in English? I would think so from their website but it does not state it specifically. Has anyone on CA gone there? I really like the work that is produced and the style that they use. How expensive is it to live in Singapore?
Are there any scholarships? ( i wouldn't think so but you never know)

[OurSin]

AAU's master's Illustration program lets you choose what you can specialize in, one of the options is concept art. For whatever reason its just not advertising on their website, ask an advisor and they can give you more information.

thanks for the info I'll look into it more.

How is the program for you? Is is focused more on technical learning or is it geared more towards learning programs and how the business works ect.?

[Amber Alexander]

thanks for the info I'll look into it more.

How is the program for you? Is is focused more on technical learning or is it geared more towards learning programs and how the business works ect.?

So far its going good, because its a masters, it allows you to be more flexible in what you want to learn. I'd say the program is based on helping you to build a solid portfolio and however you want to do that is up to you.

You have to take some core classes to start to make sure you are solid in the basics (classes like: chiaroscurio, perspective, clothed figure drawing, portrait painting, etc.). After that the classes are more specialization oriented (classes like: creature design & anatomy, character design, digital painting, storyboarding).

Half way through your project and this is a very major part of your degree is to create your thesis project, this is for you to come up with a project for you to work on until you graduate which will be your portfolio. Your thesis project/portfolio is what you will use to show to studios to get hired. All your classes after the half way point are to support your thesis project. The thesis proposal is a very detail about 20 min presentation to the head of the illustration department so they can advise you on what to take, etc. and to graduate you have to do another presentation to them showing what you accomplished.

All the specifics of it can be found online or through an advisor, I'm still in first semester so haven't done much other then brainstorm about it. Although I'm very shy and even the thought of doing a presentation terrifies me, I am thrilled that I'll be able to choose the classes that will help me with my weaknesses and to learn the skills that I want to learn, not just what the school tells me I have to learn.

[InsanityArt]

I got my undergrad in Film and Television, with a minor in sequential art, at SCAD, looking to do concept art for films. So, I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

I thought SCAD had some great education and a good level of individual attention. I can't vouch for the illustration department perse, but the Sequential Art department offered a lot of specialized courses - lots of figure drawing, concept, character, and creature design classes, as well as digital painting classes. It had it's fair share of traditional comic penciling and inking classes as well, but overall i felt like it had strong support for concept and game artist.

Now, that was the undergrad, but they operate with a pretty similar curriculum for the graduate and online degrees.

After attending SCAD, I'm looking at AAU illustration grad program to change things up a bit - so Amber, I would certainly love to hear more impressions of the program! Although Savannah is a beautiful and friendly little city, it doesn't offer a huge art community outside of the college. If looking for a full or part time related job in the arts, or even an interesting place to intern, then Savannah doesn't have much to offer. I'm hoping someplace like SF will.

[OurSin]

Thanks Amber!

Right now i'm looking into Scad and AAU and trying to compare each price wise as well as department wise. I may not go right away, probably need to work on my portfolio some more in order to try for some scholarships so i can afford either..lol.

Appreciate the info alot. I took a look at your work as well, very nice.


Actually one more question about AAU, were you able to score any scholarships or were they really hard to come by? I know at columbia they were pretty hard to get, since everybody was so good (way better than i was at the time)

[alffla]

have a question to ask, although maybe unrelated.

i actually have just graduated from undergrad law in the UK , lol.. well, lookng to do illustration now, and applied to Sheridan. because i'm looking for a more complete art education, it's better to go for an undergrad degree there right?

also, SCAD is opening a branch in HK, thinking of applying there too, although no idea how the course and teachers will be like there :\

[DeLoach]

Check out Gnomon in LA. They've got an Entertainment Design program that's right up a concept artist's alley. I'm also looking into an illustration Grad program and still shopping around. Good luck!

[birdman03]

wow guys, good informations~ these are very helpful ~

i also asked many guys from aau, and i know their grad program is good ,but i'm still concern about the price and time for a 3-year learning~~

besides, i'm also looking into sjsu's ,it has shorter time and lower tuition, and its undergrad program sounds good. but i could hardly find info about its grad program, looks like it focus on training teachers? is it?

[raylistic87]

Hi guys,
I am from Singapore so I will tell you more about feng zhu school of design and about singapore.

The course should be in english. About rent, you can get from 600 Sing Dollars and above for 1 room. For one apartment, it is more than 1000 sing dollars.

Singapore is an english based country, meaning our first language is english. You will have no problems staying and moving around in singapore as long as you can communicate well in english. we are a multi cultural, religion country so you can get chinese, malays, indians, westerners as well as people from other parts of the world.

You can get a wide variety of food from asian dishes such as chinese, japanese, korean malay to fine italian, french and western restaurants. Prices ranges from 5 Sing Dollars a meal to 50 dollars or more.

Coffee can be as cheap as 70 cents to 6 dollars in Starbucks.

Singapore is a very clean and safe country. Even if you walk alone in the middle of night in the streets, it is fine. But ladies, it would be better to be in a group or with a man you know. Taxis/cabs are 24 hrs, buses run till 12 am, trains till 11pm. Sleeping on the streets are not allowed. ;p

Corruption is totally not tolerated in singapore and our police will help anyone even if you are not local. Police here are efficient, and they will definitely answer your call no matter of time. Police Stations can be found almost everywhere.

Shopping malls are available from the city to the neighboring estates. Malls usually include supermarkets, restaurants from fast food to expensive ones, cinemas and shops from books, dvd, clothes and whatever you need.

Hope these helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Regards,
Raymond