Art School Recommendation for Traditional Illustration?

[Humbucker]

Right now I'm really unhappy at the university I'm at because the illustration program is mixed with the animation program and the work that comes out of the program is mostly very stylized. I'm thinking of transferring to another art school, but I know I want to end up somewhere that emphasizes more realistic, representational illustration in traditional media like what Norman Rockwell did. Which art school would be the best fit for me? I'm that guy in life drawing classes who spends hours just getting the proportions before I move on to rendering. I've been looking at Art Center in Pasadena simply because that's sort of been the mecca for illustrators, but I've read that they don't really emphasize a classical foundation and representational skills as much as they used to.

I've been looking at a lot of the online student galleries of art schools and their illustrations seem to be mostly graphic/abstract/non-naturalistic. I would just go to an atelier (I'm going to the Academy of Realist Art over the summer, and I'd love to study at the Angel Academy in Florence), but my parents are adamant that I get a degree (and I don't completely disagree).

[Storyboard Dave]

There are PLENTY of places that still tout traditional illustration.

Why not take a look at some of the schools listed here and scope out their gallery sections to see what the students are producing and see if any of them fulfill your needs?

http://www.aicad.org/

Good luck!

[Humbucker]

I've visited the AICAD sight and visited just about every notable illustration school and have really found very little in terms of high quality naturalistic representational art in the online galleries. I know Art Center produced Drew Struzan and Crash McCreery, so that's plus for them. Maybe I need to look into fine art programs, too.

[Storyboard Dave]

I've visited the AICAD sight and visited just about every notable illustration school and have really found very little in terms of high quality naturalistic representational art in the online galleries. I know Art Center produced Drew Struzan and Crash McCreery, so that's plus for them. Maybe I need to look into fine art programs, too.

Do both! Just because you sign up for Illustration doesn't mean you shouldn't wander down the hallway to check out Fine Arts, Animation, Industrial Design or whatever program they have to offer.

I've always suggested to all Illustrators to go scope out the Fine Art painters. There's no snobbery there! They might have their own way of applying paint, different palettes or whatever but when it comes right down to it, it's still image making.

Good luck.

[Humbucker]

Just got back from a visit to Art Center and it doesn't look like it's the place for me. A lot of the illustration work I saw was very modernist/flat/non-representational. Anyone have any other schools I should consider? I'm going to check out Academy of Art University on Friday.

[Elwell]

There are people at SVA who can teach you what you want to learn.

[Maxine Schacker]

Are you only interested in degree granting programs? Are you looking for representational training or academic realism? I've heard that RISD is very good, but that's not first hand knowledge. Contact Seedling - she graduated from that program.

[Humbucker]

Basically I'm looking for an accredited school where I can learn representational, realistic drawing and painting, whether it's in the classical old masters style or in the style of 20th century illustrators like Rockwell and Pyle. I'll probably end up going to an atelier on the side or after I get my degree, but I want to spend the rest of my college education learning something that I want to learn as opposed to just getting a BFA in some random discipline that I'm not passionate about.

[Sharon Knettell]

www.lymeacademy.edu

It is reasonable and located in a beautiful spot in Lyme Connecticut.

It is fully accredited with a degree program. It is a first rate figurative school with a great teaching staff.

The Providence Art Club has show of the faculty work and it was very accomplished.

Going into the figurative arts, illustration etc., it is really best to have a thorough grounding. If you can draw a figure beautifully you can animate cartoon, paint, the sky is the limit. If you can't then you can't make it in these fields.

If you are going into fields that require these skills, don't always go by what you think is hot, but the schools curriculum. Many schools even highly regarded ones don't offer enough figure studies. Check their curriculums

[Maxine Schacker]

Max the Mutt in Toronto has a very strong program stressing traditional painting and drawing, but without sacrificing diversity and a sense of movement. What I am trying to say is that understanding visual language is the primary thing. I don't like methods that teach one "solution." When that happens everyone's work looks the same. The masters (Rembrandt, Velasquez,Daumier for example) all understand that language but have found their own voices. Their work has life force . Our new concept art diploma program will have even more drawing and a deep figurative painting component. Check out the web site, www.maxthemutt.com. However, we are a career college offering diplomas, not degrees. Our graduates have had no problems finding employment- they have the skills and the professionalism- but if you need a degree we're not the right school for you. Do check out the July,
one month "Learn to Draw" intensive. It's reasonable and will get you on the right track.