Art Center: I'm from abroad, do I have a shot?

[brokk]

Hey, just wanted to know if it's reasonable for someone from Argentina to get into a school like Art Center. Putting together a kickass portofolio is sure gonna keep me busy for the following years (I'm 18 right now) but I'm already working hard on it. The main problem is the money. Tuition costs for a semester are sky-high! Since I'm not a US resident I cant apply for financial aid, though at www.artcenter.edu says international students can apply for a scholarship. Now I've heard scholarships are damn competitive. How much of a chance do I really have? I am working pretty hard, but I at least want to know if its virtually impossible or just really, really hard (meaning I have a slight chance).

By the way here's a little site I'm putting together with some of my work, there's still a lot to post yet www.bk7600.tk

I realize I have to start learning a lot of different medias, Corel Painter mainly. I dont wanna just do pencil, I want to learn how to make full color renders!

Please... any feedback will be greatly apreciated.

[xHUNTERx]

Art Center's been trying to expand itself lately, so they're taking alot more students than the previous years now. Some advice for putting up a portfolio though, don't use photographic references, still lifes are the way to go. Unless you have enough skills to make photo references look as realistic as still lifes, I dont think you should use it for portfolio pieces.

[Justme]

Unfortunately, most people with an eye can pick out a work done from a photo immediately. What a difference!

Work done from photos has an illustrative look which is appropriate for illustration! But not for fine art I think.

[Helium Macaroni]

3 things to keep in mind when applying to Art Center regarding portfolios...

Life drawing, life drawing, life drawing.

That’s what they wanted from me before I got in, that’s what they wanted to see from everyone else that I know. They want to see if you have the ability to learn the methods for traditional training. I came with a BFA in hand already and had many of my projects from Pratt incorporated, but they still wanted to see more life drawing, mostly figure stuff. You need quite a bit more figure drawing in your portfolio, in fact, I would discourage doing anything from photos, unless you are incorporating it into a particular illustration or concept. They, as well as employers, need to know you have the basic underlying knowledge of what comprises the underlying structure of figures, heads, etc. Doing color renderings is fine, but drawing from life is the most important thing to do, whether black and white or color. . That's what is going to count. Try some other media though, be diversified also. Like Hunter said though, they are taking just about everyone and their brother these days, so that may factor into the accepting of many new students. But in terms of drawing in pencil, charcoal, etc, you're going to have an entire first term of that, so be prepared. You have to know the rules before you can break them, and depending on the teachers you get, that rule-establishing semester can be quite rigorous.

Good luck.

[April]

You won't know unless you try.

[I.was.ink]

I had nothing but figure drawings just like MAcaroni as well in my portfolio. I suggest that you put some of your conceptwork in there as well. Sort of like if you had a page of thumbnail sketches then a couple of comps taken from the thumbnails, then a pencil drawing/painting/ of your final concept. It could be of anything (i.e still life, sci-fi, movie poster, design, whatever). Dont forget to put in some head drawings in there too. You should visit the school someday and see what its like before you make any decisions. I'd try coming in on the last thursday of the semester cuz this is when the whole school is decorated with art by the graduating students and it makes for a very cool environment.:D

iwasink