May 02, 2007
Just Draw It, Issue #003 -- Art Education!
May 02, 2007
I had a number of emails last month asking for advice on where to find drawing training in the real world. What should you study? Where should you go to school? And finally, once you have an education in art will you be able to find a job?
These are all great questions and I'm happy to offer my advice to anyone considering going to college or university to study art.
What to study?
This is a really great question and the answer is really up to each person to decide for themselves what the best choice is for them. There are a lot of different art disciplines offered, from illustration, painting, and sculpture. My experience is that it is extremely difficult to find a job once you have graduated with one of these degrees. They are all very worth-while studies, but the reality is that it's hard to find a job as a traditional artist. There are exceptions to the rule, but my experience is that most art students end up going on to study something else to compliment their art degree like education, communications, marketing or design to prepare them for the workforce.
I think the most employable artistic fields of study are the ones which use the computer to make art. This includes video, graphic design, 3D, animation, and multimedia. I think all of these fields offer many exciting opportunities to blend traditional skills with technology to create things that are new, fresh and exciting. There are many jobs for average digital artists, but if you work hard and become good or even great, the opportunities can be really amazing!
Where to study?
This is also a great question. There are some really great schools out there, and many, many more not-so-great schools! Naturally, you should decide what it is that you want to study and then start to research online which schools have good programs for what you are interested in. Be careful if you are going to attend some smaller college because many of these schools have really good materials to get you signed up at the school, but once you have paid your money the educational value is not very high. Don't be afraid to contact the school's admissions department directly and ask them about their programs.
Here are some questions that you should consider asking yourself when reading the promotional materials or when you talk to the school's admissions department:
- How much time is devoted to studying the subject you are interested in?
- How much time is spent on developing your understanding of art and its history? (this may seem boring, but it's important)
- What kind of jobs have graduates of the program gone on to?
- Does the school have an area of study that they are recognized for?
Also, ask if it is possible to get the names of some of the professors or teachers that work in the department that you are interested in studying in. Look up the teachers on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com and see what others have to say. Are the teachers really good, or are they just there to collect a salary?
It's really up to you!
School is important, and a degree can really open a lot of doors for you, but if your heart is in it you can be a great artist no matter what school you go to, who you study under, or how much money you spend on your education. If you want it bad enough you will succeed. You're already reading a newsletter like this, so I have faith that you have it in you to find the education you need by any means necessary.
I wish you all good luck in finding the education that you need, and if there's anything that I can help you with, or if you would like to hear about my personal experience in studying art at university please feel free to email me on the DrawingCoach.com contact page.
Finally, here are the newest tutorials on the site:
- How to draw a cartoon sun
- Easy to Draw Cartoon Frogs
- Cartoon Flowers Drawing Lesson
- Drawing Cartoon Trees
That's it for this issue of Just Draw It. Best wishes for your artistic efforts!