Digipen, Comish or The Art Institute of Seattle? (Vancouver, Kirkland: credit, student loan)

[Anders15]

What is the best for video game ART? I want to learn how to draw and do art first. I hope to either be a artist or possibly an animator for video games.

What school in the area is better? I am not sure what being a animator would require or how complicated it will be just yet. I don't really like math so thats why I say art first. Digipen is VERRRRRY expensive. Should I just look into a community college first? My art level now is not very good, last time I was in a art class was in middle school which is why I am trying to get to a respectable level in one of the schools. What do you all suggest?

[nitokenshi]

Digipen without a doubt because of their ties with Nintendo.

Find out if you can transfer credits in. If you can go to a CC first and brush up on art

Animation is math intensive. You will be working with Maya, 3D Max,etc on top of doing sculpting. You are looking at Algebra, geometry and some other math classes

[Anders15]

Wow thanks. I was always interested in Digipen then I saw a few things like them not being accredited and not favorable things about their Art programs. I always knew they had good teachers in programming but it seems their weak spot is when it comes to arts? I will check them out when I get there. Is is usually hard to get into compared to the others?

[nitokenshi]

I'm not sure about the school it's self all I know is of the connections with Nintendo it would be the best bet out of the three you listed.

I think the schools you listed are all more tech based. I know AI is. So if you are looking for something more artsy I would suggest an actual art school. Check out sites like gamesutra and IGDA.

Well, you will need a portfolio to get in expect with AI there is no admissions process with them you just enroll like a CC.

[mrsincredible]

My husband is a game artist. I would be very wary of "art schools" especially if you do not have a natural inclination or talent for art. Don't believe all the hype of TV commercials advertising for game art "degrees". These are certificates that are not worth the paper they are printed on.

All that matters in the field is talent. There are two schools of thought as far as getting the necessary skills to get a well paying job as a game artist. One is to go to school and get a degree. The other is self study. Well, both will require a lot of self study anyway but you will build a network of connections in school, which is valuable, and you'll have a piece of paper that says you know how to stick with a project and see it through to completion.

The other side of this coin is the available job market. All of these game art schools are churning out graduates by the bucket full. Every 1-2 years or how ever short their certificate programs are. The market is saturated with newly graduated students who do not have the right skills to get hired. On top of the flood of new graduates, there are a lot of seasoned artists you have to compete against. There have been a lot of studio lay offs and entire studio shut downs in the past few years. Many, many experienced artists with shipped AAA titles are having trouble finding work.

So my final though to you is to research your options carefully and make sure you are confident about your choice especially in regards to taking on giant student loan debts that you may never pay off with the knowledge you gained at the school. Like any other degree, many graduates do not end up finding work in their chosen field. This has been very true for my husbands classmates.

Best of luck!

[SeeYaSoCal]

mrsincredible is spot on.

I was in your position about 5 years ago. I just FINALLY got hired as a game artist at a studio in Kirkland last year. My education was from an art school in Vancouver, BC, and again, mrsincredible is right. The certificate I got after graduating was worthless. But that's not to say the experience and everything you learn there is not. (plus the people and industry contacts you meet/network with) It all comes down to you, your talent, your desire, and determination to not give up. I was told no, countless times. I mean, in the hundreds over the last few years. 'Thanks but we have decided to go with another candidate that matches our needs'. Prepare for that. It's hard work getting into this industry, and even harder to stay part of it.

I spent about 9 months at Microsoft Game Studios as a game tester, before I got my dream job. And I talked to a few people there who went to Digipen. They did not speak highly of it to be honest. Though, they were there for the programming. I was unaware that Digipen even offered anything to do with art. I would spend your time looking more toward the Art Institute. (At least they have AA and BA degrees) A lot of industry guys up here have gone there. And I know a lot of people who went to the AI in Vancouver. (BTW, don't hesitate to look up schools in Canada. They have a huge gaming community up there, and may be a less expensive way to go. It was for me at least.)

Anyway, here are some links that hopefully will help you out. Including some of my game blogging stuff I've done a long time ago.

Blog: TheGamerReport.com
Westwood College Online write up: GameDesignCollege.com

Check out these schools too: VFS.edu Vanarts.com 3Dtrainingacademy.com

Good luck! Stay positive and you can do it.

[mrsincredible]

Thanks SYSC. Also wanted to mention that you can join online message board communities such as cgtalk.com and polycount.com. There is a wealth of information for new people there straight from the source of professionals in the industry.

[secret_squirrel]

Eastern WA University has a BA in 3D Animation that should not be overlooked, IMO. As a public college, tuition is going to be reasonable and you will graduate with a true university B.A., which is worth something. Eastern in one of the best college values in the state.

http://www.ewu.edu/CSHE/Programs/Computer-Science.xmlc (broken link)

[Anders15]

Thanks everyone. I've still been toying around with this, perhaps just incase I don't like my current field I could do this or at least be a web designer on the side.

[popngear]

I would actually suggest just trying to learn art theory and 3d animation on your own using online tutorials and lots of practice. If you are a motivated individual it will save you a lot of money. Resources like polycount.com are invaluable (check out their wiki!). I was actually just browsing these forums looking for some information on housing; I didn't think I would be giving any cg related advice lol Good luck!