Help!! The Art Institute Of Seattle Ais

[sjp215]

HELP!! I'm having a major crisis as in I am seriously wondering if i have made a really huge mistake in my goals. I am an interior design BFA student and I just finished my first quarter (I only took 2 classes though) and my second quarter is about to start (I'm taking 5 classes in the upcoming quarter).

I am really interested in dropping my stay at the AIS and wanting to to try an apply to the UW school of art. I have several questions for all of you:

1) Is there anybody on here who is wholly/mostly satisfied with their experience and the result of an education at the AIS? PLEASE just let me know about the AIS as that is the only AI that is applicable to me (since from reading the forums, it seems many of the AI's differ in some way or other).

2) I expect the UW school of art will want some sort of a portfolio but in high school (i graduated high school class of '05) I did not focus on art electives necessarily except for a photography class and 20th century Cinematics class. What do they want in a portfolio? I have no idea what to do or where to start. I don't even know who to talk to at the UW who will emphathize in some degree with my situation and wanting to go there.

3) I assume the credits I took at the AIS are not transferrable..... or are they????

I would VERY MUCH appreciate any kind of help I can get on this. Thank you all in advance!

[sjp215]

The classes I took were:

World Civ. with J. Goad
Drawing and Perspective with D. Danioth (WAY COOL TEACHER)



The classes I have coming up are:

Drafting I wih D. Wirtz
English Composition with Weinberg
Fund. of Design with E. Bisegna
History of Design I with L. White
Color Theory with D. Rutter

[CaptainInsano]

I went to the Art Institute of Seattle for a year and I was fuckin JIPPED!

What a waste of time!

But I did meet some really cool friends and got familiar with the complicated software (I was in animation).

Most of the classes were nothing better than on-line tutorials I could have taken on the internet for FREE at my own LESIURE time.

Dale Rutter is the coolest teacher there! He rocks!

I dropped out and have a great job animating, same with most of my friends. But I think we were the type who were going to get jobs regardless.

Art Institute isn't your ONLY choice. And it isn't the cheapest, either.

I would wholly advise you to DROP OUT OF AIS if you can get into UW. But until then, AIS is practically the only option you have in getting that piece of paper. And for interior design, the piece of paper is important. Why don't you just major in a BFA at UW???

[sjp215]

Getting a BFA at the UW is something i'm seriously looking into right now. Thank you so, so much for replying. I was just hoping there was somebody out there who actually had a good experience at AIS but it seems that search is fruitless.

[Athey]

I went to Digipen and we had a number of teachers that had worked over at AIS in the past and they were constantly poking fun at how shitty the school was. I mean - these were TEACHERS who worked there and THEY hated it. That's gotta say something...

I've never heard good things about AIS. Its an art school that doesn't require a portfolio to get in - that's sad enough by itself.

The one good thing I can say to you, is that at least you didn't have to waste a whole hell of a lot of money to figure out it wasn't the best place - I mean... you only took two classes. At least you weren't taking (and paying for) a full load.

I'd recommend calling UW and asking about the portfolio stuff. See if you can find some people who are going/went there and ask them what the portfolio expectations were like.

Try getting some work together whenever you have time.

Good luck.

[red baron]

I went to the art institute of Ft lauderdale and mainly to reply to ParkerD
and to hopefully help you. The school and the classes for these lines of work can only take you so far they introduce you to the programs and how to use them. then it is up to you to find out what the limits of the program are. its lazy to think that any class is just going to spoon feed you knowledge about every aspect of the thing you are going to study. These programs are designed to do so much and the classes are only so long.
In any major that you decide to do, if you want to become successful you will have to do more than what a teacher tells you to do.
Good luck to you.

[Prehistoric]

i'm an alumni of the UW school of art. and i can tell you that i was very pleased with the education i got there.

of course it depends on what kind of art you want to do. the UW takes a very traditional approach to drawing and painting, so if that's what you want, be prepared for a lot of foundation work.

as for their design departments, they are very competitive and only about %25 of the people trying to get in make it past the second quarter.

the fine arts department doesn't require a portfolio to start, you just declare a major. but you do need to develope and produce good work to stay in that major. i was in the painting department, and there are some really great teachers in that media. as for the rest, i'm not really sure.

[sjp215]

Wow... this really puts my mind to rest in that i know i'm doing the right thing. I've also heard from quite a few others who described the competive atmosphere and I think I have enough of a drive and desire that I will work and work and work and I will eventually make a living doing what I want to do in life.

If I apply now I can start in the fall of 2006 but I will just go ahead and take winter quarter at the art institute to help build a better base. I'm also aware that UW take a more traditional approach which is good because that is what i am looking for precisely.

I feel that, the stronger I make my base and foundation of knowledge, the better I can be refined later.... Did that make sense to anyone else? Anyway-- that's what I believe. between AIS and UW I hpoe to take in some study at the Seattle Academy of Fine Arts or ateliers around/in the Seattle area.... any particular references to a good one?

[NoSeRider]

I had 2 students from Ai in San Diego come to the Atelier I attend, a character design class, and they both stated that Ai teaches you programs but not how to draw.......that is hardly any life drawing or painting, traditional or digital.........and these are classes that should be taken repeatedly. Would you be willing to pay $1,500 a crack to repeat classes?

Their drawing ability did not surpass mine, so is it money worth spending?
Y'know some programs like Maya and all, but you still gotta teach yourself how to draw......because if you can't draw you probably make crappy 3D models, generally. With Zbrush type programs coming around, it'll be necessary to know traditional skills more and more.

[sjp215]

I totally agree. thanks so much.

[Dose206]

sjp215, i just wanted to say thanks for this thread. i'm just beginning to think about life after the military and art school is what i want. being from Seattle originally I'd like to go to school there and AIS was one school that I was thinking about..... but not anymore. thanks!

[stimpack]

I had 2 students from Ai in San Diego come to the Atelier I attend, a character design class, and they both stated that Ai teaches you programs but not how to draw.......that is hardly any life drawing or painting, traditional or digital.........and these are classes that should be taken repeatedly. Would you be willing to pay $1,500 a crack to repeat classes?

Their drawing ability did not surpass mine, so is it money worth spending?
Y'know some programs like Maya and all, but you still gotta teach yourself how to draw......because if you can't draw you probably make crappy 3D models, generally. With Zbrush type programs coming around, it'll be necessary to know traditional skills more and more.



Im gonna second this. Im currently enrolled at AISD, with 3 quarters till my grad date. I can honestly say that the school is extremly over priced for what you get. They push program knowledge more than artistic skill and creativity. Of cource they will tell you if it looks good or bad, but neither of those play a roll in passing a class. Basically if u show up, do the project (good or bad) you pass. What this school CAN do for you tho, is give you a creative person new tools to explore. It would seem after almost 2 and a half years, us that truly want to learn and push our art to match the images that apear in our heads group up more and more. In the end, you will have to put in WAY more time and effort than most people to get a decent education here.

sorry if i was all over the place with that post, writing is not my strong point by a long shot =) jist of my post, AI = rip off for now.

[Topher]

I am going through a Difficult time. I go to the Art Insitute of San Francisco. And am a Media Arts and animation Student. I just completed my 1st year and took a quarter break after a hellatious sculpture and animation quarter. I am wondering if I should serach for other schools or just stay with the art institute. I am 19 and this could be the biggest decision I will ever have to make. I am very passionate about digital painting sketching and 3d modeling and I would like a more serious environment with people who love what they do and do not just the bare minimum to get ahead. My other options that I would be really exicted about are Vancover Film School (3d animation), And the Art Center College of design (Idustrial Design).

[stimpack]

If you like modeling and painting i would suggest going the Game art program. It will give you a few more classes of modeling, and I think its the only program that pushes digital painting and texture work. If you want to really improve your modeling, just select items around your house and try to create them.

Its a big decision to make. Check out gnomon school, i believe they just got credited as a real college degree now, or something along those lines.

[Irish_Jim]

I am a current student at AiS. In fact, I'm in class right now.

NEVER, EVER ATTEMPT TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR HERE.

I only went here because my high school portfolio was good enough to win the Art Institutes scholarship competition in the regional category. When I began here, I had a medium talent, a passion for art, and endless enthusiasm for my future career. That was the fall of 2003, and I still have medium talent, the classes here have done nothing to improve that, but my passion for art is dulled and my enthusiasm is, well...gone.

I'm struggling to remain motivated to do something that at one point was all I had in mind for the future. I haven't learned anything pertinent to my field of study, save how to screw a fellow artist out of his job for my own benefit and organize doodles. I'm burned out big-time on crappy little projects that are nowhere near the quality of that high school portfolio from so long ago.

it's gotten so hard to keep going, I'm basically staying in school because I don't want to have spent so much money without earning a degree to make me valuable SOMEWHERE. And that's a fate I don't want any artist to suffer. UW may not be much better, but it can't possibly be worse.:nohope:

[Thany]

I graduated from AIS on September 16, 2005. I enjoyed my time at the school and felt that I learned quite a bit.

My only art skill coming into the school was the ability to draw above average drawings from photos in magazines. I didn't have any real creative skills or imagination when it came down to art, since all I ever did was copy pictures. As a kid, I drew on and off and sometimes I didn't draw for years. I would say, I drew about 75% more, during my time at school, then I did my past 24 years. AIS really helped me open up and expand my range of skills, as well as my love for art.

Some of the key artistic skills that I gained from school were perspective, design, color theory, atmospheric perspective, cartooning, storyboarding, learning how and what a character model sheet was used for, animation and it's industry, 3D modeling and the videogame industy, public speaking, writing up a resume and cover letter etc. Now, I was a high school drop out, so alot of what I learned was new to me.

I'm really shy, and I don't think I'm the kind person who could have gotten into the creative arts industry on my own.

When graduation time krept up, I felt I was ready and preparred to sell my artistic skills. I didn't wait to search for a job after I graduated; I started looking for work during my last quarter. I was nervous about replying to employers ads, since most were looking for an experienced proffessional artist, and I was still a student. I didn't let it bother me though because I was told that my portfolio would be the key to landing a job. I went ahead and replied to a job posting letting my portfolio speak for itself. Truthfully, I only applied to one job that mainly required Photoshop skills, a skill that I felt was my strongest. I went in, interviewed and they gave my the contract job right after, with an offer of $35 an hour. Now, prior to attending AIS, I was working as a Materials Handeler at an Aerospace company making a little over $10 an hour.

The company I contracted with is awesome and I did a great job for them. They offered and I acceppted a full time regular employee postion with a salary over 65k. Now, I love work. Life is feeling good and awesome.

I just recently bough my first house, too, so I feel like I'm flying really high right now. That's my experience with AIS. So, I guess what it really comes down to is that you get what you put into the school.

[gavin]

CORNISH!!!!!!!!!!!

How come no one mentioned this before. Cornish looks like a good school to me!