The Official Artcenter Thread - like, omg!

[AC_HAO]

hehe cool thread nice seeing a thread of our school~ :confident started attending fall 05 loving it~

[phasma]

concerning internships...
i'm just curious, has anybody here done the dreamworks animation, show development internship?
with art center's close relation to the dreamworks work campus... i'd think it'd be a more-than-excellent opportunity for someone wanting to go into artistic development for film. however, i realize the great difficulties in actually attaining the internship.


or, rather, have any art center students attained an internship through art center connections? is that possible...

[WabiSabi]

not sure if its proper to post this here
im a trans major of AC in fall '06
i know that ppl can never live here w/o a car
but im an international student
and only get the driver's license issued by my home country
tho ive planned to get the paper test in DMV in early Aug(cuz ill be arriving in the States then)
but about the behind-the-wheel test....
i aint quite sure where to get a driving instructor for 1~2 courses to let me be familiar with the examin way there
ill be living temporarily around Santa Monica in Aug...so if anyone could please give me some tips or directions?
besides the driving instructor, some friends told me that even if u get the CA driver's license...for the first few months...the insurance would be hella high cuz u r treated as an inexperienced and dangerous driver...
does that mean whether I wna buy a car or not...i needa decide it months after my receiving driver's license?
if my post here violates the rule of like ART SCHOOL is the only main topic...pardon me and plz direct me to the right forum....and sorry for that:(
1) any driving instructors around Santa Monica?
2) if i should buy cars couple months after receiving driver's license?
tons thanks to ppl willing to help me out:)

[JoshK]

Most people I talk to say you NEED a car in California and I agree with that. I know some people ride their bike to school but that would only work if you live close to the school and going up that hill on a bike would suck. So I would say buy a car as fast as possible.

[WabiSabi]

okay...i think the insurance would be lil problem compared to my riding bike up to the hillside campus~:P
thanx JoshK newayz~

[Helium Macaroni]

okay...i think the insurance would be lil problem compared to my riding bike up to the hillside campus~:P
thanx JoshK newayz~

If you ride your bike to the hillside campus, even if you're coming from Pasadena, days like this when its 92 degrees, you will die.

Even if its a 15 year old junker with no AC and a missing bumper, you need a car in this city.

[WabiSabi]

sure I will:)thanx Helium~
but im tryin to get a nice driving instructor first...

[kokeshi]

Say, does anyone here possibly know if Vern Wilson is still teaching? I didn't see his name on the faculty line up. Does he possibly teach at a private atelier? Nothing seems to come up in a search, except within the context of biographies of artists who have studied under him. Greatly appreciate any information you might have. And yes, I called the AC office- didn't know who Vern Wilson was :nohope:
Thanks very much.

[JoshK]

he doesn't teach at AC anymore.....is he even alive?

[kokeshi]

I knew he wasn't at AC; I just thought he was a familiar enough fixture in the place, that someone would have said, "Oh yea, Vern. He's doing a Costa Rica thing". Or something like that anyway. I trolled around, and people seem willing and able to include a reference to having studied with him (in their artist bio), yet none of these guys seems to have kept in touch with him over the years. Weird. Well, his work is alive; and his students are his connection to this terristrial life, even if he is "flying with out a net" somewhere.

If anyone locates him, please post. Thanks very much.
Paging Mr. Wilson. Mr. Vern Wilson...

[Sheff]

If I am not mistaken, Vern Wilson is living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His name is actually George Vernon Wilson. Kyle Kane took over Vern's classes when he made his move. Steve Huston took over Vern's studio in Eagle Rock for a time.

If you have questions about Vern ask Kyle, Dallas or Bob Kato.

[kokeshi]

Sheff, you're the best! Thanks a million.

Kokeshi

[kokeshi]

Found Vernon Wilson. I suppose everyone has there opinion about what makes/who is a great figure artist. IMO, Vern Wilson is THE man. He had the most etherial connection between a conte' crayon and his neural network. Watching him go to work - with conte' crayon and chamois, and watching the anatomy emerge from the paper, was nothing short of mystical. His artistry was matched only by his respect for each an everyone of us "grunts".

http://www.galisteostudiotour.org/Artists/Wilson_Vernon.asp

October 2006 Galisteo Studio Tour dates
http://www.galisteostudiotour.org/Default.asp

[evildisco]

Finally accepted, starting in fall 06, so I guess this thread is pertinent to my persona now.

Mike do I get to see you around or did you run away?

[J.Mac]

Room for Rent

Hey everyone, I am an Art Center student and i figure people who are moving might want to know that i have a room available in my 3 bedroom apartment.

The room can be rented alone or you can share the room with me. rent will of course be lower if you share. The room has a large closet and its oun bathroom(shower/sink/toilet) floor dimensions are 12 x 15.

The apartment has a common area and porch. we have 3 car ports only 2 are currently being used.

i would prefer to have an Art Center student since everyone in the house is one. if you are interested you can post here or email me at jbmaccabe@yahoo.com.

take care,

-Jesse

[MasterOfChaos]

Okay, maybe you guys can help me out with my dilema. I really desire to be a 3d game artist someday and I am currently getting ready to attend my state university( Iowa state). The major I will be working towards is called integrated studio art and includes fundamental drawing and design classes in the first year. Second year there are about 8 different classes that make up the curriculem consisting of drawing, painting, some 3d modeling/animation...and weaving and fibers(wtf!) oh, and some metals and ceramics thrown in. The next two years are just studying your personal preferences more deeply. Now the advisor insists that the program is great, but I don't know of any professionals that went there. A couple grads went to EA and one to Pixar, but the majority attend grad school. Just recently I started looking at the art center and I was wondering how everything would compare. I want the best education I can get, cause I'll be droppin loads of cash either way. Do you guys think the the art center and then gnomon would be better?

also, what are the digital media courses like at ac? Would I have to go a place like gnomon anyway? Man, all this is getting stressful:( Obviously grad school is expensive as hell, but then ac is too. If anyone has any insight or advice I could use it. Thanks in advace ppl :yayca:

[J.Mac]

Well to tell you the truth if 3D is your goal AC isn't the place for it at all. Granted they do have classes for it but it isn't that kind of school. Gnomon is pretty good and they can teach you alot. i haven't taken a class on 3d at Gnomen before but i have been in there facilities and it's pretty nice.

So if you want to become a 3D game artist see what schools cater to your needs and price range. For me if i was going to become a 3D Game Artist Gnomon is my choice over AC any day. Just do your research and keep asking questions. Good luck.

-Jesse

[MasterOfChaos]

J. Mac: Hey thanks man. I've been looking around for a little bit but more research would be beneficial.As of right now I think Gnomon would be the right step after I have my traditional skills down. Thanks again.

[kokeshi]

Perhaps you might also consider the following. If not for your core program, for additional study:

The Art Institute of California Game & Art Design Program
http://www.artinstitutes.edu/orangecounty/news_detail.asp?nid=1488

The Virtual Reality Lab, U.C. Irvine (California)
http://studioart.arts.uci.edu/facilities/research.html

The Art Institute seems to be quite a niche spot for the gamers. Best regards for your quest.

[MasterOfChaos]

kokesi: Hey, thanks for those links man. That's why I love CA; other artists really care about helping each other.

[Sheff]

Your plan of going somewhere tradtional for a while, like Watts (http://www.wattsatelier.com/home.html) or Los Angeles Academy of Fig. Art (http://www.laafigart.com/) is smart before going to Gnomon.

At least you're ahead of the game doing research rather than buying into a sales pitch from the first place you walk into.

I'm a teacher at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. According to one of the teachers who transfered here from OC she said she thought that skills were better here in Vegas than in OC. I have seen a wide range of skill of both good and bad from students/grads of Ai. Art Center is far better. The difference between Ai and ACCD is like the difference between McDonalds and The Cheesecake Factory. The price difference is also just as steep.

In terms of a 'well rounded' education, I felt Art Center was pretty good for that. At the time I went, 3d was in it's infancy and the labs were nothing to speak of. But the question is how important is the degree to you(or your parents)? The fact is your portfolio will speak to how good you are. You only need a degree if you intend to teach.

You can save buttloads of cash by being strategic about your education. A year at Watts or Laafigart will be way less than a year at Art Center, and besides, you spend the first year of ACCD in foundation stuff anyway. You might as well be purely focused on it without having the distraction of having to take requirements like English and Math.

Then when your traditional skills are where you want them to be then go to Gnomon. You can probably work a part time job while at Watts or Laafigart whereas it would almost be impossible to do that while at Art Center.

That said, I really enjoyed my time at Art Center. I had all of my prerequisites finished before I started so for me it was great to just focus on art for a few years.

Good Luck.

[kokeshi]

Good of you, Sheff, to take the time to share your thoughts about thinking/planning strategically.

MasterofChaos: I visited your sketchbook - your transformer (June 23,2006) is incredible. My apologies for the obvious descriptor; as the work is much more than the word implies.

And thanks again, Sheff.

[MasterOfChaos]

Sheff: I appreciate the insight, that info was some of the best I've heard yet. It's good to year that someone thinks I am on sort of the right track with learning my foundation then 3d at Gnomon. Thanks again.

[Sheff]

Glad to help guys. I hope my input is still valid, considering I graduated ACCD in 1994, I'm sure a lot has changed since I've been there.

[Lianna]

Hi, quick question here. As incoming freshmen, all students are required to take a writing test. Can anybody tell me the format of this exam? Is it like an essay format base on a topic they give you? :p Because I have a tendency to make grammar mistakes, I'm kinda nervous about it.

[evildisco]

I'm on the same boat as you, but I doubt it will be hard, I think it's a placement test though.

[T-lapia]

Hi guys, I have a question about the school load, is it possible to finish all the regular school work with a job on sat n sun? are the classes in AC from Mon to Thurs only like regular universities/colleges?


I would think people would be able to finish all their HW by the workweek right? or do they need the weekends?

[gunnz]

It's funny that you mention UCI. I actually graduated from UCI in 2003 as a major in Studio Arts, minor in Digital Arts, and an emphasis in Gaming Studies. Our school was supposedly one of the first to adopt a gaming curriculum...and it was actually quite far from an actual design program. It doesn't surprise me that they have a virtual reality lab now. I'm guessing it's more for research though. Our grad program in Fine Arts is actually pretty famous, so I think a lot of it trickles over into the undergraduate curricullum in terms of scope and experimentation. It was more about applying these concepts effectively and clearly rather than on actually learning how to use a medium. My time there was priceless in terms of a college experience, but I only got to take three drawing classes. I felt so unsatisified when I graduated, but I guess that's all that a university-based art curriculum offers. Needless to say, I'm going to be attending either Art Center or Otis this following spring. These almost non-existent awards letters have me pretty stressed out right now.....but I can't wait to go back to school. In the end, I think it's worth it. Like someone said, if you are going to school anyway, why not pay a bit more to go to the best? Or course, if it is the best for your intended area of study, and the banks will lend you that much money...haha. In the end, go with your gut feelings.


Perhaps you might also consider the following. If not for your core program, for additional study:

The Art Institute of California Game & Art Design Program
http://www.artinstitutes.edu/orangecounty/news_detail.asp?nid=1488

The Virtual Reality Lab, U.C. Irvine (California)
http://studioart.arts.uci.edu/facilities/research.html

The Art Institute seems to be quite a niche spot for the gamers. Best regards for your quest.

[Steven Worley]

Hey everybody!

I'm entering ACCD as an illu major this Fall '06. I've been reading this thread for the past few months soaking in info and trying to make the decision to attend and take out all those loans.

Does anyone know about the Illu major specilization curriculums? In my acceptance packet they included descriptions for an "Entertainment Design" specilzation that teaches you how to design "props, vehicles, architecture, charcters and enviroments...for application in cinema, games and other entertainment applications." Sounds like concept art to me! Is this prefurable over being a trans/ producut major?

MasterOfChaos- Have you tried checking out Gamasutra.com for video game school info? I ended up downloading the Game Developer Career Guide Fall '06 and it has a ton of school listings w/ game programs. Besides the usual bachelor degrees you can get from art colleges/ universities, apparently you can even get associates degrees in game design from some community colleges around the US. Cheap alternative but I don't know how good each colleges curriculum/ contacts would be. It costs about $6 to download the guide, then its good to print the stuff out, easier to look at. Anyways Gamasutra is a good resource by itself check it out.

[Lianna]

Hey evildisco, have you found an apartment yet? I'm having such a tough time looking for one that's in the right price range and distance from ACCD. :( Don't have much time left to look for one...

[evildisco]

I don't have that kind of problem, I have the fortune of living in Pasadena already.
You're going to have a hard time, because the prices are all jacked up in the nearby area.
Though http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=953372&postcount=784 you could try that.

[gunnz]

Look in Glendale. My apt is $1200 for a two bedroom. I'll see if there's any openings in my building.

[Lianna]

Evildisco, you are so incredibly lucky. -___- Ha, I'd love to live with other accd students but my dad prefers me to room with females and I think I'll respect that decision. I think J. Mac is a dood?

Gunnz, thanks, I'll try to look the area up. Thanks alot for your help. =)

[kradeki]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking at Art Center for a while, as well as other schools, but
I wanted to ask those who have applied to Art Center for a 2nd BFA (since that's what I'd be doing if I applied)... what made you choose to go for the 2nd BFA instead of going for an MFA elsewhere? Getting an MFA elsewhere would of course be much much cheaper (in-school-time is shorter, one would be eligible for TA-tuition-waivers and college/federal grants, plus one'd be able to teach once one finished) but what made you decide to go to Art Center anyway?
Is it the quality of instruction? Is it because MFAs generally have a research-oriented focus... or is it anything else? Also, so far, do you think you made the right choice?

Basically, I guess I'm trying to find out if getting a 2nd BFA at Art Center is worth the price and time...

Thanks in advance,
kradeki

[gunnz]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking at Art Center for a while, as well as other schools, but
I wanted to ask those who have applied to Art Center for a 2nd BFA (since that's what I'd be doing if I applied)... what made you choose to go for the 2nd BFA instead of going for an MFA elsewhere? Getting an MFA elsewhere would of course be much much cheaper (in-school-time is shorter, one would be eligible for TA-tuition-waivers and college/federal grants, plus one'd be able to teach once one finished) but what made you decide to go to Art Center anyway?
Is it the quality of instruction? Is it because MFAs generally have a research-oriented focus... or is it anything else? Also, so far, do you think you made the right choice?

Basically, I guess I'm trying to find out if getting a 2nd BFA at Art Center is worth the price and time...

Thanks in advance,
kradeki

Yeah, I'd like to know too. I'm going for a second bachelor's degree in the spring. Yes, an MFA would be cheaper in terms of getting more aid (you getting almost nothing if you apply for a second BFA or BA), and being in school for a shorter duration, but I think it all depends on what you want to do, and where you are in your career already. I think a MFA is more for people who already have a solid skill set in their intended major, and are just looking for ways to further develop their career in terms of research, collaboration, and experimentation. However, for someone like me, who doesn't have experience in illustration and hasn't worked professionally at all, a BFA would probably be more ideal. I've looked at some MFA curriculums and course descriptions, and I just feel like a BFA would suit me better. I'm not even sure if I want to graduate either. I don't intend to teach, but only to work as a professional. Also, I don't even think that you need a MFA to teach at design schools. Some teachers don't even have BFAs! I think it just depends on your experience and your accomplishments. Anyways, if anybody has any opinions, please share. I was planning on going to Otis because they gave me a small scholarship and put me in as a sophomore (vs. AC who gave me nothing) , but the new motion graphics gallery on the Art Center website rocked my socks!!

[voodoo_smiles]

Hi everyone! I have, what seems to me, like a really dumb question, two actually :x When do you find out the supplies and such that you'll need for each class, and when do they bill you for the semester? Thanks!

[evildisco]

They should inform through a syllabus the required supplies as for the billing I think it's the first week of the start of the semester, if you are paying in full, otherwise there are other dates for the split tuition.
Check the website, it should say there.

[Timo C.]

Hi everyone..., I am just about ready to send off my portfolio for spring entrance and scholarship application, this thread (and site) has been an amazing help. I just had a quick question and was hoping someone here on the boards might have some insight.

I am applying to the illustration program and am hoping to go towards an entertainment design degree, however I just watched an interview with Scott Robertson on cgchannel and he had said they plan on starting a new Entertainment Design degree in the fall. Did I hear right, is this happening? I would love to end up doing concept design for film & games, and maybe there is a new track for it.

Either way it will not make a big difference in my application, I was just curious and had not heard back from the accd counseler I emailed.

Thanks again and, good luck this semester.

[evildisco]

Who's going to be at the social tomorrow night? At the south campus?

[voodoo_smiles]

They should inform through a syllabus the required supplies as for the billing I think it's the first week of the start of the semester, if you are paying in full, otherwise there are other dates for the split tuition.
Check the website, it should say there.

Ah yes I dunno why I didn't think of that! You're right, it's the first week of the start of the semester. Thanks!

[shaoshao]

Timo>> It is not an entertainment design degree. It is a minor program. The program has two classes of people going through it right now, and this fall is the official launch of the program (when all the classes will be running ect ect)

If you want more information on this minor program. some of us in the first class have started a forum where we post art and answer questions, come look around and maybe we can help :)

http://www.pensketch.com/forums

[Timo C.]

shaoshao - thanks a ton for the clarification!

I went to the pensketch forum - awesome! I spent all night looking at everyones gallery posts. Get me even more motivated.

Thanks again

[Timo C.]

ahhh YEAH!, Just sent off my portfolio for officiall application to the illustration major! It should be there Friday... I can't wait to hear back.

Does anyone know how long it usually takes before you hear back about acceptance?

Anyone else applying for admission in the Spring?

[evildisco]

2 weeks maybe? That's what it took for mine to get a response.

[ChewyOlive]

I sent my portfolio yesterday (somewhat last minute), applying for admission to the illustration program, spring 07.

[document]

Great thread here, thanks for all the info!
I'm planning to transfer to AC for Fall 2007 and I have a question.

On the AC website they say that sketchbooks can be a useful addition to a portfolio. So, would it be wise to submit multiple sketchbooks in my portfolio or should I just keep it to one?
and how should I submit the sketchbook? Should I just put it in the front cover of my portfolio, or should I put it somewhere else?

[Timo C.]

Yahoo Baby!

Just got my acceptance letter on Saturday. Took about 2 weeks. Very excited, it is pretty much a done deal as long as I get some sort of financial aid or scholarship help. I have pretty much accepted the fact that I am going to take out some massive loans to get through... but I think I have come to terms with that.

@ document - I had a list of items/coverpage that I included with my portfolio, I listed my sketchbook and then just packed it in the case with everything else.

Good luck

[Timo C.]

Booh-Yah !

Can't let this thread fall to the second page....

After sitting on pins and needles for a few weeks I finally recieved my award/scholarship info from Art Center.
5000 - if anyone cares - I am just happy to get anything. I can't wait to start, now I just have to start the task of signing over my soul to lenders, hopefully I can find some who will let me get money with my credit.
Any recomendations on how to start the proccess(like go to a credit union etc?, I am farly clueless as to the next step.)


Has anyone done the federal workstudy through Art Center? I am curious as to what kind of jobs they have you do.

Does anyone recommend a good place to live? - I would love to be with fellow Art Center-ists

If anyone is looking for a place to live and/or roomates I'll be heading down the end of Nov. to look and would be more than happy to keep my eyes open.

[Rascar Capac]

hey guys

Im not sure if it is the right place to do this so..Im an AC graduate and currently working overseas and looking to rent out my house- maybe to a couple of AC students. Is it ok if I post pics/flyer here? Or if anyone's interested you can PM me.

Thanks

[Timo C.]

I'm interested - sent pm
you can contact me at

timc@sandmanstudios.com

thanks
Tim

[gunnz]

Booh-Yah !

Can't let this thread fall to the second page....

After sitting on pins and needles for a few weeks I finally recieved my award/scholarship info from Art Center.
5000 - if anyone cares - I am just happy to get anything. I can't wait to start, now I just have to start the task of signing over my soul to lenders, hopefully I can find some who will let me get money with my credit.
Any recomendations on how to start the proccess(like go to a credit union etc?, I am farly clueless as to the next step.)


Has anyone done the federal workstudy through Art Center? I am curious as to what kind of jobs they have you do.

Does anyone recommend a good place to live? - I would love to be with fellow Art Center-ists

If anyone is looking for a place to live and/or roomates I'll be heading down the end of Nov. to look and would be more than happy to keep my eyes open.

Congrats on your scholarship! You're getting 5k a semester? Either way....that's awesome. I'm still waiting for my scholarship letter....
Anyhow...getting private loans are pretty easy. In the financial aid packet there should be this sheet showing you all the financial ad portals. Through this, you can find a list of private lenders (Citibank, Chase, Education Finance Partners, etc). Pretty much anybody that breathes can get a private loan....but the interest rates are pretty crazy. Just do some research....most of the private loan rates I've checked are based on the prime rate, which is already at 8.5%. Of course this is plus or minus a percentage based on your credit score or co-signer. Anyhow, it's all pretty much self explanatory....just read the fine print!

[Humbucker]

Hi everyone! I'm a brand new member and I'm planning on applying to Art Center for the Summer of '07. My question is, what major should I apply to? Illustration? Transportation design? Product design?

I'm in the process of reading all 800+ posts on this thread (up to page 8) and there seems to be some controversy as to which major is the best fit for those interested in concept design. I know it really depends on the person, so I guess I should tell you a little about my goals and interests.

I would really like to be a really well rounded artist that can work equally well with organic subjects and harder surfaces. Although Doug Chiang and Crash McCreery are both incredible designers, I don't JUST want to be a "robots and spaceships" guy or JUST a "monsters and creatures" guy. I'd love to have the environmental skills of Craig Mullins, the figure/character rendering skills of Travis Charest and the vehicle design skills of the ILM/SW/ST crew. I prefer to work with graphite/colored pencil/markers, but I would like to learn to paint. I want to improve my ability to model objects and interiors from my imagination, which the ID majors seem to emphasize, as I'm really weak in that area right now, but I'm not super interested in just drawing cars. Nor am I interested in taking courses on model making, ergonomics, design ethics, etc.

Right now the stuff I have for my portfolio is more geared towards illustration, but if trans. or prod. design will be better for concept design, I guess I'll start over.

This thread has been a tremendous resource for me!

[steve kim]

hambucker sounds like illustration would give you a more well-rounded education.

as for everybody else (and maybe you too mr. ham i don't know): for chrissakes learn to draw! every grad show on the entertainment side of things have been really depressing.

(i don't need to know how to draw anymore cause i'm all fine-art hohoho)

seriously though don't depend on ArtCenter to teach you the foundation you need.

i still like ArtCenter though.

[T-lapia]

yo tim. did you get 5k a sem? or 5k for a yr? thats pretty impressive dude! cool SB too!
Booh-Yah !

Can't let this thread fall to the second page....

After sitting on pins and needles for a few weeks I finally recieved my award/scholarship info from Art Center.
5000 - if anyone cares - I am just happy to get anything. I can't wait to start, now I just have to start the task of signing over my soul to lenders, hopefully I can find some who will let me get money with my credit.
Any recomendations on how to start the proccess(like go to a credit union etc?, I am farly clueless as to the next step.)


Has anyone done the federal workstudy through Art Center? I am curious as to what kind of jobs they have you do.

Does anyone recommend a good place to live? - I would love to be with fellow Art Center-ists

If anyone is looking for a place to live and/or roomates I'll be heading down the end of Nov. to look and would be more than happy to keep my eyes open.

[Timo C.]

Yo! T-lapia

Yeah man I got 5K a semester. Which I am pretty happy and gratefull to get. Looking at some of the previous posts it seems like it may be right around average for the Illustration scholarships though.

Right now my big debat is deciding weather to start in Jan, or defer enrollement for a semester and try and put away a little money, I qualify for loans but that is still money I have to pay back(with interest). If I really work my but off I can get enough scraped together for a semester, but I worry about starting late... I'll be 25 by the time I start in Jan.

Any thoughts are appreciated....

@ T-lapia
Are you attending Art Center now?

[steve kim]

keep in mind if u work like crazy to save up money for your first term that might hurt your chance to get future loans/grants (will raise your EFC)

[gunnz]

Yep, EFC for any year is based on the previous year's tax return. So....if anything, try to get a tip-based job...like waitering.

[gunnz]

BTW....I just turned 26 a month ago. *eek*.
Oh well...better late than never! Until recently, the average age of the entering freshman at AC was 24...so it ain't that bad.

[Timo C.]

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated! That is true about the EFC, I guess I was thinking a little bit that one in the hand is worth two in the bush sorta... Meaning the more money I can bring in the less I will need in Loans(growing interest). I suppose that doesn't work exactly right either since I think your scholarship is influenec by your efc.. maybe? oh well.... gotta figure it all out, thanks for your thoughts.

[spider2544]

Humbucker: yea sounds kinda like you want to stick with illustration then, though while your there you might want to take a product design class too just to get a bit more familiar with hard objects and stuff.

you could always go to art center twice though hahah.

biggest thing other than your traditional skills to get sharp i would say is get your design skills up to snuff, with creating interseting objects and characters. every term you see a lot of the same stuff churning out of the departments, and everynow and again you see a real gem, ususaly its the ones with the best design skills, not necisarily the best draftsmen.

just going to art center doesnt make you the UBER artist, YOU have to make youself into one, the school just provides the tools to make the jurney go a lot faster.
just my 2cents from the fine art department there hehe.im not an illustrator or entertainment major i just dig concept art.

Chumps: i think we were in the Loving ugly TDS togheter, i remeber you drawing that flying robot guy in your sketchbook in class haha.

[steve kim]

Chumps: i think we were in the Loving ugly TDS togheter, i remeber you drawing that flying robot guy in your sketchbook in class haha.

Lol, I should have been taking notes instead of doing those stupid dynamic sketching pages. Now I know better.

What work did you for the class?

[Timo C.]

I am getting ready start AC Illustration program, and I was just curious as to what everyone who has graduated is doing now.

i.e. are you working for yourself or a big/small company?

did you start working right away / how easy was it to find work right out of AC?

did the college help you find work?


Forgive my ignorance please, just curious if there are any alumni who want to weigh in on life after AC.

[gunnz]

I'm trying to decide whether to keep my full-time job and take an ACCD by night class every quarter, or to go to Art Center full-time. The reason why I'm leaning toward full-time school is because I feel like I want to be in an immersive learning environment, and really give it my all. I've taken night classes before, and it's pretty tiring to be in class after 9-10 hours of corporate work. I've always been a dozer by nature, and no matter how much I love drawing...I'll doze off. However, I'm still considering ACCD by night because I'd be in ALOT less debt at the end of it all. I know my growth would be much slower, but I guess it's the price I'd have to pay for not being in the red. Any opinions? Plus, I don't even know if I have enough money to graduate....I want to go back to school SO bad though. I need to learn and practice a lot.

[ailunchiu]

I'm goin to ACCD 2007 spring for Graphic design major and I feel so nervous about what is going to happen when I become a student there..I have so many questions but I don't know anyone there... I wish someone here can help me out with my questions...(o'-'o) thx!

1. I wonder if the sko have a individule studio for graphic design major ,, or do
I need to rent a larger housing place to get my work done?

2. is it actually harder to get the scholarship after first term in ACCD?

3. I bought an Epson 1280 printer about 4 months ago and I found out there're many ppl whose trying to sell their Epson 1280 printer at ACCD..
is it like a really "old" one for art center student?

4. how many profolio bag does a GD student need? can you submit a portfolio that has already been review by ACCD from the previous term?

5. how many classes will be the best fitting for a first term student?

6. is it hard to get at least B in the class?

7. are teacher there cares about the students? or they enjoy to knock down the students?

8. what happens if you get cold in ACCD? do I need to get a flu shot just in case it'll kills my grade?

9. what kind of job will be the best work-study job?
- TA? or helping teacher for the special projects?
- easy but non-related major job such as pasadena public library?


right now is about 3:30 am..maybe some of the questions are weird ^^" but thx for reading anyway!!!!!!

Karen

[xHUNTERx]

wow this thread has grown so much since the last time i posted.

anyways let me help out once in a while.

reply to karen's post:

1. As far as i know there are no individual studios at school except for grad students. However, the school's open 24/7, including the labs so you are free to work there anytime.

2. Yes, it is harder to get scholarship after first term. but there's always a chance if you're good enough in the judges' (instructors & department chairs) eyes

3. 1280 is just fine. Epson is what everyone at school uses but from what i heard the Canon i9900 actually does a equally if not better job than the epson printers. I don't think you need to update your printer for a while, there's not much of a difference between the 1800 and the 1280 besides the archival inks.

4. You only need one portfolio. Just update your works and take out older ones that you don't like when you re submit.

5. This question depends on how hard you're willing to work. I'm sure there are a bunch of students from ACCD on this forum took the hardest 6 classes during their first term. but generally people take 5. You're paying the money for 6 classes anyways, just try 6 and if you cant take it you can always drop it later on.

6. That depends on the teacher. but grades aren't what matters after all. it's your work and effort that counts.

7. Teachers do care, at least most of them do. Some teachers care by putting down students (Roland) hahah, i guess different people have different ways of showing affection.

8. you go to class? generally it's not a good thing to get sick in school you just need to learn to take care of your school.

9. I wouldn't suggest you working unless you're in some kind of a financial hardship. schoolwork is hard enough as is, having a job on the side is just having more extra work that you don't really need. Focus more on your studies and im sure you'll earn that money back once you start working after college.

having said that... good luck! art center's a great place to learn if you're willing to :D

[Felicia]

Hi Karen,

xHunterx pretty much covered all your questions

I have a few things to add:
Question 5. You will get your schedule on the new student orientation day.
For GD it will be most likely be:
1.Communication Design 1 (Roland Young is a tough teacher, but he will get you in the right art center mode so to speak)
2.Design 1
3.Type 1 or Comm. Sketch
4.Digital Design 1 or 2 if you took a computer skills tests and passed
5.Draw and Aim 1 (1 unit class to practice drawing and stuff)
6.History of Principles of Vis Comm. 1
7.English (or another academic class you haven't been credited for)

1-5 are studio classes but 6 and 7 are academic classes
Also they may or may not give you that many classes (probably 6). If you feel overwhelmed drop an academic class rather then a studio class.

When you do get your schedule try to avoid if you can 8am -10pm days. Sometimes they will stack 3 classes in one day and it will hurt.

Look at the descriptions online and make sure you come to class with any of the materials you think you might need. (you can store them in your car or your locker) First day of class they hand you a supply list and if there is something on it that you need that day, you will HAVE to buy it at the store if you don't have it with you. Just make sure to bring money so you can buy stuff just in case.

Here is a link to the campus web (http://www.artcenter.edu/campusweb/)
It has the schedule of classes and the descriptions.

If you live near by go to this term's grad show.

Make sure you got the right room number and campus. Bring your map and check on the door to make sure it is your classroom before opening a closed door.

Last tip get to class early (especially first day) sometimes there are room changes, parking issues, etc.

[Timo C.]

Hey the Noob is back again with another question!

I am trying to work out all my funding and get some sort of budget for myself set in stone. On the paperwork from AC they estimated spending around $5100 on supplies for two semesters

$5,100 for two semesters of supplies?!

Is that close at all to what you guys have spent or does that seem to be the starter cost of supplies

Illustration Major.

Oh yeah... and I'm still looking for a place to live, if anyone else is looking as well we might save eachother some time. Hit me up with a pm.

Thanks in advance

[Felicia]

Tim C.-
That estimate is a bit high. I guess if you have no supplies at all it would be accurate. I would guesstimate maybe I spent around 2000 for 2 semesters. You have to buy some expensive gouache, special brushes, books, and other stuff. No more student grade paint.
It adds up. I guess plan on 3000$.
If you need a new computer you can wait on that. They lab is okay for the first computer class but later on if you go into entertainment a laptop is pretty handy.
As for a place to live try the student services at art center. Sometimes they have some good rates and can hook you up with a roommate.

[Steven Worley]

Anyone going to the Insominia workshop?
Let me know I think I'm going!

-Steve

[T-lapia]

Tim C.-
That estimate is a bit high. I guess if you have no supplies at all it would be accurate. I would guesstimate maybe I spent around 2000 for 2 semesters. You have to buy some expensive gouache, special brushes, books, and other stuff. No more student grade paint.
It adds up. I guess plan on 3000$.
If you need a new computer you can wait on that. They lab is okay for the first computer class but later on if you go into entertainment a laptop is pretty handy.
As for a place to live try the student services at art center. Sometimes they have some good rates and can hook you up with a roommate.

Jeebuz! at least 3k for supplies? i guess i have most of the stuff... but then I dont have any good oils n gouaches. 3k is what's left in my bank acct.. i hope i can live thru this...

I have another question, if one only has 2 sems of scholarship, do a good percentage of the people get more scholarships on their 3rd term? coz i dont think i want to do 2 sems n then, on the 3rd sem not receive any aid...

[Felicia]

T-lapia-

Did you get a scholarship when you applied? If so Congratulations.
There are some art center scholarships that are only good for 2 semesters and some that last until you graduate (except on academic terms).
You can apply to the term scholarships every term but you compete with everyone who applies that is in your major. Some teachers do take in account what term you are so don't worry. There are other non-art center scholarships that you can apply to as well. The financial aid office has information on that.

If you are worried about not having aid on your 3rd term apply 1st and 2cd term for scholarship. If you are an illustration major the scholarship competition should be on a Thursday (?) of the 12th week of school (unless they changed it). Even if you get it one time you can apply again, and again. Plan ahead.

Don't worry, you will make it!

[ailunchiu]

Hi~ xHunterx and Felicia,

thanks so much for the replied!!!!

the information from you guys are awsome!!
\(' T ')/ ~* so helpful~*~*

there is one thing i didn't get it from Felicia, quote from your post "When you do get your schedule try to avoid if you can 8am -10pm days." is it means the class schedule in ACCD is fixed and we can determine which section is better for us?

btw, I recieved a package with orientation info, but i still have no idea about if GD major needs to take computer test on the orientation day?

I attached the letter from ACCD below.. it says " graphic design student do not take digital design so should not take the waiver test" but what about photoshop test? O..O Im confusing~anyone got a clue about this?

btw this website is wonderful ~ TvT and you guys are my new art center friends yay~ thanks again for helping me!


p.s. to Timo C. regarding to housing,
I used the website : http://losangeles.craigslist.org/
and I asked artcenter housing assistent to send out the housing list for me every week. you can asked ACCD to send you one. their email address: housing <housing@Artcenter.edu>

[Felicia]

ailunchiu,

It is no Problem.

You will get your schedule in orientation (couple days before the semester starts). You can change your schedule when the semester starts. The add and drop stuff is pretty much like other colleges.
But you shouldn't worry about doing drastic changes until later terms.
Look on campus web for the class descriptions and the schedule. You can see if some classes are full or have spaces left. Don't worry about this stuff too much your first term. You will not be able to take electives yet so you can't add "fun" classes.

Talk to as many upper term students in your major as possible. Not just for social reasons, ask about different teachers and classes.

Graphic design majors not having to take digital design 1 is news to me (but I am an Illustrator). That class just goes over Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark (maybe InDesign now). I copied that schedule from what art center lists as the graphic design schedule but who knows. The computer test is just to make sure you have a basic understanding of those programs so if you pass you can have digital design 1 waived. If you would rather just take the class don't worry.

If you have any questions that you are really concerned with call up Art Center and ask them. They will have more up to date answers for you.

[T-lapia]

thanks for the info Felicia! I really appreciate it.

[ailunchiu]

thanks for the detail info, Felicia~*
I was considering about should I attend to the freshmen's first day orientation's party and your reply answered my question, wow, really thanks a lot! I will try to get to know some new buddies and collect info about the teachers and classes.
btw I'll be going to the grad show on this fri,yay ~ :)
does anyone knows about the location for the grad show?
is it going to be on the main campus (lida st.) or the other campus?

~ o' T'o

[sux0rz]

i was wondering if it's a good idea to pass that digital design test? what class will i get instead? i hear it is an easy class to boost your GPA but i dont want to waste time either

thanks

ps karen did u get my pm? ^^

[Timo C.]

Just want to add my 2 cents

This thread has been an amazing help - big thanks to everyone who has answered any of my question directly and thanks to all the previous posters who have answered the questions I didn't know I had.

Can’t wait to start at AC

[Felicia]

Sux0rz-
If you know the programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark) pretty well you will be bored in that class. Take the test and then you can take a more advance computer class. At the time I wasn't that familiar with the programs so I took the class. It isn't hard class.

I am not sure what class you get instead. Maybe Digital Design 2??

Don't worry about GPA unless it effects your Financial aid. Pass you classes with a C or better and you will be fine. GPA is irrelevant in the art job land. Graduating with Honers is nice (family-wise) but it didn't get me any special treatment.

[ailunchiu]

sup my online ACCD buddies ~*u*
i called art center today and asked them if GD major needs to take the digital design test, and the GD dept ppl said ALL students are required to take it including with GD major student.. no matter if GD student needs to take it or not, i think the class should be helpful.. but if I failed that test as a GD student, I think i'll be so shame ~ (o..o) I'll dig my head to the sand like camel does..
as a GD student, i still suck at illustrator... i better study now
thx for you guys here to helps me out !
/(' v ')/ thx a lot!

[T-lapia]

what student loans are u guys getting? what private loans are good? I still havnt done the loans yet.

oh and i guess ill be seeing all u guys at the orientation!

[gunnz]

what student loans are u guys getting? what private loans are good? I still havnt done the loans yet.

oh and i guess ill be seeing all u guys at the orientation!

I'm getting a bunch of private loans from Citibank because I couldn't get much from the government. I've done some research and applied for a few lenders, and I found that Citibank seemed to give the best rates. Education Finance Partners wanted an origination fee, and their rate was a bit higher (it is based on the LIBOR 3-month index). The way you come up with the interest rate from them is to add the current LIBOR (around 5.25%) to the spread that they give you. Chase also wanted an origination fee, and the rate was higher. Citibank seemed like the best choice, so I went for it. It's been a huge test of faith to actually go through with taking out this much! I just have to keep reminding myself of how much I hate being in a cubicle. Private loans are ridiculous...but it's the only way for me. Oh well....a lifetime in debt, but doing what you love...is much better than doing what I hate and having to buy things to ease the pain! Haha....jk.

[Azzari]

Hi my names Jeremy, I just finished my first term as a Ill major at ACCD. So far so good; next term is gonna be a motherfucker though, I can't wait.:xpld:

[Timo C.]

I finally found a place to live and i'm all moved in.... Now I am just crossing my fingers waiting for the school to approve my loan. Seems like I have got a little less than a week to wait until orientation.

Does anyone know of any open figure drawing sessions, at the school or nearby?

I'd love to get in some live figures before school starts.

[gunnz]

I noticed that there are a lot more students in the illustration program than the others. Do you think they allocate a proportionate amount of scholarship funds to the illustration program?

[Felicia]

Timo C.- There is a figure drawing workshop on Thursdays in Glendale run by Bob Kato:
The Drawing Club (http://www.thedrawingclub.com/blog/)

I would also recommend drawing animals at the LA Zoo, and/ or people at a busy area(like a mall or starbucks) for good practice.

gunnz- I think they do at the have more money to give at the general level based on the amount of students (Art Center scholarships).
But some scholarships are for specific majors so it is hard to say how it balances out. I would ask Financial aid.

[sir nicholas]

oh god oh god i am THROWING UP WITH EXCITEMENT

please tell me what you know about these classes/teachers:

FND*A/015*03 DRAWING CONCEPTS 1 3.0 M 08:00am-01:00pm ACCD 0110 Strickland, M
FND*A/099*03 COMPOSITION AND DRAWING 3.0 T 02:00pm-07:00pm ACCD 0101 Weston I
FND*A/012-A*05 DES 1 (GPK/ADT/ILL) 3.0 W 08:00am-01:00pm
W 08:00am-01:00pm ACCD 0204
ACCD 0141 Mitchell, C
Mitchell, C
CGR*C/055*04 DIGITAL DESIGN 1 3.0 TH 03:30pm-06:30pm ACCD 0145 Sorenson, D

can someone explain why strickland is considered "bad"?
will I have room to add another class?
will i go insane with work?
is there anything i should change?
VOMITVOMITVOMIT:x

[xHUNTERx]

Nicholas,

Strickland isnt considered bad. but his teachings are far from beginner level, i wouldn't actually recommend taking classes from him until the later terms when your foundation is set.

As far as your other classes are, they look alright to me.
Weston is a very knowledgable teacher, but you have to go to him in person if you want to get the most out of his class.
Carol Mitchell's design 1 class is very very easy... but not very helpful. if you want to get your money's worth outta a design 1 class, go for claypool.

Try to take the waiver test for digital design 1 if you know your photoshop and illustrator already. and try to sub it with another class that is better towards your goal.

you can add up to 18 credits every term... that is usually about 6 studio classes. Personally I took 6 for most of my terms at school but it is really up to you to gauge how much you can handle.

The illustration program isnt the same now as it was a couple years back. Believe it or not the first termers actually have a much easier cirriculum than before. With proper time management i think your schedule is more than managable :D

good luck!

[Felicia]

Ditto on what xHunterx said.

I would say add another class at least.
Maybe History of Illustration or Intro to Modernism (required academic classes).
Or a studio class like Perspective (with Gary Meyer), or Head and Hands (Lorrie Madden).

They changed some of the names around so I am not sure what else to recommend.

Drawing concepts use to be a class you took later on, but they may have changed the names around.

I didn't have any classes with Strickland but I have heard some other female students not liking him. Nothing serious. Jeff Smith and Aaron Smith (not related) also teach that class and they are both good teachers.

You will be fine, don't stress.

[gunnz]

Would it be totally impossible to graduate in less than 8 terms? I have about 18 units of liberal arts transfer credit...

[evildisco]

They don't take them.
When I transferred I had 56 credits and they took like 8 of them.

[gunnz]

Well actually, they told me they'd take 18 units of transfer credits, based on my transcript. Not much based on the fact that I have a B.A., but I'll take it.

[T-lapia]

so perspective class is a good class to take instead of digital design(photoshop)? I dont think i need to take it, so what other classes are good to take if ever i pass the waiver???

[Felicia]

T-lapia- If you pass the test you will be placed in a more advanced digital design class, digital design 2 (as far as I know thats how it works).
You have to take perspective unless they waived it when you got in.

If they let you take another class that is not digital, take something that is required. If you have a bunch of classes that you are not crazy about take something that you are interested in or vice versa. It helps get through the first few semesters if you try to have a balance of "fun" classes with ones that you are not that into. But take required classes, get those over with so you can have more electives later.

When I say fun I don't mean less homework fun.

[evildisco]

No one of my friends waived digital design 1 and she was placed in perspective.

[Felicia]

Oh okay then if you pass the test you don't have to take any additional computer classes.:P
But perspective is a required class so she was placed in a required class that was open. Sorry, just clarifying.

So you guys are getting your classes, how exciting.

[Oblivious]

Hello,

I'm a new student at art center and i was hoping that someone would be able to help me with teacher selections.
My classes and teachers are:
Composition and drawing - Weston III
Design 1 (gpk/adt/ill) - kahn, joan
digital design 1 - sorenson
drawing concepts 1 - smith, a.

May someone please leave comments about whether these teachers are good/bad and/or if there are better teachers? Thank you very much. And I apologize if someone has already commented on one of these teachers from a previous post. I do not believe claypool is teaching this spring term.

[Felicia]

-Weston is good
-Kahn well I had a class with her in community college and didn't like her but she might be okay for design.
-Sorenson- I don't know
-Aaron Smith is good

I would add another class like History of Illustration with David Luce.
It is required for all Illustration majors and if memory serves it doesn't have that much homework (comparatively).

[evildisco]

I had Will Weston last semester, good teacher, highly recommend him.

If you want for Design 1 get Jon Nguyen, he's tough as they come but an awesome teacher.

[Oblivious]

Felicia and evildisco - Thank you very much for the advice!

[gunnz]

I got my class sched (with the exception of writing, because we get our placement test results next week):
Design 1- Kahn, Joan
Drawing Concepts - Smith, Jeff
Comp and Drawing - Attenbery
Digital Illustration - Dana Duncan Seil

I guess Kahn is questionable? What do you guys think of the other teachers? Thanks!

[Oscare]

Hey, guys
I just want to be an illustrator and do editorial work...So instead of taking classes that you might not need as an illustrator, why shouldn't students just take the night courses and not get into debt?...or at least not as much debt.

[gunnz]

Acutally, I wrestled with that decision for a long time, especially since I was already making decent money doing graphic design. First of all, I had to be honest with myself. Some people can work 9-6, take a three hour night class, eat dinner, and do homework for a couple hours, and go to work the next day. I've tried this for a couple years, and it just wasn't for me. I just couldn't devote enough time and energy to my studies, and I ended up missing a lot of classes due to work. Taking two night classes a term is a stretch if you're working full time....especially when there's tight deadlines at work. Also, night classes in illustration are pretty much all at the introductory level. I feel like getting better at illustration has less to do with taking classes, than it has with being able to fully devote yourself to learning. Being in an artistic environment and with like-minded people helps ALOT too. Wearing a suit all day and hanging out with corporate stiffs definitely doesn't do much for an aspiring illustrator. Honestly, if I were younger, and living at my parent's house or something, I would probably stick with the night course thing for a while and see how good I got. I think it all depends on what type of person you are.

[Felicia]

Gunnz- I think you are stuck with her, the other teachers are full. (Bendett I don't know, and Mitchell is suppose to be easy).

Oscare- Gunnz really covered it. It comes down to what you need to get to your goals and at the right learning speed for you.

[Oscare]

Well, odly enough, i do live with my parents, and i don't have a full time job, so when i'm not at class, i'm working on my drawing and photoshop, or painting skills and trying to find out HOW to get started already. and i'm taking three night classes, not two. as much i think people learn from being at art center, i think i'd learn more from actually getting illustration jobs. is it all just learning how to draw really well, composing a good picture, and coloring it? or is there more to it than that?

[gunnz]

Well, odly enough, i do live with my parents, and i don't have a full time job, so when i'm not at class, i'm working on my drawing and photoshop, or painting skills and trying to find out HOW to get started already. and i'm taking three night classes, not two. as much i think people learn from being at art center, i think i'd learn more from actually getting illustration jobs. is it all just learning how to draw really well, composing a good picture, and coloring it? or is there more to it than that?
I think editorial illustration is also about great problem solving skills. If somebody comes up to you and asks you to draw a piece for some article on _______, you need the skills to represent the concept concisely, with style and imagination. For example, I'm reading an article in Times about how companies are reducing energy use and carbon emissions in manufacturing to stay competitive. The illustration shows a brick factory with huge stacks on top...spewing trees. Not the way I'd do it....but you get the idea. That's one way of showing that issue visually. Whether you want to show this idea literally, representationally, or in an abstract manner....this is all up to you. With editorial illustration, I've seen some really simple, basic, almost crude illustrative styles work well just because the idea was on point.

[Oscare]

I went and saw the gallery today at art center. soooo many concept artists people. not many illustration people. Is it a high percentage of people that get concept artist jobs coming right out of art center. i read somewhere in the catalogue that art center has a real high percentage of it's students get jobs within the first year out of school. anybody have more info on that?

[mjg]

Hello -

Anyone have scholarship info... i just got my fafsa back and i have a really high EFC - i guess cause i worked for ten years before deciding to do this - does this kill your chance at getting scholarship - does anyone out there know.

thanks for any info

[steve kim]

recently i had someone email me a few questions regarding artcenter, it's costs, etc. the usual. i replied in my typical self-important fashion :). still, i thought it might be helpful to some of you...

I read a bunch of your stuff on the concept art forums…very insightful. I am planning on attending art center this summer, but as it gets closer I am having second thoughts – a lot of the info on that forum talks about how the illustration program is declining there (is it worth 100k)– and I was just wondering what your experience has been post graduation. Have you been able to get work, how helpful was Art Center in getting you placed? I am having a hard time understanding what one does with an illustration degree (that isn’t a concept artist) and how much someone can make as a freelance artist. Anyway – I appreciate – any time you have to answer some of these questions.

Thanks –


Hi,

I wish I could go into real detail, but i'll have to make do with a summary :)

Is artcenter worth 100k? It depends on how you view education. A lot of (wrong) people look at artcenter as a kind of tradeschool, I.T.T. for mad art skillz. If that's strictly your interest, then no, it's not worth it and you would be better served through gnomon, lafig, and various atelier's. If you have a more holistic view on education, however, then my answer is maybe.

What does education mean to you? In the broader scheme of things. Very poor people still manage to drive Lexus's and get indebted in half mil mortgages. Personally I value education over material things. 100k (more or less depending on aid, etc) is a lot but when you compare it to your total income over your lifetime it isn't all that much. Whereas the knowledge and experience gained will resemble some kind of MasterCard pricelessness.

It also depends on how smart you are. Personally, I don't think most of the kids going in school are very smart at all... they just regurgitate the same thing over and over. Everyone's vomit is a little different in color, but in the end it's still vomit :). If you're smart, then you already know how to teach yourself, to absorb everything from your surroundings and make the best out of it all. If you're smart, you benefit from immersing yourself in a place like artcenter that has some very smart and talented people.

If you're dumb, you will utilize half a percent of what school (hell, life) offers. You will also be very much in debt. Thing is, if you play the game like many play it, and your mad concepting skills are derivitive as fuck but somewhat tasty to the eye, then you'll make lots and lots of money and win many adoring conceptart fans. So being dumb isn't necessarily a bad thing either. It's just that you don't need artcenter for that kind of dumb, as much.

Anecdotally, I was mostly dumb and a little bit wise during my stay at school, and I absolutely have no regrets. My overall debt is 23k, the rest of it was paid off through federal aid and scholarships. If my debt were closer to 100k, i think i'd still have no regrets. But I don't know what 100k in debt feels like.

I understand if this makes no sense but these are my feelings on the matter and i've thought about them a lot. It's kind of a hobby of mine, thinking about school :).

You might also want to take everything I say with a grain of salt since although I managed to snag the honors term last term, I'm currently jobless, have always been, and have no professional experience in the major (illustration) i graduated from. I only have my words and my work :).

-Steve

p.s. When I get some time I'd like to really break down everything I've learned about art and school and all that but the time isn't now.

[steve kim]

on a sidenote, i've seen some posts asking what editorial or non-conceptart illustration is.

basically look in any communication arts or illustrators annual and you'll have your answer. if you like what you see and you'd like to be a part of that, consider editorial illustration. it's a tough road to hoe however...

even if you don't want that kind of gig, the things you learn in good (editorial) illustration classes are quite valuable.

[Oscare]

Hey, "chumps" i can't see your pics. i just see a white box with a red x in the middle. what gives?

soo, there's nobody to answer my question about concept artists out of art center?

[gunnz]

Hello -

Anyone have scholarship info... i just got my fafsa back and i have a really high EFC - i guess cause i worked for ten years before deciding to do this - does this kill your chance at getting scholarship - does anyone out there know.

thanks for any info

I worked before going back to school, so I have a high EFC too. It doesn't matter how much money you've made in ten years (unless you have assets and savings), just the year before. And yes, scholarship is based on need as well as merit.

[artdude89]

hey, i am just wondering , how fast does the illistration department fill up? im kind of worried about it since i still have to turn in my portfolio and will probably send it out next week or so. i know few people who already got acceptance letters. thanks for help

[evildisco]

Don't worry artdude, they are hungry for money they'll let you in. They will tell you that you need to be wary of the spots filling in to make you burn a little. Odds are you won't have problems getting in.
I know some of my friends got accepted a couple of days before classes would start.

[CruShTinbOX]

I'm getting a bunch of private loans from Citibank because I couldn't get much from the government. I've done some research and applied for a few lenders, and I found that Citibank seemed to give the best rates. Education Finance Partners wanted an origination fee, and their rate was a bit higher (it is based on the LIBOR 3-month index). The way you come up with the interest rate from them is to add the current LIBOR (around 5.25%) to the spread that they give you. Chase also wanted an origination fee, and the rate was higher. Citibank seemed like the best choice, so I went for it. It's been a huge test of faith to actually go through with taking out this much! I just have to keep reminding myself of how much I hate being in a cubicle. Private loans are ridiculous...but it's the only way for me. Oh well....a lifetime in debt, but doing what you love...is much better than doing what I hate and having to buy things to ease the pain! Haha....jk.


I just got my acceptance letter for the Summer 2007 term, and I'm pretty much in the same boat as you are. I'm 27, already have a BFA as well, and I'm going to have to take out private loans to pay for this. Just out of curiosity, what kind of interest rate did citibank give you?

No word on scholarship yet, but hopefully I'll get one. If not I think I may re-apply for fall term and try again. What term are you starting in?

I'm both very very excited and scared to death, lol. If I end up attending Summer term, I'm pretty much going to have to be out there in about 2 months and I have no idea how I'm going to pull that off yet, or even if I'll be able to get the loans in time, etc. but I'm ready to do this and I want to make it happen.

[Special K]

Huzzah! I just got my acceptance letter (in less than a week they accepted me...damn they're fast there...) for Fall '07 Illustration.
I'll be posting my portfolio to help others ASAP.

Eeeee I'm excited. I'm lucky to have parents that are supporting me as much as I need - but I still need scholarships or else they'll start tapping my stock....which will later buy me a place to live! Yikes!

I just have a quick question as far as "Advanced Standing" since I'm a transfer student -

My acceptance letter states I'm a "first year undergraduate" does this mean that none of my credit will transfer or are they just stating the obvious that it will be my first year there.
I want to be able to finish withing 2 1/2 years (no summer sessions) and I'm just worried that they are saying I have to do four years?

Also-

Who all I'll be seeing @ ACCD?!?!? I must get to know ya'll....
Do any of you guys live in SF Bay Area? I live in Cupertino, 1/2 hour northwest of San Jose.

My AIM SN- sonichan086
e-mail: sonianime1@yahoo.com

Thanks for all the help in this thread I'm going to read over it a bit... :)
:inject:

[evildisco]

Uhm they don't get a whole lot of credits from transfers, sometimes they waive a couple of classes but not whole terms.

So yeah you're stuck taking the whole cycle.

I had 56 credits from community college and they took less than 20 and I couldn't waive anything.

[Special K]

Uhm they don't get a whole lot of credits from transfers, sometimes they waive a couple of classes but not whole terms.

So yeah you're stuck taking the whole cycle.

I had 56 credits from community college and they took less than 20 and I couldn't waive anything.

Well it looks like I've got some bad news to tell the 'rents and a lot of hard work on scholarships to start on...

OR ...I might just be stuck @ the college I'm at :(

I'm sure my 'rents wouldn't do that to me though especially after how much time I've already spent working towards ACCD.
Do they waiver English/Math basics and Art History Classes??

[Sheff]

I had over 150 credits when I started ACCD in 91. All that got waived for me were English and Math classes. I can't remember if the state requires you have to take some kind of History of California type class, but I never had to take that. In addition, I had some elective teachers who were supposed to be teaching history type courses design their classes to be studio classes, so I learned technical stuff outside my major.

Then again, prior to ACCD, my focus was balancing Art and PE classes. I've also seen people's weight bounce up and down at ACCD. Like they're thin when they're taking classes and fatter when they take a term off.

I did miss the basketball court that ACCD had in the student parking lot. That was a really nice release.

Currently I teach life drawing beneath classrooms that teach Culinary upstairs. No free food though.

I agree pretty much with what Chumps wrote. I teach a lot of students who have no clue about the industry or what they want out of life. The most focused ones were the people who knew what they wanted or had a clear strategy about their education.

From time to time, I look up people that I went to school with (people in my starting term) and I can find only a handful of them online. Then again, they may be in-house somewhere, and don't have a website or they're working in a different industry. I've lost touch with all but a few close friends.

[Grayber]

I've been lurking here for a while, but I'd just like to say thanks to everybody for all the advice in this forum. I just got accepted for Fall 2007 Illustration at ACCD and this thread has been extremely helpful in getting there.
I look forward to seeing you guys in September!

[Moccomouse]

Hey guys, been skimming this thread some.

I'm gettin' fed up with my school (Ohio sucks five kinds of terrible) and I'm going to take the plunge and transfer to Artcenter. I think I have enough mad product design/ID skills to get in, and then hopefully get into the entertainment design thing eventually.

I was wondering if anybody could give me their "non" school opinions about artcenter. What's it like out there? What's there to do in pasadena? What's the housing situation like these days? Any input would be most appreciated, I plan on flying out to visit as soon as I can.

[artdude89]

hey, im stuck on the essay part where they want the three artist.
i got question that needs to be cleared up.
When they ask for Major artist are they saying like piscasso or van gogh, or big name designers that influenced me.
or three major "not that major as van gogh" but still notable and respected artist that influenced me.

i'm thinking like
bob ross
ryan church
syd mead.

but im not to sure what they are clearly asking for.

[gunnz]

Hey guys, been skimming this thread some.

I'm gettin' fed up with my school (Ohio sucks five kinds of terrible) and I'm going to take the plunge and transfer to Artcenter. I think I have enough mad product design/ID skills to get in, and then hopefully get into the entertainment design thing eventually.

I was wondering if anybody could give me their "non" school opinions about artcenter. What's it like out there? What's there to do in pasadena? What's the housing situation like these days? Any input would be most appreciated, I plan on flying out to visit as soon as I can.

Pasadena is great....awesome weather and air, and its safe. There are really nice multi-million dollar homes, but its pretty laid back. As far as things to do....Old Town is a cool place to hang out, eat, and shop. Then if you feel like going out and partying, LA is only 20 minutes away. For housing, look into South Pasadena, Glendale, or Eagle Rock. I live in Glendale, and it takes me 10 minutes to get to school via local roads. Art Center is up in the hills, and the windy roads are pretty fun to drive. I used to drive fast through there, until I saw a deer walking on the side of the road. I'd hate to hit a deer. There are actually deer on campus sometimes, in the lawn by the driveway. In Glendale or Eagle rock, expect to pay 1300-1600 for a 2 bedroom pad. You should check out the housing info they offer through school, or Craigslist.

[evildisco]

hey, im stuck on the essay part where they want the three artist.
i got question that needs to be cleared up.
When they ask for Major artist are they saying like piscasso or van gogh, or big name designers that influenced me.
or three major "not that major as van gogh" but still notable and respected artist that influenced me.

i'm thinking like
bob ross
ryan church
syd mead.

but im not to sure what they are clearly asking for.

Who inspired you, doesn't matter if it is big or small.

Avoid the cliches, not that it matters though.

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Pasadena is great....awesome weather and air, and its safe. There are really nice multi-million dollar homes, but its pretty laid back. As far as things to do....Old Town is a cool place to hang out, eat, and shop. Then if you feel like going out and partying, LA is only 20 minutes away. For housing, look into South Pasadena, Glendale, or Eagle Rock. I live in Glendale, and it takes me 10 minutes to get to school via local roads. Art Center is up in the hills, and the windy roads are pretty fun to drive. I used to drive fast through there, until I saw a deer walking on the side of the road. I'd hate to hit a deer. There are actually deer on campus sometimes, in the lawn by the driveway. In Glendale or Eagle rock, expect to pay 1300-1600 for a 2 bedroom pad. You should check out the housing info they offer through school, or Craigslist.

Great! Thx for the info.
How much do you pay for 1 bedroom pad?

Is there allot of traffic in youre area?

[gunnz]

Great! Thx for the info.
How much do you pay for 1 bedroom pad?

Is there allot of traffic in youre area?

There's not a lot of traffic in Glendale or Pasadena, unless you're going to downtown LA. I take a local road all the way to school...only two stoplights. I think one bedroom places are at least 1,000.

[mjg]

Hey - i was wondering what your thoughts were on the school. I am a bit older and have a previous bachelors too. How do you feel about your decision now, or is it too early to tell. I am in the same boat you were regarding leaving a decent paying job ect... any feedback is appreciated -

thanks -

[gunnz]

Hey - i was wondering what your thoughts were on the school. I am a bit older and have a previous bachelors too. How do you feel about your decision now, or is it too early to tell. I am in the same boat you were regarding leaving a decent paying job ect... any feedback is appreciated -

thanks -

It is kind of early to tell, but I love it so far. I don't think school is some secret ingredient to getting better. Nobody forces you to do your best, but the avenues for getting better are all there. As far as resources go, school is of course the best. I pretty much have a full day every day: going to class, then going to workshop, and then going home and doing homework all night. It's awesome to live and breath learning. The thing is...I know if I stayed at my job I would never be able to do this. However, if you had some way of sustaining yourself without working, or working very little (i.e. live at home), you could probably get the same results from going to an atelier, reading books, and motivating yourself to get better. This whole quarter is basically about learning anatomy, learning to use illustrator, compositions, and researching artists. Nothing crazy, but it's all what you make of it. Since I started school, I realized just HOW many people want to do concept art. So...if want to do it, just work as hard as you can and don't look back.

[runaway]

is art center creating a new entertainment design program(degree) or is it still a minor?

[Oridan]

Hey guys I just wanted to ask if you all had any suggestions for what kind of portfolio cases to use when sending in your artwork. Any specific brands? I'm trying to send in some canvases too so I'm looking for a durable one. Thanks in advance!

[Kendraad]

Check out Dick Blick

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/papers/

They have a nice selection of portfolio cases and I'm sure find one that might suit what you're looking for.

I see a lot of people use these when they hand in portfolios to recruiters at my school: http://www.dickblick.com/zz150/19/
My roomate also has one of these as well. They're actually really nice and quite afforable.

[Oridan]

Thanks Kendraad, that's a great looking portfolio! The only problem is how to get canvases/sketchbooks into it. Should I make a reproduction or keep the canvases and portfolio separate and then put BOTH of them into an even bigger box?

[applesoveroranges]

hm.. I was really confident about wanting to go to art center, but after reading this thread it kind of gave me some doubts :[


I've heard many stories about art center- not good ones, but many opportunities there, ne?
my main concern is finance ><
The things is... my mom does not want me to go to art school, so im rebelling and going anyway...but I'll have to support myself :[ it seems impossible, but my friend's cousin graduated from art center last year without her parents paying a cent. All she has to do now is pay off the loan.
I really don't have any other place to consider...and i don't know if AC is worth the money or not... I don't want to get in work hard, drop out, then work my ass off again just to pay it off.

blah.. scholarship deadline for spring is a week away and i need 6 more works!! ><' so screwed...but I hope a few figure drawings this weekend can help cover that up :[ I have about 6 in total, and 3 works in progress:[

[Kendraad]

Applying to any major art college is definetly going to be a financial burden, especially since Art Center doesn't supply housing. What major are you looking into? I haven't been keeping up to date at Art Center, but from what I've gathered they're still a great art school. If you're looking to vehical and/or concept design, that would definetly be the place to go.

It's to bad your mom won't support you going to art school :( Most people have this idea bred into their brain of the starving artists, but there are definetly jobs out there for us!

[artdude89]

hi,

when i apply for Art Center, I applied as Illustration, so does this mean that once i get there in school that I am able to select the "entertainment track"?

Also, Is the Digital Media curriculm a whole seperate major from the Entertainment Illustration track, or is it an elective class anyone can take? Cause i planned to study digital media along with the illustration classes if thats possible. Also, how good is the Digital media education in ACCD?

thanks for adivce, hopefully i made it clear to understand if not ill try to rephrase it

[evildisco]

No, you go through three terms of foundation like everyone else, then you can submit a portfolio for review to choose your minor.

[Oscare]

So, if i was going to owe 120 grand after everything. How much would it really be after interest?

[Oridan]

Well, I just finished putting together my portfolio and will ship it tomorrow using 1 day shipping. Let's see how this goes X_x

[runaway]

is art center creating a new program/major in entertainment design? or is it still a minor only? anyone have any idea?

[steve kim]

as someone interested in both art and film (i made a short documentary my final term) this interview was quite refreshing to read: http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/aboutrc/proposal.shtml

it may not deal with what we do specifically, but the overall message is something i totally support in terms of getting the most out of school.

Every single applicant I talk with wants to get his hands on a camera in the first week he is in school. They don't want to have to read anything. Write anything. Think about anything. Study anything. All they want to do is hit the streets and start filming. These are people who, almost without exception, haven't even seen the important films of the past. They don't know the work of Tarkovsky or Bresson or Kiarostami. They haven't even heard of them. They are cinema illiterates. But they are all in a big rush to make the great American masterpiece. How dumb is that? How arrogant is that?

[steve kim]

these are good too:

http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/aboutrc/bgandedu.shtml

Ray Carney: No. I have to confess I learned everything in a totally slipshod, haphazard way. Over the years, I’ve sat in on a few lectures in various subjects here and there, of course, but I haven’t officially enrolled in any formal courses since the ones I took to get my Ph.D. I really think you can teach yourself anything—from auto mechanics and computer repair to theoretical physics—if you are motivated. When someone says they can’t learn something, it’s almost always because they don’t really want to learn it. It’s not important enough to their lives at that moment.

http://people.bu.edu/rcarney/indievision/careerandlife.shtml

An 18-year-old is a lot easier to teach – to inspire or scare into thinking in new ways. People in their mid-twenties or thirties don’t want to have to think new ideas. They dig in their heels when you try to move them in a new direction. Do you know the quote by Guillaume Appolinaire? “‘Come to the edge,’ he said. ‘We are afraid,’ they said. ‘Come to the edge,’ he said; and slowly, reluctantly, they came. He pushed them. And they flew.” It’s hard to overcome the fear of falling. I mean the fear of flying.

[phasma]

I got my Art Center acceptance letter today!
I'm ready to go to the edge, and be pushed off.

Now I just need to hear back about scholarship.

[Special K]

I got my Art Center acceptance letter today!
I'm ready to go to the edge, and be pushed off.

Now I just need to hear back about scholarship.


Ha ha....in the same boat as you... :P
Good luck...nemesis!!!

[mjg]

when do we hear back for scholarship - should be coming soon right?

[phasma]

On the blue sheet in the acceptance packet, it says the scholarship applicant portfolios will be ready for return after April 1st. So I assume we'll hear about scholarship after then? Maybe sooner.

runaway - from what I understand, Art Center has/is working on creating different illustration "tracks." The "tracks" listed in the 2007-2008 catalog are: entertainment arts, entertainment design, fine art painting, illustration design, and motion arts. I think one'll have to apply for a track in their fourth/fifth term, and then progress from there?

[JoshK]

when you are third term you will do a 3rd term portfolio review and you pick your track after you meet with the chair. Entertainment arts and design students will have to have a seperate review after the 3rd term review. At least that was how it was for my term....

[runaway]

phasma thx for the info! :)

[mjg]

If i am a illustration major - can i sign up for Type 1 - if i want to learn about typography - even though it is in the graphic design program?

[JoshK]

well illustration majors have to take a class called expressive type....probably not as intense as type I for graphics student. But if you take neil lindstrom for expressive type, you will learn a lot about type.

[mjg]

Thanks Josh -

I am just having a hard time understanding the rules though. If i want to take the type 1 class in addittion to my regular illustration classes. Can i add it or am i simply not allowed because i am an illustration student. If i am not allowed to add it - do teachers let you sit in on classes, and just not take part in the crits ect.... basically - i really want to take all the type classes i can i want to know if it is possible.

thanks for your time. btw - any teachers that you highly recommend for the first couple terms?

thanks

[JoshK]

yes you can take type I,Type 2,...etc. You might need a signature from the graphics chairs but it shouldn't be too hard. I know a lot of illustration teachers will let you sit in, graphics i dunno but probably the same. You just have to ask them nicely. As for teachers...i dunno everyone has different opinions. I really liked gary meyer for perspective, alex schaefer for com and painting, any of gayle donahue's classes, david luce for sketching for illu. Other people have said bob kato for sketching for illu is good. Kyle kane for head and heads...etc

[steve kim]

i've been discussing ac a lot in another thread: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=82287

so i'm pasting it here too cause you kids just getting in would stand to benefit from reading it! dont make the same mistakes i did! (so easy to say that, no wonder old farts do it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNIf13YbI48
Here's a good reason for being self taught.

I'd rather keep my sanity. That reminds me of high school. Why would I want to experience that at an art school?

For those of you that are gonna accuse me of having a weak constitution, look at my drawing ability first. I'm working in the game industry, so I fooled somebody.

I'm mostly self taught......I just don't like abusive pricks. How's that for assertiveness?.......and shock value?
I just don't believe you have to beat on somebody to make them learn.

Jason Manley thinks overpriced private colleges are over rated.....so maybe there's something to it?

And Nobody at Art Center is doing this:
http://www.henryyanart.com/

Or CalArts or Ringling........

That's just frick'n ubber genius as far as I'm concerned. I think 'he' should go over to Art Center and beat on some of the instructors. I'm aware that Art Center has been deleting traditional classes from it's curriculum, such as Anatomy.

Hey, for $15,000 a semester, I think I'm allowed to challenge as much as I'm being challenged. Dance Monkeys, DANCE! (http://thatvideosite.voxcdn.com/core/2808/dance_monkeys_dance.wmv)

goddamn i had a nice long-winded post and fucked it up by closing my preview window :/

sigh... anyway...

before school or anything there are certain ingredients a person needs to learn anything, through school or through himself.

mainly, curiosity, follow-through, and an almost painful level of self-criticality.

looking at your post i just see a lot of chest-thumping and ego. you think you are some prime example of auto-didacticsm? look at MindCandyMan and how his skills went through the roof as soon as he opened his mind and ego as and let other people help him out (an atelier is still a school).

true, you work in the game industry, but looking at your work, you didn't fool anybody. when i make comparisons i use examples from the cream of the crop. sorry if i don't compare you with some two-bit artcenter student barely eeking it out.

man i'd kill to take a class with roland again. look at that video again and don't pay attention to the tone of his voice, but how surgically precise his criticisms are. he's an advertising instructor who regularly has students from all the majors line up to take his class. if i could do artcenter over, i would sign up too. i don't like abusive pricks either, but when it comes to my education i'll take a little abuse if there's some real wisdom attatched to it.

i agree with some things jason manley (and kanye, hah) think of colleges. sometimes artcenter makes me cry in its ham-fisted approach to teaching. but look, they both WENT to college, even if one dropped out, and look where they are now. i'm thinking jason learned a lot from not just ringling the school, but also his friends who are now the bigwigs of conceptart. if jason went about it alone, would he be where he is today? would there even be a conceptart? i don't know. maybe, he would have been even greater. there's no point in speculating, we just know what we know.

look at my sketchbook and you'll see my my personal experience with AC was mixed. although i was humble for the most part, i had a very egotistical part of me that had to get hammered out semester by semester. I came into school with dreams of being a concept/entertainment artist. but i found myself interested in doing things with the figure that had nothing to do with monsters and robot titties. then i started to get into the illustration thing, inspired as i was by modern days masters like andrew hem and james jean. then I took a mandatory-transdiscipline fine-art class that forever changed my life. the teacher was john millei and no way would i have found his teachings in a book. from there i realized i wanted in the fine-art thing, and that i wanted to return to painting and my love for observation. i also realized my interests in motion design and film/documentary production.

no one is doing stuff like that henry yan shit in artcenter? what do you know? did you go to artcenter's alumni show? drawn to expression? (gag at the title ugh) that show had some of the best artcenter could offer in terms of alumni. it ranged from entertainment to fine art. from crash mcreery to mark ryden to aaron smith (my teacher). have you seen all the work over the past 50 years that has come out of artcenter? not just illustration but each of it's 9 majors? do you have any idea what your saying?

look at the people i graduated with*, you have the benefit of learning from the final results, but i had the benefit of learning from that AND their beginnings, middles, ends, everything in between, and their struggles, fuckups, criticism, opinions, personalities, interactions with peers and instructors and visiting artists, etc etc etc. and we were just a fraction of a percent of what artcenter has popped out.

believe me, i know you can learn a lot on your own. that's the bedrock that i've built everything i've learned from school on. but the fact is, you can't re-create the school experience in your head. you can't concoct artcenter dopplegangers of andrew hem or julienne hsu or reinier gamboa or even me in your head, to guide you or push you or inspire you.

i'm sure you can do a lot of things, but you can't do that.

now i'm not saying everyone needs to go to school. or that if you do, artcenters the place to be. i'm as critical of education systems and artcenter specifically as anyone here including jason manley.

what i'm saying is look at things as they truly are. get the REAL information and make an informed personal decision by thinking of every variable and utilizing every single living brain cell you have.

you'll probably realize the question isn't school versus no school.

then you'll feel good about your decision.

steve

p.s. this isn't a flame alright. just information and a little self-defense.

*blokes i graduated with or almost did. they made me look quite bad in our grad show. if i know they received scholarship i list it cause i know money is always a factor.

www.juliennehsu.com (fine art)
www.slicedpotato.com (julie's illu)
www.andrewhem.com (full scholarship)
www.reiniergamboa.com (scholarship dunno how much)
www.katherineguillen.com (full scholarship)
www.uakariart.com
www.sarahsohn.com (scholarship)
www.karendavison.com
www.zacharyrossman.com (scholarship pretty sure)
www.jayhorinouchi.com

note most of them are illustration/fine-art, and not in the more technically-oriented conceptart/entertainment side of things. but dang most of them still draw and paint better than you. on top of that they have a sense of style, design, aesthetics in their work and a thoughtful, humble, curious approach to their art that i just don't see in your stuff.

[steve kim]

Anatomy has been deleted from Art Center Curriculum. I've been told other traditional classes have been deleted as well.......from an ex Art Center instructor whose only been not teaching at Art Center for a year.

Henry Yan does those charcoal drawings in under an hour....FROM LIFE!....not photos....that ain't shit.
That's pure dedication and ultimate observational skills.

What I have to figure out is what do I want to pay $15,000 a semester for?
I know of a half a dozen or so Art Center graduates that can barely pay their mortgage.....now with a $100,000 student loan, is that feasible now a days?

Hey, if it's all about asking hard critical questions, I'm asking them. This is about paying a lot of money and being abused at the same time......if you got a scholarship, then you don't worry about those things.

Thanks for your reply.

i know where your coming from. schools like artcenter ask for lots of money. of course it's up to the individual to define the value of both education and school.

reconsider what i wrote. i'm not talking about technical skills, hence my ITT Tech mockery.

things like drawing and anatomy, the real technicalities, aren't something you can master in a couple of semesters. i don't like what their doing re: academic classes either. my personal experience from artcenter came before the 5-track illustration changes.

thing is, if i had to do it all over again and could only enroll in the artcenter of now in 2007, instead of the artcenter i started in 2003, i would do it but i'd do it like this:

don't depend on AC to teach me academic things, unless they happen to have some real gems hidden somewhere. i'd study from books, workshops (free daily fig/painting workshops at ac), ateliers if i could afford it and places like conceptart if i couldn't.

utilize the perks of being an AC student. devour everything in the library, slide library, etc. make digital labs my second home. pester photo students so i can use AC's kickass digital printmaking lab. use south campus to take up printmaking and study with the roland-esque master of printmaking: tony. while i'm down there i'd check next door and say hi to archetype press. one of the last places that with so much hand-set type. i'd attend every visiting speaker, even though outside of my major, especially those outside of my major.

i would critique 24-7 everything around me, pick the brains of my teachers (i dont give a fuck if they can draw or not!) until they kick me out.

i'd utilize the student s'more and buy every hi-tec C pen cause who knows when i'll see another again.

i'd try out more from the cafeteria, instead of ordering the same-old same-old, like a salad and a quesadilla.

i'd hang out with my friends a lot more, even if their specific interests don't initially interest me. cause eventually i'd see what they see, and in t
he end thank them so gratefully.

i'd take care of the nice people in financial aid, who when i went there in 2003, hooked me up with all sorts of scholarships and free money. all i had to do was fill out a fafsa, but if i had to do more than that, i'd scour every scholarship and competition, not just for the money but for the learning opportunities.

omg, the woodshop. talk about 7th heaven. what i'd give now to have such easy access to a bandsaw again. let alone all the other crazy shit they got, like their cnc machines and rapid prototyping that can manufacture just about goddamn anything. sure that stuff is mostly for trans and product majors, but i'd find a way around it. cause like my teacher said in studio practice, it's all about cunning resourcefulness. if you're truly passionate about what you do, others will understand and even trans majors will help you.

after i got done paying the crazy ass tuition, sucking out all the blood and marrow from artcenter's everything, and done gradumacated. i would go back and donate thrice as much as i originally paid, so that it'll or be put to good use by a future artcenter director some day.

it's cliche but think outside of the box. if you don't learn to do that all the academic skills in the world won't help you. cause you just will be another skilled cog in the ruthless conceptart machine.

[steve kim]

http://home.earthlink.net/~kevinchen9/index.html

http://www.kittymeek.com

http://www.distinctionart.com/christopher_sept.html

http://www.steirnagle.com/gallery1.html

Do you think they're worth listening to?

Not everybody is going to be Syd Mead, Craig Mullins, Mark Ryden or Jeff Soto. Hey, I can look up names on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Center_College_of_Design

I don't see any point in playing ping pong on a forum thread.

I also work with a Character Designer at work that graduated from Art Center.

It seems to me the people that graduate from Art Center are just as varied as any other college, it's just a question of what it poops out is better then then any other college....and appropriate for me.

That Roland Young/Burne Hogarth mentality really urks me though. Maybe I'd appreciate Roland more if I knew of a URL of his portfolio? I'm really not too familiar with his work. You can shame me and call me ignorant, but that won't help me learn.

You said it's all about picking people's brains and devouring as much information as possible...well, that's what I'm doing. Although, you don't owe me anything....just sending a private message out of curiosity.

Also, I live in Encinitas. I've only been attending Watts Atelier and Ron Lemen's school for a year...if you've been scouring conceptart.org forums then you know how prominent those schools are....to Jason Manley anyway.

Ron Lemen can ramble off a lot, and I mean a lot, of artist names too. If you want to be overwhelmed, he'll do it....and he's self taught, mostly. He's also a force to be reckoned with. He'll stand his ground.

You probably also realize that Ateliers disdain modern concepts of art.........so I have to expose myself to both sides before I turn....to the dark side? I don't know.

Thanks!


NoSeRider

nose i hope you dont mind me taking this back to the thread, cause this msging thing just told me my msg is3000 characters too long :/. i didn't see anything in your original msg that is inherently 'private' but let me know if i'm wrong and i'll make the necessary edits.

i want to involve everyone in a discussion of this import! who cares if my advice rambles on and i've never worked in the industry!

--

hey, cool man, i digged your private message. maybe i needed it to reframe how i perceived you and your text.

my gf studied under kevin chen, and chris polentz too. polentz was a god to us back then man. his level of knowledge and level rendering was goddamn glorious to our philistine eyes.

but this was back in term 3, well within the first four terms of academic study. (previously the idea was to study academically first 4 terms, then use that in our illustration classes the last 4) our main concern was academic knowledge, people like polentz were the summit we were trying to get to.

but a funny thing happens after fourth term when you start taking more illustration theory-based, crit-based, thinking-based, aesthetic-based classes. while you do not lose your appreciation for the academic, you begin to realize the extent of creativity out in the world, and that even though artists like kevin and polentz are exquisite in their skill they too have tons to learn in terms of all thats out there. i say this with the all the respect to what they've accomplished for themselves.

drawing and painting is about learning to see right. but academia is only ONE kind of seeing. it really is only the beginning.

a lot of people were pissed as hell when polentz was fired. (i took rendering after he was gone so i didn't even get to benefit :() even more-so when rendering itself dissapeared from the artcenter map.

i've been following ron's teaching since his posts on sijun as freddyflickstone. i took in everything i could from his conceptart workshop in san francisco (mic was broken though, sucked). i respect his teaching and his skills to the utmost, but at the same time i reserve the right as an artist and a person to offer criticism too. notice how his paintings seem to be from another era? they got a classic illustration look in terms of value and color that's VERY common from the watkiss way of teaching. i'm not saying the watkiss method is flawed in anyway, i'd love to take a class some day, what i'm saying is that people sometimes get too hung up on aesthetics instead of focusing on the true fundamentals of any particular method.

everything you're into i'm into too. i diss concept art in general but it's not like i'm blind to the good stuff, nor am i blind to the possibilities of entertainment art when it's taken seriously. (i mean christ, children of men the best movie of last year is like half-entertainment, it just uses it's brain at the same time it tries to deliver thrills and chills)

i don't believe in deciding what is and isn't art. what is and isn't important. that's for critics and art theoriticians. it's ALL important as far as i'm concerned, and it's only a matter of time/interest/energy asset allocation.

my question is, are you into everything i'm into? did you go to the tim hawkinson's getty show going on currently? (i haven't but soon as i can i am, his retrospective at lacma was mind-blowing) what do your art books look like? i got skillful huntsman too and someday the entire scott robertson back-catalog, but what do you have all that that talks about either contemporary art outside of the entertainment niche, or art history beyond the cliches. (renaissance shit, bougerou, sargent, etc)

maybe you're legitimately not into that stuff. it's not in my place to dictate what you should like. thing is, even though you are the master of your own curiosity, sometimes it takes something outside of yourself to fully realize and cultivate it. if i had to talk to the steve kim of summer 03, i'd probably have an aneurysm out of frustration cause he'd be so fucking stubborn and provincial.

i don't think you are as bad as i was, just by virtue of continuing with this thread/message. clearly you are interested in looking at yourself and art critically, and that you aren't afraid to WRITE and THINK about it either. two qualities sorely lacking in school and rarely encourage in illustration departments. (fine-art obviously idolizes writing which is cool but they got their own batch of fuckups to deal with) so as far as i'm concerned you got a head start, but head starts don't win races and how you follow-through is up to you.

anecdotally, me and my gf (juliennehsu.com) both came into artcenter with strong academic skills. we both admired the same painters and teachers you look up to now.

when we lived in pasadena we drove down to encinitas (i think that's where polentz lives? too many fuckin white people) to check out polentz' show out of curiosity and loyalty. it wasn't even opening day so he probably has no idea we even visited. i bet polentz is still teaching in encinitas? tell him julienne hsu and i visited (he won't know me though, i just hung out in the room doing other homework hehe) his show a while back. if he doesn't remember, mention david kim and karen shiao and andrew hem were in the same class. that should jog his memory :).

but don't tell him what i'm gonna say next, and that basically polentz while a great teacher and renderer is stuck somewhere in the 80's artistically and aesthetically. i still apreciated his works when i saw them, but i definitely understand now that his method isn't the be all and end all. that goes for every painter you listed or have listed.

if i was the artcenter chair i would reinstate academic study but crank it up to like 1950's levels (it's gotten softer every decade), while at the same time jamming art history and contemporary issues and art theory/criticsm down unsuspecting throats and anything else i thought was relevant inside/outside of illustration (philosophy hello?). i bet you'd get a kick out of it but alas, i'm still just a student. in fact i applied to ucla grad school and yesterday got promptly rejected.

but i or anyone w/ similar feelings about art isn't the chair. anne field and her countless years in the illustration business is. so to the AC student i say, take advantage of everything she offers, but don't try to expect entertainment or academic wisdom from someone who has none. that's just stupid. get it from someone else in the school or get it from where else OUTSIDE of school.

if you truly utilized everything that a place like AC offers, without even picking up a pencil, it would STILL be worth the 100k your harping about. student loans are there for a reason. of course this applies to most schools, but AC has history and reputation for a reason, and I am loyal to it not out of just blind fanboyism or cause i'm alum but because i truly can look behind its faults and appreciate what it DOES offer.

steve

p.s. tell me if i'm way off but in one or all of your posts i get this feeling that you write your prose almost lyrically. i may just be imagining things cause i'm on this rap&rhyme-study trip but just wondering if there's anything to my hypothesis. it's why i started talking a little crazy the last post haha.

p.p.s LOL thanks for the wiki link. it never occured to look up my school even though i use wiki 10 times a day. god to see it list people who have ultimately succeeded in things outside of their major. (linkin park dude, roger avery, etc)

p.p.p..s in my opinion don't be too concerned with a teachers portfolio or credentials. roland young is an advertising veteran, he doesn't need a stack of itoya books to prove his words are worth what they are. in fact, sometimes you don't wanna know how bad your teacher is professionally, cause that can cloud your judgement and you won't accept instruction from someone you look down on. i speak from experience. instead, do the harder thing and judge a teacher's teaching itself as critically as you can. if it's good teaching you'll know it. the BEST teacher i had, the one that ultimately changed my life completely, he never showed us his work and for a long time i never saw any of it. he's not even an illustration instructor, he's from the fine-art dept and teaches at artcenter and claremont grad school (where my gf's headed). john millei, you can look him up but you probably won't like his art--it's complete abstraction. but he's the epitome of the self-taught auto-didact. he was a fucking professional surfer, film background painter and god knows what else. he sells his paintings for incredible prices (not that you should care) and hangs out w/ the biggest names in art (not that you should care). more importantly he hooked our class up with free parking when we had to go to the getty for the richter show, if that's not influence i dunno what is! he's the sharpest most dead-on teacher i ever had, and the craziest thing is he's just one teacher from one discipline. and again, he's completely self-taught--but still he teaches, and still he recommended grad school for me. think about that.

if i had seen his work FIRST, i would have not taken his class perhaps cause that shit didn't interest me. thinking about everything i would have lost if that were the case sends a goddamn chill up my spine. and no, i swear that isn't some metaphorical hyperbole.

[steve kim]

btw i think there's something to learn from noserider himself. be that cocky, antaganostic, challenging, willing-to-learn, and gracious to your AC teachers as he was too me. i guarantee you won't regret it.

[Kendraad]

roland young

I would so love to have that man as my teacher.

[Oridan]

Hey! I got in! :D

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Good for you man! Really great.

Can you show us some stuff from your portfolio?

[Oridan]

I never digitized any of my portfolio stuff :x
I might be starting a sketch thread sometime soon though so I'll be sure to put that in my signature.

[phasma]

Hey, chumps, I appreciate your posts bunchesss. Thanks for sharing. :]

And Oridan, congrats! Fall 2007 Illustration major?

Regarding scholarship notification, for anyone who is still wondering, "Scholarship applicants who have met all deadlines and who have been accepted will be notified of any scholarships or awards administered by Art Center by the following dates:
Summer term: March 15th
Fall term: April 15
Spring term: November 15

[nmichelle]

I got in for Spring '08 (I know so early lol). I'm wondering, do they ever tell you of any scholarships/awards earlier than that date specified (November 15)?

I've heard conflicting reports that the earlier you apply the better chances you get of getting money (or maybe it was just of getting accepted)... then there's others who say that it doesn't really matter since they don't decide the awards until the scholarship deadline of that semester. Which one is true?

[nmichelle]

asaake, I'm a fresh out of high school freshman but I'm starting in January ( Spring 2008 ). So you're definitely not alone.

Also I actually asked the admissions folks at Art Center regarding the scholarship thing and this is what they said just for future reference:


We will not review portfolios for scholarship until after the scholarship deadline of October 1, 2007. Financial aid letters will be mailed after November 15th. Since you submitted your application much earlier than the scholarship deadline your portfolio will be sent back to you and you will need to re-submit the portfolio by October 1, 2007. You may add new work to your portfolio when your re-submit it for scholarship review.

[Special K]

EDIT

Wheee I decided to upload my portfolio to a different place...This should work:
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=portfolio&portfolio_id=10034

[Grayber]

Just spent my spring break visiting Pasadena and the school... absolutely gorgeous place. I cruised Pasadena for housing and a lot seems to be available. If anyone is looking for a roomie for this fall let me know, rent is going to be killer if you live alone (around $800 monthly). There were a lot of apartment listings at Pasadena City College; they were reaaallly helpful there. I checked at Cal Tech as well; not so much there. Be sure to e-mail the housing dept. at Art Center to get the listings if you're still looking. Not like we'll be spending much time at home though... I cannot wait to start there!! My head a splode :xpld: ! Lookin forward to seeing you all at orientation!

PS - Saw some of your work in the student gallery Steve! You rock!

[Jonas Heirwegh]

I was wondering how I can send my portfolio? I'm from Belgium but I heard that its better to go to Pasadena and give your portfolio in person?

I'm planning to send in my stuff next year because I want to attend ArtCenter By the end of next year.

Also I have no idea how good my portfolio has to be? Is my stuff already pretty good to get accepted or do I need to improve alot? Can someone say something about this?
Here's my sketchbook http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93016

Would be a really help! Thx

[Darcy]

Well I got accepted (woot!). Im in the process of looking for housing myself. Also looking for a roomate.

http://www.rent.com/roommates/view/qtqffj86/

Emial~ darcydoll12@homail.com

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Congratz Darcy!
What stuff did you putt in your portfolio?

You are going for illustration?

[Darcy]

thank you! yep i'll be doing illustration. I hope I do good...or ok..ok is good lol


http://darcyripley.carbonmade.com/

[theFIX]

::::::::::::: ATTENTION ALL ART CENTER PEOPLE :::::::::::::::



2nd termer here, just wanted to give you guys a heads up. i've found the most amazing class and i wanted to tell everyone about it. if you havent taken it, i cant recommend more strongly ECORCHE. i know, what the hell is ecorche right? say it with me ek - or - shay. ecorche is the process of studying anatomy through sculpting first the skeletal, then the muscular system. thats right, your going to sculpt the body in order to learn it. to check out the teachers works go to his site.
http://reybustos.com/

you guys, you have to jump on this class soon.
FOR SOME REASON ART CENTER SEEMS TO BE PHASING OUT ANATOMY, A HUGE MISTAKE IN MY OPINION. UNLESS I AM MISTAKEN THIS IS THE ONLY ANATOMY CLASS AT ART CENTER.

take it from me guys if you take this class, you will love it. i thought i knew anatomy before, but man i didnt know a thing compared to what i know now.
The teacher, rey, also just happens to be one of the coolest guys in the world. also, he just got hired by GNOMON to teach this same class, so you know he knows his stuff. it is totally beyond me why art center isnt pushing this class more than they are.

if you want to check out the class, you can just walk right in and watch him teach. hes cool like that. ----> room 102 tuesdays 207 <------

im almost done with this class and i like it so much, i think im going to take it again next term.

if you guys have any questions, just send me a PM.

[Oridan]

Darcy: I'll be needing a roommate to share rent with as well so I'm shooting you an email. Btw, I really like the stuff in your portfolio

theFIX: Thanks for the heads up, I love learning about anatomy and would hate to miss an opportunity like this! Is this course offered in the Fall 07 semester?

[nmichelle]

I was wondering how I can send my portfolio? I'm from Belgium but I heard that its better to go to Pasadena and give your portfolio in person?

I'm planning to send in my stuff next year because I want to attend ArtCenter By the end of next year.

Also I have no idea how good my portfolio has to be? Is my stuff already pretty good to get accepted or do I need to improve alot? Can someone say something about this?
Here's my sketchbook http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93016

Would be a really help! Thx

Actually, I don't think it matters as much. I live in Canada and I sent my portfolio through courier. They received it I think four or five days later and I got my acceptance three weeks later.

[Jonas Heirwegh]

@nmichelle: Why did you send in your portfolio so early? Do you get a better chance then?

I propably gonna do another year life drawing, painting with oils and some more traditional stuff before I send in my portfolio.

Do you guys rent a car in pasadena to drive to school?

[Oridan]

I think most people just buy a car when they move to Pasadena. Thats probably what I will be doing since it's very convenient to have a way of transporting your mounds of art supplies to and from school everyday.

[Kendraad]

Congrats to everyone who got accepted! And to all you lucky people who will get Roland Young. :)

[Humbucker]

Can any of you Art Center students/alums give me some advice regarding transferring?

Right now I'm a student at a CSU and find that the art department here is not doing it for me so I'm thinking of transferring to ACCD. I've finished all my GEs and the foundation art courses.

I'm also really interested in studying at an atelier to improve my drafting skills. If I did that for a year, would I be able to apply that work and the drawing classes I've taken at the CSU towards advanced standing at Art Center? I'm hoping that I would be able to waive the early drawing and life drawing classes.

I'd really like to attend Art Center, but I'd hate to work my ass off at an atelier and then go to Art Center and then have to take the lower level drawing classes again.

[Special K]

Can any of you Art Center students/alums give me some advice regarding transferring?

Right now I'm a student at a CSU and find that the art department here is not doing it for me so I'm thinking of transferring to ACCD. I've finished all my GEs and the foundation art courses.

I'm also really interested in studying at an atelier to improve my drafting skills. If I did that for a year, would I be able to apply that work and the drawing classes I've taken at the CSU towards advanced standing at Art Center? I'm hoping that I would be able to waive the early drawing and life drawing classes.

I'd really like to attend Art Center, but I'd hate to work my ass off at an atelier and then go to Art Center and then have to take the lower level drawing classes again.


I've been @ Humboldt State for 3 years and all they accepted was 12 credits (4 GE classes, no art)...soooo that's where I'm standing.
Best possible way is to go visit Art Center and show them your portfolio thus far and ask them that question.

[Catofglass]

OK, this is a typical plea for help to you knowledgable frequenters of this forum from someone with the typical concept artist dreams. The kicker is that I've already recieved a bachelors degree and am now facing the choice between getting another bachelors from AC (illu) or getting a MFA from Academy of Art in SF (also illu). My greatest concern is being marketable and market-savvy upon graduation (steady in-house job would be great, but we all know how rare that is...). Advice/opinions/critiques/cookies?

[Special K]

OK, this is a typical plea for help to you knowledgable frequenters of this forum from someone with the typical concept artist dreams. The kicker is that I've already recieved a bachelors degree and am now facing the choice between getting another bachelors from AC (illu) or getting a MFA from Academy of Art in SF (also illu). My greatest concern is being marketable and market-savvy upon graduation (steady in-house job would be great, but we all know how rare that is...). Advice/opinions/critiques/cookies?

You and me both are going through the same dilemma (only I haven't finished yet my BA @ my current school, but have been here for 3 years).

I talked to the MFA program @ SF and they directed me towards their animation MFA since I want to do storyboarding, character design, digital painting, etc.
They said they still do a portfolio review (obviously) but will add classes from their BFA onto the MFA where need be.
I checked out their program and I've found that they aren't as focused on surrounding the basics and different techniques as Art Center's Entertainment Arts Illustration Program in the BFA area.
Here:

SF Academy Curriculum Animation Visual Effects (http://www.academyart.edu/animation-school/outline.html?AP=MFA-ANM&ASP=MFA-ANMVE)

Art Center Curriculum (http://www.artcenter.edu/datalog/ProgramResults.jsp?trkn=Illustration+Entertainment +Arts)

This is more a personal review of the difference of the schools as far as focus, you might have a different focus.

But, personally, I have found that there is a lot more recognition from ACCD because...well..it's a knock on the door to all different kinds of job opportunities...
I could go on for a bit but again, it's a personal choice...
Do some research on the artists that were listed on the first page...check out resumes from both ends!!!
That's how I made my choice ;)

[Arron]

Has anyone who's been accepted for Fall '07 Illustration received any scholarship information yet? I got my portfolio back yesterday but nothing about any scholarships.

Also, is there an average scholarship amount, or even a low to high range that a first-year Illustration major can expect to receive?

Thanks and congratulations to everyone else who have been accepted.

[phasma]

I got my scholarship information a couple days ago, but have not yet got my portfolio back... aah, I hope it comes today.

I'm not sure about the average or range for scholarships, but on different forums I've read about entering students getting anywhere between $2500 to half of tuition per term in Art Center scholarship.

[phasma]

I received my portfolio back today.
But someone else's 5.5"x8.5" sketchbook was in with my portfolio materials.

If you think it might be yours, give me a holllerr.

[Riiroi]

Hey guys, im new to the forums and i have several questions to ask regarding ACCD.

1)What is the main difference between all the minors in the illustration program.
I know that the Entertainment design minor is for concept artists but im not really sure what the others are.

2)Are there like limited amount of places available for each minor. Lets say...can 80% of the students there choose illustration design as their minor...is that possible?

[evildisco]

Riiroi, the most current minors are Entertainment Art and Design. Design is more methodical and has less room for self-expression in some aspects. Arts allows you to explore more of the stylistic and personal approaches.
Arts focuses more on painting, landscapes, figure and such as opposed to design which is a whole lot more focused on industrial design type of work, which means, props, vehicles, architecture and such.


There's not a set amount of students that get into those minors BUT at third term there is a portfolio review just for the purpose of assessing wether you can or cannot get in the given track.


Hope that clarifies.

[Jonas Heirwegh]

I have a few questions myself.

1) When is a good time to send in your portfolio? few months before you want to start or the earlier the better?

2) How good do you have to be to get accepted? Take a look at my sketchbook, do I need to improve alot before I should apply?

3) When do you think is the best time to start? spring, summer, ...?

Jonas

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Everybody is propably way to busy but if you find some time to answer these questions I would appreciate it!

I would definitely need some advice about my portfolio, I want to send in my stuff this summer and I really want to get in, if they dont accept me I'll be stuck here in Belgium where the only thing I can do that comes close to concept art are comic classes:( little help here:)

[Oscare]

Hey, has anybody else had a problem learning perspective with Craig Attebarry? i felt like i didn't really learn stuff in his class. sooo, can anybody tell me whose probably the best person to learn perspective from?

[Oscare]

Oh, and Epias

Most people apply for fall, so there's more competition for both entrance and scholarships then.

summer is generally less competitive, and so easier to get in.

i looked at your work and it's kinda weird....like you can draw machines, you know, technology and stuff like that really well, but your people seem kinda iffy......but, you know, there's no big harm in applying and seeing what happens.

[affluentgoblin]

theFix,

thanks for the heads up on that class. i def need to go through this whole thread from the beginning to catch up on any other recommendations as well. I'll be starting in a few weeks for the summer term so hopefully i'll see some of you guys up there.

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Oh, and Epias

Most people apply for fall, so there's more competition for both entrance and scholarships then.

summer is generally less competitive, and so easier to get in.

i looked at your work and it's kinda weird....like you can draw machines, you know, technology and stuff like that really well, but your people seem kinda iffy......but, you know, there's no big harm in applying and seeing what happens.

Chumps said this a few pages back in this thread.

"perspective

this one is a no brainer. you have gary meyer and craig atteberry. now, craig's a cool guy, i took an anatomy class with him @night, but gary is THE MAN. and he's also the department chair, handy when you need the 411 on various artcenter stuff. he's really old and looks like santa claus. he's really nice. and he's a good perspective teacher. i dunno what days persp. will be next term but take the class that DOES NOT have an @night class teaching in the room right after. this is because you want to do your homework the day it's assigned, in class, while gary is there. his mantra is that he'll stay as late as needed to help with anybody that needs help. he's also one helluva artist, he teaches several other classes and owns in them too. work wise i think the two are comparable. depending on how your brain works perspective can be bearable or the worst thing since untoasted bagels."

As for my work. I want to be an industrial designer, not a character artist;) Two very different things and both really hard in their own way. But thats no reason for me to completely stop doing characters because I love anatomy and I'm take life drawing classes + doing bridgman studies. But at the moment I'm doing environments wich are hard as hell.

Anyway I just remember a quote Feng Zhu once said in an interview:

"Most artists, I say up to 95%, do character and creature design. Rarely can someone do hard-surface designs such as environments and vehicles. Studios are always looking for good ID (industrial design) guys. They are rare.

Character design is hard, but I think it’s a lot more forgiving then doing perspective heavy environments. Just look around CGtalk. You’ll notice 90% of the 2D posts involve characters or creatures. You rarely see artists posting perspective pieces."

Thx for the reply!
There is a big harm for me if I dont get in, like I said I'll be stuck here in Belgium doing some comic stuff:S

[evildisco]

Oscare, Gary Meyer is your best bet.

And by the way Oscare, who are you? Were you in my perspective class this semester?

[Oscare]

Um, well, i don't remember any bunny girls wielding chainsaws in my perspective class, so my guess is no.

I'm actually just starting the day program this summer. soooo...yeah. i'm still not sure what i want to do for a living.

i mean, i like drawing monsters, ghosts, gadgets, creatures and stuff like that more than advertising and editorial kinda illustrations, but it still would be nice to work from home. you know,freelancing and what not. soooo, mm, i don't know yet.

if only i could draw monsters and conceptual looking illutrations that would be cool. i really like the kind of stuff that Wes draws. maybe ican do concept art and editorial and Rock Posters and fine art.....eh, we'll see

[mjg]

Hello - i have to get my loans done - as school starts in a week - and i was awarded a portion of my loans with no interest (subsadized) loans. So my question is - where do i go to get these loans - i have never had a loan before - i would imagine that a place like CITI would only - do the private loans - ... can any body help - or reccomend a link

Thanks -

[Oscare]

Hey, guys

how does art center help you with housing? do they offer apartments at lower prices through art center?

i'm going to need to move around there. any ideas, people?

[gunnz]

I had Craig's drawing and composition class my first term. He's a really skilled guy, and knows what he's talking about. BUT, you have to be the type to ask a lot of questions and be somewhat aggressive in order to get the most from his class. I guess you could say that he's just not super demanding. I'm actually taking Gary Meyer's perspective class next term, and I'm looking forward to getting owned in perspective drawing. I mean, if I'm paying this much for tuition, why not get the hardest teacher possible for a class. Too bad Nguyen was full for Design 2.

[Oscare]

Yeah, i had a similiar experience with craig in the perspective class. like, i would have to keep asking him questions everyday in class, and by email to fully get it all. still, i don't think i got a B, soooo looks like Gary's going to be my next stop for perspective.

FUCK! i hate perspective!

[Oscare]

hey, are there any art center teachers people should stay away from?

[S.W.]

try to evade scott robertson >:D

[evildisco]

Mary Yanish, she's a waste of time.

[Oscare]

i'm kinda feeling the same way about Design 1

any suggestions for comp. and painting?

is there somewhere where stuff like this is posted, or something?

[evildisco]

Huston or Weston. I had Will Weston for comp and painting, he's very enthusiastic about what he teaches and he has an entertainment track skew to his teaching. His class is not hard to pass, but he does make you learn a lot. He is more than willing to sit down and spent time with whoever asks.

[Oridan]

i'm looking for a place to live and a roommate to split the rent with, anyone interested? shoot me an email or something: tz2z@virginia.edu

also, how helpful is art center with housing?

all this random stuff like finding a place to live, getting a california driver's license and buying a car kind of snuck up on me since i was so focused on art related work and i now its kind of overwhelming @_@

[Rayph]

So ive been looking into Art Center for quite a while now, and after reading this thread front to back I went up to the school yesterday to speak to admissions and see if my portfolio work had a chance of getting accepted. Overall it went well and the counselor said I had a strong portfolio for an entering student (dunno how true that is considering it is art center and all). Although im honestly a bit leery over a few issues.

-For one I will be dropping out of my current schools animation program which has just left a beyond sour taste in my mouth. Im roughly a year in, it sucks to flush that money down the toilet but would probably suck even more to graduate with a half assed skillset for what I really wanna do (illustration).

-Keeping pace with the schools demand. Everyone ive talked to it seems rather difficult to get a straight answer on the workload expected which im sure and definately want it to be alot. Right now im just expecting this apocolyptic amount of drawing.

[Humbucker]

I was just at Art Center yesterday, too! However, I don't think I had as positive an experience as you did. Maybe we passed each other in the halls. Good look though!

[Rayph]

I was just at Art Center yesterday, too! However, I don't think I had as positive an experience as you did. Maybe we passed each other in the halls. Good look though!

Care to share your thoughts? I for one found the admissions people a little...odd, but helpful in terms of answering questions I had. I really havent gone much further than that really so I cant say ya or nay on anything quite just yet.

[Humbucker]

Care to share your thoughts? I for one found the admissions people a little...odd, but helpful in terms of answering questions I had. I really havent gone much further than that really so I cant say ya or nay on anything quite just yet.

I guess I was just expecting their illustration department to be more narrative/traditional, but actually a lot of the work I saw was very conceptual. I also felt like the counselor I spoke with was kind of pushing me in that direction. He was really nice and answered all my questions, though. I flat out asked him whether Art Center was going to be the school for me, with my preference for more realistic/representational art, and he said that he wasn't sure if it was. That really surprised me considering guys like Matt Busch, Drew Struzan, and Tommy Lee Edwards went to Art Center. I guess their illustration program mostly concentrates on either visual development or conceptual illustration these days and not so much on traditional illustration.

I guess I probably won't be going to Art Center because I don't want to pay $14,000/sem and then find out that I'm not learning the things I want to.

[Oscare]

Psssh

we have like four, or five tracks in illustration. after three terms doing your foundation studies (painting, drawing, compostion, etc.) you get to pick a track. You CAN do entertainment arts, which is all that concept stuff you were talking about, but there is also Illustration Design, which is what people that want to do editorial, advertising, self publishing...you know, that kind of stuff.

if you want to draw, or paint super realistic, you can, and they can help you to do that. there's plenty of people at the school who do that sorta thing. it's just that, more people get into the other tracks.

[Humbucker]

Do you know which track those people who "want to draw, or paint super realistic" are in? I wish I could have seen classes or work in that area on the tour, but my guide wasn't very good. We spent a lot of time looking at fabrication shops and computer labs. I really want to like Art Center but I just don't know if it's the right school for me. Please convince me!

[Oscare]

I think i said that....it's Illustration Design, i think. It's not very cryptic. They'll spell it out for you, but you can basically do whatever you want with your education. Some entertainment people end up doing editorial work, and vice versa.

Convince you, eh. Well, here's a list of some people that went here and did what i THINK you want to do:

Mark Ryden
Jeff Soto
Korin Faught
Tara Mcpherson
Natalia Fabia

all those people have dot coms, i think. but, anyway, it's not like they tell you to draw and paint realistic. if that's what you want to do, fine. they'll definetly help with that. but if you want to draw people with huge eyes and feet, that's cool to. whatever floats your boat and stuff.

it costs a lot of money, but, eh, most successful people have taken out large loans to get where they wanted to be. and say you decided not to come here and it ended up taking you 2, or 3, extra years to get into the industry. that's like a good 70 or so grand you missed out on making, and that's without getting the education you could have gotten. you know, time is money, or whatever. Remember: time is money, but it's also time.

[Rayph]

Thanks for posting some good feedback Oscare.

Im talking to a few teachers at my current school who came from art center (and who are amazing artist as well). I really want to go but its a pretty scary step given the schools reputation for breaking people ontop of all that money its gonna cost ontop of all the money ive already spent for school.

[Oscare]

Well, it's not like you haven't been learning anything at your school. Plus, all that drawing skill your bringing into art center will probably help you get the most out of your classes, and probably get some scholarship money. I went to another school, too, and then i quit and came here, and you can REALLY tell the difference. but, it's up to you as to how far you wanna take it. there's always art center at night classes, which cost a fraction of the price and SOME are transferable (they say transferable next to the class name). They're just like art center classes...except at night. heh. money, money, money. there's always that. but, i guess the better you are the more money you'll make in the long run.

[Rayph]

Yeah you have some really valid points Oscare. I guess in the end one of my biggest problems at the moment is being a big ol scardy-cat :P

I definately am fortunate enough to have had some amazing teachers thus far that have really jumpstarted my learning. Overall its just that the schools program is heading in a direction I dont neccessarily wanna go in.

Another thing im curious on is the supply demand for the average illustration student. Whats it like in terms of cost, and also the traditional vs digital issue and how much of each you should expect to be doing (I dont mind either, just a bit expensive on the traditional side).

[Oridan]

Rayph: I'm not too sure about the traditional vs digital issue and was actually wondering about that myself but according to art center's estimate, books and supplies would cost around $2598.

I've got a question about transportation. The info I've gotten all seems to say that you've gotta have a car. Is this true? Could you get by not having a car if you lived close to a bus stop or something? I'm asking this because automobile insurance, maintenance, and gas prices are all much higher on the west coast. I think I pay around 500 dollars for insurance right now and my friend who lives in LA pays around 1600 D:

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Its a really high cost to own a car, I was wondering the same thing. Can you get to school without a car?

What do you guys at art center pay for car insurance?

[Riiroi]

hmm....good question there. Which makes me wonder.....can two or more people share a car? IMO, itll definitely help alot of people to save some money.

[Rayph]

Well im getting an old junker (its good enough to get A to B, plus I know a bit about general autorepair to fix little things here and there). As for insurance its only roughly 60-70$ a month, im unfortunately to far from any metrolink or bus stop to use that as a viable method of transportation. I had considered in investing in a motorcycle but it might be a little difficult making it down the freeway with a canvas strapped to my back :P

The supply cost is still daunting as all hell. I know im just seeing the number and not accounting for all the art supply crap I already buy as is.

Oh and yeah, pretty much looks like im gonna be making the plunge and trying to get into the winter quarter, will have enough time between schools to grind on my portfolio work as well. My commute definately wont be enjoyable since ill be coming from Riverside, but I have hella cheap living (as in free) so the difference in gas for traveling will be a bit justified. So if anyone here happens to attend Art Center Pasadena for illustration and would be kind enough to offer a nooblet some valuable advice im truly all ears here.

[8atman]

Damn there is a lot of great info on this thread!!! Thanks guys. I am heavily considering AC. I have a few teachers I know who went there and they are bad ass they mentioned that I shouldn't have a problem getting in and should go for it as it is one of the best schools in my area. I am torn between Long Beach and AC and the obvious is that AC costs a lot of money and to a college student who makes $12-16k a year $100k is a lot haha. I have a few friends who just graduated from the LB art department and really enjoyed there education and learned a lot, I mentioned to my friend the LB graduate that I was thinking of going to AC and he said it was a waste of money. I do want the best of the best and think AC will push me beyond and make me a better artist. I guess what I am babbling own about is...would you guys choice LB of AC? or vis versa. I know it is really all up to the student but I do know that AC is crazy and will kick your ass. I also like how AC picks there students as for LB any dumb ass can get in.

Well thanks guys

Oh and I spoke with Justin bua the other day and he mentioned that he wouldn't go to art center now, he mentioned that the department and the teachers aren't as good as they used to be. My other professors also mentioned the same thing. Any one agree on this? I am on my quest for info on AC as it will be a big step and change in my life.

Ash-

[steve kim]

i dont think there is a contest between AC and any public school art program.

the question is whether or not that kind of money is worth it. the time it takes to read the entirety of this thread and those like it is probably inconsequential to the cost of tuition so my advice is do all the research you can, visit the school on multiple days w/ and w/out tour guides, and talk to as many people as you can.

for every person that says AC has gone down the crapper there is another saying nothing but good. the reality is both are right and no single person is going to give you the right answer.

now is the age of resourcefulness! so go be resourceful!

[8atman]

HAHAHA yeah I hear yeah man. Thanks, well I guess it really breaks down to money but money is just money and it can always be replenished right?. I guess it is just frightening to think of that much dept but I do plan on buying a house some day so I know about dept ownage. I am looking to go to a college that will push me and I will learn everything from, I hope to leave my college with a different frame of mind and abilities. I know that art center can do that. I have been there many times and sat in on classes.

I think it is ultimately up to the student which is why I still think about LB because I am very passionate about art.

word-

Ash-

[Jonas Heirwegh]

I'm really having second thoughts about art center.

My plan was to go to pcc next spring to work on my portfolio and then apply for spring '09 and hope scoring some scholarship that way. Because if I go to art center I can prolly pay for the first year but after that its gonna be hard to pay the bills...

But I'm not sure, I looked at LAAFA atelier and thats waaay cheaper then art center and they have really great instructors.
But then I think, at art center they teach you to design things, at laafa they only teach you draw characters very acurate..

What do you guys think about this?

[gunnz]

I'm really having second thoughts about art center.

My plan was to go to pcc next spring to work on my portfolio and then apply for spring '09 and hope scoring some scholarship that way. Because if I go to art center I can prolly pay for the first year but after that its gonna be hard to pay the bills...

But I'm not sure, I looked at LAAFA atelier and thats waaay cheaper then art center and they have really great instructors.
But then I think, at art center they teach you to design things, at laafa they only teach you draw characters very acurate..

What do you guys think about this?

There's a huge difference between LAAFA and Art Center. First of all, LAAFA is what it is, a figurative academy. You don't even learn to draw characters. You learn to draw what's in front of you. If you don't want to end up painting portraits or become the next Vilpuu or Carmean, then you probably don't want to go there. Unless of course, you are supplementing your studies on the side with what you want to do. If you give it all you have, I think it would definitely improve your draftsmanship by leaps and bounds. It's just that you won't be doing anything pertaining specifically to entertainment at LAAFA. The beauty of studying entertainment at Art Center is that we have industry professionals teaching here, two tracks that cater specifically for entertainment, as well as a really good Industrial Design dept. If you are doing entertainment design, you probably want to take some ID courses. I was looking at this second term transportation guy's hw the other day....and it was pretty crazy. He had to shade these complex shapes according to the degree of tilt of each plane. Anyway, your question is the million dollar question. You have to ask yourself if you have the motivation to hone in on your figurative skills at LAAFA, while seeking out your own connections, teaching yourself everything entertainment specific, and prepare a great portfolio by a timely age....OR have all that stuff at your disposal while taking out a huge amount of loans. I think if you are young, or right out of high school, it might not be a bad idea to go to LAAFA. Just come and visit a few times. I'll point you in the right directions if you like. On Wed afternoons, Gary Meyer has a workshop where he paints environments, and theres an entertainment club meeting on Friday afternoons where they usually have guest speakers.

[Coen]

Gunnz, are you sure about LAAFA? They seem to teach much more than just drawing what's in front of you. Actually, that seems to be what seperates them from the other ateliers who focus on classical training exclusively. On their website they write about this, some quotes:

- "LAAFA's innovative Atelier focuses on training both the accurate impression and conceptual expression simultaneously."
- "The conceptual ideas expressed in our program will assist in developing your eye for solid design and composition in your work. "
- "Our program is designed to create an artist who is prepared to take the skills learned into any avenue of the art community, whether it is Fine Art, Illustration, or Entertainment."
- "The LAAFA/Atelier core curriculum uniquely combines techniques developed by:

* European 19th Century Ateliers and Masters
* U.S. 20th Century Figurative Masters & Illustrators"


They also got a broader curriculum than most ateliers. Besides the casual cast drawing, figure drawing etc. they also concentrate on things like figure construction (sphere, cylinder, cone, egg), gesture, quick sketch, composition, illustration, story building, visual development, location sketching etc.

[Special K]

w00t... I'm going spring '08!
Any you guys want a roomie for just a semester?
Lemme know... :teeth:
Thanks for all the encouragement/information...it helped me choose

[gunnz]

Gunnz, are you sure about LAAFA? They seem to teach much more than just drawing what's in front of you. Actually, that seems to be what seperates them from the other ateliers who focus on classical training exclusively. On their website they write about this, some quotes:

- "LAAFA's innovative Atelier focuses on training both the accurate impression and conceptual expression simultaneously."
- "The conceptual ideas expressed in our program will assist in developing your eye for solid design and composition in your work. "
- "Our program is designed to create an artist who is prepared to take the skills learned into any avenue of the art community, whether it is Fine Art, Illustration, or Entertainment."
- "The LAAFA/Atelier core curriculum uniquely combines techniques developed by:

* European 19th Century Ateliers and Masters
* U.S. 20th Century Figurative Masters & Illustrators"


They also got a broader curriculum than most ateliers. Besides the casual cast drawing, figure drawing etc. they also concentrate on things like figure construction (sphere, cylinder, cone, egg), gesture, quick sketch, composition, illustration, story building, visual development, location sketching etc.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I simplified the curriculum with that single statement, but that's how I see it. Pretty much, what I'm saying is that they don't have any editorial or entertainment classes. Unless you want to be a fine artist, you would probably want to take some of those types of classes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think learning the figurative arts is more or less suited to teaching, painting/ drawing portraits, or landscape painting as a career. I guess you kind of have to steer your learning into the entertainment field yourself.

[JoshK]

in my opinion, learning the traditional stuff is good (draw, paint figures and landscapes) if you are going entertainment, but you only need to get good enough to apply that knowledge to your work.

[evildisco]

WHAT? The more you know the better an artist you are no matter what industry or tendency.

The "figurative arts" are the base for everything, not just teaching.

It's a pity that art center is shifting away from the traditional curriculum, but I guess people don't care nearly enough. -sigh-

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Hi evildisco, you have a good point there. I also think the more traditional approach is really important to master. I think I have u you on my msn list, like to talk to you about art center as I read here and in another topic that you dont like it all that much?

[evildisco]

No don't get me wrong, I like this school, but I'm sad that they cut some of the more traditional mandatories out of the foundation curriculum.

[Moccomouse]

Hey, I'm flying out to pasadena next thursday, I have a tour and an interview scheduled for Artcenter. Is there anything you guys think I should be sure to check out, either at the school or around southern California?

[steve kim]

the rosebowl is in the area. check out old town down colorado and also make sure to look at the south campus on raymond.

[gunnz]

Hey, I'm flying out to pasadena next thursday, I have a tour and an interview scheduled for Artcenter. Is there anything you guys think I should be sure to check out, either at the school or around southern California?

Art Center conducts interviews? Anyway, check out the Manet painting they have at the Getty.

[Oscare]

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles....

[Yosul_Gongju]

Hey there, I'm a soon-to-be high school senior, and I've decided that Art Center is the college I want to attend... I've toured the school and I'm currently attending classes through the Saturday High Program. My parents and I have spoken to an admissions counselor, and this is where things start to go a bit off.

My parents have complete faith in the counselor, and I have complete faith in my teachers. I go to an arts high school, and three teachers whose classes I've taken are art center graduates. They all strongly advise me to attend PCC for one year to complete my general education units and work on my portfolio before attending art center.

My parents believe that the counselor should be better trusted because they're directly representing the school. This is a bit bothersome for me because I think that because the counselor represents the school, that they might be buttering things up in order to 'sell' the school more. I've also heard that the counselors aren't too reliable...

I'm trying to convince my parents that I'll have a much more fulfilling time at Art Center if I'm able to focus solely on my art classes during my years there instead of being weighted down by academics simultaneously, but my parents want me to finish the school quickly and are pushing me to go directly to Art Center and take every two semesters off as a mini-vacation if I'm stressed out.

I'm worried that if I do attend Art Center immediately that I'll be more concerned with scraping through the classes than actually learning from what I'll be doing there... I don't want to rush through, I'd rather have my experience in college be as beneficial to me as possible.

Another thing I'm confused about is transferring credits from a community college. I know that many students opt to attend PCC for a year and then transfer into Art Center with credits. I've also heard that this is a less costly way of finishing requirements for art center, how the cost for a class at PCC is a fraction of an Art Center class, despite that they're roughly the same quality. However the counselor that my family and I spoke to assured us that regardless of the number of units taken per semester (12-18?) the cost per semester would be a flat rate of 13,800. I don't know whether he was referring solely to art classes or to academic classes as well. Because of the idea of a flat rate per semester, my parents are even more stubborn about letting me attend PCC before Art Center because they believe that it will be more costly and be another obstacle time-wise.

I don't know which way to turn at the moment. Could someone please point me in the right direction? If I attend Art Center immediately as my parents request, I'll be 17 years old when I do go there.

[Felicia]

Hi Yosul_Gongju,

I recommend going to PCC for a year before you apply to Art Center. You can take Art Center at Night classes to work on your portfolio and get most of your GE classes taken care of. If money is a concern Art Center is more apt to offer scholarships to entering students who have some college experience then someone fresh out of high school. Also you have a little more time to explore the different majors so when you apply you have a better idea of what you are getting into.
PCC (http://www.pasadena.edu/admissions/fees/index.cfm) is way cheaper then Art Center for your academic classes. 13,800 a academic term versus 240-360 a semester at PCC is a big difference (not counting books).

You have it right regarding counselors. They (most of them) did not go to Art Center. The one that I talked to (ages ago) was nice but basically they are there to sell the school and make sure you have a portfolio that will get you in to the school.

I went to PCC before attending Art Center. I got all my GE classes taken care of and also took some art classes as well. PCC is a good school. When you are at Art Center it is really nice just to focus on your art classes and not worry about writing essays. There are a few academic classes you have to take at Art Center (History of Illustration (or whatever your major is), Intro to Modernism, Business). Also you can take more studio classes if you don't have to take academics.
You will survive either way. :confident

[Moccomouse]

Art Center conducts interviews? Anyway, check out the Manet painting they have at the Getty.

Yeah, I have a meeting with an admissions person on thursday. They called it an "interview" so I guess that's what it is.

[Yosul_Gongju]

I spoke to my parents again, and they're still adamant about having me attend Art Center straight out of high school. My older sister refused to go to any school near our home and moved across the country to attend a school where she wasn't offered any scholarship and barely managed to get on the waiting list (head cheerleader, terrible grades.) Because my older sister was so stubborn about her college and getting away from my family, my parents have to spend ridiculous amounts of money to put her through, taking money from my college funds and going so far as to not send my little sister (4) to school because they can't afford it.

In my mom's words, the biggest favor I'd be doing the family is to finish college quickly and to support myself as soon as possible. This puts a different spin on things for me, I wasn't initially sure why they were rushing me until I was told how much stress they were under from trying to send both me and my sister through college simultaneously.

Bleh. If she'd gone to PCC and transferred after 2 years the family wouldn't be in such a mess right now. ._. I guess I've got no choice but to attend Art Center ASAP and try to get through it.

[steve kim]

In my mom's words, the biggest favor I'd be doing the family is to finish college quickly and to support myself as soon as possible. This puts a different spin on things for me, I wasn't initially sure why they were rushing me until I was told how much stress they were under from trying to send both me and my sister through college simultaneously.

Bleh. If she'd gone to PCC and transferred after 2 years the family wouldn't be in such a mess right now. ._. I guess I've got no choice but to attend Art Center ASAP and try to get through it.

Reading your posts imo the last thing you need to do is rush into art center and accrue huge amounts of debt?

Why? Cause not only are you young (17), you SOUND it. The way you talk about your parents want, family-drama etc...

I'm assuming you're asian and you got the traditional overbearing parents thing going on... Great for them for what they have accomplished for you and your family, but this is your life and you need to start thinking independently.

With your head screwed on a little more tight via community college or ateliers or just general out-of-hs life experience you will benefit more from the school.

Talk to AC about what PCC classes you can take and WILL ABSOLUTELY TRANSFER (get it in writing if you have to cause a lot of classes don't) and see what life outside of HS and your parents thumbs is like.

Everyone talks about what elite drawing demons they will be when they come out of artcenter (which, really, isn't even the case going by recent grad shows)... but rarely is the stuff between your ears given any importance! any two-bit hack can learn to draw and produce derivitive trash. your value goes way beyond that. way beyond your parents being able to brag about you going to 'art center' (cause you know they can't brag about you going to stanford/princeton anymore now can they?).

a smart, mature, nuanced person will create smart, mature, nuanced work.

steve

[Felicia]

Yosul_Gongju,
What do you want to specialize in Illustration? I ask because right after you graduate most illustration students don't get handed a great full time job with their diploma. That sounds soo negative but it is true especially with freelance illustration (editorial, print, children's books, gallery,etc). Entertainment design can get you a job right out of school but it is really completive and not everyone gets something full time right away. Every art career requires even more work after graduation to get to where you want to go.

Going through Art Center right out of High school will not make you graduate faster then if you do a year at PCC the transfer. Most students with no transfer credits have to take at least 2 academic terms. It also isn't good to try to rush through it with lots of academic classes plus your studio classes and then expect to have a great portfolio when you graduate.

I agree with Chumps. Be careful of what you are getting into.
And make sure the classes transfer. I didn't have any trouble with PCC classes but a bunch of friends had trouble with other schools (UC and CS).

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Hey Felicia, I'm going to pcc next spring(maybe I take the winter session too) but I heard that you cant waive those academic classes at art center?

I'm just going for one term too pcc for my art center entrance portfolio.

So what classes should I take at pcc that I can waive some classes at art center?

[Felicia]

I would check with Art Center on what is currently transferable from PCC. Here (http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/admissions/transfer_credit/ba_credits.jsp) is what Art Center has online for required academics for illustration majors.
It doesn't matter if you take the classes winter or summer shorter semesters as long as it is the same class and you get a B or better.

For portfolio building, I would take whatever is you weakest subject. For illustration you need a combination of figure drawing, painting, and illustration in your portfolio. I would take (if they are still teaching there)
Stan Kong (product and trans majors especially but really helpful for design and drawing skills for illustration)
Sue Brown (sketching skills)
Morphesis (painting and figure drawing)
Sandra Haynes (art history 1 and 2)

[Jonas Heirwegh]

I'm gonna apply for trans at art center. And definately gonna take Stan Kong, I heard he is the key for getting into art center and maybe get some scholarship.

I really gonna need scholarship and I'm going try everything to get some and work my ass of at pcc.

I'll mail art center wich classes I can waive. Ow I'm going to pcc for spring term only, maybe take the winter and summer session also, or do I have to go at least a year to pcc to get some classes waived?

[Felicia]

Epias,
As long as you pass your classes with a B or better and you have made sure that the classes are transferable, you can take one semester at PCC or longer. That is for academic classes only. They usually do not transfer any studio classes but it depends on your portfolio.
If you can take winter and summer sessions as well as spring that would be great. The more classes you can get through before Art Center the better.

[Moccomouse]

Hey everybody, I'm here in california right now. Artcenter is amazing, the campus is gorgeous, the city is kickass and everything.

I was wondering if there is anyone who has actually transferred to Artcenter from another art school? (I'm trying to transfer to Product from CCAD) Specifically how many studio classes got transferred and where they ended up.

I talked to the admissions councellor yesterday and she said, basically that while all of my lib arts stuff will transfer (so I won't have to take art history all over again, for instance) but that it's rare for them to accept studio classes, and it's possible that I might end up spending 8 semesters at AC no matter what.

Is this really what happens? As much as I love artcenter I'm not sure spending another 8 semesters in college is feasible.

Any ideas as to what's going on here?

[Maxine Schacker]

Those of you who think highly of the Art Center should go this site and add positive comments- there's quite a negative review posted!

http://www.yelp.com/

[Wasker]

Hey, how many semesters are there on Artcenter per academic year? Two or three?
I checked the fees and it's a rather expensive school in my opinion but as the homepage states: "Providing excellence in education comes at a cost."

[Yosul_Gongju]

I want to go into Entertainment Illustration. As for sounding young, well, I am, and I know that I'm not ready to go to Art Center just yet. I'm going to look into the classes that are transferable from PCC and see what the difference in cost would be between the two schools. Hopefully that will convince my parents to allow me to attend the community college before going to Art Center. I don't really have a choice but to try to win them over-- it's their money paying for my education.

There's been something I've been wondering about, though. I know that you can withhold attending Art Center for one semester after being accepted, so is it possible for me to finish some units at PCC during that time?

[JoshK]

moccomouse- I transferred from a state college but a lot of my friends who came from other art schools had to take all the studio classes. I've heard of a couple people that came in with advance standings but that is rare. If all your liberal arts classes got transfered, you might be able to graduate a semester earlier.......

wasker - there are 3 semesters in one year at about 14-15k each.

[Yosul_Gongju]

According to the counselor I spoke to, each semester is 13,800 (flat rate), and you're allowed to take 12-18 units per semester.

[Jonas Heirwegh]

Those of you who think highly of the Art Center should go this site and add positive comments- there's quite a negative review posted!

http://www.yelp.com/

I cant see any negative reviews...

[JoshK]

http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/admissions/tuitions_fees/currentyear.jsp

Every year the tuition will be higher. I heard its because of their plan to build a dorm but there are a lot of rumors.

[steve kim]

I cant see any negative reviews...

nor can i. in fact they are a little too loaded with typical artcenter-nostalgia... (oh mang the all-nighters! the crits that made my eyes bleed! ra ra ra!)

sometimes i think that last person you want advice about artcenter is from an artcenter student.. or more specifically, artcenter alum. because current ac students will gladly bitch and moan but as the years grow between an alum and his graduation a lot of reality is replaced with ah-those-were-the-days fuzzy goodness.

[crimson89]

I'll be starting Art Center this fall as an illustration student.

I'm interested in getting an Apple laptop, but I don't really know which to choose, any recommendations? (I'm interested in getting into Entertainment Design or Motion Illustration).

Thanks!