New here, and have some questions.

xminax · 07-22-2009, 12:50 AM

Hello, I'm new here and I just have to say that you give very helpful advice.
Actually, I'm in a bit of a pickle myself.

I'm an upcoming senior in high school, and around this time I should already know what to major in. Only recently, I got interested in the gaming industry.
I would like to do the art side of things (character artist and such) since I enjoy drawing. I don't have experience in programming, and my work is only limited to 2D traditional and digital as of right now.

I'm planning to go to a four-year college or university, but not sure what to major in to get me in the right direction.
I'm asking if there's anything I should do to make me more qualified, and what can I major in.

jwalters · 07-22-2009, 08:41 PM

Hmm... sounds like you should pursue an art degree. There are game art programs but they are relatively new (as opposed to a well-established traditional art program), so bear that in mind when you make your decision. To be more qualified, keep working on your drawings and learning tools like Maya and Photoshop to enhance your skills. You will need a portfolio to show a potential employer at some point, so keep improving and adding to it as you go.

dzeligman · 07-23-2009, 08:54 AM

Your portfolio is everything if you are an artist. You are your portfolio.

Mallaien · 07-23-2009, 12:33 PM

I took art in college a long time ago, even before computer games and/or effects were just coming into there own. there are some skills that can be learned through a traditional art school but there going to be technical skills at best. To move on to something game related, you need to take those technical skills and apply them to software packages.

Your average 3D modeling program like Maya or Max takes time to learn all the nuance, but really doesn't rely on technical art skill. A program like Zbrush on the other hand has an easy to learn interface and relies on artistic skill to pull it together. Zbrush applied to any model will make it stand out.

Anyone can make a box in a modeling program, but a artist can take that box, apply textures, diffusion, and normal maps to make it look believable.