CCAD vs. CIA

[Kirsten_Zirngibl]

These are two Ohio schools I'm trying to decide between (good luck to me finding someone on an international forum, heh). Columbus College of Art and Design and Cleveland Institute of Art.

I want the best education for concept art, both hand-rendered and put into the computer (2D and 3D). I may also want to minor in time-based arts.

I heard that Columbus is a little more geared towards the commercial (which is good). It also seems like it's a little more geared towards illustration, while Cleveland's leans more towards "fine art". HOWEVER, Columbus has biomedical art (something I think I could apply to creature design) and it's right on campus with Case Western Reserve, which has share programs where Cleveland game designers work with Case programmers to make games.

Also, CCAD is almost 3 times bigger than CIA, which means more professors to consult with, etc... but is bigger really better?

So, I basically have to decide pretty soon... Nobody I know seems to be helping me much one way or the other.

[Elwell]

Ccad.

[Kirsten_Zirngibl]

Any main reason?

[seanblanton]

ccad.

[thesinfulsaint]

CCAD all the way. CCAD is known for its illustration program. CIA... I don't really know if they're known for anything. Don't get me wrong--I don't think it's a bad school. I just think that CIA is a little more "artsy" of an art school. If you want to go to an art school like that, save your money and go to Akron U. From the very little work that I've seen from CIA, Akron's student work is better. The only huge advantage I can see to CIA is that it's right next to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Then again, CCAD is right next to a big art museum, too.

I vote CCAD, but it's your decision. Good luck. :)

[Zoroko]

CCAD all the way.

[Zirngibism]

Well, I'm pretty sure I'll be going to CCAD actually now, partially from what I've seen on this forum, also from looking around the internet. Plus, it's more money anyway to go to CIA. Thanks, and keep your opinions coming-- I'm curious to see how a CIA supporter backs their case for it.

[theincredibleandy]

I went to CCAD. If you wanna do concept art, then you really need to go somewhere like art center, but if you HAVE to choose between ccad and cia, go for ccad. CCAD's commercial illustration program is decent, whereas I know good artists who had to leave CIA because it was way too artsy and no one was willing to critique their art. Seriously, if you want to be a concept artist I'd highly recommend neither school until ccad drastically updates their time-based media studies program to actually teach people who want to learn concept art. I know too many people there who majored in illustration and had to blow off their classes and make their entire concept art portfolios in their free time due to pointless assignments. Every CCAD concept artist you've heard of knew each other and helped each other learn and get to where they are. It was the fellow students, not the school, that got them somewhere.

If you wanna be an editorial or book illustrator, however, you'd get a lot out of CCAD. Just know that you'll have to fill your learning gaps on your own to be a concept artist.

If you're going to compare museums, Cleveland's museum is 9,000 times better than the Columbus Museum, even though Columbus has a few Rockwells and a Sargent. If you really cared, though, you'd make trips to Cleveland just for that museum, its paintings, and its great collection of armor.

For drawing animals, the Columbus Zoo has been my favorite zoo ever. San Diego, Memphis, and DC had much better animal varieties, but also had huge crowds. Columbus was just right :)

So yeah, CCAD.

[zgrey21]

HOWEVER, Columbus has biomedical art (something I think I could apply to creature design) and it's right on campus with Case Western Reserve, which has share programs where Cleveland game designers work with Case programmers to make games.

I'm not sure if you meant to put CIA there, but CIA does have biomed, and they are right on campus with CWRU (share a cafeteria in fact). I can't say anything for CIA's Illustration program (I'm going there in the fall but I'm going into ID, and their ID program is awesome, don't know much about their illustration program however). It is a smaller school, but i think that individual attention from profs far outweighs having more profs to talk to.